If you have been able to find some kind of voluntary work then congratulations! As Tesco's says "every little helps".
It actually does help! Even the odd bit of ad-hoc work can show the ability to fit in a little extra work around your busy schedule. This ability shows excellent organisation skills and a team player. At this stage of the job-market-game, strong organisation and team player skills are essential as the jobs a graduate would primarily go into after University are within a team and with low responsibility.
In the last post, I discussed how a university student could get voluntary work within university societies. But, why bother with voluntary work? "What if I am in a position where I can get paid work within my chosen field, should I still bother?" Well my friend, you are one of a small percent who attain the chance to do so, so well done you!
As previously explained, short term placements and training in the right field for a graduate is extremely tough and can be just as competitive as a full time job. The competition is getting tougher by the year as more and more graduates pour out of university.
If you get a contract for a placement or training during uni, you are still competing against others for full time jobs at the end of your degree who might have a similar background as you, but with a bite. That bite could be a little bit of voluntary work or a project they have done in their spare time. It's unfortunately not enough these days to have one project under your belt.
Your CV needs to look so full of varied training, that the recruiter or future employer would be mad not to employ you.
Sunday 21 November 2010
Tuesday 16 November 2010
I want experience, but I can't give up my holidays for voluntary work.
For whatever reason you can't give up your holiday time for voluntary work or a summer placement, The answer may be closer to home (well, uni).
Summer placements nowadays are becoming just as competitive as internships and let's not get started on work placements. Some are just about as competitive as graduate schemes! But there will be many out there who can't afford to work for free or travel half way across the country for a few weeks - if you don't have friends or family that are close that will let you stay, a massive fortune will have to be spent on B&B's. Many will want to do summer work closer to home to afford that holiday they rightly deserve, or many have great plans for a summer full of partying (we can never do enough at the ripe old age of 20yrs old and by god do we deserve it!).
So, what's the answer? Well, the good news is it's at uni and it's not so competitive. The answer is to join a society/group that is relevant to your ideal career.
So if you are interested in PR, why not join the union newspaper society? If you are interested in Marketing or Accounting, join a society and become the secretary/ event's secretary or treasurer. These don't sound as prestigious as a summer placements with Ernst and Young or a top PR firm down in London, but it shows interest from an earlier starting point and at least you'll have something down. If there isn't a society that fit's your ideal career, why not create one?
Prospective Lawyers look into debating teams or human/animal rights society
Events Management: join a society (or sporting society) and try for the events secretary - if they don't have one, say they should and try run for it! (I did!)
Radio or TV? A good number of Universities have a TV or radio station within the union. If they don't have one - well, make a start in getting one!
Prospective teachers could look into a society that offers voluntary teaching within the local community.
Future politicians could also look into the debating team and go into the society that represents their chosen party and be as active as possible within the university and local community.
Anymore you can think of? Feel free to comment below.
Hope this post will be hopeful for those looking for a chance to gain experience within their chosen field.
H
Summer placements nowadays are becoming just as competitive as internships and let's not get started on work placements. Some are just about as competitive as graduate schemes! But there will be many out there who can't afford to work for free or travel half way across the country for a few weeks - if you don't have friends or family that are close that will let you stay, a massive fortune will have to be spent on B&B's. Many will want to do summer work closer to home to afford that holiday they rightly deserve, or many have great plans for a summer full of partying (we can never do enough at the ripe old age of 20yrs old and by god do we deserve it!).
So, what's the answer? Well, the good news is it's at uni and it's not so competitive. The answer is to join a society/group that is relevant to your ideal career.
So if you are interested in PR, why not join the union newspaper society? If you are interested in Marketing or Accounting, join a society and become the secretary/ event's secretary or treasurer. These don't sound as prestigious as a summer placements with Ernst and Young or a top PR firm down in London, but it shows interest from an earlier starting point and at least you'll have something down. If there isn't a society that fit's your ideal career, why not create one?
Prospective Lawyers look into debating teams or human/animal rights society
Events Management: join a society (or sporting society) and try for the events secretary - if they don't have one, say they should and try run for it! (I did!)
Radio or TV? A good number of Universities have a TV or radio station within the union. If they don't have one - well, make a start in getting one!
Prospective teachers could look into a society that offers voluntary teaching within the local community.
Future politicians could also look into the debating team and go into the society that represents their chosen party and be as active as possible within the university and local community.
Anymore you can think of? Feel free to comment below.
Hope this post will be hopeful for those looking for a chance to gain experience within their chosen field.
H
Saturday 16 October 2010
A perfect Catch 22
When I grow up I want to be...
A brain surgeon!
No, seriously I did. That changed too a Barrister, being in the Marines, realized you could be under the sea without being in the Marines, so decided I want to be a marine Biologist. The list has been very long including an Accountant, Solicitor and Beautician.
Right now I have a complicated title so I just say I am in Marketing and PR. I don't think I ever expected to go down this route when I was younger- truth be told I just fell into it.
This seems quite common for people to just fall into their current jobs and career lines. People sometimes pick their career paths depending on their current skills, in the mind-set it will just be easier to match the skills to the job, rather than job to the skills. I have a lot of admiration for the latter as they go out of their way for external training, which is generally time consuming and expensive.
Which one are you? Feel free to comment with the way you have chosen your career path.
Due to the current job market, it is increasingly difficult to change career paths and step into a new profession with only ambition and transferable skills. Even applying for Graduate Internships, your skills and degree need to match exactly to the criteria that has been given.
To gain an internship for say Marketing; the competition is tough and chances are if you already have experience in the sector AND have the degree, you will get shortlisted over those who don't have both/either. Unfortunately,those who are ambitious in that career path but require experience from the Internship, will be less likely to get it over those who ALREADY have the experience. A perfect Catch 22.
So where do you gain the skills to gain the ability to get experience and a taste (when I say a taste, I don't mean a week's of experience) for your dream profession?
