LJMU Career Planning Guide

Unlock the hidden jobs marketPlus our guide to finding jobs in Merseyside

craft the perfect cV

Top tips toimpress at interView

Get expert advice at the world of workcareers centre

careers action plan& timetableKnow what to do and when

Liverpool John Moores University

Career Planning guide 2012/13

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Job adverTsaPPlicaTion forMs

coverinG leTTersassessMenT cenTres

PsychoMeTric TesTsliverPoolsU

fUrTher sTUdyalUMni Profiles

and mUch more

World of Work Careers Centre

Terry DrayDirector of Graduate Advancement & Employer Engagement,

Liverpool John Moores University

I hope you use this Guide to engage with the excellent career information and

support available at LJMU. If you are one of the 81% of UK students who go to university to improve their career prospects then you have made a great decision by studying at LJMU. Here we are serious about supporting you all the way and our employer partners like Jaguar Land Rover, Ricoh, Sony, The Tate Liverpool and the NHS make sure that our programmes, advice and guidance are rooted in the real world. The World of Work Programme is a UK Government best practice case study and the World of Work Careers Centre is one of the most respected in the world – E.g. We are helping universities in Egypt, Jordan, Vietnam, the UAE and Malaysia to develop career development centres. And when surveyed 100% of LJMU students recommend talking with our careers and employability advisers to a friend and 96% recommend our workshops to a friend. You can trust us to help you consider your next steps and develop the best tactics to beat the competition.

Students tell universities that they want more career support. We’ll provide what you want - you must make use of it. In each of the last 3 years more LJMU graduates have landed graduate jobs and unemployment has fallen. Registering with the LJMU Vacancy Website and completing the LJMU World of Work Skills Certificate

is a must and can help you avoid the pitfalls that leave so many unemployed. The World of Work Programme - which has three inter-related elements (1) Graduate skills development (2) Work Related Learning and (3) The World of Work Skills Certificate - is a unique approach to help you be the most employable. If you are serious about your future and want to stand out from the competition you should register now

and complete the Certificate preferably before the end of your penultimate year. If you are in Level 4 (1st year) then, as part of your course, you will complete the Bronze statement of the Skills Certificate as part of your first year.

The Skills Certificate is co-designed and co-delivered with employers and focuses on developing self-awareness, organisational awareness, competencies like project

management and entrepreneurialism. It can be completed in as little time as a week via a Boot Camp or over a longer development period and once students have completed three World of Work Skills statements, they are given the opportunity to attend a one to one interview with an employer to provide evidence of their employability. We have trained over 150 employer ‘Verifiers’, so students can now be interviewed by a relevant graduate recruiter.

One of the best aspects of the Skills Certificate is that it brings students into contact with many employers, most of whom are looking out for talented future employees. A number of students have managed to land work experience opportunities and job offers as a result. Employers are moving the recruitment and selection goal posts all the time. Don’t put things off. I speak to many unemployed graduates and they openly regret not completing the Certificate.

Register and complete the World of Work Skills Certificate to show employers you are serious about being ready for work. It will help you get the future you want and a good return on your investment and hard work at LJMU. Take advantage of it and give yourself the best chance of impressing employers. The World of Work Team will help you all the way.

introduction

100% of ljmU students recommend an interview with our careers and employability advisers and 96% recommend our workshops to a friend.

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coVer photo: matt fordWorld of Work project with seen Magazine: fashion students designed a dress from back issues of the magazine to be showcased at The death by Glitter vogue ball

Please contact us if you require this guide in an alternative format.

2 ljmU Career Planning Guide 2012/13

helping You all the way!

LJMU's World of Work Careers Centre ............................................................................. 4

World of Work Programme & World of Work Skills Certificate......................................... 6

Working in Merseyside and the North West ..................................................................... 8

What do Liverpool John Moores University Graduates do? .......................................... 12

How I Got My Job: Alumni Profiles ................................................................................... 14

Making Yourself Employable Whilst at University ........................................................... 16

The Hidden Jobs Market: Networking and Connecting using Social Media ................. 18

Thinking About Postgraduate Study? Turning it up a Degree ......................................... 20

Graduate Schemes Uncovered ......................................................................................... 22

International Students ....................................................................................................... 24

Career Action Plan and Timetable ..................................................................................... 26

Creating a Winning CV ....................................................................................................... 28

Writing a Covering Letter ................................................................................................... 31

Application Forms: Be a STAR Applicant ......................................................................... 32

You’re Hired! Top Tips for Interviews ................................................................................ 34

Psychometric Tests ............................................................................................................. 36

Assessment Centres ........................................................................................................... 38

Organisational Awareness ................................................................................................. 40

LiverpoolSU: Enhance Your CV with the Students' Union .............................................. 42

