What next? How careers support can help

With assignments in and a couple of weeks to catch up with family and friends, now could also be a good time to give your future career some thoughts too.  Amongst the mince pies, wrapping paper and new year festivities, it’s a good chance to actually ponder the future too.  Why?  Because with all the familiarity around you, thinking about the ‘what if’s?’ and ‘how about?’ can be done without rushing or undue anxiety.  Of course, this process doesn’t have to be done on your own, without outside help.  The careers advisory service (CAS)is here to help you explore all the options, and to help you decide what is best. Hopefully the following will help you to focus your thoughts and show you how we can help too.



Planning ahead will help you graduate!

What are you good at? What skills have you developed, even a little? What motivates you? Conversely, what causes you the most angst on your course or work wise?  The difficult things may not be ones to avoid, tempting as it may be.  For instance, if presenting to others is something that does not come naturally, actually improving this skill will enhance your career prospects no end!  How can CAS help?  We can talk all these through with you, to help you identify what you are good at, what motivates you, things to develop etc.  In essence to find the golden thread from your previous experience, current situation and possible future ‘professional selves’.   
Identifying possible opportunities that match your skills, experience and motivation will be an important part of the jigsaw. Where are the opportunities geographically, how many are there, are you a good ‘fit’ or are there still ‘gaps’ to work on to ensure you have a good chance in securing an opportunity?  And just as importantly, how could these opportunities develop your golden thread of skills, motivation and experience for future opportunities? The careers advisory service can help you identify sources of opportunities, reflect on how well you meet the requirements, and how to address any gaps you have identified.  Critical friend role?  Absolutely!

So, having undertaken an audit on your own skills, motivation and interests, combined with identifying possible options you now need to consider how to successfully get the opportunity,

Wiki images source Druysts.t

whether it’s a job or place on a Masters or PhD.  Presenting a ‘professional self’ can be tricky, especially if you have not had much time in the world of work yet.  But it is definitely possible, even if it feels difficult.  We can help you with a CV, LinkedIn profile and mock interviews, and help you reflect on what you have learnt already from any employer contact you have had in the past.

So, in conclusion, the festive season will hopefully bring you many things, including time with family and friends, relief that assignments are done and maybe even some presents!  It can also give you a chance to step back and start to ponder the future. It is important to start this before ‘the future’ arrives, with the end of your course!  And hopefully, having read this far you know that there is help available to put all of this thinking into practise.

Graduate employment opportunties and careers fairs!

Now that term has well and truly started, it is time for final year Higher Education students to start thinking about life after dissertations and exams.  And not just to ‘think’ about it, but take some action too. Why? 

 

• It's graduate careers fair season
• Employers graduate schemes are open (and some will close soon) for applications
• Masters/PhD’s are available to apply for from now

So what do you need to do?

Firstly, you need to keep a regular check on graduate scheme deadlines. There are several coming up between now and Christmas. Some of these sites will allow you to register for vacancy alerts and give you more information - target jobs vacancies listings, target jobs graduate schemes, graduate scheme deadlines, prospects and gradjobs.

 

Once you start filling in the applications (usually online), don't forget to save copies of what you have put, as you will find the answers useful for other applications too.

 

Secondly, if you are thinking about continuing with further study though an MSc or PhD, you can start applying for these now. Some Masters will be more popular that others and will fill up more quickly, others in more specialist areas or at less competitive prestigious universities will accept applications for much longer. If you are keen to get funding for further studies e.g. a PhD or a PhD that comes with a salary (otherwise known as a stipend), then you need to be researching for these opportunities now. These opportunities can come up at any time of the year, but you do not have to wait for them to be advertised. You can make contact with university departments from now, especially if you have a research proposal in mind. You can use  https://www.findaphd.com/ and www.findamasters.com for more information about this.

 

Careers and postgraduate fairs are also worth attending.  Mainly because they will give you a chance to talk to lots of employers or universities offering postgraduate courses in one hit. That way you can intensively research the opportunities that could be possible and feel that you’ve made good progress in a day!  One tip, research the companies attending the fairs before you arrive, so you know what they do and who they are, and so you can prepare questions to ask them. The Writtle University Careers Fair is on Wednesday 9^th November, 12pm - 3pm.  For more details please speak to Mark Yates, Careers Adviser, located on the first floor in the Library. 

