The University of KentCareers and Employability

Service

Choosing a career with an English Degree

You can download a copy of this presentation at

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/slides.htm

Quote: the assistant editor of “The Observer” newspaper

"To be interesting you have to have interests and experiences, what they are does not matter. Pursuing interests has spin-offs. In flailing after mine I managed to pick up tips or hints every bit as useful in my work as whatever academic skills I inadvertently acquired. Debating at the union society taught me how to speak in public without unduly frightening myself or the audience and in writing for the University paper, I discovered that journalism gave you the opportunity to bore more people than you could possibly ever meet".

One third of graduate jobs accept a degree in English

BECAUSE: Learn new skills

quickly Analyse & solve

problems Communicate well Open to new ideas,

adaptable and flexible

“Managers of change”

Marketing and Sales Retailing Social Work Personnel Civil Service Accountancy Banking Computing

Media Jobs Lots of Kent graduates do enter the

media. Get relevant experience and practical

skills - Inquire, campus radio, UoK Drama etc.

Talk to or workshadow journalists and other media professionals.

Need NCTJ Diploma for most journalism jobs

Be pushy, patient and persistent! See

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/sitesmedia.htm

Teaching

1 year postgraduate course (PGCE) or Schools Direct

Many students go to Christ Church £5,000 bursary with 2:1 Need at least 2 weeks experience in a

state school for secondary and a month for primary

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/siteach.htm Presentation: APPLYING FOR TEACHER

TRAINING 1 pm KLT5 Tues 18th Feb

Law• 2 years further training at

about £10,000 per year• Only 30% chance afterwards of

becoming a solicitorFinance• Accountancy, banking,

insurance• Any degree subject. Need 320

ucas points and grade a GCSE maths

• Lots of jobs!

CHOOSING A CAREER CHOOSING A CAREER

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/Choosing/ChoosingCareer.htm and booklet available from Careers Service.

Prospects Planner - powerful career choice program. www.prospects.ac.uk/links/Pplanner

I Want to work in ….. www.kent.ac.uk/careers/workin.htm

Careers Award Choosing Assignment

Alumni Careers Network Informational interviews - where student

and graduate meet informally to talk about the graduate's work, how they got their start in that field and how their career has developed since then and get advice

Advice by phone or email Work-shadowing: spending a day following

and observing the graduate as they go about their day-to-day work.

www.kent.ac.uk/ces/files/careers-network.html

School of EnglishCareers Employability Award on Moodle

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/Moodle/English.htm

It contains 14 QUIZZES: need 75% to pass each quiz but unlimited attempts are allowed

Also complete 3 of the following seven short and easy ASSIGNMENTS

•Employability skills quiz•Employability skills quiz: drag & drop•How to develop the skills employers want?•Test your spelling and grammar!•What makes you happy at work?•How commercially aware are you?

•Special interests topic lesson•Interview preparation•Practice interview•What are the most common interview questions?•Aptitude tests and assessment centres•CV quiz•CVs and covering letters: drag & drop quiz•Career planning drag and drop quiz

•Analyse your skills and learn how to make top quality applications

•Do you want to live to work or work to live?

•Researching careers 

•Choosing a career

•Submit a CV

•Social media

•Action planning

Bruce Woodcock

Careers adviser for all School of English students

A Duty Careers Adviser is available for short (15 minute) consultations: MORNINGS (10.30 am - 12.30 pm) and AFTERNOONS (2 to 4 pm). Don’t need to book an appointment just ask at reception in the Careers Service (Keynes College Driveway)

Or can book a formal interview at Careers reception

Email: bw@kent.ac.uk Check your campus emails regularly as I

send you emails on Mondays

Location of the Careers & Employability Service

Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays including vacations

You can download a copy of this presentation at

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/slides.htm