In The Zone - Issue 2 - Spring 2014

IN THE

ONE

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ISSUE 2 SPRING 2014

YOUR CAREERS AND EMPLOYABILITY MAGAZINE

INSIDE Career planning 101

2

News and views from employers

3

Enterprise skills - who needs them?

4

Jobs in the creative arts

7

Events at Penryn and Streatham

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IN THE ZONE

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Welcome to the 2nd issue of ‘In the Zone’!

The magazine is brought to you by EGD (Employability and Graduate Development) and the Career Zone teams to bring you up to date with employability news and activities available to Exeter students and our external partners.

CONTENTS Welcome 1 Career Planning 101

2

News and views from employers

3

Enterprise skills – who needs them? 4–6 Graduate jobs in...

The creative arts Events at Penryn and Streatham Employers! 20,000 reasons to target Exeter

Follow us on Twitter

@UoECareers @uoecornwallcz

7 8–9 11

In this issue we have included articles that will help you to make more informed career decisions and point you to those services, events and opportunities that will help you follow your dream careers!

Find us on Facebook

The feature article in this issue takes a look at why enterprise skills are important regardless of the career you wish to follow or the sector you wish to work in.

We have some great stories about current students and graduates who have made it happen for themselves.

Hopefully, they will inspire you to do the same!

Best wishes, Paul Blackmore Head of Employability and Graduate Development

ExeterCareerZone cornwallcareerzone In the Zone archive: www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/itz

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Think it, Try it, Do it... ...is the innovative (and award winning!) portfolio of services designed to help you develop, experiment and express your entrepreneurial flair during your time at Exeter and beyond.

This issue will highlight how students are already making things happen for themselves and will hopefully inspire you to do the same! See pages 4, 5 and 6 in this issue.

You can find information and links to these invaluable services here: www.exeter.ac.uk/ careers/enterprise/

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CAREER PLANNING ‘101’ Choosing a career can be daunting but there are a few things that you can do to get started, reduce stress and gain an edge on the competition. Start by asking...

Do you want to work with your degree subject? Interested in managing people or self-employment?

What skills might you need?

How will you acquire them?

Do you need another qualification?

If you are unsure of the skills and experience you have or need for a specific occupation or sector, you can start to investigate the occupations available and find the ones that match.

There are many tools online that can help you, take a look at these (both will suggest potential occupations):

Prospects Career Planner: www.prospects.ac.uk and Targetjobs Careers Report: www.targetjobs.co.uk Consider booking a place on the ‘Focus on.... Getting started’ session, available through the Career Zone.

Did you know graduate jobs any degree dis

Did you know

70% of

all graduate jobs are open to any degree discipline?

If you have too many options or need further advice, visit the Career Zone to speak to helpful staff and to book an appointment to see a Careers Consultant. This appointment will help you to clarify your thinking, whether you have lots of ideas or none at all.

I wanted to make a difference.

So I did.

PLEASE SUPPLY high res advert

Just 16% of pupils eligible for free school meals make it to university, compared to 96% from independent schools.* Change their lives. Change yours.

*Source: Sutton Trust, 2010

Matt Inniss, The University of Cambridge Taught: History Now: Head of Department

The single most important thing you will do

teachfirst.org.uk Charity No 1098294

Location & Type of Graduate Vacancies in 2014

3

Looking at where within the UK employers expect to employ graduates shows that almost nine out of ten organisations are offering vacancies in London for 2013 and half plan to hire new recruits for positions in the south east of England (see Chart 2.8). Whilst this doesn’t The Graduate necessarily mean that the majority of graduate vacancies are in or around the M25, it does Market in 2014 confirm that most major employers have opportunities within the region.

IN THE ZONE

News and views

Annual review of graduate vacancies & starting salaries at Britain’s leading employers

The north west of England, the Midlands and the south west have the next highest numbers of employers recruiting graduates into the regions, followed by the north east of England and Yorkshire. Of all the English regions, East Anglia is the least likely to yield graduate vacancies – 43% of employers have opportunities there in 2014.

from employers

A total of 51% and 44% of graduate employers have entry-level jobs on offer in Scotland and Wales respectively and 29% are recruiting for opportunities in Northern Ireland.

The Graduate Market in 2014 also records the type of job functions that employers are hoping to recruit graduates into in 2014. The most frequent requirement is for IT and finance vacancies – more than half of employers offer roles in these areas, irrespective of their organisation’s main purpose (see Chart 2.9). Around two-fifths of employers have vacancies in human

Here are just a few news headlines reported at the start of 2014 that you might find interesting when planning your career and researching employers.