Career Opportunities .......................................................................................................... 44

contents & contacts

MYRTLE ST

BLACKBURNE PLACE

UPPER DUKE ST

HOPE

ST

HARDMAN ST

PILG

RIM

ST

RODN

EY ST

ROSC

OE ST

ROSC

OE ST

CATH

ERIN

E ST

OXFORD ST

MOUNT PLEASANT

CLARENCE ST

BROWLOW HILL

HO

PE ST

UPPER PARLIAMENT ST

MOUNT PLEASANT

DUCKINFIELD ST

DUKE STREET

BOLD STREETFLEETEET STSEEL ST WOOD ST

PARR STSLATER ST

GT CHARLOTTE STTE ST

SKELHORNE

BROWLOW HILL

GT CROSSHALL ST

VAUXHALL RD ALAL

Royal Liver Building

Radio City Tower

Liverpool Town Hall

Liverpool ONE

Albert Dock

Liverpool Echo Arena

Lime Street Station

Liverpool Cathedral

St George’s Hall

World MuseumCentral Library

Walker Art Gallery

BluecoatChambers

Museum ofLiverpool

Tate Liverpool

EverymanTheatre

MYRTLE STPhilharmonic Hall

LiverpoolMetropolitanCathedral

North Western Hall Apollo Court

Great Newton Hall

Marybone 1, 2 and 3

Victoria Hall

Grand Central

Lennon Studios

Cambridge Court

EuropaOpal Court

Liberty Park

Liberty Park (200m)

Atlantic Point

Prospect Point

GT

LJMU Tower

Max Perutz Building

Peter Jost Centre

Cherie Booth Building

Tom Reilly Building

Avril Robarts LRCTithebarn Street

BuildingKingsway House (World of Work Careers Centre)

James Parsons Building

Henry Cotton Building

62 Great Crosshall

udents’ UnionLiverpool Students’ Unionnts’l St nts’l StLiverpool Students’ Union

mamAldhamrtsrarRobar

LRCLRLRL

Rodney HouseRodney HouseRodney House

Redmonds Buildingdingnds Builddingds Build

ohn Foster oohn FJoJohn Building

iquinas BuildingAquinas Buildingg

ESJoe H Makin

CentretreCDrama C reC

Art andDesign

Academy

68 Hope68 HopeStreet

Dean WaltersersersBuildingingng

ST

Liverpool Science Park

Mersey FerryTerminal

James StreetStation

Moor�eldsStation

Liverpool ONE Bus Station

Queens Square Bus Station

QueenswayTunnel

Kingsway Tunnel

National ExpressCoach Station

Central Station

Mount PleasantCar Park

to IM Marshand Airport

to Liverpool Screen School

World of WorK careers cenTre - hoW To find Us

ljmU Career Planning Guide 2012/13 3

LJMU’s World of Work Careers Centre offers a wide range of

resources to help you plan your next step, both while you are at university and after you graduate.

We offer in-depth careers advice and guidance, a vacancy website for placements and graduate jobs, opportunities to meet and engage with employers and an extensive Ready for Work Programme of careers and employability workshops, all designed to help you get the future you want.

In addition we manage LJMU’s globally unique, employer-endorsed World of Work Skills Certificate, an award that will help you demonstrate you have the skills, knowledge and competencies employers are looking for.

Whatever your situation, whether you know what you want to do after university or are still looking for direction, the World of Work Careers Centre is here to help. We are based in Kingsway House on Hatton Garden, a 2 minute walk from Avril Robarts Learning Resource Centre.

One to one Support

Employability Advisers: Our team of Employability Advisers are your first port of call who can give you expert careers information, advice and signposting. They can help you with CVs, applications forms, personal statements for postgraduate study and give you feedback on your World of Work Skills Certificate statements.

Careers Advisers:Whatever your faculty you will also have your own dedicated Careers Adviser. Our Careers Advisers are able to provide expert job sector advice and information tailored to your needs. They are available for careers guidance interviews to discuss career and job choices, finding jobs and how to prepare for interviews. You are likely to meet your Faculty Careers Adviser at some point during your programme of study!

Mock Interviews: We also offer individual interview practice sessions to help build your confidence by experiencing a one-to-one ‘mock’ interview

with a trained assessor who will give you detailed feedback and advice. Whether you want to practice your interview technique or are preparing for a real life interview you can book in to use this service.

Career and Employability Workshops

Throughout the year we run a variety of careers and employability workshops delivered by experienced Trainers and Careers Advisers. Using input and advice from our regional and national employers our workshops offer top tips to help you succeed in an increasingly competitive graduate jobs market. You can book a place via our Events System at: https://worldofwork.ljmu.ac.uk/events.

Ready for Work workshops include:

• Creative Job Hunting• Application Forms Made Simple• Writing a Winning CV• Preparing For Interviews• Presentation Skills

ljmU’s world of work careers centre

Whether you want to explore your career options, need support to complete your World of Work Skills Certificate, find a work placement or impress at interview, we can help in a variety of ways. Careers Adviser Hayley Fallon explains how.


LJMU & Your Career

• Psychometric Practice session• Assessment Centres

World of Work Workshops:These workshops are designed to help you work towards achieving your World of Work Skills Certificate.

• World of Work Bronze: Developing your Self Awareness

• World of Work Silver: Increasing your Organisational Awareness

• World of Work Gold: Improving your ability to Make Things Happen

Employer Connections – network, network, network

The World of Work Careers Centre takes employer networking and collaboration

seriously and who better to help you develop your employability than graduate recruiters themselves. We have strong relationships with a large number of public, private, creative, not for profit, large and small organisations.

Most importantly our World of Work Skills Certificate has been co-designed and co-developed with our employer partners and is one of the most employer-informed employability awards in the UK culminating in a final interview with a graduate recruiter.

