Introduction to the Careers and Employability Service

School of Architecture Introduction to the Careers and Employability Service and wider employability initiatives. Nicola UrquhartEmployability Adviser1What we will cover:What is employability?What employability skills are graduate recruiters looking for?How the Careers and Employability Service can help you.Wider University initiativesAction pointsQuestions

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

What employability skills are graduate recruiters looking for?CommunicationReport writingTeam workingLeadershipPlanning and organisationProject managementEnterpriseProblem SolvingReflectionAdaptabilityEnergyDrive and resilienceIntegrityReliabilityEnthusiasm/passionSelf awarenessConfidenceContextual/cultural awarenessCapacity to developNumeracyPositive attitudeBusiness and customer awarenessIT skillsWhy are employability skills so important?Increased competition over 400,000 graduates leaving university each year.Our latest UK recruitment campaign closed having attracted c.24500. The bank will offer c.475 places in 2012. HSBC newsletter April 2012

Why are employability skills so important now?Changing world of work:Global economyMore career changesNew technologyRoles change

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

Nic7How can you develop employability skills and provide evidence for them?Through your course:NumeracyProblem solvingWritten workResearchPresentationsWorking in groupsUsing ICT skillsHow can you develop employability skills and provide evidence for them?Through gaining work experience:Part-time workInternships/placementsCompany events

How can you develop employability skills and provide evidence for them? LinkedIn Business and customer awareness, confidence TwitterCommunication BloggingCommunication, drive, resilience, positive attitude, self awareness

www.kent.ac.uk/ces Telephone: 01227 823299 Email: careerhelp@kent.ac.ukOpening hours: Monday to Friday 9 to 5 including vacations Drop-in times (no appointment needed): 10.30 to 12.30 & 2 to 5 pm

Careers and Employability ServiceDrop In - Quick QueryCareers Guidance InterviewsCareers Talks and WorkshopsCareers Library: Employer Directories, Occupational Profiles, Books etcComprehensive Web Pages Careers Employability Award (CEM) on MoodleVacancy DatabaseAlumni Careers NetworkAnnual Careers and Recruitment Fair

Speak to an Adviser: Quick query, drop in and speak to an Adviser 10.30am -12.30pm and 2pm-5pm Monday to Friday.E mail @careerhelp and an Adviser will respond to your query.You can also book a longer career guidance appointment over the phone or pop in.

13Attend Careers Talks and Workshops. Examples this term included: Job hunting workshopCareer planning for your second yearHow to achieve success at interview More information available at www.kent.ac.uk/calandar

Use the Careers Library and Publications Graduate Directories Postgraduate ProspectusesVarious books and publicationsCareer Planning Guide for Undergraduates

Careers and Employability Service Web PagesWhat can I do with my degree in Architecture. http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/architecture.htm How to create a portfolio http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv/portfolios.htm Interview Reports http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/ivreps/ivrepsmenu.htm Interviews (includes assessment centres and psychometric tests etc.) www.kent.ac.uk/careers/applicn.htm Example CVs & Covering Letterswww.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv/cvexamples.htmSpelling and punctuation http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/tests/spelling.htmProspects http://www.prospects.ac.uk/options_architecture_contacts_resources.htm 16Moodle Careers Employability Award Assessed by a range of quizzes and assignmentsWill greatly improve your career planning and job hunting skills, giving you strategies to make career choices and will increase your chances of getting a graduate level job.Takes about 12 hours to completeOn completion you will get a University of Kent Careers Employability Award to add to your CV Get 40 Kent Employability points for successful completion of the module.www.kent.ac.uk/careers/moodle.htm

17I liked the fact that the assignments relate to how you would fill in answers on a graduate job application step by step and provides examples of how to fill it in.

I really enjoyed the quizzes. They effectively highlighted the gaps in my knowledge, as many of the answers surprised me. I also found the module on creating my own CV very useful, these skills will be invaluable for tailoring my CV to particular jobs.

There is a wealth of information about everything; I especially liked the individual information about specific job types and the advice given about interview skills.