Possibly through qualifications - qualified in Marketing or PR will get you shortlisted who don't, problem is - you haven't had the experience or a proper taste of the profession to see whether you like it. It's costly and time consuming if the job doesn't work out how you hoped. Here we start the process all over again - no on hand experience or qualified in your next dream profession... Who will take someone like that on?
Any responses are very welcome.
H
A brain surgeon!
No, seriously I did. That changed too a Barrister, being in the Marines, realized you could be under the sea without being in the Marines, so decided I want to be a marine Biologist. The list has been very long including an Accountant, Solicitor and Beautician.
Right now I have a complicated title so I just say I am in Marketing and PR. I don't think I ever expected to go down this route when I was younger- truth be told I just fell into it.
This seems quite common for people to just fall into their current jobs and career lines. People sometimes pick their career paths depending on their current skills, in the mind-set it will just be easier to match the skills to the job, rather than job to the skills. I have a lot of admiration for the latter as they go out of their way for external training, which is generally time consuming and expensive.
Which one are you? Feel free to comment with the way you have chosen your career path.
Due to the current job market, it is increasingly difficult to change career paths and step into a new profession with only ambition and transferable skills. Even applying for Graduate Internships, your skills and degree need to match exactly to the criteria that has been given.
To gain an internship for say Marketing; the competition is tough and chances are if you already have experience in the sector AND have the degree, you will get shortlisted over those who don't have both/either. Unfortunately,those who are ambitious in that career path but require experience from the Internship, will be less likely to get it over those who ALREADY have the experience. A perfect Catch 22.
So where do you gain the skills to gain the ability to get experience and a taste (when I say a taste, I don't mean a week's of experience) for your dream profession?
Possibly through qualifications - qualified in Marketing or PR will get you shortlisted who don't, problem is - you haven't had the experience or a proper taste of the profession to see whether you like it. It's costly and time consuming if the job doesn't work out how you hoped. Here we start the process all over again - no on hand experience or qualified in your next dream profession... Who will take someone like that on?
Any responses are very welcome.
H
Friday 17 September 2010
"You've got the job, so when do you want to start?"
Some good news! I had an interview last week and I got the job. Hip hip hooray!
Three months of unemployment. Three months of continuously writing, improving my CV, writing covering letters, researching jobs, interviews, rejections, feedback, mock interviews.... and I dare say..the list goes on.
So I now have a foot in the door. I'm hoping that things will be easier for future employment and I hope that the job market will be more stable the next time I look for work.
My plan is to share with you my processes in finding work and help current and future graduates get their foot in the door in a graduate job in their chosen field(not call centres, retail or bar work).
My next few posts:
- Searching for work: How versatile do you have to be to find your future job?
- Get yourself noticed by recruiters and have things to put on your CV to look better
- Adapt your skills to match your dream career path
I hope to have these out in the next few weeks.
I am also still working on my piece about work experience, which I hope to have up for you all by early October.
H
Three months of unemployment. Three months of continuously writing, improving my CV, writing covering letters, researching jobs, interviews, rejections, feedback, mock interviews.... and I dare say..the list goes on.
So I now have a foot in the door. I'm hoping that things will be easier for future employment and I hope that the job market will be more stable the next time I look for work.
My plan is to share with you my processes in finding work and help current and future graduates get their foot in the door in a graduate job in their chosen field(not call centres, retail or bar work).
My next few posts:
- Searching for work: How versatile do you have to be to find your future job?
- Get yourself noticed by recruiters and have things to put on your CV to look better
- Adapt your skills to match your dream career path
I hope to have these out in the next few weeks.
I am also still working on my piece about work experience, which I hope to have up for you all by early October.
H
Monday 13 September 2010
Doctor doctor... I'm not employable!
That probably isn't true.
With three months of unemployment under my belt, I have a wealth of experience of CV writing, cover letters, interviews and rejections. I know from relevant experience that thinking you aren't employable is not the case.
You are competing against a number of other competitors that can all demonstrate the same skills you have, the issue is to try and separate yourself and make your CV and covering letter scream out to the recruiter. HIRE ME OR YOUR LOSS!!! You want to tell your prospective employer that you are the answer to their prayers and what you have is real ambition to drive their company to make more profit. End of the day, they are bringing you in to make the company more money. Priority for any company is 1.) profit 2.)profit 3.) profit.
If you want to apply, that means they have sold the job well and the more people they have applying, the better they are selling. So, your response...? SELL SELL SELL!!! Sell yourself like this is the last chance you do! Don't lie, lying is not selling, but boost your skills and sell them as if they are the newest thing on the block.
What every CV needs is power words; words that blast out of the page and make the recruiter wanting more. Prospects has a great list of power words that I have turned to recently to help boost my CV writing skills:
http://prospects.ac.uk/job_applications_power_words.htm
CV writing is an art; a chance for you to really create and represent you at your best on paper.
Now.. Get creating!
With three months of unemployment under my belt, I have a wealth of experience of CV writing, cover letters, interviews and rejections. I know from relevant experience that thinking you aren't employable is not the case.
You are competing against a number of other competitors that can all demonstrate the same skills you have, the issue is to try and separate yourself and make your CV and covering letter scream out to the recruiter. HIRE ME OR YOUR LOSS!!! You want to tell your prospective employer that you are the answer to their prayers and what you have is real ambition to drive their company to make more profit. End of the day, they are bringing you in to make the company more money. Priority for any company is 1.) profit 2.)profit 3.) profit.
If you want to apply, that means they have sold the job well and the more people they have applying, the better they are selling. So, your response...? SELL SELL SELL!!! Sell yourself like this is the last chance you do! Don't lie, lying is not selling, but boost your skills and sell them as if they are the newest thing on the block.
What every CV needs is power words; words that blast out of the page and make the recruiter wanting more. Prospects has a great list of power words that I have turned to recently to help boost my CV writing skills:
http://prospects.ac.uk/job_applications_power_words.htm
CV writing is an art; a chance for you to really create and represent you at your best on paper.
Now.. Get creating!
Sunday 12 September 2010
Thinking about work experience?
So...