 

Lastly, don’t forget that if the options sound too numerous, or you are not sure what you actually want to do, talking to a careers adviser will help clarify the situation. So get talking!!

 

Written by Mark Yates.

Starting a new course or returning to university?

Term is just about to start, after a long summer.  Are you feeling prepared for what’s coming next?  This blog will look at some top tips for coping with starting or a new course, or returning for another year.

Wiki images source Druysts.t

 Be prepared!  You will hopefully know what is expected of you.  But there may be some surprises too. 

Plan! There will be a lot to take in during the first 2 weeks, friends to make or catch up with, timetables to get used to, names of students and lecturers to try and remember.  And this doesn’t just for 1^st years either!  Although most 2^nd and 3^rd years should remember where their classrooms are.  So, its worth spending a few minutes at the end of each day reflecting on what’s happened that day, or what might happen the next day, and jotting any thoughts or notes down.  This way you can make a note of anything you need to find out about – and reduce any anxieties the uncertainty might cause.  In a few weeks, it will be worth taking a longer term view on this forward planning to see what will be expected of you for assignments/reading etc.

Find out something new each day!  In your first few days there will be an element of information overload, some of which you might forget.  But once you get past this stage, its worth trying to stretch your knowledge more, even if its just exploring the college estate for 20 minutes.

Wiki Images source Kenneth Allen

Start planning your exit!  This isn’t about ensuring you are not the last to leave the party.  But about what’s going to happen after your course has finished.  This might sound strange at the start of your course, or only in the early few weeks of year 2/3.  But the time will pass very quickly, and employers are increasingly engaging with students far earlier in their studies than a few years ago.  Want that internship or volunteering opportunity this summer?  Or that graduate scheme?  Now’s the time to start planning it.


Using social media – good, bad, ugly?  There used to be a divide between the online world and real life, but not anymore, as you know.  Regardless of the rights or wrongs of the situation, employers do look at your social media profile, photos, likes, comments and activities at some point during the recruitment process.  And not just for jobs like accountancy, MI5, teaching or Defence against the Dark Arts lecturers.  People have been turned down for science labs interviews for ‘liking’ an anti animal testing comment when they were a lot younger.  Seriously!  So, before doing some applications, do some ‘tidying’ up of your social media presence.  Social media can be a very useful way of engaging with employers too.  If you want to talk about how to do this, contact the careers department.

Enjoy it! One of the most important things to do on your course!!  Learning should be enjoyable and interesting.

Got your GCSE results? What next?

So, its exam results season.  And just when the sun has arrived, and there is still plenty of sport to participate in or watch!  This blog will look at your options, and what to do next!

Writtle University College

    Firstly, regardless of what your results are this week, well done on having got through your GCSE years.  There will have been highs and lows, friendships made and experiences to remember. With the ‘raising of the participation age’ a few years ago, you'll be continuing your learning one way or another, through 6^th form, college or an apprenticeship - and with better qualifications meaning more money, who wouldn’t want to carry on learning?

If you get the results you expected, or better and now want to change your ideas about what to do next, or if you don’t know what to do, its not too late!  There are a few things you’ll need to do to get everything organised. 

- Talking your ideas through at home with your family/carers

They know you well and might have some ideas.  Just remember that qualifications and options might have changed a bit since other family members did them, so its worth getting information that’s as up to date as possible as well.  

- Talk to the careers adviser at school, your local college or at the National Careers Service about what your options. 

Image sourced from Wikimedia
Author: Diego

There are always some students who do not do as well as expected.  This can happen for a variety of reasons.  The first reaction might be to panic, and assume that its ‘life over’.  It is definitely not the end of the world, even if it feels like it!  Understanding why this has happened will be the first step.  There will be a range of college courses, apprenticeships and traineeships that will help you ‘catch up’ to where you had expected to be. 

This could be a very good chance to take a moment and reconsider what you want to do next.  Don’t forget it may have been 6-8 months ago you applied to 6^th form or college, in which time actually your thinking about future courses and careers could have changed.

So, what practically do you need to do if you didn’t get the grades or have changed your ideas about your future?

Talk to your family

Talk to the careers adviser at school

Talk to the careers adviser at college

Contact the National Careers Service staff about your options

Find out about vacancies on local courses you might be interested in (a college admissions team, training provider or 6^th form office will know what their vacancies are!)

Check the difference between courses, e.g. a sport science course will be different to sport studies

Talking to your school careers adviser, or a careers adviser at a local college will be a very good idea. They will be able to talk all the options, and won’t push you towards one option, they will help you decide what’s best for you, even if its applying to another institution.

Keep an open mind about how to get to the ‘end destination’ of your career.  For most industries there will be several routes and entry points into them.  Over the next 40 years, your ‘career’ is likely to take several unexpected twists and turns, so taking some advice now will help your career path off to a good start.



After all, your career is likely to look more like a game of snakes and ladders than in the past.  So taking some advice from family, school staff and careers advisers will all help!

Image sourced from Wikimedia Author: Druysts.t

 

 

Is this the end or a new beginning?

Image sourced from Wikimedia
Author: Diego

Now that the end of term has gone, with exams finished and coursework handed in, you’ve finally reached the finish line!  And with the Olympics happening, there will be plenty of time to enjoy watching them.

 

But it's not quite ‘all over’ yet. It will really help you if you view the next few weeks as a new beginning too. The reasons why are as follows. Firstly, it would be good to spend time reflecting on what you have found interesting, challenging or dull this year and why. The reason? By reflecting on the knowledge gained this year you can decide if or how you could use it in a potential career. Does the thought of using what you’ve learnt about equine nutrition, landscape design or commercial horticulture excite you?  What does this tell you about your career aspirations?  Do you need to talk this through with your tutor or Careers Adviser? 

Secondly, it is not just about the knowledge that you have learnt.  It’s useful to reflect how your skills have developed this year.  This is equally as important as reflecting on your knowledge.  Employers and universities want to see that you can identify and apply the skills you’ve gained to a new situation, e.g. a job or a postgraduate course.  Not only is it important to show others you can do this, but it is crucial for you too.  Why?  Because you need to be able to compare what you have to offer to what an employer or university are asking for.  If you can’t demonstrate that you are a good match, an employer or course scheme manager won’t do this for you.  So part of this ‘looking back’ is about applying this to developing your career/study plans for the future.





Planning ahead will help you graduate!

Are you wondering about whether to use the knowledge and skills you’re gaining or if there’s a ‘better something’ out there?  Within each degree area there will be a variety of related and unrelated careers or further study you could go into.  About 80% of graduate jobs don’t require a specific degree subject, so you could apply for any number of interesting graduate schemes or jobs.  Roughly 10% of graduates will get onto a graduate scheme, often these schemes do not want a specific subject.  There are a huge number of SME (small and medium enterprises) who are very keen to take on students who have developed graduate level skills, in a variety of career ideas.  Just being a graduate itself will give you plenty of skills and experience which will be appreciated by employers if you can present them well enough.



Image sourced from Wikimedia
Author: Petey21

So, the end of this academic year is here, and the beginning of the future is just around the corner!  Is this true for everyone?  If you are finishing your degree course, the answer will be an obvious yes.  But if you are in your first or second year, it is also worth viewing this summer as a new beginning too.  Doing an audit will help you identify what opportunities might be worth targeting to develop your skills or test out your newly acquired knowledge over the next academic year.

 

Your career is going to last a very long time, and it can take time to find the ‘perfect’ career or vacancy - this won’t always happen straight after university.  Did you know you can use the College careers service for up to 3 years after finishing your course?  Careers support is often about helping students audit themselves, to develop their own career management skills.  And you can use the service forever if you are an employer looking to fill a vacancy in the future!  So, whatever year you are in, now is a good time to celebrate the end and start to plan for the beginning.

Written by Mark Yates, Careers Coordinator

Job interviews vs college & university interviews – the same or radically different?

