Theatre Studies

1. Careers and Employability Service Theatre Studies Nicola Urquhart Careers Adviser October 2012

2. What we will cover: • What is employability ? • Options with your degree • Graduate schemes • Using social media • How the Careers and Employability Service can support you • Wider University initiatives • Action points

3. What is Employability? ‘A set of attributes, skills and knowledge that all labour market participants should possess to ensure they have the capability of being effective in the workplace – to the benefit of themselves, their employer and the wider economy.’ (CBI, March 2009)

4. Changing world of work: • Global economy • More career changes • New technology/social media • Roles change • Changes to graduate recruitment

5. Changes to graduate recruitment Employers increasingly focusing on attributes in addition to traditional employability skills Successful candidates need to be able to demonstrate these attributes on their applications and articulate them at interview Your degree can help you to do this!

6. What skills and attributes do employers want? Transferrable skills Attributes Adaptability (flexibility) Energy Drive and resilience Confidence Reliability Enthusiasm and passion Self awareness and confidence • Communication (oral, written) • Negotiation • Team working • Planning and organisation • Time management • Leadership • Problem solving

7. What do drama graduates do? • Actor • Stage manager • Arts administrator • Drama teacher • Television production assistant • Radio presenter

8. What do drama graduates do? • Advertising manger • Personnel manager • Journalist • Market researcher • Events manager • Publisher • PR officer • Charities administrator • And many more!

9. Graduate Schemes • Many to choose from… • Especially common in business, finance and law • 40% of opportunities open to graduates from any degree discipline • Majority ask for a 2.1(some also request UCAS points) • Majority of deadlines before end of year • Common selection procedures

10. Example graduate Scheme (Asda) • Finance • Human Resources • IT • Logistics • Marketing • Property • Purchasing • Retailing

11. Example Graduate scheme (Bloomberg ) • Finance • IT • Media • Sales

12. Example graduate scheme: DIFD • Engineering • Finance • General Management • IT • Purchasing • Research and Development

13. Others… • European commission • Loreal • Lidl • Mars • Civil Service • NHS • Rolls-Royce • Sainsbury’s • Savills • Sky • Teach First • National Audit Office • MI5 • Publicis UK • IMG Media Ltd • Vocus • Accenture • The Co-operative • Redrow • Smith & Williamson

14. GRADUATE SALARIES 2012 • Arcadia – retail management £18,500 - £23,000 • Boots - brand/buying/marketing grad scheme £24,000 + £1k welcome! • Barclays Bank - future leaders development programme £36k (+£8k bonus!) • Civil Service - up to £27,000 • Explore Learning - education management £21,000 • Exxon Mobil - graduate schemes £34,000 • FiveTen Group - recruitment £20-£25k • GCHQ - defence research £25,000 (+ benefits) • IBM - range of schemes £27,000 - £32,000 • Jaguar Land Rover - purchasing grad scheme £27k • John Lewis - buying/retail management/merchandising graduate schemes £25,000 • L’Oreal - management training scheme £28,000 • McDonald’s - trainee business manager £18,500-21,500 • MI5 - £24,750 + benefits - varies by function! • Motability - £28,500 (+ joining bonus!) • Slaughter & May - training contract £38,000 • Waitrose - retail management £25,000

15. Key features of working in the creative sector • Self employment • ‘Portfolio career’ • Reliance on networks/contacts • Professional attitude and approach required • CV/ portfolio of work necessary • Majority of opportunities are gained speculatively

16. Speculative approach • Produce a professional, graduate level CV • Identify companies/contacts to approach • Prepare a suitable covering letter • Make phone contacts to find out who to send your cv to and get their e mail address • ALWAYS follow up • Use a combination of approaches • Consider producing a creative CV, however get the content right before focusing on the design • Be persistent!

17. Social media • Social Media: “an umbrella term that defines the various activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos, and audio.” www.wikipedia.org • Enabling conversations • Facilitating discussions

18. Why should you be using social media? • Enables you to build links and to learn about an industry and potential employers • Allows you to connect to networks and explore possibilities • Some employers will expect you be using it e.g. the media, advertising, publishing and many more. • Can provide you with an excellent platform to showcase your knowledge and interest in a career area. • Allows you to make an impression (good and bad)

19. Some platforms to consider Linkedin • Increase your awareness of the sector, link with potential recruiters Twitter • Follow recruiters, twitjobsearch Blogging • Demonstrate your commitment , business knowledge and passion.

20. Why use LinkedIn? Exploring career ideas Finding out about an employer and their competition Professional networking Opportunity to join groups For self marketing and increasing your visibility Asking for advice Staying in touch/reconnecting

21. Your LinkedIn Profile • Setting up a profile go to www.linkedin.com and enter your details. • Be sure to include: Profile photo Profile summary/ Professional headline Education details Details of current and past job roles/volunteering/ internships etc • “You are 40 times more likely to receive connections if your profile is 100% complete” Denise Taylor ‘How to Use LinkedIn to find a new job”

22. Getting started - Networking You start by adding people you know in the “real world” Connect with others with similar interests or goals Explore 1st and 2nd degree connections

23. Finding out about organisations/groups Companies/Organisations: Search organisations and find out more about their line of work Learn more about an organisation, access their vacancies Groups Find out more by joining groups Ask questions, answer questions, find out what people in the industry you are interested in are talking about

24. Useful information Training Videos: www.learn.linkedin.com www.learn.linkedin.com/students - 6 step video to success New Users Starter Guide http://learn.linkedin.com/new-users/ Webinars: http://learn.linkedin.com/training/

25. What is ? • Twitter is a form of micro-blogging • Twitter gives you 140 characters per ‘tweet’ to say what’s on your mind • You can follow people/companies/ recruiters who interest you. • Gather an audience

26. Ideas on who to follow: • Companies/employers you are interested in working for • Industry experts/bloggers • Professional networks and industry/professional publications • Job sites and job boards • Recruiters / head-hunters / HR personnel who are hiring for the roles you're targeting • @unikentemploy

27. What is Blogging? • A personal diary, a political soapbox,a collection of links, your memo to the world – a website you update on a regular basis.

28. Your Blog • Get an account eg. www.posterous.com • Write a paragraph post explaining who you are • Tell your friends, lecturers and if you feel confident potential employers about your blog • Respond to comments • Link posts to things in the news and media • When you post – tell the world (Linkedin, Facebook, twitter, etc) • Keep at it

29. What employers say… "Few students are able to articulate what they have gained from their experience in higher education." (Association of Graduate Recruiters, 1995)

30. Producing a CV

31. What is the purpose of a CV? • To inform the employer about your education, work experience, skills and interests • To show how you meet the criteria so the employer can not deselect you • To ‘sell’ your qualities and to persuade the employer to invite you to interview

32. Matching up your CV with the position/company • It is not ‘one size fits all’, you need to tailor your CV to each position you apply for. • Research the organisation. Do they have a mission statement or core values? What will they be looking for in you? Who works there at the moment? What are they passionate about?

33. What makes an effective CV and covering letter • Right format • Well presented • Proof read/consistent tenses • You have included all the necessary information • Your skills and abilities are clearly evidenced • Conveyed your understanding and enthusiasm for the job • Targeted it to the job

34. What does it need to contain? • Personal details • Education and qualifications • Work experience • Skills • Interests and additional information • References

35. However don’t be constrained by headings. • Scholarships/Awards • Voluntary work • Relevant experience • Positions of responsibility • Publication/Presentations • Conferences attended • Research skills • Additional skills • Languages

36. Hints on wording • Avoid personal pronouns - No “I’s” • Avoid producing a passive CV • Start with verbs wherever possible • Use short sentences & concise phrases • Focus on accomplishments • Refer to specific projects with quantifiable results

37. Make use of Action Verbs created instructed analysed produced negotiated designed calculated maintained administered controlled reviewed observed consolidated delivered founded increased studied invented supplied detected programmed recommended distributed developed solved prepared installed selected arranged formulated solved started

38. How the Careers and Employability Service can help you.

39. What we do Careers Talks and Workshops Careers Library: Employer Directories, Occupational Profiles, Books etc Comprehensive Web Pages Careers Employability Award (CEM) on Moodle Vacancy Database Alumni Careers Network Annual Careers and Recruitment Fair Drop In - Quick Query Careers Guidance Interviews

40. Careers and Employability Service Web Site: www.kent.ac.uk/ces

41. Careers and Employability Service Web Pages and Prospects • What can I do with my degree in drama http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/drama.htm • How to create a portfolio http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv/portfolios.htm • Interview Reports http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/ivreps/ivrepsmenu.htm • Interviews (includes assessment centres and psychometric tests etc.) www.kent.ac.uk/careers/applicn.htm • Example CVs & Covering Letterswww.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv/cvexamples.htm • Spelling and punctuation http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/tests/spelling.htm • Prospects http://www.prospects.ac.uk/public_relations_officer_job_description.htm

42. Careers Employability Award (on moodle) www.kent.ac.uk/careers/moodle.htm • The module takes about 12 hours to complete • But this can be done at your own pace You do this by completing: • 9 quizzes • 3 short assignments • 1 feedback form

43. Comments from students who have completed the award. “I liked the fact that the assignments relate to how you would fill in answers on a graduate job application step by step and provides examples of how to fill it in.” “I really enjoyed the quizzes. They effectively highlighted the gaps in my knowledge, as many of the answers surprised me. I also found the module on creating my own CV very useful, these skills will be invaluable for tailoring my CV to particular jobs.” “There is a wealth of information about everything; I especially liked the individual information about specific job types and the advice given about interview skills.”

44. Attend Careers Talks and Workshops. • How to make effective presentations • Commercial awareness • Postgraduate study • Summer Internships • More information available http://www.kent.ac.uk/ces/events/

45. Employers visiting campus Examples this term include: • MBDA • Bloomberg • RAF • Teach First • Majestic Wine • NHS • PriceWaterhouseCoopers

46. Careers and Employability Service Fair • Thursday 1st November 2-5pm Eliot Great Hall. Chance to meet employers and hear about opportunities

47. Vacancy Database • All vacancies sent to the Careers and Employability Service by employers, whether for graduate jobs, sandwich placements or vacation work/internships are entered on this database which offers: • Email alerts of new vacancies which may interest you • Employers notifying vacancies are often specifically targeting Kent graduates, so competition for jobs is lower than on other vacancy sites www.kent.ac.uk/careers/jobs/index.htm

48. Kent Grads • KentGrads - database of companies in Kent who employ graduates, and who may, from time to time, have vacancies. It is not a list of current vacancies, but a resource to help you find possible employers. • The site can list all the companies in the database grouped in one of a number of ways: • by location in Kent , by the criteria you specify or by keywords. For example: if you can remember the surname of a particular contact at a company, but are unsure of the company name.

49. Careers Network • Helps current students gain an insight into careers through contact with alumni. • Information and advice by letter/phone/email, work-shadowing.  • Visit the Careers Centre and ask to use the Careers Network.

50. Speak to an adviser: • Quick query, drop in and speak to an adviser 10.30am -12.30pm and 2.00pm-4pm Monday to Friday. • E mail @careerhelp and an adviser will respond to your query. • You can also book a longer career guidance appointment over the phone or pop in.