Comments from students who have completed the award. 18On successful completion you receive a University of Kent Careers Employability Award.

You can then add the following to your CV to show to employers. "On my own initiative I enrolled for and successfully completed the University of Kent Careers Employability Award which covered identification and development of employability skills, self-awareness, identification of relevant career options, researching opportunities, CV preparation and interview skills."

The Careers Employability Award

19Careers NetworkHelps current students gain an insight into careers through contact with alumni.Information and advice by letter/phone/email, work-shadowing.Visit the Careers Centre and ask to use the Careers Network.

4 actuaries plus 2 in insurance/risk20Vacancy Database

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

21Kent GradsKentGrads - database of companies in Kent who employ graduates, and who may, from time to time, have vacancies. It is not a list of current vacancies, but a resource to help you find possible employers.The site can list all the companies in the database grouped in one of a number of ways:by location in Kent , by the criteria you specify or by keywords. For example: if you can remember the surname of a particular contact at a company, but are unsure of the company name.

22Employer events and information Employer talks on campus e.g. IBM, Coca Cola, Bloomberg, European Commission. Careers and Recruitment Fair 1st November Eliot Great Hall

Employability initiatives at the University of Kentwww.kent.ac.uk/employability

Employability initiatives at the University of KentKent Union:Kent Student Certificate for VolunteeringStand Out Training Job ShopClubs and societies

KSCV Bronze25 hours of volunteering

Just log your hours on the database and once you reach 25 hours you automatically get a standard certificate at the awards night discussed shortly. 26KSCV Silver 50 hours of volunteering 15 minute review with a member of staff

Continue logging your hours and once you reach 50 hours you will be emailed asking you to book a review with a member of volunteering staff. The review takes 15 minutes and involves asking you questions such as what skills have you gained from volunteering, advice you would give to new volunteers etc this is so you think about the transferable skills you have gained from your volunteering which you can then use on application forms and in job interviews. Once this is completed you will gain the KSCV silver award. 27KSCV Gold 100 volunteering hours Review 2 training sessions 750 words

Continue logging hours until you get to 100 hours. You will need to complete another review which will ask different questions to the silver review. You will need to complete 2 training sessions, this counts as one, others include stand out training sessions found at www.kentunion.co.uk/volunteering/standout other training run by Kent Union welcome helper training, society and sports training, careers service. 750 words about your volunteering experience.28Employability initiatives at the University of KentStudent Ambassador Scheme

Peer mentoring schemes

Employability initiatives at the University of KentLearn a language with the Centre for English and World LanguagesWork/study abroad

Employability initiatives at the University of KentEmployability Points Scheme

Employability Points 2011/2012

Over 200 rewardsInternships, work experience, training experiences, project placements

32Employability initiatives at the University of KentMyFolioEmployability Toolkit

Use MyFolio to begin to record your expereinces Record your thoughts, feelings and reactions when carrying out a task Did you enjoy doing it? https://myfolio.kent.ac.uk/myfolio/ Use MyFolio as a space to reflect on your values what is important to you salary, status, working hours, location etc.?Use MyFolio to learn to write reflectively. Record what you have learned, activities undertaken, what would you do differently next time?Build up information which will be helpful for CVs / application forms.

Louise34Employability Web Pages

Careers and Employability ServiceVolunteering (Kent Union)Student Ambassadors Scheme Employability PointsOpportunities to learn a language Information on working/studying abroadwww.kent.ac.uk/employability

Stay up-to-date with what is happening

www.kent.ac.uk/ces www.kent.ac.uk/employabilityEmployability NewsletterFollow us on Facebook at University of Kent Student Employability www.facebook.com/UKCES Follow us on Twitter at @unikentemploy Check out your School website.

Action PointsTake advantage of all the initiatives the university has to offer. www.kent.ac.uk/employability Make use of the Careers and Employability Service. www.kent.ac.uk/ces start NOW!

The University of KentCareers and Employability ServiceYou can download a copy of this presentation at www.kent.ac.uk/careers/slides.htm

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