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Employer-endorsed employability assessment. Noel-Ann Bradshaw Senior Lead: Employability. Employability at Greenwich. Greenwich Maths Talent IMA Business Game Maths Grads: Where are they now? HESTEM project with Adab Trust HEA department project. Background.
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Employer-endorsed employability assessment Noel-Ann Bradshaw Senior Lead: Employability
Employability at Greenwich • Greenwich Maths Talent • IMA Business Game • Maths Grads: Where are they now? • HESTEM project with Adab Trust • HEA department project
Background • Students not prepared to apply for graduate jobs at the start of 3rd year. • Weak CVs. • Not good at answers to competency-based questions. • Not sure what they want to do. • Poor ability to reflect.
Assignment in OR • 10% coursework in 30 credit course • Several components • Spread throughout first term • Final deadline end of first term • Uploading the CV early means they can get feedback before final submission.
3 Questions • What have you found on the Maths Careers website that will help you to find a job? • Where can you go to find jobs and graduate schemes suitable for maths graduates? • Find a company that interests you and write a page about what they can offer you AND what you can offer them.
Employability skills test • Rate (1-5) general skills and mindsets • Reflect on which ones they plan to work on this year • List previous work experience
Lecture topics • Importance of a good CV • Job application process • Competency-based interviews • LinkedIn • Role-play interview session • Visiting speakers • Placement student • What employers are looking for from CVs
CV blunders • Say they are hard working yet list low marks and have not really engaged with course. • Give little evidence of any skills but under interests say they have organised a cycle trip up the 3rd highest mountain. • Opening paragraph mentions a dislike of programming.
Cover letter • A large number of students do not seem to know how to write a formal letter. • Some applications still require a formal letter rather than email. • This, and reflection section, obtained the lowest average mark.
Mock Job Application • Complete a job application for one of the jobs attached to this assignment specification. This must take the form of your CV, a covering letter and a completed application form. • Graduate Financial Analyst - Rothschild • Graduate Data Analyst - Experian pH Group • Operational Graduate Management Trainee Scheme - GIST
Competency evidence in JA • Planning, implementation and achieving results: • Describe a challenging project (objective, changes) • Influencing, communication and teamwork: • Describe how you achieved a goal through influencing the actions or opinions of others • Analysis, problem solving and creative thinking: • Describe a difficult problem you have solved (process)
LinkedIn profile • Create a LinkedIn profile. Provide the link or screenshot for assessment purposes with your final upload. If you do not wish to create a profile for yourself you may create a fictitious profilebut if you do this please do not link it to mine or anyone else’s in the class or University.
Reflection • Please reflect on the job application process in relation to what you have learned this year. Create a plan of what you will do over the next year and a half in order to secure a graduate-level job by September 2015. Include your reflection and plan in your final submission.
Feedback from students • The job application process was quite hard and stressful but very useful and helpful. • It has taught me reread over and over again through the application, CV and cover letter, as it is always possible to make improvements. • It has taught me that I should apply early for jobs as some close up even before the deadline as they receive a lot of applications and also a lot of applications deadlines are very early. • I have also learnt to manage my time, as I had to fit this process in whilst doing my courseworks.
Feedback from employers • ‘I think you have an excellent model…. • This should, if well thought through by the student, prepare them for almost any formal application.’ Anil Sharad - HR-Transformation, Marks and Spencer.
Conclusion • Since doing this the number of 2nd year placement students has increased. • Students are appreciative • Employers have endorsed it. • Time consuming for student • Takes a long time to mark and give appropriate feedback
Points for discussion • Marking and feedback • Mock interviews • Allow would-be teachers to write a personal statement for a PGCE application