Slide 1
Make it Count – careers support for masters students.
Slide 2
The world of work –
employers and labour market information
Aims:
•
To explore different types of graduate jobs and where to look for vacancies
•
To discuss different types of organisations and companies
•
A focus on working for an SME – what, why, how
•
How to research employers
•
Using a recruitment agency – top tips
•
Opportunities in Sheffield
Welcome to a Master Class in the world of work – employers and LMI. This presentation is part of the
Make it Count online Resource that is specifically designed for students on taught postgraduate
courses (Masters, Diplomas and Certificates). The aim of this module is to explore the world of work
focusing on employers, graduate employment, types of organisations and trends in labour market
information.
You may be exploring this topic for the first time as you are coming towards the end of your course or
you may be refreshing and updating knowledge you already have from being in employment. This
module will have something for everyone and remember you can dip in and out of each module and
the whole course at any time.
Throughout this employers and LMI module there will be many opportunities for you to put learning
into practice with interactive exercises to complete and the chance to think about your experiences
and progress so far in the reflective journal section. There will be positive encouragement throughout
this course to Make it Count…..so let’s get started.
Slide 3
The graduate job market – a story of growth
•
Around 2/3 of new postgraduates go into employment after
completing their course
•
The number of HE students has grown and the supply of graduate
jobs has too
•
Biggest areas of growth = in the public sector, retailers, engineering and
industrial companies
•
Few of these new opportunities have been in ‘traditional’ graduate
positions instead they are in –
 New roles
 Niche roles
 Modern roles
Over the last 50 years HE student numbers have grown from 25,000 to 1.5 million but the supply of
graduate jobs has also expanded accordingly. The graduate job market has finally recovered to its
pre-recession peak with a 12% rise in the number of jobs for university leavers on July 2014. Many of
the big employers planning to increase the number of new graduates they take on each year. This is
good news particularly as two thirds of new graduates go into full time work upon leaving university
and over 50% of postgraduates from the University of Sheffield do too. They go into a wide range of
careers and find work in every part of the UK. Whilst some new graduates on training programmes
receive £30,000 salaries many will only earn £15,00-£20,00 in the first few years after leaving
university- for those with a postgraduate qualification it may be more. Afterwards though graduates
salaries do tend to rise quicker than those without degrees.
Half of the leading employers in the UK increased their number of graduate vacancies in 2013 with
the biggest growth at public sector employers, retailers and engineering and industrial companies.
Although the biggest cuts in vacancies in 2012 were at accounting and professional services firms
and the investment banks the largest recruiters in 2013 were still PwC (1200 vacancies) and Deloitte
(1200 vacancies) alongside Teach First (1260 vacancies).
Few of these new opportunities have been in the positions traditionally seen as graduate ones but
instead can be seen to be in ‘new’, ‘niche’ or ‘modern’ graduate roles.
New roles – these roles are in occupations that have recently become professional level, now require
greater technical skills or have seen an influx of graduates with relevant skills. Examples can include
management accountants, marketing and sales positions, welfare advisers and therapists.
Niche roles – Jobs are appearing that necessitate a high level of expertise and the ability to manage
teams in employment sectors that generally don’t require graduates to work in them. Examples might
be graphic designers, detective constables, recruitment consultants, agricultural consultants and hotel
and retail managers.
Modern roles – More and more professions now are increasingly requiring a degree, some examples
are journalists, primary school teachers, managers and software engineers.
Slide 4
2012/13 recruitment of UoS PGT students
•
Sectors
Health & Social Care, Social Science, IT, Engineering,
Design, Education, Law, Business & Finance,
Research, Information Services, Media, PR & Marketing, Retail
• Employers
Deloitte, AECOM, China Merchants Bank, Amey, Civil Service, DLA Piper, BBC,
NHS, Local Authorities, Houses of Parliament, Nabarro, Northern General, UoS,
Environmental Agency
• Salaries
Can vary widely between £15,000- £50,000+ with an average of £22,500 (6
months after graduation)
The Destination of Leavers from Higher Education survey
Here is a sample of employers from the broad range that employ postgraduate students from the
University of Sheffield – this was taken from the DLHE survey (Destination of Leavers from Higher
Education survey) from 2012/13. The list includes many well-known names including the NHS, the
BBC and Deloitte. Organisations from a wide range of sectors including Media, Health, Finance and
Engineering regularly engage with the university and employ its graduates. Alongside the many wellknown large employers that offer our graduates opportunities there are also many smaller and local
companies that provide a wide range of opportunities. Starting salaries can also vary widely
depending on roles applied for and content of postgraduate courses but 79% were in managerial and
professional level employment. To find out more details and to get specific destination information
filtered by department or course click the link here or search on the ‘careers with my degree’ pages of
the Careers Service website.