Had two weeks doing work experience for two top leading companies in very different roles; Client Executive at a world wide Insurance Brokers, HR consultants, Marketers, PR Executive and Business Developers at Dickinson Dees. Interestingly, the style of work experience differed by a large degree.
What are the different styles of work experience?
I shall discuss two types as these are the two I experienced: experiencing the work that A does for B, the theoretical understanding of the role and "a week in the life of...", to watch the role in action.
The former I would imagine most would think work experience would involve; sit down with each of the departments and each would set a small, relevant task to do within a time frame, to gain a taste of the work they are involved in. Most of the tasks I was given as seen in my previous posts was research, e.g. "how the scrapping of the default retirement age would affect Dickinson Dees". I would then sit with each department and have their role discussed and ask any questions. This form of work experience is more theoretical and gives an insight into the style of work they do.
The second, the "week in the life of..." was with Marsh. I would imagine this is how they would treat their trainees, therefore not the work experience style as above, but a flavour of the work one would be given. I got an insight intohow the Client Executive organises their week and handles their clients. I enjoyed this as I was able to watch their projects being worked on and what their plans were with the projects in the near future. In conclusion, I got to see their job in action, so a more practical method of work experience.
Two very different and interesting styles. If you are interested in looking into work experience, I would certainly recommend it and I have hopefully shed some light into some of the possible varying types available. Depending on the work style and the company, you may want to query into the style they have planned for you, or would plan for you. Best of luck and I hope you enjoy your work experience!
H
Had two weeks doing work experience for two top leading companies in very different roles; Client Executive at a world wide Insurance Brokers, HR consultants, Marketers, PR Executive and Business Developers at Dickinson Dees. Interestingly, the style of work experience differed by a large degree.
What are the different styles of work experience?
I shall discuss two types as these are the two I experienced: experiencing the work that A does for B, the theoretical understanding of the role and "a week in the life of...", to watch the role in action.
The former I would imagine most would think work experience would involve; sit down with each of the departments and each would set a small, relevant task to do within a time frame, to gain a taste of the work they are involved in. Most of the tasks I was given as seen in my previous posts was research, e.g. "how the scrapping of the default retirement age would affect Dickinson Dees". I would then sit with each department and have their role discussed and ask any questions. This form of work experience is more theoretical and gives an insight into the style of work they do.
The second, the "week in the life of..." was with Marsh. I would imagine this is how they would treat their trainees, therefore not the work experience style as above, but a flavour of the work one would be given. I got an insight intohow the Client Executive organises their week and handles their clients. I enjoyed this as I was able to watch their projects being worked on and what their plans were with the projects in the near future. In conclusion, I got to see their job in action, so a more practical method of work experience.
Two very different and interesting styles. If you are interested in looking into work experience, I would certainly recommend it and I have hopefully shed some light into some of the possible varying types available. Depending on the work style and the company, you may want to query into the style they have planned for you, or would plan for you. Best of luck and I hope you enjoy your work experience!
H
Saturday 11 September 2010
So, where are we...
Firstly, apologies for the serious delay in updates. I have been super busy.
To complete, in brief, my week of work experience with Dickinson Dees: Marketing and PR. This I believe has changed my CV forever. Considering I had quite an interest in both marketing and PR (they sound like pretty sexy jobs), yet I knew nothing of what it involved, so having a taste of what's in store for a prospective marketeer was exceedingly useful:
Marketing processes within Dickinson Dees
Researched and gained some technical knowledge about email marketing.
I was lucky enough to meet them during their website revamp and have a chance to give feedback and give an outsider's prospective.
Gained understanding of Google Analytics and to what extent business' can use and exploit web analytics.
PR within Dickinson Dees, therefore: a look at PR in-house
Understanding of the relationship between journalists and solicitors
Style of writing for press releases
The typical magazines and newspapers which mention Dickinson Dees
And then of course...good ol' administration. Don't diss, it's the coal that keeps the business a lite.
I shall give my personal feedback on work experience and whether it is of use for a graduate looking for work this coming Autumn.
Stay tuned
H
To complete, in brief, my week of work experience with Dickinson Dees: Marketing and PR. This I believe has changed my CV forever. Considering I had quite an interest in both marketing and PR (they sound like pretty sexy jobs), yet I knew nothing of what it involved, so having a taste of what's in store for a prospective marketeer was exceedingly useful:
Marketing processes within Dickinson Dees
Researched and gained some technical knowledge about email marketing.
I was lucky enough to meet them during their website revamp and have a chance to give feedback and give an outsider's prospective.
Gained understanding of Google Analytics and to what extent business' can use and exploit web analytics.
PR within Dickinson Dees, therefore: a look at PR in-house
Understanding of the relationship between journalists and solicitors
Style of writing for press releases
The typical magazines and newspapers which mention Dickinson Dees
And then of course...good ol' administration. Don't diss, it's the coal that keeps the business a lite.
I shall give my personal feedback on work experience and whether it is of use for a graduate looking for work this coming Autumn.
Stay tuned
H
Thursday 2 September 2010
Work Experience with Dickinson Dees Law Firm
Surprisingly...
My work experience wasn't in Law, it was actually in Human Resources, Marketing and Public Relations.
Monday-Tuesday in Human Resources
Spent the first half hour of the morning meeting and greeting people and then... straight off to work. These people don't beat about the bush, they are hard-working and very committed and they wanted to prove this by making me hit the ground running. A little bit scary at first, but with a task of researching the scrapping of the Default Retirement Age, I fell into an old routine of good ol' research from my Philosophy days. Always a good start if you are set a task in something which you majored in. They have brought out the best in me on the Monday morning - I dare say the University struggled with that!
Spent most of the two days researching and asking general questions of how the employees got into HR and they all seemed very passionate about their work. Tuesday afternoon was slightly different, I got the chance to view a mock application form for their graduate programme and mark it accordingly. Had a great laugh over some of the mistakes and answers, thought to ask whether this app form was the worst/funniest they had seen... They said no! I have to admit, I would like to see some of the wackiest application forms made as some that I have seen online have made me giggle.