Make the most of our employer connections and relationships by attending employer presentations, visiting lectures or a question and answer session. In addition look out for placement and internship opportunities on our Vacancy Website.

Finally…don’t forget to visit our World of Work website

www.ljmu.ac.uk/worldofwork - a treasure trove of information which features latest events and talks, videos and careers news.

Stay up to date with what’s going on by following us on Twitter, Facebook and You tube - all LJMUWoW.

Careers Adviser

Employability Adviser

Trainer

Science

Arts, Professional & Social Studies

Health & Applied Social Science

Education, Community & Leisure

Technology & Environment

Vicky Farrall

Liz HarrisonLinda GrahamAndy ByrneLaura Aldridge Jan Logan

Anja Heid

Hayley FallonSteve Burbage

Nicola Davenport

Gary Douglas

Colette Ashbrook

Jenny Walker

Lucy Shenton

International

Vacancy website

who are we?

world of work support Units

World of Work Support Units are based in each faculty and are staffed by Student Development Cordinators/Skills Support Officers and in some cases by placement staff. The staff will:

• Give information and advice on graduate skills development

• Organise work-related learning e.g. placements

• Provide information on how to engage with the World of Work Skills Certificate and will refer students to the World of Work Careers Centre

Whether you are looking for a part time job, a volunteering opportunity, a work placement or a graduate post take a look at our dedicated Vacancy Website. The website is free to all undergraduates and recent graduates and contains over 1000 regional and national employers listing opportunities. To register go to: http://ljmu.prospects.ac.uk


LJMU & Your Career

World of Work Skills Certificate

Work-RelatedLearning

GraduateSkills

world of work programme & world of work skills certificate

The World of Work Programme is LJMU’s simple formula to make our students

employable and able to compete against the best graduates from around the country and world and win. This sounds great but what does it mean?

Firstly, it means that all of our courses will give you skills (we call them graduate skills)that are essential for all graduate level jobsirrespective of the sector you want to workin. Things like analysing and solving problems,written and verbal communication, team working, numerical reasoning and information literacy and IT. Skills that employers tell us are essential, on top of your degree. Check your Module Handbooks for further details about Graduate Skills or visit the World of Work Support Unit in each faculty.

Secondly, we aim to give our students experience of the workplace in some form. This could be a placement, short World of Work project, work shadowing, internships, site visits, guest lecturers, employer days or workplace simulations. This is vital as many employers will only consider graduates with some work experience on their CV. So we will try to help you get that experience so you are able to prove to an employer you have the workplace experience they require.

Finally, our students can undertake the unique World of Work Skills Certificate. This is

In today’s competitive jobs market it’s essential to start planning your career early and to make yourself as employable as possible. At LJMU we offer you a unique approach backed by employers of all sizes from all sectors to make sure you are competitive when looking for jobs or starting a business.

❝alongside the degree, i did the world of work skills certificate and it was brilliant. it’s not over exaggerating to say it got me my job. i’m now a lecturer at fleetwood nautical college but i couldn’t have done it without the world of work skills certificate. ljmU and the world of work programme have literally changed my life and i’m really grateful for all the support i’ve received.

michael stringfellow, nautical sciences Graduate

available only to LJMU students. LJMU have worked closely with leading employers to find out exactly what you need to do to stand out from the crowd and be the

Employability

The World of Work Programme has three inter-related elements designed to make you more employable

future employees they desire. As a result we have developed our unique employer-backed World of Work Skills Certificate.

The skills certificate has been developed in partnership with leading employers such as Airbus, the NHS, Tate Liverpool, Ford Europe, GKN Aerospace, Marks and Spencer, Siemens and Sony to name but a few. Regional and local employers are also working closely with us to give you excellent work placement, internship and work-related learning opportunities.

What is the World of Work Skills Certificate?

The World of Work Skills Certificate displays evidence of your:

• Self Awareness • Organisational Awareness • Ability to Make Things Happen –

project management

Our employers told us that these are the skills they wanted to see more evidence of in potential recruits - a win win situation. Achieving the certificate also mirrors the

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LJMU & Your Career

• BBC• Enterprise Rent-A-Car• Hill Dickinson LLP• Sefton Council• DWF• Liverpool Chambers of Commerce• Liverpool City Council• Cogent SSC• Smaller Earth• Lovell• Aldi UK• Liverpool Students Union• Cheshire Police• Liverpool UOTC• Ministry Of Defence• Parr Street Studios• Sellafield• UK Commission for Employment &

Skills• Liverpool Vision• Community Foundation For

Merseyside• Royal Navy• Institute NHS• Styles & Wood• Tate Liverpool• Merseytravel• Liverpool Habitat for Humanity• Wirral Borough Council• Ricoh• Financial Services Skills Council• Co-operative Group• Jaguar Landrover• Merseyrail• Merseytravel• Kellogg’s• Royal Mail

world of work local employer Group

❝ljmU are really ahead of the game with the world of work skills certificate, they are helping people to prepare for the workplace. i’ve had colleagues receive 400 applications for one post so you really have got to stand out.

❞joanne mcdonnellhead of nursing, 5 boroughs partnership foundation trust

world of work national board

selection process used by many graduate recruiters and ends with a real one-to-one employer interview - opportunities like that do not come around often!

