Careers Centre
Experience Works
School of Maths
2012 Placement Fest
Careers Centre
Introduction
 Benefits
 Finding Opportunities
 Advertised
 Hidden
 Applying
 Support Available
 Erasmus Work Funding
Careers Centre
Why?
Develop skills in the workplace:
Employers’ top 3 ways to improve skills (in order of
effectiveness):
 Completing an internship or industrial
placement
 Taking on a leadership position in a student
society
 Gaining very people-focussed work
experience
Source: 2008 Association of Graduate Recruiters Survey
Careers Centre
Benefits of Work Experience
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Put theory into practice
Develop employability skills
Experience an industry and its culture
Network
Learning about yourself
Financial Benefits
A job!!
Careers Centre
What do Employers look for?
The research…
 Almost all of the UK’s leading graduate
recruiters are offering work experience
 Nearly two-thirds of recruiters warn that
graduates who have no previous work
experience at all are unlikely to be successful in
the recruitment process
 Irrespective of academic results it is very hard
for an applicant to demonstrate the skills and
competencies that employers look for if they
have no prior work experience
(High Fliers Research 2011)
Careers Centre
Employers
 The ‘big four’: Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG,
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC)
 Other companies offer accountancy/ finance
schemes too, eg: Tesco, BAE, Unilever, Co-operative
 Public Sector: NHS, Universities, charities, local
authorities…
 SME’s (small companies) more research needed by
you to find opportunities
Careers Centre
Discovering Opportunities
Advertised
https://stars.leeds.ac.uk/
 Lloyds Banking Group - Customer Value Management Internship
(Bristol, Yorkshire, South West)
 Baker Tilly - Internship Opportunities in Accountancy and
Business – 2013 (UK wide)
 Santander Group - Financial Services Undergraduate Placement
- Finance, HR, Marketing, Operations, Retail, Communications
(UK wide)
 Bloomberg - Internship Opportunities in Global Data, Financial
Products Sales and Analytics, Research and Development and
Operations Business (London)
 Insight Days e.g. KPMG
Careers Centre
Applying: important points to remember!
 Apply early: many one year internships close
December, January & WILL FILL EARLY so don’t
leave to the week of the closing date!
 RESEARCH: job role, organisation
 Why do you want to work in this area?
 Current issues (business press)
 Enthusiasm for Finance
 Use examples from a variety of experiences (part
time work, society, volunteering, study, sports)…
Careers Centre
Discovering Opportunities
Hidden
 Identify specific companies
 Structured schemes (speculative approaches)
 Careers Centre Faculty Resources
http://careerweb.leeds.ac.uk/students/my-faculty/maps/index.asp
 Network https://alumni.leeds.ac.uk/
 Events https://stars.leeds.ac.uk/Event/
 Where do Leeds graduates go?
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http://careerweb.leeds.ac.uk/destinations/maps/examplejobs.asp
 Prospects (job profiles)
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http://www.prospects.ac.uk/types_of_jobs_financial.htm
 Yell
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www.yell.com
Careers Centre
Applying for Hidden Opportunities/ SME’s
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Research
Make a named contact
What YOU can offer THEM
Be confident & professional– 1st impressions count!
CV/ Interview? Get support from the Careers Centre
If you haven’t heard back – chase it up
Think creatively about where to find opportunities
Use contacts and networks – now is not the time to
be shy!
Careers Centre
Overseas Opportunities
 Prospects Country Profile
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/country_profiles.htm
 Going Global http://careerweb.leeds.ac.uk/go/goinglobal.asp
 Research companies with international offices
Careers Centre
Exclusive University of Leeds Opportunities
– open to applications as of today!
 Unilever, Seacroft, Leeds
 12 week paid internships in summer 2012
 Various project roles including: Operations/
Engineering/ Logistics/ Supply Chain/ Quality/
Environment/ IT
 Closing date of 31 December, but apply early
 Link:
https://stars.leeds.ac.uk/Vacancy/Vacancy.aspx?relatedguid=f
aa0f471-9fbb-4ec2-9f0b-0677c628b32c
Careers Centre
Support Available
 Careers Centre
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http://careerweb.leeds.ac.uk
Drop in appointments Monday – Friday 9am-4pm
Career Consultants
Resource Room
Events https://stars.leeds.ac.uk/Event
 Department Tutors
 Placement and Personal
Careers Centre
ERASMUS
Work Placements
Careers Centre
What is Erasmus?
 European Commission incentive scheme, to increase
mobility of Higher Education Students around Europe
 Two sections - Study and Work Placements
 Work: Support given to help University students to
undertake work experience in Europe, as part of their
course.
British Council Language Assistants
 BCLAs qualify for Erasmus Work funding (apply from
October 2012 – deadline usually 1 Dec)
Careers Centre
What do I get from Erasmus Work?
 1. A small, ‘GRANT’
2012/13: total of €370 per month (for most countries)
 2. A Tuition Fee WAIVER *subject to annual government review – OK for 13/14
2012/13: worth £920
 For an UG full year spent in Europe (at least total of 7 months),
 3. EXTRA PAYMENTS for
 Widening Participation (€500) – given to students from low income household
 Priority Countries (€400) given to students working in certain countries
 4. Retain usual student loan (& grant) unlike other “sandwich” students
 5. Small Leeds bursary (if applicable).
Careers Centre
Do I qualify for Erasmus Work?
 You must be a registered student at the University
(before and after your placement) on a normal degree
course.
Does my work placement qualify for Erasmus?
 a part of your degree (NO summer jobs!).
 3 – 12 months long (but can do eg 3+6 or 4+5 months) in an EU Country
 a full-time job (eg at least 25 hours per week)
 Approved by your home School/subject area
 Max of 2 placements allowed for Erasmus Work
 Jobs working directly for the EC, or representations / public institutions of the
UK (eg embassies, consulates, national agencies) NOT eligible.
Careers Centre
How do I apply for the grant and fee waiver?
 Most important thing: get your placement arranged
and approved!
 Work placement tutor gives your name to Careers
Centre. Application for Erasmus grant & fee waiver is
emailed in May/June.
 Deadline for applying is either 2 weeks before your
placement starts, or December of year of placement
(ie December 2013 for 2013/14), whichever is
earliest.
Careers Centre
Erasmus Work
If you are interested, or want to know more, please contact:
Angie Willshaw
Email
erasmuswork@leeds.ac.uk
Telephone
(0113) 343 7104
Webpage
http://tiny.cc/50rkf
(http://careerweb.leeds.ac.uk/students/work-experience/erasmus-work/index.asp)
Careers Centre
Sarah Goldstone
Careers Centre
5-7 Cromer Terrace
Telephone – 0113 3435361
Email – workexperience@leeds.ac.uk
http://careerweb.leeds.ac.uk/