Overall HR was enlightening and it was great to meet everyone there. I will definitely keep in touch with them. Human Resources has a great buzz to it and it looks to always keep you on your toes. While the work-load looked as though it was always piling in, there seemed to be a calm and controlled air about the office, which is very attractive - nothing worse than watching people's head roll and lose their temper!
Anyone interested in HR, I would definitely recommend some work experience in the sector to give you an edge when applying and understand the sector in the detail it deserves. In conclusion a great experience and fantastic sector. Thank you to all at Dickinson Dees HR department.
H
My work experience wasn't in Law, it was actually in Human Resources, Marketing and Public Relations.
Monday-Tuesday in Human Resources
Spent the first half hour of the morning meeting and greeting people and then... straight off to work. These people don't beat about the bush, they are hard-working and very committed and they wanted to prove this by making me hit the ground running. A little bit scary at first, but with a task of researching the scrapping of the Default Retirement Age, I fell into an old routine of good ol' research from my Philosophy days. Always a good start if you are set a task in something which you majored in. They have brought out the best in me on the Monday morning - I dare say the University struggled with that!
Spent most of the two days researching and asking general questions of how the employees got into HR and they all seemed very passionate about their work. Tuesday afternoon was slightly different, I got the chance to view a mock application form for their graduate programme and mark it accordingly. Had a great laugh over some of the mistakes and answers, thought to ask whether this app form was the worst/funniest they had seen... They said no! I have to admit, I would like to see some of the wackiest application forms made as some that I have seen online have made me giggle.
Overall HR was enlightening and it was great to meet everyone there. I will definitely keep in touch with them. Human Resources has a great buzz to it and it looks to always keep you on your toes. While the work-load looked as though it was always piling in, there seemed to be a calm and controlled air about the office, which is very attractive - nothing worse than watching people's head roll and lose their temper!
Anyone interested in HR, I would definitely recommend some work experience in the sector to give you an edge when applying and understand the sector in the detail it deserves. In conclusion a great experience and fantastic sector. Thank you to all at Dickinson Dees HR department.
H
A short but busy break
Had a short break from blogging as I have been gathering my thoughts on work experience and deliberating my future career path.
- Work experience wise; I am yet to write about my experience with Dickinson Dees and then I plan to write a short article on whether work experience is truly beneficial to both graduate and employer, I shall be undergoing my research very soon for this so stay tuned.
- CV; been updating my CV and once I got everything down, my past experience and technical knowledge leads in a few directions; interestingly marketing, PR and events management. I think for the last few months I have been drawn to these types of roles, however I wasn't aware to the extent my experiences matched their criteria. CV writing really can be very enlightening!
- Back to the slog of applying for jobs; an update on applications and how they evolve over time.
Updates coming very soon!
H
- Work experience wise; I am yet to write about my experience with Dickinson Dees and then I plan to write a short article on whether work experience is truly beneficial to both graduate and employer, I shall be undergoing my research very soon for this so stay tuned.
- CV; been updating my CV and once I got everything down, my past experience and technical knowledge leads in a few directions; interestingly marketing, PR and events management. I think for the last few months I have been drawn to these types of roles, however I wasn't aware to the extent my experiences matched their criteria. CV writing really can be very enlightening!
- Back to the slog of applying for jobs; an update on applications and how they evolve over time.
Updates coming very soon!
H
Sunday 22 August 2010
Conclude my week of work experience.
I realized that it really wasn't feasible to write about each of my days as most of the information I looked at was confidential. So a basic summary of what I did and my conclusion.
This being my second draft, as I realized writing a break down of what I did every day would be tedious. So in short: Monday and Wednesday I was out with clients and/or insurers. Tuesday and Thursday I was in the office either attending meetings and/or learning about other roles within the company. Friday was a short day with a client adviser.
From my week I learned that brokering involves many varied and specialised roles. I was shadowing a client executive which deals with the relationship between the client and the insurer, so very people and presentation based. Over the week, this particular role became apparent to me that this is the role I think I would be most suited for. There was a specialised client executive role for professionals and finiancials, but I was told that specialising too early could hinder me having transferable skills. These two I found the most interesting and will be reviewing at a later date.
What I suppose I can discuss in a bit more detail is that I was very pleased with the overall experience, I never felt like a loose end and everyone was very polite and easy to get along with. I never felt forced into conversation and things seemed to flow very naturally. I believe this is very important as I want to work within a company where the other employees are people I get along with and share similar personality attributes(not necessarily interests as that was very varied). A particular job can sound great, but I expect it's the people you work with which makes it more of an enjoyable experience and more likely to be something you look forward to coming into work for. In conclusion the company, the roles and the people all made a great impression on me. I am very much looking forward to spending more time with Marsh in Leeds.
My second week of work experience is coming up, this time at Dickinson Dees in Newcastle in HR. I have had a fantastic week with Marsh so I am hoping a renowned and successful company like Dickinson Dees can match Marsh in their hospitality and roles. Will keep you up to date.
I would like to thank Marsh for their hospitality and giving up their time for me.
H
This being my second draft, as I realized writing a break down of what I did every day would be tedious. So in short: Monday and Wednesday I was out with clients and/or insurers. Tuesday and Thursday I was in the office either attending meetings and/or learning about other roles within the company. Friday was a short day with a client adviser.
From my week I learned that brokering involves many varied and specialised roles. I was shadowing a client executive which deals with the relationship between the client and the insurer, so very people and presentation based. Over the week, this particular role became apparent to me that this is the role I think I would be most suited for. There was a specialised client executive role for professionals and finiancials, but I was told that specialising too early could hinder me having transferable skills. These two I found the most interesting and will be reviewing at a later date.
What I suppose I can discuss in a bit more detail is that I was very pleased with the overall experience, I never felt like a loose end and everyone was very polite and easy to get along with. I never felt forced into conversation and things seemed to flow very naturally. I believe this is very important as I want to work within a company where the other employees are people I get along with and share similar personality attributes(not necessarily interests as that was very varied). A particular job can sound great, but I expect it's the people you work with which makes it more of an enjoyable experience and more likely to be something you look forward to coming into work for. In conclusion the company, the roles and the people all made a great impression on me. I am very much looking forward to spending more time with Marsh in Leeds.
My second week of work experience is coming up, this time at Dickinson Dees in Newcastle in HR. I have had a fantastic week with Marsh so I am hoping a renowned and successful company like Dickinson Dees can match Marsh in their hospitality and roles. Will keep you up to date.
I would like to thank Marsh for their hospitality and giving up their time for me.
H
Monday 16 August 2010
A very early start...
My start to today was very early - 5am start as I was having to travel from Buxton for a 9am start at the company. Made it in fine, even after the rush and the run through town. Must have looked quite amusing to the passers by running in a suit!
Day one was field work; meet some of the clients of this particular company and attend a meeting between the clients. A particularly long meeting I was told, but one I found very interesting and I enjoyed listening to the two companies communicate. What I enjoyed the most was chatting to the clients and building the relationship with them. I know that this is brief, but I can say no more. Overall a great experience and a very interesting first day.
On with tomorrow! I'm in the office.
Day one was field work; meet some of the clients of this particular company and attend a meeting between the clients. A particularly long meeting I was told, but one I found very interesting and I enjoyed listening to the two companies communicate. What I enjoyed the most was chatting to the clients and building the relationship with them. I know that this is brief, but I can say no more. Overall a great experience and a very interesting first day.
On with tomorrow! I'm in the office.
Sunday 15 August 2010
Time to shine!
Tomorrow I start my first day with a company which I am very excited to be spending time with. I am very unsure of my target job so I think having tasters will benefit me greatly and it will also give them a taste of who I am too. I have learned I can't say too much in my blogs so I shall not say the name of the company in fear of getting into some kind of trouble (funny democracy we are in?). I shall be blogging the basics of my day for the next fives and my adventures with this particular company. It shall be brief because I know of the need for confidentiality.
The week after I start another week of work experience with a different company in a different part of the country and if I am able to, I shall blog briefly about that also. This particular one is in a completely different sector: HR and I have chosen it because I have seen that there are a lot of job vacancies in HR. Hopefully with a week of work experience behind me, it will show interest and I shall shine a bit more on my CV.
So yes I have been very busy setting these up. I am also planning some more work experience with another company in a totally different sector altogether! This one might be harder to get, but we shall see.
Overall, I think that these two weeks will shed some light into what I want to do, or what I want to stay away from. I think work experience is great and I hope it will really pay off as I have such little formal work experience behind me. In this current climate, I need anything even somethings which are slightly unusual, to stand out in the mountains of CV's recruiters receive for jobs.
I have to be an entrepreneur about this and look for the gaps which other competitors aren't looking at. I think most graduates who are not in work need to chase up new strategies to find and win the job they deserve.
H
The week after I start another week of work experience with a different company in a different part of the country and if I am able to, I shall blog briefly about that also. This particular one is in a completely different sector: HR and I have chosen it because I have seen that there are a lot of job vacancies in HR. Hopefully with a week of work experience behind me, it will show interest and I shall shine a bit more on my CV.
So yes I have been very busy setting these up. I am also planning some more work experience with another company in a totally different sector altogether! This one might be harder to get, but we shall see.
Overall, I think that these two weeks will shed some light into what I want to do, or what I want to stay away from. I think work experience is great and I hope it will really pay off as I have such little formal work experience behind me. In this current climate, I need anything even somethings which are slightly unusual, to stand out in the mountains of CV's recruiters receive for jobs.
I have to be an entrepreneur about this and look for the gaps which other competitors aren't looking at. I think most graduates who are not in work need to chase up new strategies to find and win the job they deserve.
H
Tuesday 10 August 2010
One has to keep busy
My previous blog was an article I wrote for @Twitjobsgrad for their blog about the possible lack of knowledge of what a Philosophy graduate is: thoughtful reflective, thinks outside of the box and looks to different direction and an independent learner. Of course, all degree disciplines demand respect, but I think possibly equal respect.
Saying that, the more I look into the recruitment process I seem to find it isn't just about qualifications or personality. I think it's your level of experience. I recently lost out on an internship (won't say which one) to a marketing graduate for the reason that they had previous experience in marketing. Simples. Whether or not they actually had an marketing experience I am not to know, but it's the fact they have had the golden word: experience. I could never of offered that.
So, with my "transferable skills" (graduate recruitment agencies LOVE that word) I have looked to gaps and problems which have led me not to be chosen in my previous job interviews and applications.
1.) Applying for jobs that don't match my skills
2.) No previous experience
3.) Not very good at writing app forms/Cv's and interviews.
I have a feeling this isn't news, especially not to a career consultant. But to work that out for yourself and realise your gaps, is a step closer to improving with understanding.
So... Let me start with number 2. : I have applied for voluntary work and I've got my interview tomorrow. I shall be a tour guide around St.John's Church. I believe this will increase my communication skills and memory capacity (not something I can put on my CV, but I believe it is one of my weaknesses). And it will show I like to keep busy. Secondly, I have a week booked with Marsh Insurance Brokers to have a taster about the work an insurance broker does, considering this is something on the careers list. I have to make sure I really want this as I would have to go through long and expensive training. I also have a week booked with Dickinson Dees in their HR department looking at what human resources is about and the type of roles they have.
I have looked at HR because it seems there are quite a few jobs going in that sector and I'm not sure what it's about. I was told I should apply for the jobs that are most prominent and this one is it. I will try and see whether I can get a week with their solicitors but that really depends.
I have been busy planning and looking at my resources. I know I don't look like much on paper, but hopefully these weeks will add something to my CV's.
Let you know how it goes.
H
Saying that, the more I look into the recruitment process I seem to find it isn't just about qualifications or personality. I think it's your level of experience. I recently lost out on an internship (won't say which one) to a marketing graduate for the reason that they had previous experience in marketing. Simples. Whether or not they actually had an marketing experience I am not to know, but it's the fact they have had the golden word: experience. I could never of offered that.
So, with my "transferable skills" (graduate recruitment agencies LOVE that word) I have looked to gaps and problems which have led me not to be chosen in my previous job interviews and applications.
1.) Applying for jobs that don't match my skills
2.) No previous experience
3.) Not very good at writing app forms/Cv's and interviews.
I have a feeling this isn't news, especially not to a career consultant. But to work that out for yourself and realise your gaps, is a step closer to improving with understanding.
So... Let me start with number 2. : I have applied for voluntary work and I've got my interview tomorrow. I shall be a tour guide around St.John's Church. I believe this will increase my communication skills and memory capacity (not something I can put on my CV, but I believe it is one of my weaknesses). And it will show I like to keep busy. Secondly, I have a week booked with Marsh Insurance Brokers to have a taster about the work an insurance broker does, considering this is something on the careers list. I have to make sure I really want this as I would have to go through long and expensive training. I also have a week booked with Dickinson Dees in their HR department looking at what human resources is about and the type of roles they have.
I have looked at HR because it seems there are quite a few jobs going in that sector and I'm not sure what it's about. I was told I should apply for the jobs that are most prominent and this one is it. I will try and see whether I can get a week with their solicitors but that really depends.
I have been busy planning and looking at my resources. I know I don't look like much on paper, but hopefully these weeks will add something to my CV's.
Let you know how it goes.
H
Friday 6 August 2010
What do you plan to do with your Philosophy degree... Article for TwitJobsGrad
“What do you plan to do with your philosophy degree – become a professional philosopher?”
When stating you have a Philosophy degree you can be greeted with a look of bewilderment from your family, friends and now recently for me, recruiters. From personal experience I believe the question they would rather ask (if they weren’t so polite) would be: “what can you do with a Philosophy degree?” You can do a lot and very little, so it would be acceptable to ask what the point is behind spending £9K to study it. Majority of the time it isn’t to become a professional philosopher.
Philosophy has had good press and bad press in the past and while it is classed as an arts degree, there seems to be a lack of knowledge on what Philosophy students actually study. We all have a good understanding of English and History subjects, but Philosophy seems a grey area where recruiters from my experience don’t seem to be sure of the skills of a Philosophy student. Regardless of the degree, I am sure that graduates have had to explain their reasons for the course, but I believe that those skills haven’t been doubted the ways I think mine have.
Our skills can include:
· Analytical, problem solving, research, independent thought
· Debating, communication (oral and written), organisation,
· Team work, working on initiative, attention to detail,
· Dealing with some of the most complex and daring thoughts in history
I think the last is crucial and completely missed when discussing Philosophy student’s skills. Our degree is one of the few disciplines that allow its students to handle some of the most controversial essays in history. Many of these papers have influenced and directed governments, religious belief, ethics and medicine. Philosophers were once greatly respected leaders and the Philosopher Plato stated that the state (country) should be ruled by Philosophers, as they are the most educated and knowledgeable (The Republic).
While an interesting and thought provoking idea, I don’t regard Philosophy as a more respectable subject, my only qualms being that the attitude towards modern Philosophy students can be misguided. From friends and people I have come across who have shown a curiosity in my studies, the attitude seems far from the ideas above of a Philosophy graduate. Instead the typical idea seems to be of drinking in pubs discussing conceptual ideas and generally just being very boring. I found some interesting articles in the University of Leeds Careers Centre on the general idea of Philosophy students by employers as being lazy about work because they think logic, time travel, anti-realism is interesting and normal work isn’t. Furthermore, if anyone has come in contact with a Philosophy student or graduate, they will know the degree involves very few contact hours. So from the outside perspective it looks as though our degree is easy. One of my Business friends came back from her day at University to proclaim she had a look in one of the Philosophy tutorial rooms to find us “just sitting around chatting”. She was mortified because she had never seen something look so easy and informal.
However I beg to differ as would many Philosophy graduates. We may have less than ten hours of contact a week yet we are still given a forty hour workload, therefore we are expected to organise our own time and develop our own learning techniques. The advantage over a science or mathematical based degree is that we aren’t given the information; we have to find it ourselves which gives Philosophy students a sense of independent learning and maturity.
This could and maybe should look desirable to an employer, but in researching what recruiters want at entry level for graduates they could possibly be excused for thinking Philosophy graduates would think they are above work. During my research for this piece I came across an interesting article called Advice for Philosophy Graduates[i] by Rob Farrow. What he drew on were the factors which would cause stress to a Philosophy graduate looking and entering the workplace. The section I found most interesting was he understood that at entry level a graduate isn’t expected to reason, question and discuss the mechanics of their new surroundings. Instead you are given your policies and procedures and that you are expected to follow.
“…[Philosophy graduates] often move from an environment which prizes critical and original thinking, ethical integrity and rationality to environments in which these are often considered problems. The culture of compliance that is so prevalent in the modern workplace can be a shock to the philosophy graduate who has been developing their independent thought.”
Nevertheless, I know that this problem of graduates feeling restless and unchallenged occurs right across the spectrum of degree disciplines. I recognise of course there may be other degree disciplines who receive prejudice when applying for jobs by recruiters, but I have specifically chosen Philosophy because this is my chosen subject and I know from experience that there seems to be a lack of understanding of what it involves. The point I am trying to make is whether recruiters do enough homework on their applicants as we do when we apply. Graduates put a lot of trust in the recruiters to make the right decision in whether to accept their application and I would imagine most graduates would expect the recruiter to have some understanding of their discipline. I believe a good number of graduates would believe they should not have their degrees discriminated against if the discipline has a bad or unusual reputation. Philosophy seems to be one of those subjects where the air hasn’t been completely cleared and I fear recruiters might not look deep enough to see what valuable employees we could be.
http://philosophycompass.wordpress.com/2010/07/08/advice-for-philosophy-graduates/
In response to: How to Beat Stress if you’re a Philosophy Graduate http://philosophycompass.wordpress.com/2010/06/22/how-to-beat-stress-if-you%E2%80%99re-a-philosophy-graduate/
Monday 2 August 2010
The rain has held off...for now.