You can develop these high-level skills, valued by graduate employers, in lots of ways: through your degree programme, work-related learning, paid or voluntary work experience, Students’ Union and other leisure activities or by undertaking workshops run at the World of Work Careers Centre.

You will have to write up a World of Work skills statement to show that you meet the criteria for all the three areas. This will give you a comprehensive personal statement demonstrating a wide range of skills - a perfect starting point for applications for work placements or graduate jobs. Our World of Work Careers Centre advisers are also available to help you at every stage of the World of Work Skills Certificate process.

What do I need to do to achieve a World of Work Skills Certificate?

It’s simple but effective. To achieve the World of Work Skills Certificate you need to:

• Write a personal statement demonstrating that you meet all the World of Work skills criteria for the three skill areas Self Awareness, Organisational Awareness and Making Things Happen. You can do this in three stages – Bronze, Silver and Gold spread out over your time at LJMU. You will write and submit your Bronze statement during your level 4 (1st year) course.

• successfully complete an interview with an employer, arranged by the World of Work

Careers Centre, from, whenever possible, your chosen employment sector.

Whatever your career aspirations, you have to be able to tailor your qualifications, skills and experience to meet the specific criteria relevant to the role you are applying for; a bog-standard CV will not be enough to get you an interview. That’s where your World of Work Skills statement will prove invaluable. Representatives from 150+ organisations and businesses across the North West of England have been giving our students vital experience of how to succeed in graduate-entry level interviews in their chosen sector. This is the final interview stage of the process and it is these employers who will judge whether or not you have reached the necessary standard to receive your World of Work Skills Certificate. If you are smart you’ll complete the certificate before the start of your final year.


LJMU & Your Career

working in merseyside & the north west

Liverpool’s ecomonic growth is second only to London and the North West region is the largest economic area outside of the South East. Careers Adviser Gary Douglas looks at what jobs are available for you.

The North West, which includes Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire,

Liverpool and Manchester, is one of the largest expanding economic regions of the UK. Liverpool’s economic growth is second only to London. The region is proud of the many industries that have now gained an international reputation such as chemicals, manufacturing and production, as well as the digital industry. Look out for companies that also have a real presence in the region even if their head office is in another part of the UK, e.g. Ricoh and Sony.

In 2010/11 there were 259,470 students in the North West. Of those who completed a course at LJMU in 2011, 46.6% found a job in the Merseyside region. Out of those graduates 75% resided in the local area.

The three most popular sectors for LJMU graduates working in Merseyside and the North West in 2011/12 were health & social work, retail and education. The top methods used by LJMU graduates to find work included accessing the specific employer’s website, as well as networking and speculative applications.

There are many large employers in the region who have historically recruited from LJMU:

Higher EducationThis sector provides graduates with a rich source of vacancies. LJMU students have entered graduate level occupations in roles that include Business Support Analyst, Events Administrator and Accountancy. Jobs are usually advertised on the respective university’s website and also on www.jobs.ac.uk.

Local government Many LJMU students have found work in the region’s local authorities - a major recruiter of our graduates. Graduate level occupations are varied and have included Human Resources, Surveying and Information Technology. Vacancies are advertised on the

local authority’s website and on the Local Government Jobs website at http://www.lgjobs.com/employers.

Health ServiceAnother major recruiter in the region is the National Health Service. As well as obvious health-related roles, this employer also has an excellent Graduate Training Scheme as well as administration and support service roles. See their website at http://www.jobs.nhs.uk/

Other sectors in the region:

The Voluntary and Charity Sector There are more than 10,000 charities in the North West. As well as employing over 30,000 people there are many opportunities to gain work experience on a voluntary basis.

The Environmental and Technology Services Sector This sector employs around 24,000 people in the region. This industry is becoming one of the fastest growing in the North West.

Advertising and Public Relations This sector has a very strong presence in the region. Many agencies and consultancies, originally from London, have now based themselves in the North West.

Manchesterliverpool

Wirral

Blackpool

Lancaster

Preston

Carlisle

Chester Stockport

Burnley

Crewe

Warrington


Career in Context

Tourism & Leisure This industry employs over 200,000 people in the region and offers many opportunities for graduates including the hotel industry, Tour Guides and Exhibition Organisers.

The Media There are a number of media and production companies based in the North West. The two largest employers are BBC North and ITV & Granada.

BBC North produces some of the BBC’s most popular content. BBC Children’s TV, BBC Radio 5 Live, parts of Future Media, BBC Audio & Music, BBC Vision, BBC Learning, BBC Sport and BBC Breakfast are all based at the BBC North offices in Salford Quays. As well as advertising full time jobs, look out for work experience and training schemes. View the website at http://www.bbc.co.uk/careers/locations

ITV & Granada - Granada Studios are based in Manchester and are one of the main media employers in the city. The jobs section of the ITV website includes information on vacancies and career advice for those considering a career in television. www.itvjobs.com

Other major employers in the regionThere are many other major employers in the region. Try not to be put off by the industry of the company as many organisations

are multifunctional. For example, Balfour Beatty is a construction company but has graduate opportunities in Human Resources as well as Finance. Some other prominent companies in the region include; Airbus, Shop Direct Group, Co-operative Group, KPMG, Unilever, Barclays Bank, Boots, United Utilities, Pilkington, Sellafield, Hill Dickinson LLP, Jaguar Land Rover and Aldi.

