HOW TO WIN AT THE JOB GAME
OUTLINE
• How to decide what job
• How to improve your profile
• How to look for work experience/internships
• How the job selection process works
• How to write a good internship application
How To Decide What To Do With The
Rest Of Your Life
• Probably is not the rest of your life, people
change track and jobs many times
• However, it is something you have to think
about
• Do not embark on further study just to
postpone your decision
• Make a list of your skills and things you would like
to do in a job, eg interacting with people, data
analysis, making money,.....
• Think about what jobs would involve your skills
and wish list
• List of job types and skills at (I recommend the
first)
http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/workin.htm
www.prospects.ac.uk/links/Occupations
CAREERS & EMPLOYABILITY FAIR
• Thursday 1st November 2.00 – 5.00 pm in Eliot Great
Hall
• Lots of different employers including
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Bank of England
PWC
Capita
Reeves
Accenture
• If you attend, do your homework about these
companies
WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW?
• Think about what you want to do after your degree. The
next two years rush past and the serious employee has to
think about the future NOW
• Consider internships and work experience in the field you
wish to work in. More about this later
• There are a number of University run initiatives
Job Market Forum
• This is a School of Economics run Moodle module which you can
register for, see the right hand button on the School of Economics
home page https://www.kent.ac.uk/economics/index.html
• The Job market forum is for past and present Economics students who
are in the job market. It is a forum for student discussion about jobs in
general and employment advice
• If wish to receive a reference from a member of the School, we require
you to upload your CV onto this site. In the first instance, you should
be asking your personal tutor/academic adviser for a reference.
MyFolio
• MyFolio is the University of Kent’s student owned
e-portfolio and Personal Development
• It is a personal develop planning (PDP) tool
• It is designed to help you set and achieve personal
and employment related goals
• Most usefully, it records your achievements
• It is at https://myfolio.kent.ac.uk/myfolio/
Employability Points Scheme
• This University of Kent scheme provides students with the
means to demonstrate activity across a range of activities.
• The scheme has links with a number of external firms and
organisations. Students can get work experience with a
number of participating companies.
• More details at http://www.kent.ac.uk/employabilitypoints/
or contact: Christopher Broad, Employability Points
Co-ordinator, email: c.m.broad@kent.ac.uk
University of Kent Careers
Employability Award
The University of Kent Careers Employability Award helps students
to identify and plan
• Possible future careers
• Potential employers
• The student’s employment skills
• Present these skills in CVs and job applications
The award takes about 12 hours, is free, undertaken online using
Moodle and further details can be found at
http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/moodle.htm
Other Possibilities
• Volunteering, see Kent Union
http://www.kentunion.co.uk/volunteering/
• Student Ambassador Scheme, see
http://www.kent.ac.uk/ems/student-ambassadors/
• Course Rep (bit late for this)
• University Societies
• Language and IT skills, see
http://www.kent.ac.uk/cewl/courses/languageexpress.html and
http://www.kent.ac.uk/student/skills/ecdl/
INTERNSHIPS AND WORK EXPERIENCE?
• Difficult as pressure of work
• Apply to smaller firms for experience
• Will you be paid?
• Unpaid internships are common
• Need to think about where you are going to live
HOW TO LOOK FOR INTERNSHIPS
• Internet makes this easy, eg Google graduate finance
internships London
• Look at http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/vacwork.htm
http://www.kent.ac.uk/ces/work-experience.html
http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/sk/skillsmenu.htm
http://news.efinancialcareers.com/uk-en/students/
This last one is good for financial internships and job advice
• Use your family and any contacts
• Use company websites, have to know them first
• However, be realistic. No point in wasting effort
• Firms are not just interested in your degree
results so far. Firms look at A levels. Without As
you are not going to hit a top financial firm
• They often have minimum scores in GCSEs, eg
Maths and English grade B at least
THE PROCESS OF APPLYING
• It varies a lot between jobs
• Hard work and takes time (from now to September
2013). More continuous than before
• Some mix of
– online/paper application
– CV + cover letter
– online tasks
– Competency questions
– Interview
– It is hard work making applications and going through the
application process
SOME DOs & DON’Ts
• Quality of application is important. This
takes hours and days of time. Take it
seriously
• Research your application
• Clamp down on the security of Facebook
and other social network stuff
CURRICULUM VITAE
• Even if the application is online, the following rules still apply
• List of education, work and other experiences related to
getting you an internship or work experience
• You are trying to match your skill set and experience to those
that are required for the internship
• Make a list of the requirements and make sure your CV match
these. Use your brain, internship description or look at
http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/workin.htm
or www.prospects.ac.uk/links/Occupations
• So have to alter CV to fit the internship
• Have a basic CV but make it fit the skills etc. required
for the different internships you apply for
• CVs are just one part of the application process
• CVs are often used as a filter to get the number of
applicants down to a reasonable number
• CVs have to be easy to read
• They are an advert for you. They are often read in
less than 30 seconds
• Design and think clearly about the design and order
of presentation
• No more than two sides (backed or unbacked?)
• Some like one side. But a CV must be clear and bring
out the message. You have the skills they want
• Personal Profile - You can put a short personal statement at the
beginning summarising the type of person you are and matching
the requirements of the job
• Do not have complicated boxes or tables, do not repeat yourself a
lot, eg putting your school next to each educational qualification
• Position the really good things so they catch the eye. Not every
word of your CV will be read closely. So good things go first or last
in a clearly labelled section.
• You have to put exam results down. If they are not good, think
about whether a job is for you.
EXAMPLE CV
• Easy to read
• Personal profile – does the CV justify this profile? This
person has good personal skills and gets on with well
with people
• Everything bullet pointed no long paragraphs
• Has a wide range of skills (numeracy, analytical,
literacy and personal skills), does this come across?
• Experience a bit confusingly organised
• Second year marks?
• This student’s computing skills a bit hidden
• Would put maths grade A much more visibly
• Put average mark of 67% in first bullet point.
Depending on results, might give individual
marks.
• Overall could do with a little more punch
• Other comments?
COVER LETTER
• A covering letter is a short introduction of yourself
• Written in clear English – no mistakes
• Make sure that it matches the requirements of the
internship
• You can make no more than 3 short points
• Try to have a name you are writing to
• Show you know the firm
• Do not go over the top
EXAMPLE COVER LETTER
• Which University and what am I studying?
• Could show more knowledge of XXX
• Has “economics given an extensive knowledge of
business and customers.......?
• Leadership , is that what they want?
• Paragraph beginning “Overall ...” is a bit over the top?
• C.V is an error
• Other errors or suggestions?
WHAT WE WILL DO TO HELP YOU
• Help you with CV and covering letter workshops on
one to one basis
• Come with your printed CV and example cover
letter (not all at the same time!)
• Next week talk on “Further Academic Study”
• Weeks 6-12, drop in advice sessions
• Email me to arrange a meeting
• Anything else you would like?
CONCLUSION AND WHAT TO DO NOW
• Decide what you are going to do. Nothing or a big effort
• Consider signing up for University initiatives
• However, work experience and especially internships are
what will really kick start success in your search for a good job
• Sort out you CV and start applying. Be prepared for the effort
involved and the different types of assessment involved
• If in doubt ask for help
• DO NOT POSTPONE THESE ACTIONS