Optimism comes in waves and I've found my perfect wave...
From browsing on LinkedIn, chatting to friends and looking at recruitment applications, I could see there was a big gap on my CV - something which has so far (according to the feedback I have received from previous interviews) held me back. Lack of experience. So, to fill the gap I have applied for some voluntary roles. Whether or not they are relevant is a different story, but considering I'm out of work and not using my skills I should keep busy. Those roles have been: PDSA sales assistant (good for retail I heard), Asthma UK to be an e-campaigner(good with writing and social media), magistrate(maybe not as I have to commit for 12months), a tour guide at St.John's Church and some roles at the Princes Trust. I have decided to go forward with the AsthmaUK and tour guide as I think they would keep me busy and I would gain some skills on the way (communication, leadership, networking, customer service).
In my last post I explained that networking on twitter had allowed me to know about a post going at a local food shop. I handed in my application and like I said it's now all in the waiting. But, what is exciting is that I was approached by @twitjobgrads to write them an article for their blog about the experiences of a Philosophy graduate applying for work. This was a pleasant surprise as I have recently taken on to writing. In fact, this is the third article I have been asked to write this year. The first article was for the independent record label Imogen Records for their March newsletter. The second article I wrote was about my competition win back in April for the Northern Dance Association Magazine, the issue will be out soon.
Earlier this evening, I heard some lovely news that I had an interview for an internship which I am very excited about. I had never applied for an internship before, so this is all very new. It's on Friday so wish me luck! Before I pour too much cold water on my optimism, obviously to get to where I am, it's common for me to lose out at the interview stage- BUT this time I am going to the Career's Centre at Leeds University to get some good advice. Feeling good.
H
From browsing on LinkedIn, chatting to friends and looking at recruitment applications, I could see there was a big gap on my CV - something which has so far (according to the feedback I have received from previous interviews) held me back. Lack of experience. So, to fill the gap I have applied for some voluntary roles. Whether or not they are relevant is a different story, but considering I'm out of work and not using my skills I should keep busy. Those roles have been: PDSA sales assistant (good for retail I heard), Asthma UK to be an e-campaigner(good with writing and social media), magistrate(maybe not as I have to commit for 12months), a tour guide at St.John's Church and some roles at the Princes Trust. I have decided to go forward with the AsthmaUK and tour guide as I think they would keep me busy and I would gain some skills on the way (communication, leadership, networking, customer service).
In my last post I explained that networking on twitter had allowed me to know about a post going at a local food shop. I handed in my application and like I said it's now all in the waiting. But, what is exciting is that I was approached by @twitjobgrads to write them an article for their blog about the experiences of a Philosophy graduate applying for work. This was a pleasant surprise as I have recently taken on to writing. In fact, this is the third article I have been asked to write this year. The first article was for the independent record label Imogen Records for their March newsletter. The second article I wrote was about my competition win back in April for the Northern Dance Association Magazine, the issue will be out soon.
Earlier this evening, I heard some lovely news that I had an interview for an internship which I am very excited about. I had never applied for an internship before, so this is all very new. It's on Friday so wish me luck! Before I pour too much cold water on my optimism, obviously to get to where I am, it's common for me to lose out at the interview stage- BUT this time I am going to the Career's Centre at Leeds University to get some good advice. Feeling good.
H
Thursday 29 July 2010
Some interesting finds...
In the past few days I have found some very interesting things...
Firstly, I was invited to take part in a debate hosted by GraduatesYorkshire about the social media affecting the recruitment process. There were a few questions raised; how does social media affect recruitment, does it have positive aspects like networking and what about the negatives. When having your background check, the recruiter could research you online via Google, Facebook or Twitter and could come across some incriminating information. Other questions included which were more useful, if any for networking your future employer and how these websites actually work. I find it very interesting and it seems the discussion has gone on for a few extra days.
Page can be found here: http://www.graduatesyorkshire.co.uk/graduates/blog/73
From this discussion I met some very interesting people, unfortunately too many to name here. Some were the advisers for graduates and recruiters, some were graduates who had found work and others were graduates like myself out of work and applying. Many of them I now follow on twitter and now following the advisers. What's more, ever since being involved in the debate I have gained a few followers each day, many based in Leeds and are recent graduates. Handy as I could always ask for some inspiration.
However what I have gained from the discussion was invaluable. One of my questions was about having two profiles on Facebook. Considering I have a belly dance profile picture where I am in a high-slit skirt and bra, might not be the best picture for my prospective employers to see me in what they would constitute as my underwear. I do a lot of networking on facebook and also on my twitter account for my dancing and I should probably separate the two. However, I had already planned to do this once I had my stage name sorted. I'm really not sure whether I can be bothered with a separate twitter account, considering I have got LinkedIn dedicated to employment. The other piece of information I found invaluable is networking for my future employer. Sounds pretty obvious considering I network my dancers, but honestly it wasn't that obvious to me about networking recruiters. Yesterday I saw a job advert for Millies and hopefully through engaging with them previously and saying I would like to work for them might give me some headway over my competitors. We'll see.
In conclusion, what I have learned from GradsYorkshire is to network, network, network and I guess considering I really don't have that much else to do, why not?
Firstly, I was invited to take part in a debate hosted by GraduatesYorkshire about the social media affecting the recruitment process. There were a few questions raised; how does social media affect recruitment, does it have positive aspects like networking and what about the negatives. When having your background check, the recruiter could research you online via Google, Facebook or Twitter and could come across some incriminating information. Other questions included which were more useful, if any for networking your future employer and how these websites actually work. I find it very interesting and it seems the discussion has gone on for a few extra days.
Page can be found here: http://www.graduatesyorkshire.co.uk/graduates/blog/73
From this discussion I met some very interesting people, unfortunately too many to name here. Some were the advisers for graduates and recruiters, some were graduates who had found work and others were graduates like myself out of work and applying. Many of them I now follow on twitter and now following the advisers. What's more, ever since being involved in the debate I have gained a few followers each day, many based in Leeds and are recent graduates. Handy as I could always ask for some inspiration.
However what I have gained from the discussion was invaluable. One of my questions was about having two profiles on Facebook. Considering I have a belly dance profile picture where I am in a high-slit skirt and bra, might not be the best picture for my prospective employers to see me in what they would constitute as my underwear. I do a lot of networking on facebook and also on my twitter account for my dancing and I should probably separate the two. However, I had already planned to do this once I had my stage name sorted. I'm really not sure whether I can be bothered with a separate twitter account, considering I have got LinkedIn dedicated to employment. The other piece of information I found invaluable is networking for my future employer. Sounds pretty obvious considering I network my dancers, but honestly it wasn't that obvious to me about networking recruiters. Yesterday I saw a job advert for Millies and hopefully through engaging with them previously and saying I would like to work for them might give me some headway over my competitors. We'll see.
In conclusion, what I have learned from GradsYorkshire is to network, network, network and I guess considering I really don't have that much else to do, why not?
Monday 26 July 2010
A Graduate in the heart of Leeds
Ciao - as an Italian friend says to me on facebook.
As I am now equipped with broadband, blogging should come more frequently. I have been extremely busy with moving, job centres, interviews, CV writing, birthdays and money. When I last wrote I was waiting for my final marks and I received my 2,2. Congrats congrats! You have passed with the mark you believed you earned. Now, what to do with it? Well, as I have been discussing with GradatesYorkshire on twitter, not much. Seems three years and £18,000 later is all pretty pointless. Considering everyone is raving on about the education system, why does it not give us the boost in job applications we deserve? A Philosophy degree is pretty vague, as employers can't seem to figure out what it's about and where it would be useful. Maybe I should have done something like marketing, business or accounting...?
So while employers are trying to figure out what skills my degree ACTUALLY gives me, I am jobless and subsequently, incomeless. Therefore I have had to acquaint myself with the job centre. Now, while the people behind the desk seem to be pleasant and concerned, do not be fooled. They seem suspicious and any false move and you could be losing what little money you can gain. Funny thing is, once I'm working I will be losing the amount of my weekly allowance, per week for the rest of my tax paying life. So in order to gain something from the government, I figured gaining money from the system which will 'take take take' from me isn't so bad, considering how much I will 'give give give' back eventually.
All seems a little dismal at the moment, but I shall pick up the mood in my next post.
H
As I am now equipped with broadband, blogging should come more frequently. I have been extremely busy with moving, job centres, interviews, CV writing, birthdays and money. When I last wrote I was waiting for my final marks and I received my 2,2. Congrats congrats! You have passed with the mark you believed you earned. Now, what to do with it? Well, as I have been discussing with GradatesYorkshire on twitter, not much. Seems three years and £18,000 later is all pretty pointless. Considering everyone is raving on about the education system, why does it not give us the boost in job applications we deserve? A Philosophy degree is pretty vague, as employers can't seem to figure out what it's about and where it would be useful. Maybe I should have done something like marketing, business or accounting...?
So while employers are trying to figure out what skills my degree ACTUALLY gives me, I am jobless and subsequently, incomeless. Therefore I have had to acquaint myself with the job centre. Now, while the people behind the desk seem to be pleasant and concerned, do not be fooled. They seem suspicious and any false move and you could be losing what little money you can gain. Funny thing is, once I'm working I will be losing the amount of my weekly allowance, per week for the rest of my tax paying life. So in order to gain something from the government, I figured gaining money from the system which will 'take take take' from me isn't so bad, considering how much I will 'give give give' back eventually.
All seems a little dismal at the moment, but I shall pick up the mood in my next post.
H
Friday 11 June 2010
First Blog
I never considered blogging before; not until I participated in a week full of graduate and "how-to-make-yourself-employable" workshops.
University of Leeds has loads to offer on life after graduation, which is something I never considered when applying to the University - in fact I never considered life after university! This isn't unusual; many of my friends who I have spoken to about the matter of employment said they never considered at 17 what employment would be like and the help offered by their chosen university. I guess we all just thought we would just fall into employment and that is how the job market worked. I don't think I even considered what life would be like after 21.
At 13 you look forward to being 15 because then you can see certificate 15 films, at 15 you look forward to 16 because then you can have sex legally, at 16 you look forward to 17 so you can drive, at 17 you look forward to 18 because you finish school and can drink legally. Then at 19 you look forward to being 21 because you have finished university and you are classed as an adult. But at 21, what is the next age to look forward to?
Now that I have completed university and living dangerously near the poverty line in some shitty flat above a takeaway that smokes us out each night in sunny student ville "Hyde Park", I am VERY ready to move forward. However I need to find that age that I can look forward to and have a good reason for it too. 22? 24? 25? 28? 30? Is there anything determined like school and university that is fixed at a certain age?
H x x
University of Leeds has loads to offer on life after graduation, which is something I never considered when applying to the University - in fact I never considered life after university! This isn't unusual; many of my friends who I have spoken to about the matter of employment said they never considered at 17 what employment would be like and the help offered by their chosen university. I guess we all just thought we would just fall into employment and that is how the job market worked. I don't think I even considered what life would be like after 21.
At 13 you look forward to being 15 because then you can see certificate 15 films, at 15 you look forward to 16 because then you can have sex legally, at 16 you look forward to 17 so you can drive, at 17 you look forward to 18 because you finish school and can drink legally. Then at 19 you look forward to being 21 because you have finished university and you are classed as an adult. But at 21, what is the next age to look forward to?
Now that I have completed university and living dangerously near the poverty line in some shitty flat above a takeaway that smokes us out each night in sunny student ville "Hyde Park", I am VERY ready to move forward. However I need to find that age that I can look forward to and have a good reason for it too. 22? 24? 25? 28? 30? Is there anything determined like school and university that is fixed at a certain age?
H x x
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