Small or Medium Sized CompaniesDon’t forget that it is not just the larger companies that employ graduates. It is estimated that over 36,000 small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are based in the Merseyside area alone. Last year over 300 LJMU graduates found employment in these smaller firms. Most industries were represented including; arts entertainment and recreation, administrative and support service activities, as well as professional, scientific and technical activities.

How to find the job?Use the LJMU Vacancy Website at http://ljmu.prospects.ac.uk/ where many vacancies are advertised from a wide variety of employment sectors.

Look at advertised vacancies in the regional press, including Jobs North West, Liverpool Echo and the Manchester Evening News, and websites such as Job Centre Plus. Regional websites such as Graduate to Merseyside, My Northwest Job, Merseyside Fish for Jobs and

many other local sites should also be used. Register with some local recruitment agencies but ensure that you check out their areas of expertise in advance. Try to find out as much as you can about the type of work that interests you to make sure that you get the best from an agency.

Many positions do not get advertised so apply for jobs, work experience or voluntary work on a speculative basis. Find companies of interest and send a speculative CV and covering letter to find out if any opportunities are available. See the section on CV writing which will explain how to craft a good targeted CV and attend Ready for Work sessions at the World of Work Careers Centre.

Consider networking to find out valuable labour market information. Ask employers what method of application is required, how much experience is needed and the skills required. These questions could provide you with vital information about the job market. There is no reason why you could not ask if the company is recruiting at the moment or if they can suggest other companies to contact.

Check out LJMU’s Vacancy Website at:

http://ljmu.prospects.ac.uk

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❞liverpool’s economic growth is second only to london.


Career in Context

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❞❞carole crosby, acting chief executive of the liverpool chamber of commerce, offers advice to students approaching the jobs market:

Our members are inundated with speculative applications, make yours stand out – cater the cover letter and CV to what you feel the employer would look for in an ideal employee. Address it to the right person and follow up your application with a progress phone call. Look for jobs advertised but also access the ‘hidden job market’ through the use of ‘cold calling’.

Be upfront and honest with the reason for your call, ask them if they are planning on recruiting in the near future and if so what their application process is. I also strongly advocate the use of social media in your jobsearch – Linked-in for example can help you connect to prospective employers and also learn about job vacancies within companies that you are interested in working for.

Lastly, ask for support from the World of Work Careers Centre, friends and family, your lecturers etc for ideas of which companies to contact for prospective job opportunities. The Chamber also has a full membership directory on our website www.liverpoolchamber.org.uk or through our Chamber app for you to access for companies to approach.

lesley martin-wright, chief executive knowsley chamber of commerce, supports the ljmU world of work skills certificate and says:

The borough of Knowsley sits at the heart of the City Region and plays a major role as a location for employment, housing and recreation. Companies in Knowsley do business throughout the world; their products and services are recognised worldwide, for example Jaguar Land Rover, Getrag, QVC, News International, Vertex, Virgin Media, Goodrich and Computer Science Corporation.

In my role as Chief Executive of the Chamber of Commerce I frequently have the opportunity to talk to business owners about their opportunities, challenges and issues. They tell me that they constantly seek to employ “talent” which will help them to become more commercially successful.

My advice to graduates who are looking for employment opportunities with Knowsley is to research your target company thoroughly and recognise that companies want to hire “winners”. Companies invest time and money into the initial phase of the recruitment process, and whilst academic skills and achievements may be viewed as a “given” or a “pass/fail” stage for the first “sift” of CVs, employers will probe the remaining information for specific examples or evidence that demonstrates characteristics or traits such as being outgoing, persuasive, optimistic, independent, confident, a relationship builder, goals orientated, commitment to process and/or task achievement, client orientated, etc. Provide evidence in your CV or at interview and throughout the selection process. Consider ways of demonstrating that you will embrace life-long learning thus improving your ability to contribute to the firm as you grow as a person.


Career in Context

Vacancy Website

http://ljmu.prospects.ac.uk

find a

on LJMU’s

placements

internships

work experience

research opportunities

graduate jobs

voluntary work

jobWORLD OF WORK

CAREERS CENTRE

what do liverpool john moores University Graduates do?

How much do LJMU graduates earn?

Destination of Leavers from Higher Education Survey 2011

£22,900

Destinations of all graduates from LJMU in 2011 as recorded in January 2012 via a response given on a survey questionnaire. Further information on what graduates do is available in What Do Graduates Do? at: www.prospects.ac.uk

Work 64.5

Self Employed 2.6

Work & Study 7.9

Study 11.2

Voluntary Work 1.3

Unemployed 7.8

Other e.g. travelling, time out 4.7

Over 6,400 students graduated from LJMU in 2011 with an undergraduate degree or a postgraduate qualification. What did they go on to do?

According to data collected in the Destinations of Leavers from Higher

Education survey almost 92% of LJMU students who graduated in 2011 have got a positive outcome 6 months after graduating.

This means for the third consecutive year the destinations data has improved and bucked the downward trend of many competitor universities in these tough economic times.

Each year LJMU is required by the government to contact all leavers to ascertain what they are doing six months on from graduating.

And the 2011 figures make for great reading and offer encouragement to any current students who have taken the decision to study at LJMU.