Image courtesy of Wikipedia
'Handshake' by Hermandad

Having an interview for a job or college/university course can seem a daunting prospect.  And why wouldn’t it? The reason you will have applied for the job or course is because you want the opportunity to do something new to develop your learning and training, and to develop your experience of the world of work - all these combined with gaining related industry qualifications whilst being paid.

 

Unless you’ve had several interviews already, or you are very confident, the prospect of an interview which could influence the next few years of your life can be a scary thought. This blog is aimed at explaining the different types of interviews and to give you some practical tips on how to ‘survive and thrive’ in an interview situation.

 

So, you have been asked for an interview, which is excellent news! And that means you’ve already got an asset that the employer or college/university likes the look of. This is likely to be a combination of work experience, qualifications, skills and motivation. Hopefully recognising this will start to build your confidence and allow you to present yourself well at interview. There are different types of interview which you potentially face. The first two are usually only used by employers rather than colleges/universities, and if you are successful will be followed by an assessment centre or face to face interview.
 

Many job opportunities come after graduation

 

• Phone interviews – the answers you give will be used to filter whether you get onto the next stage of recruitment or not.

• Video interviews – these can be either live or recorded. The live ones will have an interviewer asking the questions and interacting with you. The recorded ones will have a set of questions which you will respond to with a set amount of time. The use of video interviews is increasing.

• Group interviews – these are mostly used to see how potential employees or students interact together. They will be looking for candidates who can interact well, without dominating or who do not really get involved.  

• Face to face interviews – these will happen in all recruitment processes one way or another. You may have several of these with different members of staff and you may be interviewed by one, two or three members of staff at the same time. 



Image courtesy of Wikipedia
'College interview' by B.P.Susf

The aim of these interviews is to help decide whether you would be a good ‘fit’ for the job or course. The main differences between an interview for a job vacancy and a course are that usually there will be several more spaces available on a course.

 

So what can you do to make the most of the interviews?

Firstly, you need to remember that interviews are actually a two way process. Not only is it a chance for others to see if you are what they are looking for, but it is also a chance for you to do the same! You need to show that you are a good match, with examples of your skills, motivation and experience, and how you would be a valuable addition to the team/course.  How to do this?  Follow the 3 P’s…Prepare, Plan and Practice!

 

Careers Coordinator helps student

• Prepare – find out as much as possible about the job vacancy and company, course and university. This will help you to show how you ‘it the job description or course requirements. What examples can you think of to meet the requirements? 

• Plan – your journey for the interview, what answers you might give, questions you can ask and what to do if something unexpected happens. Is there anything you feel less confident about the interview or assessment centre process? 

• Practice – can someone give you a mock interview? If you are having to do a presentation, practice it in front of friends, family or careers staff. If you are having a phone or video interview, check that the technology works and the environment is quiet with no visual distractions.

 

 

And lastly, however the interview goes, reflect on how you found it. How would you do it differently next time? And just as importantly, ask for feedback from the interviewers. They should be willing to offer you some.

 

 

Good luck!

 

Written by Mark Yates

Our two Norwegian student bloggers give their perspective on their course - BSc (Hons) Animal Science!

Last time we discussed which student events to attend, now we will tell you a bit about what we are doing on a daily basis. As we have mentioned earlier we study Animal Science. There are many doors that are open in the animal industry after getting a degree in Animal Science and we both have different aspirations on what we will use our degree for.

Gerbil in the Titchmarsh Centre

In the first year of the course a lot of practical work is done, which will come handy later on in life, especially if you are looking at a career where you will do a lot of hands-on work, like working in a zoo or as a vet. This was one of the reasons we chose to study at Writtle College.






The most exciting module of the first year was Mammalian Anatomy and Physiology and the Comparative Anatomy and Physiology.



When we had lab sessions we had so much fun, we had dissections on every lab practical, which we personally think is when you learn the most. We both thought that we would be disgusted by the dissections as you get to look at some quite nasty stuff, but it is way more exciting than disgusting and makes up for it. If you want to work as a scientist later on in life the lab sessions are very important and would come in handy, also in the veterinarian profession as we study reproductive system, nervous system, digestive system and so on.  

Dissections are fun!



