The University of Kent
Careers and Employability Service
SMSAS Internships
Bruce Woodcock
University of Kent
Careers and Employability Service
bw@kent.ac.uk
You can download a copy of this presentation at
www.kent.ac.uk/careers/slides.htm
Advantages of a Placement.
• Gain lots of new skills: and have lots of evidence of
these skills for final year applications.
• Usually get higher degree class - about 5% higher on
average.
• Gives you a chance to try out a career.
• Gain greatly in self confidence and maturity.
• Learn application and interview skills.
• Some employers only recruit placement students.
• May get a job offer for when you graduate
• Much lower unemployment rate after graduation and
usually in much better quality jobs.
• Helps applications for PhD places.
• Can be well paid!
Sandwich Placements
• Need to apply early in second year (e.g.
some closing dates late October!)
• Need to apply widely, not just to
companies in Kent.
• www.kent.ac.uk/careers/placements.htm
Sources of Placements
• Emails from School
• Kent University Vacancy Database
www.kent.ac.uk/ces/vacancies.html
• Prospects www.prospects.ac.uk
• UoK Placements page - lists placement sources and much
more www.kent.ac.uk/careers/placements.htm#websites
• www.gradcracker.com
• Speculative CVs
Creative Jobhunting
• The BBC say a third of jobs are never advertised.
Why?
• Develop a LinkedIn profile
• Do lots of research – will uncover placements
others haven’t found, often with less competition
• Do workshadowing and short unpaid internships:
can lead to proper internships and will add to CV
• KEW-NET – mentoring from Kent Alumni
www.kent.ac.uk/ces/student/kew-net.html
• BKEW – small bursaries up to £250 for short
unpaid internships
www.kent.ac.uk/employability/working/students/
bursary-and-expenses.html
Destinations of Kent Actuarial Graduates
•
www.kent.ac.uk/careers/actuarial.htm
Destinations of Kent Maths Graduates
What can I do with a Maths degree
www.kent.ac.uk/careers/maths.htm
MATHS/ACTUARIAL JOB AREAS
 Actuarial Work:
insurance firms (Friends
Provident) and
Consultancies (Mercer)
 Statistical Work: GSS
 Pensions Analyst:
Deloitte, Nat West Bank
 Defence: GCHQ, DSTL
 Operational
Research: GORS
 Accountancy: KPMG/PWC
 Computing: Logica,
FDM
 Banking: Lloyds TSB
 Teaching: PGCE
 Tax: Coutts Bank
 Risk Management
“SCIENTIFIC” MATHEMATICS
gradcracker.com
•
Scientific Officer - Qinetiq (2),Research Project Ass't - Pfizer
•
Defence industry and other science and engineering companies: mathematical
modeling and designing algorithms. The work is often research orientated and
can be intellectually stimulating
GCHQ www.gchq.gov.uk national intelligence and security
•
HM Government Communications Centre www.hmgcc.gov.uk
•
QinetiQ (an agency of the Ministry of Defence)
•
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (dstl) (explosives/weapons
technology) www.dstl.gov.uk/careers/index.php
•
Defence Engineering and Science Group (DESG www.desg.mod.uk
•
BAe Systems global aerospace and defence
•
AWE www.awe.co.uk
•
Roke Manor Research communications research lab. of Siemens specialising in
AEA Technology www.aeat.co.uk does contract research
•
The Met Office
(Atomic Weapons Establishment)
Careers Pages
Maths
http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/Maths.htm
Actuarial
http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/actuarial.htm
Inside Careers Actuarial Careers Guide
www.insidecareers.co.uk
Vacancy Database
www.kent.ac.uk/ces/vacancies.html
The Application Process
Skills gained on a Maths/Actuarial
Degree
Maths/Actuarial graduates
are attractive to many
employers because of their:
 Ability to analyse
information in a logical way
 Investigative and problem
solving skills.
 Numeracy
 IT skills
 Especially finance &
computing
WEB PAGES
 Applications and Interviews (includes assessment
centres and psychometric tests etc.)
www.kent.ac.uk/careers/applicn.htm
 Example CVs & Covering Letters
www.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv/cvexamples.htm
 Practice Interviews
www.kent.ac.uk/careers/interviews/mockivs.htm
 Interview videos www.kent.ac.uk/careers/IntVid.htm
EXAMPLE CVs
Maths
www.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv/mathematics-cv.htm
Actuarial
www.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv/actuary-cv.htm
Careers Employability Award on Moodle
• Half the unemployment rate for students who complete the award
www.kent.ac.uk/careers/moodle.htm
• DP2650 Email bw@kent.ac.uk if you have problems enrolling
www.kent.ac.uk/careers Telephone: 01227 823299 Email:
careerhelp@kent.ac.uk
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9 to 5 including vacations
Drop-in times (no appointment needed: 15 minutes): 10.30 to 12.30 and 2
to 4 pm
Help given for up to 3 years after graduation
Weekly careers emails every Monday afternoon
The University of Kent
Careers and Employability Service
Bruce Woodcock
University of Kent
Careers and Employability Service
bw@kent.ac.uk
You can download a copy of this presentation at
www.kent.ac.uk/careers/slides.htm