The statistics don’t lie; if you study here you are incredibly likely to end up in a job or further study once you have graduated.

The figures not only underline the strength of LJMU’s undergraduate and postgraduate programmes but also the unique World of Work Programme and the decision to put our students' employability right at the top of our agenda.

LJMU students can also expect to earn an average of nearly £23,000 and the vast majority of our students will remain in the North West after graduating, which means the region is retaining its best people and

adding to the already impressive knowledge base. But in today’s global economy there are opportunities all over the world and an increasing number of students are branching out and taking their skills to new countries and continents.

Looking further afield

Although the vast majority of LJMU graduates stay in the region for work a growing number have gone much further afield in search of their dream job. One graduate ended up working for a mining operation in Australia, lots have gone to Japan, China, America,

Germany and other parts of Europe. Graduates with a construction background have followed work to the Middle East.

It is important to not restrict yourself to just the North West region or the UK when searching for a role or organisation and limit your chances. Most corporate organisations advertise vacancies for all over the world so keep an eye on their websites and you could end up a jetsetter travelling the globe and leading a lifestyle that will make you the envy of your peers!

of 2011 LJMU graduates got a positive outcome

i.e. a job or further study 6 months after

graduating

92%average salary


Career in Context

top 10 occupational areas that our graduates undertook in 2011

1. Health & Social Work Professionals

2. Education Teaching 3. Sales, Marketing & related 4. Government and Public Sector 5. Science & Technical Professionals 6. Hospitality, Hotels 7. Manufacturing Professionals 8. Built Environment Professionals9. Information and Communication

Professionals 10. Arts & Media Professionals

in the North West 74%

in Greater London 4.5%

in N. Ireland 3.5%

in Wales 3.6%

in the West Midlands 3.2%

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the journalism course was so helpful in getting me into a career in sport writing and broadcasting because it gave me such a good grounding in all forms of journalism. obviously the sport journalism part of it was particularly relevant but you finish the course with a knowledge of all forms of journalism.

alex Brooker, Channel 4 (Journalism)

WHERE DO LJMU GRADUATES WORK ?


Career in Context

❞Find out more about LJMU’s Alumni Association and what some of our ex-students have done since leaving.

Sign up by visiting www.ljmu.ac.uk/alumni, follow us on Twitter @LJMUAlumni or become a

fan of the Facebook Fan Page LJMU Alumni.

how i Got my job: alumni profiles

When you graduate from LJMU you are able to join the University’s network

through the LJMU Alumni Association.

The Alumni Association isn’t just about reunions and getting in touch with people, it’s about forging new relationships through our events programme and our communications. It’s also about providing you with a service, and LJMU not just supporting you as a student, but helping you as a graduate as well.

The Alumni Association offers a range of benefits to our alumni, from networking opportunities to discounts and careers advice. Registration is free and there is plenty to gain by joining.

The World of Work Careers Centre has Careers Advisers, Employability Advisers and Trainers who can connect you with the world of work and help you beat the competition to get the job you want. As a graduate you are entitled to careers support, access to the free job vacancy website, one to one advice, training sessions and mock interviews.

The Alumni Association provides unique discounts and offers for our alumni in

addition to access to business e-journals and professional networking evenings.

Graduates receive these offers and support for as long as they want and need it! You

can stay in touch by signing up to the free quarterly e-newsletter which keeps you up to date with news from the University.

list of member benefits:

• Quarterly e-newsletters• Careers support (from the Word of Work Careers Centre)• Discounts and vouchers • Lifetime membership to LSU for a one off £10 payment• NUS Graduate card (for first three years after graduation only) £15p/y• Variety of vouchers for use at the Albert Dock (e.g. restaurants, bars,

tourist outlets, souvenirs)• Free access to Emerald business e-journals• Priority tickets to the LJMU Roscoe Lectures (including pre lecture

reception with tea and coffee)• 20% discount off conference and room hire at LJMU

rachel Sanders, realbuzz group(Media, Cultural Studies & Marketing)

i am proof that the world of work skills certificate does work and i want to encourage other students to take it up. the employer interview definitely helped me the most as

i was given excellent, thorough feedback and i used this experience to help me avoid mistakes during the interview for realbuzz, e.g. ensuring i had an example for everything i said, rather than fading off or rambling about skills without any evidence. this solidified

my responses and gave my answers more structure which in turn helped me relax. the interviewer was impressed that i had done an internship and sought out additional freelance writing work. she also picked up on the fact that in order to complete the

world of work skills certificate alongside a degree requires dedication, organisation, time management skills to prioritise, which demonstrated the ability to juggle

tasks. she also saw it as an example of determination to optimise chances after graduation which shows conscientiousness and motivation to succeed.


Career in Context

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the business acumen and knowledge of european institutionalism i gained at ljmU has been instrumental in helping in my job. on a daily basis, i must speak with confidence to a variety of Us companies about opportunities in the Uk, as well as help them to navigate the complexity of the eU. Understanding the broad landscape of variables is crucial, and the ma european studies and international business i received from ljmU has been invaluable.