Producedby byHigh HighFliers FliersResearch Produced Research

Chart 2.8 Location of Graduate Vacancies at leading UK Employers in 2014

87%

London

Here are some of the most significant findings from this year’s survey of the Top 100 UK Graduate recruiters: ations of organis a quarter s and ip sh rn te in offer paid run s er employ a third of , es rs u co y or introduct er h and ot open days r riences fo pe ex er st ta ents. d u st R

A

FIRST YE

37% of graduate position s expected to be filled by those who have already worke d for their organisations thr ough paid internships, industri al placements or vacation work

56%

North West

54%

The Midlands South East

52%

Scotland

51%

Graduate Recruitment Survey 2014 Winter Review Over h alf the recruite surveye rs d warn ed that gradua tes wh o have previou had no s work experie have li2009 nce, ttle or n o chanc receivin e of g a job offer fo their g2010 r raduate program mes.

48%

North East

48% 46%

Yorkshire Wales

44%

East Anglia

43%

98.7 99.4

2011 2012

South West

29%

Northern Ireland

99.6

0

98.2Source - The Graduate Market in 2014

20

40

80

60

100

Percentage of top graduate employers

[Source: High Fliers Ltd]

2013

EMPLOYERS STRUGGLE TO 2014 FILL 17% OF (predicted) VACANCIES DUE TO LACK OF LANGUAGES

14

103.8 114.5

Figure 1.2: number vacancies A lack of foreign language skillsMean accounts for of nearly a fifthper AGR employer 2009 to 2014 (predicted) – Varying bases

of unfilled vacancies, a new report from UKCES has found.

Read more here >

Expected changes in vacancies by sector www.theguardian.com/education/2014/jan/30/employers-struggle-to-fill-vacancies-languages

Table 1.3 presents the expected percentage change in vacancies from 2012-2013 to 2013-2014 by se

GRADUATE VACANCIES PREDICTED TO RISE THIS YEAR The latest report from the Association of Graduate Recruiters predicts a 10.2% rise in vacancies for 2014. This table illustrates the sectors with the most significant growth.

Table 1.3: Percentage change in vacancies from 2012-2013 to 2013-2014 by sector (predicted) IT/Telecommunications

40.3%

Public sector

20.1%

Energy, water or utility

17.5%

Banking or financial services

15.7%

Accountancy or professional services

12.2%

Engineering or industrial

9.2%

Transport or logistics

7.0%

Consulting or business services

5.7%

Source: The AGR Graduate Recruitment

Retail

2.7%

Survey 2014, Winter Review

FMCG

2.0%

Investment bank or fund Managers

-1.4%

Law

-4.2%

All but two AGR sectors predict increases in their vacancy levels in the 2013-2014 recruitment season 40.3%, IT/telecommunications companies anticipate the highest increase in vacancy levels and by a significant margin. The public sector is the next largest at 20.1% - some 20.2 percentage points below

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WHO NEEDS THEM? The short answer is...

Everyone!

Learning about and experiencing enterprise whilst still at university can have several benefits. It will be useful to those entering employment (as students or graduates) or those looking to be self-employed, working on a freelance or consultancy basis or setting up their own business. Employers see such experience as providing readiness for a rapidly changing world of work and to enable individuals to manage workplace uncertainty and flexible working patterns and careers.

Are there specific skills that I should be looking to gain?

So how do I acquire them?

Work experience is the most obvious way of acquiring and demonstrating enterprise skills but there are also a vast range of opportunities to help you acquire these skills whilst on campus and through some of our partner initiatives, schemes and competitions. If you have attended the eXfactor programme you will already be one-step ahead of the game!

For more ideas, specific events and development programmes visit the Career Zone’s pages: www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/events

Enterprise skills include a wide range of skills that make you effective within a working environment. These might include taking the initiative, decision making, making things happen, networking, identifying opportunities, creative problem solving, innovating, strategic thinking, and personal effectiveness. They can take the form of emotional, intellectual, social, and practical skills.

Find out more – Check out our exciting case studies overleaf

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Ever thought about working for yourself? fo

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Exeter students win global competition

Elite Sports International Clubs (ESIC) Ltd

Exeter students, Robert Parker, Edward W Noel, Alexander Bochenski and Jonathan Neumann, have won the Microsoft Imagine Cup World Innovation Competition which aims to find the best app developing talent worldwide.

ESIC is the brainchild of Jennifer Chizua, who recently graduated from Exeter with a BSc Human Biosciences and Sports Science degree.