Slide 5
Types of graduate jobs
•
High-flyer / fast-track
•
General management / graduate training scheme
•
Professional scheme
•
Technical specialist/ knowledge worker
•
Direct entry job
•
Jobs with alternative employers (not for profit,
SMEs…)
•
Self employment
•
Non-professional level jobs (a degree isn’t required)
There are many different types of graduate jobs, or jobs that graduates do – each with their own pros
and cons. We’ll explore some here…
Highflier/ fast-track = These are positions that are intended for high-potential individuals. They are
very competitive, with starting salaries above average, and provide lots of training and personal
development opportunities. They often involve challenging and interesting work that may involve
travel (e.g. Civil Service Fast stream). They can be great for your CV and provide an accelerated start
to building your career but it may not be as exciting or challenging as portrayed.
General management/ graduate training scheme =These schemes can last a couple of years and
generally involve a substantial amount of organisational training to give graduates a broad
understanding of the business and can often lead to middle or senior management positions. You can
gain a wide range of transferable skills and a variety of experiences from the different placements in
departments but you may not like the moving around and want to specialise sooner.
Professional scheme = Examples of this type of scheme are often in accountancy, teaching and legal
training. These schemes are normally designed so you can gain professional qualifications whilst
working.
Technical specialist/ knowledge worker = These are jobs that require highly specific skills and
knowledge (e.g. often in a specialist area like biotechnology, engineering, IT or communications
technology). There can be high salaries and attractive reward packages on offer as often the skill sets
and knowledge required for these roles are often in short supply in the UK – downsides can be that
some very specialist jobs are very fast-moving and can mean a lot of pressure and constant
adaptation.
Direct entry jobs = This category encompasses a wide range of occupations but some of the major
examples can include line management and supervisory roles, clerical and administrative work and
sales jobs. They are advertised in response to the need to fill a vacancy or if a new role is created.
These may be the types of positions you would be looking to apply for when your PGT course is
coming to an end. The advantages of these roles are you can apply for them when you are ready and
they are advertised all year round. The pay levels may be relatively low at the beginning but good
people are usually noticed and career progression and promotion is often possible.
Alternative employers = These may include not for profit organisations, charities or jobs in a religious
community. Often the reward of contributing to a worthwhile cause and following your own values and
beliefs can be considerable – some roles can be well paid, others not so, and a downside can be
often there isn’t a lot of job security. SMEs (or small firms) provide many opportunities for graduates,
particularly in the Sheffield area where there is a broad variety of small businesses. In many small
firms employees have more access to senior people and can gain responsibility quicker. You could be
at more risk of losing your job though as smaller companies are more vulnerable to failure especially
in their first years of existence. Training and personnel practices may differ hugely as well.
Self-employment = This is an increasingly popular option for graduates - although not an easy option.
You will need a good business idea, a business plan, start-up finance and a demand for your product/
service amongst other things. Some of the many benefits are the opportunity to be your own boss,
deciding how and when to work, and reaping the benefits of your success but it is very likely you will
be working long hours and may find it hard to achieve a good work/life balance – you will also need to
be resilient and self-motivated.
Non-professional level jobs / non graduate jobs = many graduates work in lower-level, lower-paid jobs
that are unrelated to their long term career aspirations. They may have limited prospects, little or no
training and lower pay but they can provide a short term source of income and employment after
graduating and can be helpful if you are waiting for the next round of intakes from some of the big
graduate recruiters.
Slide 6
The milk round?
“The Milk round is the term commonly used in the UK to describe the
phenomenon of companies touring universities each year, in order to
advertise their opportunities and recruit students”
•
Often large organisations – local, national, international
•
Tends to be the organisations that offer the graduate training schemes but there
will be graduate job vacancies as well
•
Can be very competitive, have high entry requirements, early application
deadlines and long recruitment processes but often offer high starting salaries
and investment in their staff
Graduate recruitment and selection is extremely important to organisations. They need to select the
right people for the right jobs. They then aim to reward, develop, train and motivate individuals to
ensure they add value to the organisation. This is one of the reasons companies target universities
and spend a lot of time and resources to visit and promote their opportunities -they want you… the
graduate! This is often what is referred to as ‘the milk round’. The large campus career and
recruitment fairs are just as much for postgraduate students as they are for undergraduates so make
the most of them whilst you are here. Most of them take place in Semester 1 (usually in early
November at the University of Sheffield) but there are some smaller events later in the year in
Semester 2. There is often a wide range of organisations attending these fairs, including many of
those that do the ‘milk round’ and one of the reasons they take place so early in the year is due to the
often quite long recruitment processes and early deadlines. Some of these companies may only have
one intake a year and the intake dates may be before you are free to start due to when PGT courses
generally finish – please check early to avoid missing out!
Slide 7
“We are successful because of our people, many of
whom have risen to senior positions after joining us
as graduates”
Chairman of Rank Hovis McDougall
“We are successful because of our people, many of whom have risen to senior positions after joining
us as graduates” – this quote is from the chairman of Rank Hovis McDougall and really demonstrates
the career progression opportunities that are often there in large organisations and through graduate
training schemes.
Slide 8
What is an SME?
Small – to – Medium sized Enterprises/businesses (SMEs)
=
Organisations with fewer than 250 employees
Medium = those with less than 250 employees
Small = fewer than 50 employees
Micro = fewer than 10 employees
Another great source of graduate opportunities, that can often be overlooked, is in SMEs (Small to
Medium Enterprises). These are business organisations that employ fewer than 250 employees.
SMEs accounted for 99.9% of all private sector businesses in the UK and employ 14.4 million people.
Slide 9
SMEs (Small & Medium Enterprises)
Pros
•
More responsibility
•
Higher level of job satisfaction
•
Experience of all aspects of
business
•
Flexibility
•
May not be as concerned with
PGT or UG degree result
Cons
•
Lack of structured training or ‘graduate
training programmes’
•
Varied recruitment methods for
vacancies (some may be in the hidden
jobs market)
•
Differences in salaries and benefits
e.g. pension, gym, childcare vouchers
As SMEs can provide many opportunities, particularly in the Sheffield and South Yorkshire region, it is
worth considering the pros and cons. There can be many pros of working in a smaller organisation
including getting more responsibility sooner and possibly having a higher level of job satisfaction. You
may gain a broader range of experience and skills as you will probably have the opportunity to
experience all aspects of the business and there is often more flexibility. They might not be as
concerned with your degree results as some of the larger companies and may focus more on your
skill set. Some of the cons may be a lack of structured training or absence of graduate training
schemes. Recruitment methods can be very varied in SMEs and some may be in the ‘hidden jobs
market’ which may mean having to apply speculatively for jobs (find out more on this topic in the
creative job search module). There may also be differences between the salaries of working for a
small or large organisation. There also may be less chance of added benefits like generous pensions,
a work gym and childcare vouchers – but check as this isn’t always the case.
Slide 10
What SME employers might expect
A sample of SME owner/ managers highlighted the need for graduates to
have:
•
The ability to grasp an issue
•
A ‘streetwise’ attitude to real life business (commercial and sector
awareness)
•
The ability to get to work on time
•
A really strong work ethic
•
A good personality
This was taken from ‘The student & graduate guide to working in small businesses’ – Step
Enterprise Limited
SME employers often expect a wide range of transferable skills including communication skills,
teamwork, planning and organisation, problem solving, initiative and enterprise and adaptability. A
sample of owners and managers of SMEs really highlighted the additional need for graduates to have
the ability to grasp an issue and have a ‘streetwise’ attitude to real life business. They emphasis the
importance of excellent time management skills and being able to demonstrate a strong work ethic.
Slide 11
When approaching SMEs
•
Don’t send blanket emails and always find out the name of the person
recruiting
•
Don’t expect an automatic response, use your initiative and follow up
•
Always fully prepare for interviews and research the company thoroughly
•
Don’t be afraid to follow up interviews with a letter thanking the company
for their time and outlining your key skills again for the position
•
Be enthusiastic – your skills may get you an interview but your personality
will get you the job
This was taken from ‘The student & graduate guide to working in small businesses’ – Step
Enterprise Limited
As small and medium enterprises may have different recruitment processes to the larger
organisations that do the ‘milk round’ and may not have the resources to advertise all the time for
positions you may have to send more speculative applications (find out more about this and the
hidden jobs market in the creative job search module). A few tips when approaching SMEs would be
to not send blanket emails – always personalise them, tailor them for each company and find out the
name of the person recruiting. Don’t expect an automatic response though as if it is a small business
the person in charge of recruiting may have many other responsibilities. Use your initiative and follow
up with another email or a telephone call. It is advisable to prepare well for interviews and research
the company thoroughly (just like you would for the larger recruiters). Follow up interviews with a
thank you letter or email reiterating your key skills in line with the position. Be interested and
enthusiastic as when applying to work in an SME your skills get you to the interview stage but it’s
often your personality and ability to fit in with the already established team that often lands you the
job.
Slide 12
Opportunities for PGTs in SMEs
•
Graduate jobs
•
Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) –
combines a paid role and further study
http://www.ktponline.org.uk/graduateopportunities
•
RISE Internship Scheme
http://www.welcometosheffield.co.uk/rise
Santander graduate internship scheme
•
•
UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) scheme –
Postgraduates for international business
There are a variety of opportunities for postgraduate students offered by SMEs. As well as
employment and graduate jobs there are also KTPs (Knowledge Transfer Partnerships) that combine
a paid role with further study. KTPs work across a wide range of academic disciplines and industry
sectors, and any degree subject is considered. RISE is a major city-wide initiative in Sheffield to
increase graduate employment in SMEs. It is a collaboration between city partners, Sheffield City
Council, Sheffield Hallam University, The University of Sheffield and the private sector. The
Santander graduate internships scheme connects University of Sheffield graduates with SMEs around
the country, giving you the opportunity to develop your skills and employability in a full time paid
position for three months – with the potential for longer term employment. The new ‘Postgraduates for
international business’ scheme with UKTI (UK Trade & Investment) will be offering placements of
varying lengths to postgraduate students with language skills to work with UK exporters. Some of the
aims of the scheme will be to have students helping firms to overcome language and cultural barriers
and work on projects to make new business contacts, develop international facing websites and
advise on cultural etiquette. These vacancies will be advertised on myVacancies (the university’s
career service vacancy database).
Slide 13
Researching employers
•
University Careers Service
•
Company directories
•
Career publications
•
Recruitment fairs
•
Employer events, workshops and presentations
•
Direct work experience or have contacts who work there
•
Articles in media/professional journals/ trade magazines
•
Libraries
•
Specialist online databases (Business Source Premier, intel – search on
http://library.shef.ac.uk/)
There are many, many ways you can find out about employers. Whilst at the University of Sheffield
make the most of the university Careers Service. They organise many employer presentations and
events throughout the year and the recruitment fairs are a great way to find out about companies and
opportunities. There are also many company directories and career publications in the careers library
for you to use for research and many that you can take away with you. Work experience is a great
way to find out about employers so make the most of the opportunity and network with contacts you
have met there. The library is a great source of information and you can find out a lot about
organisations from professional journals and trade magazines as well as the specialist online
databases you have access to whilst a current student here.
Slide 14
Join the thousands of UoS
students and graduates
who are already using
myVacancies to find work
Register at
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/car
eers/students/jobs
There are many places to look for vacancies, depending on what type of position you are looking for.
The first place to start would be to ensure you are registered with the university’s vacancy database
(myVacancies). It is suitable for current students and graduates and all types of opportunities are
advertised there (full time and part time positions, graduate level jobs and training schemes,
internships, placements and work experience). You can filter your searches using sector, job title and
location.
Slide 15
Where to look for vacancies
Advertised Graduate vacancies
•
MyVacancies http://shef.prospects.ac.uk
•
Yorkshire Graduates www.graduatesyorkshire.co.uk
•
Prospects www.prospects.ac.uk
•
Milk round www.milkround.com
•
Target Jobs www.targetjobs.co.uk
•
Graduate-jobs.com www.graduate-jobs.com
•
Inside Careers www.insidecareers.co.uk
•
Glass Door www.glassdoor.co.uk
•
Knowledge Transfer Partnership – combines paid role & more further
study www.KTPonline.org.uk
Here is a list of other sources of vacancies to start you off. These sites mainly have graduate level
positions but they are in a variety of sectors and locations.
Slide 16
Sector specific vacancies
•
HE/FE sector www.jobs.ac.uk
•
Local government www.lgjobs.com
•
Civil Service www.civilservice.gov.uk
•
NHS www.jobs.nhs.uk
•
Engineering www.gradcracker.co.uk
•
Consultancy www.top-consultant.com
•
Charities www.charityjob.co.uk
•
Various professional organisations
•
…and many more www.sheffield.ac.uk/careers
(Look for ‘occupations’ in the Information Resources)
If you are looking for sector specific vacancies there are a range of other websites and resources you
can use in your search – some of the common ones are listed here. Check out the ‘occupations’
section of the information resources page on the Careers Service website.
Slide 17
Recruitment Agencies
•
The Graduate: www.thegraduate.co.uk
•
Gradplus: www.gradplus.com
•
The Graduate Recruitment Bureau: www.grb.uk.com
•
Recruitment Revolution: www.recruitmentrevolution.com
•
Reed Graduates: www.reed.co.uk/graduate
•
UKGraduateCareers: www.ukgraduatecareers.net
•
Brampton Stafford Recruitment: www.brampton-recruitment-4-graduatejobs.co.uk
•
Total Jobs: www.totaljobs.com/graduate
Recruitment agencies can be an excellent source of job vacancies particularly if you are flexible, need
to earn some cash and want to increase your level of work experience. It can be a great way to boost
your CV and make some useful contacts along the way. Some specialise in graduate level positions,
others specialise in certain sectors, so do your homework and research thoroughly before joining any.
Slide 18
Tips for using recruitment agencies
•
Check for authenticity on www.rec.uk.com and www.agencycentral.co.uk
•
Be careful when you sign up – don’t pay a registration fee
•
Important to select an appropriate agency for what you want to do and
your skillset/ level of experience
•
Regularly keep contact with those signed up to/ build a relationship – no
work though move on
Top tips for using recruitment agencies are to do your homework and check for authenticity first. The
website for the Recruitment and Employment Confederation has a full list of UK recruitment agencies
and the agency central website is a helpful resource. It is important to select an appropriate agency
for what you want to do, and your skillset and level of experience. Ensure you regularly keep in
contact with the agencies you have signed up to and build professional relationships with staff there. If
you are not receiving suitable opportunities and the chance to apply for positions of interest move on
to another agency that might be better suited.
Slide 19
Working Overseas and
International Employers
•
Going Global: www.goinglobal.com
•
Target Jobs: http://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/working-abroad
•
Prospects Working Abroad: www.prospects.ac.uk/working_abroad.htm
•
Graduate Jobs in Europe: http://graduatejobsineurope.com
•
For further advice, resources and opportunities in specific counties use
http://www.careers.dept.shef.ac.uk/infotree/EmploymentOverseas.php
Here are some useful sources of information and job vacancies for anyone wanting to find out about
international employers and working abroad. For home students who want to work abroad or for
international students looking for work outside of the UK Going Global can be a good place to start.
Slide 20
International students
Check the UK border agency website for companies who are tier 2 sponsors
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/register-of-licensedsponsors-workers
For international students hoping to find work in the UK after graduation please check the UK border
agency website for companies who are tier 2 visa sponsors.
Slide 21
Create your own job
Self employment/ freelancing:
University of Sheffield Enterprise offer
•
Business start up advice
•
Business planning competition
(cash prizes)
•
First steps funding
•
Entrepreneurs ‘boot camp’
•
Sirius Programme for international
students
Another option for students is to create your own job and be your own employer. For any students
wanting to create their own job and have an interest in self-employment or freelancing opportunities
the University of Sheffield Enterprise unit is a good source of advice and support. They can offer
business start-up advice, run business planning competitions, provide first steps funding, offer
entrepreneurs ‘boot camp’ and have the Sirius Programme for international students.
Slide 22
Why stay in Sheffield?
•
Always lived here, don’t want to leave
•
Still signed up with my accommodation/ house after my PGT course finishes
•
Family/ domestic commitments
•
Friends/ relationships
•
There’s something about Sheffield…
Many students want to stay in Sheffield after completing their PGT course and are interested in local
employers and opportunities. There are many reasons for this from accommodation commitments to
family/ relationship commitments – for others there’s just something about the city of Sheffield . . .
Slide 23
As a postgraduate job seeker in Sheffield – what
does this mean for you?
•
Wide range of opportunities
•
Lots of competition for jobs- from other graduates (from PGT and UG courses)
from 2 universities also wanting to stay local
•
Salaries may be lower
•
Industry specialisms present opportunities
•
Geographical mobility (possible/necessary)
•
Definition of graduate job (SME vs blue chips)
•
Lifestyle is often a priority when choosing a job
As staying on in Sheffield after a postgraduate course has finished is a popular option what does this
mean for you the PGT job seeker? It can mean unfortunately there is a lot of competition for jobs as
many students graduate from first degrees and postgraduate degrees every year from the two
universities in the city. Although salaries may be lower, particularly compared to those in London
there is a wide range of vacancies, and industry specialisms in the region present opportunities.
There may be more of a need for geographical mobility as a commute may be possible to various
other cities in the region and may be necessary if nothing is suitable locally. There are many more
SMEs in the area than ‘blue chip’ organisations so graduate jobs may not necessarily be labelled as
graduate training schemes. For many who decide to stay in the region lifestyle choice is often the
priority when choosing jobs.
Slide 24
Non-graduate and local vacancy sites
•
Jobcentre Plus https://www.gov.uk/jobsearch
•
My Sheffield Jobs www.mysheffieldjobs.co.uk
•
Jobs Today www.jobstoday.co.uk/local-jobs/Sheffield
•
My jobs In www.myjobsin.com/Sheffield/
•
Fish4jobs www.fish4.co.uk/jobs/search/location-Sheffield/
•
Total Jobs www.totaljobs.com/Sheffield
•
Jobs – The Star www.thestar.co.uk/jobs
•
Sheffield City Council job vacancies
www.sheffield.gov.uk/whats-new/job-vacancies
As well as the job vacancy sites mentioned previously there are also many places to look for work
with regional searches for those of you who do wish to stay in Sheffield. The my Sheffield jobs
website and the Sheffield City Council website may be good places to start.
Slide 25
Finding hidden opportunities in Sheffield
Identifying potential companies
•
Business directories –
•
www.yell.com
•
Chambers of commerce
•
Social media:
– www.shef.ac.uk/library/useful/company
– @sheffbusiness
– @sheffchamber
– @shftelegraph
Find them on LinkedIn, follow them on Twitter...
•
Using social media for vacancy search:
http://www.linkedin.com/studentjobs
There are also many hidden job opportunities in Sheffield, similar to in most big UK cities. You can
identify potential companies using business directories, directory websites and using social media.
These jobs won’t necessarily be advertised so more effort to send speculative applications and active
networking will be needed but you can find out more on this topic in the creative job search module
elsewhere in Make it Count online.
Slide 26
CAREERS SERVICE
Career Service Support –
Where to find us…
Careers Service - 388 Glossop Road
(behind Student Union building)
Open 9am - 5pm Mon to Fri (11am – 5pm Tues)
Student Jobshop – Sheffield Students’ Union
Open 10am – 3pm Mon to Fri (11am – 3pm Tues)
0114 222 0900
24/09/2014
www.sheffield.ac.uk/careers
© The University of Sheffield Careers
Service
Here are the opening hours and contact details for the careers service if you need any further support.
Pop in to the service at 388 Glossop road or call 0114 222 0900 for an appointment. To keep in touch
please follow the relevant pages on Facebook and Twitter.