Philip Broadbent, British embassy Washington dC (Ma european Studies and international Business)

my Graphic arts degree at ljmU prepared me for the world of work by introducing me to a variety of different design disciplines. by trying out different things, i was able to apply my talents to what suited me best. through working at liverpool students’ Union i continued to develop my skills in a real-life setting which equipped me for my current career as multimedia manager at the arena and convention centre liverpool.

robin Cooke, aCC liverpool (graphic arts)

ljmU’s sports science degree played an enormous role in me gaining the required skills and experience to enter the challenging and competitive world of professional sport. ljmU also provided me with a number of opportunities to delve into the world of elite sport while studying and this lead to beginning my career in performance analysis with everton fc. this eventually led to my current position as part of the performance analysis team at fulham fc.

Ben Mackriell, Fulham Football Club (Sports Science)

employers obviously like someone proactive and keen who is involved with a lot of different things at once rather than just their degree. they like people who go the extra mile. i got myself involved with lots of different things such as the jmU journalism website, voluntary work at a museum and the world of work star newspaper and i did the world of work skills certificate. now i’ve landed a very good job with prospects and something i love doing. i am still pinching myself that i’ve got my dream job. i have always had a keen interest in politics and this job will open a lot of doors for me.

Helen dodd, Constituency assistant to alison Mcgovern MP (Journalism)

dominic Blackburn, Sellafield (Mechanical engineering)

i started working for sellafield ltd in september 2011 having finished my degree at ljmU in the same year. the best piece of advice i can offer is to start applying for jobs early, at the beginning of your final year, as the graduate schemes get full up pretty quickly. also take advantage of all the extra activities such as 'formula student' that the university offer; not only are they really good fun they’re amazing for development as an engineer. i didn’t take a year out in industry or do a summer placement, but i did do some commercial work outside of university at an architect firm. the year out in industry or some sort of placement is definitely a good idea though and usually they’ll offer people jobs and sometimes even pay towards fees for the final year.


making Yourself employable whilst at University

The earlier you start to consider your career the faster you will progress once you graduate. Careers Adviser Andy Byrne looks at what can you do to make yourself more employable while at LJMU.

Motivation, Enthusiasm, CommitmentThese are three key attributes that employers regularly refer to when they are recruiting students and graduates. Look through the information on their websites or attend a talk and you will regularly see and hear these words, regardless of which sector you would like to work in or what job you would like to do. Employers recruit graduates as a source of future talent and potential for their organisation and they want to recruit students who want to develop and progress within the company to help it grow.

How do I demonstrate motivation and enthusiasm?There are various ways that these attributes can come across in your application. Firstly you can demonstrate this through your extra-curricular activities that you are involved in outside of University and employment. Employers are looking to recruit a well-rounded person with a mix of academic ability and personal skills and interests and will actively look for these at each stage of the recruitment process. These extra-curricular activities can include participating in sports activities or other group-based activities. Undertaking work experience and

volunteering are great ways to improve your employability and demonstrate motivation and enthusiasm.

What type of work experience is available?Work experience has become a general term which incorporates a wide range of opportunities and experience. Ideally, the best way for employers to recruit a future graduate can be to see them in the workplace to find out how they perform on a daily basis. The following types of work experience can therefore be a way of securing a future graduate position at an organisation:

• Year-long placements – this type of placement is also known as an industrial or sandwich placement. They can be a compulsory part of a university course but students on other courses may also have the option to take a year out from their studies and undertake a placement. This usually takes place between the second and third year of your course.

• Summer placements – increasingly the term 'internship' is being used to describe placements that take place over the summer holidays usually for between 8 and 12 weeks. They can be well-paid

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You want to make yourself stand out from the crowd so there’s no point in getting just a degree. it’s not enough. i completed a city and Guilds when i was on placement, which is equivalent to an nVQ level 4 or 5. in a way, it’s like having two degrees. i’d take everything they offer, you may as well do it. i also did the world of work skills certificate. at the end of the day, we’re paying our fees. it is an option that the university are providing for free so you may as well take advantage of it.

andrew prescottbusiness management & information graduate


Tactics and Choices

and, depending on the organisation, may only be available to students who have completed at least two years of their degree course.

• Work shadowing – these opportunities are usually short term and unpaid as you will not be undertaking a specific role in an organisation. The main activities include observing staff and getting an insight into a particular job role and organisation. They can be extremely useful in building up contacts.

• Part-time work – these types of positions tend to be ongoing and you may be working for one or two days per week even during term time. They may not necessarily be linked to your future career but they are still a great way to develop skills, develop your organisational awareness and build up your CV.

How to find work experience opportunities:

• World of Work Careers Centre – the Centre has a vacancy website and arranges regular employer talks and these can be used as a way to advertise work experience opportunities – http://ljmu.prospects.ac.uk.

• Company websites – the information is usually in the careers section. It is important to check the closing dates for more structured opportunities such as year-long and summer placements as these are often advertised early in the academic year.

• University departments – some departments within LJMU have dedicated staff to support you in finding a placement, particularly a year-long or industrial placement.

• Speculative applications – these applications are when you are not responding to a job advert but are contacting an organisation to explore the possibility of securing a job or work experience opportunity. It is vital to

ensure that you have an effective CV and covering letter so contact the World of Work Careers Centre for support. In addition, you should also consider SMEs (Small to Medium-Sized Enterprises) as well as larger, more traditional graduate employers.

• Use contacts – you may already be working part-time in an organisation so ask about other opportunities such as year-long and summer placements

• Careers websites such as Prospects and Target Jobs or Year in Industry

• Volunteering opportunities – LJMU Volunteers - www.ljmu.ac.uk/volunteering/ andwww.do-it.org

What will I get out of it? Benefits of work experience:• Get hands on experience in possible

future job roles• Builds up your CV and provides examples

to use in applications and at interview• Provides relevant information about

future careers• Provides experience of a professional

working environment and improves your organisational awareness

• Provides opportunities for networking and information about job opportunities and employers’ recruitment methods. It’s a great way to build up contacts

• Builds your confidence• May get paid• You will develop a range of skills, even

if it’s not entirely related to a future graduate role and it shows that you are a motivated person who wants to develop

How to make the most of it?• See it as an opportunity to get experience

and information – get involved, be positive, ask questions.

• Reflect on your experience – what went well? Are there any gaps in your skills which you will need in your future career? Will this experience help you in your

future career?• It is important to “sell” these experiences

on your CV and application forms. The experience is great but it is equally, if not more important, to be able to highlight it on your CV and at interviews effectively. As well as thinking of the day-to-day tasks that you undertook also focus on your responsibilities and the skills that you developed eg communication, teamwork, organisational, problem-solving, adaptability

• Networking/contacts – use the opportunity to build up a range of contacts who can provide information on the particular job and organisation and also the recruitment practices that the company uses. As well as providing a possible reference in the future you may also find that you are considered for, or informed of, future job openings.

• Speak to a Careers Adviser or an Employability Adviser for advice on how you can utilise these experiences to improve your CV and the implications for your possible career options.

VolunteeringVolunteering is a great way to develop skills, meet people and feel that you are giving something back to society. Many people may not consider volunteering as it is unpaid but it isn’t important to future employers whether your work experience is paid or unpaid. In fact, volunteering looks fantastic on your CV as it says something about you as a person that you are prepared to work on an unpaid basis to support a community for example and develop personally. As with other work experience opportunities it is a great way to improve your organisational and cultural awareness and build up contacts.


Tactics and Choices

Estimates suggest over 70% of jobs are never advertised externally meaning you could be missing out on a vast array of opportunities. Trainer Lucy Shenton looks at how you find them.

Not all jobs are advertised, in fact organisations are under no legal

obligation to advertise their positions externally. This means that when you look at job postings online or in the newspapers you are only seeing a fraction of the job market, or the ‘open job market’ as it is called. What you don’t see are the hundreds of other jobs which are offered and accepted through other means, never advertised to the general public.

These positions are often created for the individual or offered to candidates sourced from an employer’s trusted network, this is often referred to as the ‘hidden job market’. Don’t despair though! This does not mean these opportunities are closed to you, just that you may have to be more creative when it comes to job hunting.

Networking is the key to opening the door to the hidden job market and it really is easier than you think. Here are a couple of top tips to get you started and noticed by future employers.

Get out there! Find out what events are coming up in and around your area where individuals and employers you would like to work for may be in attendance. These may be graduate recruitment fairs, conferences, talks and can even be social events.

Once you are there, make the most of it! Make sure you have done your research on the organisations you are interested in working for and go prepared to discuss this. Employers are impressed by those individuals who are truly passionate about working for them, so demonstrating this knowledge is an

effective way to engage them in conversation. Gaining an email address or further contact details from anyone you speak to who may be of future benefit is essential. Always ensure you follow-up any helpful conversations you have had with a polite email or phone call thanking them for their time. You can add this person to your contact list which is the first step to building your network. In the future you may want to ask these contacts for an ‘information interview’, this is when you spend a bit of time picking the brains of your contacts, gaining some useful knowledge about an industry or career path.

Remember the World of Work Careers Centre organises a number of networking events so keep an eye out on our events pages to keep up to date.

the hidden jobs market: networking and connecting using social media


Tactics and Choices

Get online! You may be familiar with the likes of Facebook and Twitter and already be regular users of social media but what you might not realise is that it is a networking gold mine! You can use social media to follow organisations and even individuals working in the sector you are hoping to go into.

Not only can you keep up to date with organisations' most recent activities but you can chat and interact with individuals who may be able to offer you advice, support and even job opportunities in the future.

Get LinkedIn! Using your pre-existing social media to network is great but there is another even more effective site you can

utilise, called LinkedIn. LinkedIn is the leading professional network on the web. Your profile acts as a CV and you can connect with individuals and organisations to increase your network and gain an insight into your industry. There are even a number of sector specific groups on the website which you can join where you will meet other professionals and make some great connections. To find out more about joining and utilising LinkedIn check out the instructional videos here; http://learn.linkedin.com/students/step-1/.

So start networking today. All you need to do is…

• Keep your eye out for events you can network at

• Use social media, especially LinkedIn, to make contacts

• Make use of your contacts to gain valuable information and insight into your industry

• Make a good impression and you might just get offered a placement, internship or even a job!

You have to speculate to accumulate!

As well as meeting prospective employers through networking, online or at events, you can also make contact through a speculative application. This means sending a CV along with a covering letter to an employer who may not be currently advertising any job vacancies. If an employer is suitably impressed by your CV and covering letter they may contact you for further discussions. You may not be offered a job instantly but you may be considered for upcoming positions or a position could be created for you. