WHAT TO DO AFTER UNIVERSITY

1. WHAT TO DO AFTER UNIVERSITY

2. Employability and Economics This talk will cover the following • What can you do with an economics degree? • What do you want to do? Employment or further study? • How you can improve your profile to get the right job, eg work experience, internships, University initiatives • Placements - what are they and how to get one • Advice on how to write a good application/CV • How does the job application process work and how can you win this game? • Come and see us John Peirson (Employability Officer), Keynes CG.07, Thursday 2-5pm, jdp1@kent.ac.uk Sylvain Barde (Placement Officer), Keynes B1.12, Thursday 3-5pm, sb636@kent.ac.uk

3. 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 now • Do not embark on further study just to postpone your decision

4. 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

5. Prospects website www.prospects.ac.uk Including • Options with an Economics degree www.prospects.ac.uk/links/EconomDeg • Occupational profiles for 600 career areas www.prospects.ac.uk/links/Occupations

6. Recent Economics Graduates Jobs • Finance - Financial Services Authority, HSBC, JP Morgan, NHS Trust, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Schroeders, various Stock Brokers, Trainee Auditors, Standard & Poors • Business - BMW, Debenhams, Homebase, House of Fraser, Mothercare

7. Other - Channel 4, Kent Tourism Alliance, PR Companies, Church social worker, .................

8. What You Can Do Now? • Think about what you want to do after your degree. The next two and a half years rush past and the serious student has to think about the future NOW • Consider internships and work experience in the field you wish to work in. This is vital for getting jobs in highly competitive sectors like finance and advertising • There are a number of University run initiatives

9. What Does An Economics Degree Do For You? You are and going to develop a fantastic skills set- • Numeracy • Data handling • IT skills • Problem solving • Oral communication skills - presentations

10. Oral communication skills - presentations • Writing skills • Economics is a way of understanding the world • Great skills for getting many different jobs • You are lucky to have chosen Economics • Be aware of the skills you are developing

11. How To Improve Your Profile • Work experience of some sort • Use the internet, eg finance internship London (think where you will live) • Use company websites, have to know them first • www.efinancialcareers.co.uk • Look at Careers and Employability Services www.kent.ac.uk/careers/vacwork.htm

12. Firms look at A levels • They often have minimum scores in UCAS points and need GCSEs, eg Maths and English • However, be realistic. No point in wasting effort

13. If it applies to you, Look at Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) London superior educational support and career access to young people from under-represented and under-served backgrounds to help maximise their opportunities for university and career success. See http://www.seo-london.com/ Some deadlines on this may have passed

14. Student Recruiters • A number of organisations recruit good students for internships, jobs, etc • They then try to place these students with firms • Beware that getting onto the organisations’ books does not guarantee an internship or job • Additionally, avoid any firms that charge for such services

15. University Help and Advice • The University’s Careers and Employability Service has a large website, friendly staff and a building just by the entrance to Keynes. See http://www.kent.ac.uk/ces/ • Kent Union run a volunteering scheme that allows students to record and attain awards for a large number of volunteering activities. See http://www.kentunion.co.uk/volunteering/

16. 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 • Keyword to register with is Networking • 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

17. MyFolio • MyFolio is the University of Kent’s student owned e-portfolio and Personal Development site • 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/

18. 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 through obtaining points • More details at http://www.kent.ac.uk/employabilitypoints/ or contact employabilitypoints@kent.ac.uk

19. 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

21. Placements • I am the Placement Officer for the School of Economics. • I am responsible for: • Helping interested 2nd years find a good placement • Supporting students while they are away on placement • Assessing their placement report when they return • Placements are probably the second best thing you can do to improve your employability • The first best thing is of course getting a top degree!!

22. Placements • What is a placement? How is it different from an internship? • A placement is longer (1-year vs. 1-3 months) • A placementis part of an assessed University program (degrees “with year in industry”) • Additional benefits • You are given more responsibilities – you learn more! • You get paid a good wage while on placement • You stand a good chance of being offered a job afterwards

23. Placements • Costs / problems with getting a placement • They are much harder to get in the first place • Getting a placement is as hard as getting a graduate job • The recruitment methods are the same (this can be a +) • Placements are getting very competitive • They can disrupt your academic experience • You spend much of your second year looking for a job • You have to re-adapt to academic life when you come back

24. Timeline for placements • End of 1st year: Meeting for interested students • Placement information explained in more detail • Put on a mailing list • Talk by current/past placement students • During the 2nd year • Students make their applications throughout • I provide a series of placement sessions on CVs, competency tests, cover letters, etc. • These are followed by one-to-one drop-in clinics

25. Timeline for placements • While on placement (between 2nd and 3rd year) • Obviously, carry out the tasks given • Work on your portfolio of evidence on a regular basis • I will be in regular contact to offer support and advice • On your return • You submit your assessment (portfolio of activities and reflective report) • This is worth 10% of your overall degree

26. What to do in 1st year if you’re interested • Gather information on possible placements (especially the GES) • Work on your CV and practice cover letters • Come to the meeting at the end of the year • This is so you can be added to the mailing list • You do not need to change to the “year in industry” program at this stage • If you are not “with year in industry”, the switch is done in your 2nd year, once you have a placement.

27. What to do in 1st year if you’re interested • If you are interested by a placement, what is the single most important thing you can do at stage 1? • Focus on your studies and get TOP grades! • Just because you get told “the first year doesn’t count” doesn’t mean “the first year doesn’t matter” • Your first year transcript is the only thing you will have to go with when applying for placements in 2nd year. • What are the odds on securing a placement at UBS or Goldman Sachs if you get less than 60%?

29. The Process of Applying • It varies a lot between different firms and types of work experience and jobs (obviously latter are more intensive) • Some mix of • Online/paper application • CV + cover letter • Online tasks • Competency questions • Interview • Group tasks (wear a watch!) • It is hard work making applications and the application process is tough

30. Competency Tests • You may need to know about numeracy and other competency tests. Come to see us and/or look at http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/psychotests.htm

31. 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

32. CURRICULUM VITAE • Even if the application is online, the following rules still apply • List of education, work and other experiences related to getting you a job or placement • You are trying to match your skill set and experience to those that are required for the job • Make a list of the job requirements and make sure your CV match these. Use your brain, job description or look at http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/workin.htm or www.prospects.ac.uk/links/Occupations

33. So have to alter CV to fit the work experience you are looking for • Have a basic CV but make it fit the skills etc. required for the different work experience • CVs are just the beginning 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. Use bullet points (one-liners)

34. They are an advert for you. They are often read in less than 30 seconds • 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 that you have the skills they want

35. 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 internship/job. They sometimes look awful • 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.

36. What Is In A CV? • Contact Details • Personal Profile • Education: University, A levels (or equivalent) and GCSEs (or equivalent) but not in full detail, but make it clear what overall grades you got and that you have maths and English language • Experience • Skills • Other achievements, eg Duke of Edinburgh Silver

37. COVER LETTER • Be clear whether a covering letter or letter of application • A covering letter is a short introduction of yourself • Written in clear English – no mistakes. Short sentences • Make sure that it matches the requirements of the job • You can make no more than 3 short points • Try to have a name you are writing to • Show that you know the firm • Do not go over the top

38. COVER LETTER • Start with you and what you are studying? • What you are applying for • Show knowledge of firm/gov department etc and link yourself to the job/firm/department • End with something like looking forward to hearing from you

39. CAN YOU IMPROVE YOUR PROFILE? • Difficult as pressure of academic work • May need to apply for internships and work experience. Especially in the financial sector. Be realistic • Apply to smaller firms for experience • Will you be paid for internships? No • If you do not get a good summer internship, paid summer employment of any kind (specially if it involves long hours) looks good and is much better than nothing

40. How We Can Help You • We will help you, but most of the effort will come from you • What do you want? Talks from the Careers Service (about what)? • Help with thinking about what you want to do • Looking at CVs and applications • Advice about the job application process, eg numeracy tests, interviews etc.

41. If you have any questions or want some advice get in contact with me John Peirson, email jdp1@kent.ac.uk • Talk to your Academic Adviser. More specific advice from us or the Careers and Employability Service • If you have any year in industry questions please see our Placement Officer, Sylvain Barde, email sb636@kent.ac.uk