We are both very happy that we chose Writtle College because the academic experience at Writtle is very good! Not to mention our lecturers, they are very knowledgeable and that is something we admire. We think they are easy to talk to and you can have a laugh with them occasionally, which makes the university experience so much better.

 

 

As we study Animal Science and not Animal Management, as you expect we have modules which are science related such as Biochemistry in the first year and Animal Health Science and Reproduction and Genetics in the second year. They can be a bit challenging but they are also a lot of fun and very interesting. Take Reproduction and Genetics as an example, we learn about Mendel and the pea plant which is recap for a lot of people who have done biology before, but when we take that to the next level and start to look at several traits that are inheritable, it becomes very interesting and fun to do. 

We are both looking forward to next year, our last and final year of our degree. It is exciting and scary at the same time, especially thinking about our dissertation. Luckily, we both have found something we want to write about and hopefully we will get our data collected over the summer so that the next year might be a bit easier. 

Thank you for reading and I hope you liked what we had to say!

Bye for now, from Anne-Marthe & Serine

More information on our BSc (Hons) Animal Science and Animal Management courses

 

Shape your future with an apprenticeship!

Writtle College Graduation 2015

Apprenticeships have been around as an option for a very long time! In fact, apprenticeships were first developed in the Middle Ages, as a way of developing skills in particular vocational areas like stone masonry or bakery work, often taking 10 or more years to complete. Nowadays, apprenticeships are available in a much wider range of areas – from Agriculture to Horticulture, and Finance to Health Care. And they will usually take a lot less time to work through than 10 years – most can be achieved within 12 - 18 months whilst some may take 3-4 years, depending on the qualifications being gained. It’s even possible to do a Higher Apprenticeship and get a degree!

So why bother doing an apprenticeship?

Employers are often reported as wanting employees who are motivated, passionate, have the right skills/be willing to develop more skills and have some commercial experience. An apprenticeship will give you the chance to demonstrate motivation, and gain the skills and commercial awareness, whilst also earning money! So whilst some of your friends are still in sixth form, college or university, you could be learning the skills for a specific career – and gaining qualifications from level 2 (GCSE standard) to degree standard. This will mean either going to college one day a week, or doing some study while you are with your employer. What’s there to not like?

 

What are the drawbacks to doing an apprenticeship?

There will always be potential drawbacks to any option. These might include:

·    Combining work and study - you will need to be organised!

·    Fewer hours for social commitments.

·    Having to decide a specific area to get your qualifications in – for instance if you have a general interest in Horticulture you would have to apply for an Horticultural role to do the apprenticeship in. 

·    Focussing on a career area like this for some people would be a bonus, others may need longer to decide.

 

What would you get out of doing an apprenticeship?

As an apprentice you would gain valuable work experience, a qualification (or more often a range of qualifications) a salary, skills and plenty of opportunities to further your career. Once you have finished your apprenticeship you may well be offered a job where you have done the apprenticeship, or you could find a new employer with the qualifications and experience you have gained.

Apprenticeship in Horticulture

Which is better, college or an apprenticeship?

There is no right or wrong answer here! Partly it will depend on what vacancies are available locally to you for both college courses and apprenticeships. Some apprenticeships, like veterinary nursing or farriery can be very hard to find, so applying for a related college course can give you a very good plan B in case you do not get an apprenticeship straight away. Another aspect you may want to consider is how much practical experience you would get with either, to develop the skills for your chosen career. Also you need to think about how you learn best – would you prefer a work environment or a college environment more? Do you need any extra support with your learning – or to redo your English or Maths GCSE? Both these will be available through an apprenticeship and at college.

 

What next?

Mark Yates (left) Careers Coordinator

Now would be a very good time to start looking for an apprenticeship. You can contact employers directly to find out what opportunities there will be with them, and also register with http://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/ to find out more information and https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship to register for local apprenticeships. If you want more information about higher apprenticeships where you could do a degree as part of it, you can also use http://www.notgoingtouni.co.uk/?gclid=CNe8j-_skMsCFRBmGwodfAwKhA. It’s worth talking through your plans with your parents/carers and a careers adviser, to ensure you get all the support you need. 

  

Written by Mark Yates

Writtle College Careers Coordinator