Careers Newsletter October 2012 edition by Waterford Institute of Technology

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What’s On

Careers Centre Newsletter Issue No 2

October 2012 has lots of Careers events happening for you, both on campus and in Dublin DO NOT MISS OUT, this is the beginning of your future - use these opportunities to get yourself ahead in the career of your choice.

as at 8 October 2012 Don’t forget the Careers Centre is now on MOODLE - https://vle.wit.ie/ and www.facebook.com/pages/WIT-Careers-Centre/164371466911273?ref=ts - check us out! Careers Office

Careers Information Library

Where we are - Front Entrance, Immediate left, Main Building, Cork Road Campus How to contact us Telephone Fax Email Website

051 302038 051 306279 careers@wit.ie http://www.wit.ie/careerscentre

REMEMBER to REGISTER with the Careers Centre to receive quick, up to date information. http://www.wit.ie/current_students/student_life_and_learning/ register_with_the_careers_centre

Fulbright Awards Road Show Contents - Page

The Fulbright Commission in Ireland officially announced a call for applications on Friday 24 August 2012.

Preparing for Success at a Careers Fair What Happens at a Careers Fair / Tech Sector Stats / Advertisements What’s On

Dear Students,

The 2013 - 2014 competition for the Fulbright Awards includes a monetary grant for post-graduate students, scholars and professionals to travel to the US to lecture, research and study for a maximum period of one year. In 2012 there was a record-breaking 37 Irish Awardees!

On behalf of the Careers Centre, I extend a sincere welcome back to you all. For many of you, the year ahead will be a very busy one, with your focus on the academic studies and continuing your careers exploration including job and/or further study search.

A representative of the Fulbright Commission will visit WIT on Tuesday 9 October at 1.00.p.m. in the Boardroom, Walton IT Building, Cork Road Campus to publicise the competition and give a general presentation on Post-Graduate Study in the US followed by Fulbright Awards information. To book your attendance at this event, please email Clare McCormack on cmccormack@wit.ie The closing date to submit an application for a Fullbright Award is on 14th November 2012. Further information on the Fulbright Awards is available at www.fulbright.ie

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TOP FLOOR, Luke Wadding Library Cork Road Campus

We suggest you use your time well, focus on what you really want to achieve by the end of the year and be smart, effective and efficient in your plan of action. The Careers Centre can assist the Final Year student in developing and managing your Career Plans. Read the following sections below for key actions, dates and events of interest to Final Year students. Free guides / information on career sectors and employers are available from the Careers Centre Information Library situated on the top floor of the Main College Library. Set time aside each week to work on your Career exploration and plan. You may need to Register with the Careers Centre via the Careers Centre website www.wit.ie/careerscentre and it is also important that you Register with gradireland http://gradireland.com/. Check out the Careers section on Moodle and Facebook too.

Dates for Your Diary Monday 8, Tuesday 9 and Thursday 11 October 2012 See above “WIT Careers Week” poster for all events taking place on the Cork Road Campus - All Students welcome DO NOT MISS OUT Tuesday 9 October 2012 Fulbright Awards Road Show, see poster above for full details - Walton IT Building Book your place NOW Wednesday 10 October 2012 Gradireland Careers Fair RDS, Dublin See above poster and register to get in FREE A MUST BE AT EVENT

Watch out for the Careers Fair on 10 October 2012 in the RDS Dublin - http://gradireland.com/events/52468 - do not forget to register for the Fair, for more details please check the Careers website - http://www.wit.ie/current_students/student_life_and_learning/events1. Running up to the Careers Fair we have a Careers Week to help kick start the term, please come along to the presentations and stands. There are lots of jobs available and here are a few tips to help you succeed in the jobs market Review your CV - Prepare the best CV possible. Companies will not bother with CVs that display typos and grammatical errors. Think about the overall layout and emphasise relevant and interesting achievements (academic, project work and extracurricular). There is a lot of information available on our website to help you. Meet Your Future Employer Check out the vacancies on the WIT Careers Website - http://www.wit.ie/current_students/student_life_and_learning/vacancies Attend the Company presentation we have on site - http://www.wit.ie/current_students/student_life_and_learning/events1 Keep an eye on the following websites -

Gradireland - http://gradireland.com Prospects - http://www.prospects.ac.uk/graduate_job_search.htm TargetJobs - http://targetjobs.co.uk/graduate-job-search

Recruiters also source graduates through LinkedIn. Make sure your professional profile is up-to-date. Think Globally - Be flexible about what you’re prepared to do and don't be afraid to take a lower level job to get some experience. Expanding the sectors and geographical area in which you are willing to work will increase the opportunities available to you. Use your contacts and network - Nowadays a lot of companies aren't spending the time and money to formally recruit new people, so they're doing it by word of mouth. Make the most of your contacts. Speak to your friends, family members and Intra employers. The power of personal contact is very important. Also consider joining a professional organisation. Apply early - When you see a job advertised, respond as quickly as you can. Even if a company doesn't specify a closing date, make sure your application reaches them as soon as possible. If you apply speculatively to employers who aren't actively recruiting, try to get a name of either the HR person or Manager in the company to which you wish to apply. Make the most of this year, as the WIT tagline says ' you can go anywhere from here'. The Careers Centre looks forward to meeting with you. Best wishes, Angela and the Careers Team

Preparing for Success at a Careers Fair Know Your Goal

Preparing for success at a career fair

Understand your reasons for attending the fair. Are you:  Looking for full-time, part-time, internship, work experience?  Exploring career opportunities?  Investigating companies?  Practicing networking skills?  Other reasons?

Research Career Fields & Job Titles Understand more about careers of interest by investigating detailed information Become familiar with career information found in the Career Information Library

Prepare to Make a Good Impression Company Recruiter Name

Is there an active position

 YES

 NO

Skills Required Will this company be back on campus for OCR? (When) Did I leave a resume

 YES

Did I get a Business Card

 Yes

 NO  NO

Did I send a thank you note (Date)

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Determine Which Career Fields/Areas Are Right for you Speak with a Career Advisor Review books, videos and other resources in the Career Information Library, as well as online Take“career assessment inventories” to help you determine potential career path. Try the gradireland careers report on the WIT Career’s Centre webpage http://www.gradireland.com/careersreport

Research Employers Attending the Fair Review list of employers attending the fair Visit employer websites and use employer research sites found on the Career Center’s web resources page Use Company/ Organization Information tip sheet to organize your research Narrow and prioritize number of employers to whom you will focus your attention

Anticipate Problems Be prepared for potential bad weather Consider travel time/ parking and allow ample time for delays Consider other possible issues:

Prepare to Make a Good Impression Have a well-written, critiqued CV - bring 20+ copies Develop a list of questions for employers based on research

What Happens at a Careers Fair? / Tech Sector Stats / Advertisements WHAT HAPPENS AT A CAREER FAIR?

This depends on the kind of Career Fair – and there are many different types. The majority are free events that take place in large venues and showcase a range of employers from global corporations to smaller companies. Some are themed, focusing on science or ethical careers, for example. Traditionally Autumn Fairs tended to focus on exhibitors promoting their vacancies well in advance so that students could make informed decisions about to whom to apply – more of an information-gathering exercise for visitors, although companies would be eager to receive applications even at this early stage. The Summer Fairs were more immediate - at this stage it’s all about submitting your applications, making an impression, obtaining an interview and employers may give “mini interviews” on site. Although these days with the economic climate as it is most companies use the “Autumn Fairs” as a more immediate recruitment exercise. WHY SHOULD I GO? Careers Fairs are a good way of getting a considerable amount of information in a short space of time. You can learn a lot about the company culture. Lots of companies will send recent graduate employees along with the Human Resources staff, so this is your chance to get information you wouldn’t normally find in the glossy brochure. Depending on the type of Fair, you might also be able to improve your job prospects. ‘Some employers are “talent-spotting” at Fairs, they may take your email address and fast-track your application. This is your chance to do some networking. Meeting an employer face-to-face may give you an edge over other candidates when you come to apply. Attending a Carers Fair, shows that you have been more proactive than just applying via the website. Careers Fairs can be useful for students at any stage of their job hunt. Don’t just consider permanent work – many companies offer internships. HOW SHOULD I PREPARE? It is highly unlikely that you will have the time or inclination to visit every employer at the Fair, so find out which companies are attending and draw up a target list. Find out for which skills your chosen employers are looking and then ask yourself where you have shown these skills. Look at your CV – what are your Unique Selling Points (USPs)? It is worth taking at least 20 copies of your CV to hand out, but make sure there are no spelling or grammatical mistakes. Go to the Careers website and download the CV Check List - http://www.wit.ie/images/uploads/Careers_PDF/ WIT_CAREERS_CV_CHECKLIST_Nov_2011_pdf.pdf

Prepare to speak a “skills” language

Know how to express your qualifications and goals Know how to express for what you are looking and what you want

Prepare a Career Fair Employer Log to use for note-taking during the fair

Preparing for success at a Career Fair

WHAT SHOULD I WEAR? You don’t necessarily have to wear a suit, but it pays to look presentable. For recruitment-based Fairs, it is best to dress as if for a first interview, whereas Careers events that are manly about imparting information will be more informal. Comfortable footwear is essential, as the venues can be large and the distance between different employers’ stands considerable. HOW DO I MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION? Be aware of first impressions – not just what you’re wearing, but also what you say. Make sure you have thoroughly researched both the Company and the available vacancies. Don’t be afraid to ask for contacts – take a business card and stay in touch by emailing after the Fair to thank them for their time. HOW CAN I OVERCOME CAREERS FAIR NERVES? Preparation, preparation, preparation. Have a little spiel with which you can introduce yourself. It is also vital to devise questions in advance, so you don’t freeze when you get to the front of the queue. FINALLY Try to approach the Fair with a positive mental attitude. It is important to remember that it is a two-way process – companies are looking to make a good impression on you too. Be confident. You are brilliant; you just have to show that.

 Spill something on clothes  Tear pantyhose  Bad breath  Etc

Tech Sector Stats

Make a Good Impression Arrive early and give yourself enough time to not rush through the fair Dress and act professionally Remember your body language LISTEN to the recruiter Don’t ramble Ask at least TWO intelligent questions of each organization

Make the Fair Easier for You Network with other students Stop by the gradireland table first Wear comfortable shoes (appropriate) Speak clearly and keep an open mind when talking with recruiters Carry 20+ CV’s in a folder along with a pen and note pad Gather literature but don’t be a freebies hog Request business cards and take organized notes

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Technology sector in Ireland

Prepare for Companies Who Want You to Apply Online Don’t be discouraged! Don’t underestimate the value of face-to-face interaction Use Keywords on your CV; a computer often does pre-screening