The winning app “soundSYNK,” creates impromptu networks that stream music simultaneously through several phones creating a symphony of speakers.

The team won the top prize of $50,000 and attended the Microsoft annual conference in Atlanta, USA. They are now busy planning the launch of the app under their business named CoLinked.

To find out more about their incredible story visit: www.soundsynk.com

Her business involves providing corporate, professional and personalised services relating to the sports industry.

Jen is currently providing VIP hospitality packages and holiday training and coaching camps with the top Premier League Football Clubs and sports clubs.

UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) has already awarded Jennifer a grant of £36,000 and she is now looking to recruit two new graduates to help build the business further and is soon to appear on the BBC’s Dragon’s Den TV programme in an effort to gain even more business support and funding.

So what does Jennifer attribute to her burning desire to succeed in business?

“The University has been invaluable in helping me to develop the business. In my personal development, a Careers Consultant in the Career Zone really helped me every step of the way and helped me to secure a great mentor with lots of senior experience across the sports industry. He has also been incredibly inspirational”.

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rising stars

Exeter’s

UK Best and Brightest Student Arts and Humanities Undergraduate of the Year 2nd year Maths student Emily Burton, saw off competition from over 4,000 students from 149 universities to be crowned the UK’s Best and Brightest Student in National Student Challenge awards.

Emily has won £1,000 and a paid internship with Siemens after completing a variety of practical tests around individual and group exercises, decision making tests, communication and business awareness.

If you want to gain some of the these invaluable skills – why not follow in the footsteps of Emily and others by attending eXfactor and signing-up for the Exeter Award?

Meet the Exeter finalists of the nPower Future Leaders national competition

Marie Notermans, studying English and Spanish, beat off 4,400 applicants from over 140 universities at the recent TARGETjobs Undergraduate of the Year Awards.

How did Marie prepare for the competition?

“The Career Zone team provide a useful and personalised service, and throughout my time at Exeter I have completed the Exeter Award and the Leaders Award, as well as partaking in the Career Mentor Scheme. These projects have really helped me develop my commercial awareness and focus on what employers are looking for.

Having spoken to students from other universities applying for the award none seemed to rate their university career services, so I feel lucky to have access to the great support and resources available at Exeter.”

Whilst undergraduate Biosciences students Sophie Walton, Flo Taylor, Harriet Miller, Catriona Patterson may have narrowly missed out on winning a trip to the Amazon, their innovative sustainability project ‘Exeter Style Cycle’ secured them the great offer of a paid internship with nPower and added a great accolade to their CV! Find out more here: www.facebook.com/ExeterStyleCycle

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Graduate jobs in...

An interview with the General Manager (and recent graduate) of The Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter Name: Degree:

Jack Dean BA Creative Arts (2011); MA Arts Administration (2012)

Why the theatre?

For my dissertation I managed a UK tour as a spoken word artist, and found I liked it just as much as writing and academia.

Moving more into arts management was the obvious choice.

What’s a typical day like for you?

In between the spreadsheet-slaying and routine emailing that takes up the bulk of my day, I get to write strategies for ongoing organisational development and learn new things from my mentors in partner companies about how to do my job better. I also chip in with other bits and bobs, from front of house work – to cleaning – to making the coffee!

Worst bits of the job?

Spending hours on the phone with merchant services. Working underground until you look like Gollum. Worrying about funding.

Best bits of the job?

Being part of a tiny but brilliant team, with loads of ideas and commitment. Seeing great plays and knowing I helped make them happen.

What qualities and competencies do you look for as a recruiter?

Diligence, reliability, a sense of humour, enthusiasm, flexibility, honesty, humility, understanding of what we do and what we’re aiming for.

Top tips for succeeding in Arts and Culture?

Go out and meet people, and be nice to them.

Mr Smith the Artistic Director is still a regular person. He probably forgets his keys and

snacks too late in the day sometimes too.

Be prepared for great tides of setbacks and failures, and try and adapt.

Reappraise your goals often and make sure you’re doing what you’re doing because you really want to as much as possible, not out of obligation / momentum / etc.

Opportunities for Exeter students?

On a local level, we’re offering loads of opportunities for theatre makers in Exeter through Framework, our artist development arm, including free studio space, platforms for ‘work in progress’ showings and a week-long run each year for Exeter University Drama graduates as part of their Bursary scheme.

What qualities and competencies do you look for as a recruiter?

Diligence, reliability, a sense of humour, enthusiasm, flexibility, honesty, humility, understanding of what we do and what we’re aiming for.

IN THE ZONE

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Employer and sector focus events for your diary

FRI 20

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SAT 21

Streatham Events – SPRING TERM Date

Employer

Session type

Monday 24 February 2014 Monday 24 February 2014 Monday 24 February 2014 Wednesday 26 February 2014 Wednesday 26 February 2014 Wednesday 26 February 2014 Thursday 27 February 2014 Tuesday 4 March 2014 Wednesday 5 March 2014 Thursday 6 March 2014

Thursday 6 March 2014

Thursday 6 March

Thursday 13 March 2014 Monday 17 March 2014 Monday 17 March 2014 Tuesday 18 March 2014 Thursday 20 March 2014 Friday 21st March Friday 21st March

News Associates “Live News Workshop” Skills Session News Associates Drop In PwC “Psychometric Testing” Skills Session GSK (GlaxoSmithKline) Mock Interviews Deloitte “Time Management” Get Fit…Skills Session News Associates “Sports Journalism Workshop” Skills Session Deloitte “Interview Skills” Skills Session PwC “Commercial Awareness” Skills Session EY Mock Interviews Teach First “STEM” Recruitment Presentation (Science Technology Engineering Maths) ‘Backstage’ in conjunction with Grad Factor Events sector networking event Widen your Options: Careers in the Charity Guest Lecture Sector with Debbie Hill (alumna), The Children’s Society – Widen Your Options Weil Gotshel and Manges Mock Interview Allen & Overy “Cupcake Giveaway” Drop In Allen & Overy “Legal Case Study” Skills Session Kathleen Lund (Alumna) – Mock Interviews Sustainability Skills Session IBM Recruitment Experience IBM Smarter Planet Challenge

Penryn Events – SPRING TERM Mini Teaching Fair

for more infor Batem

Wednesday 26th February, 11am-3pm. The Compass

at

Widen Your Options: Careers in Environment and Sustainability Monday 24th February, 4-6pm. Peter Lanyon Lecture 4, followed by networking drinks

Widen Your Options: Wildlife and the Environment Tuesday 4th March, 4-6pm. Peter Lanyon Lecture 4, followed by networking drinks

Grad Factor: National Televised Entrepreneurship Awards programme Friday 7th March (location to be confirmed – check ‘My Career Zone’ events listing)

Widen Your Options: Publishing Wednesday 12th March, 5-7pm

for more information, find us in the Bateman Lecture Theatre

at

Have YOU ever cons your own bu We canstarting offer up to £10,000 Government Have YOU ever considered starting your own business?

backed funding to help YOUR student start-up

£10,000

can offer up to Awards For more information on these events and to book your place, visitWe www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

backed funding to help YO

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IN THE ZONE

1st Years - ‘Get fit for your Challenge’, gain an additional Professional Development Certificate, progress towards the Exeter Award AND impress future employers!

These are just a sample of the Get Fit For Your Challenge sessions that are happening during February and March:

Penryn Active Listening Skills 20th February Careers in Education Sector 26th February Effective Presentation Skills 21st February and 13th March Networking Essentials 25th February and 4th March Cultural Awareness: An Introduction 27th February Careers in Environment and Sustainability 5th March Time and Stress Management Strategies 6th March

Streatham Presentation Skills (EY) 19th February Project Planning 20th February and 11th March Presentation Skills (PWC) 24th February Networking Skills (Enterprise Rent-A-Car) 25th February Time Management Skills (Deloitte) 26th February Cultural Awareness 3rd March Presentation Skills (Teach First) 6th March Networking Skills (EY) 6th March Project Management Skills 12th March LinkedIn Labs are also running throughout February and March.

Check here for dates, a full list of sessions and details on how to book:

www.exeter.ac.uk/grandchallenges

Graduate Careers in Audit, Tax and Advisory Let’s cut to the chase. When it comes to developing your graduate career with us, it’s going to be a lot of hard work.

You’re going to have to study. And you’re not going to be running the show from day one. But you will be valued. You will be supported.

And you will get all the training, development and exposure you’ll need for when it is your time to run the show.

To find out more go to www.kpmgcareers.co.uk/graduates

© 2013 KPMG LLP, a UK limited liability partnership, is a subsidiary of KPMG Europe LLP and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative, a Swiss entity.

Do you want it sugar coated or straight up?

Employers!

20,000 reasons to target Exeter

Find out why we P.R.I.D.E. ourselves on our award winning employer services and why more employers than ever are targeting 20,000 students and recent graduates from Exeter to become their talent for the future.

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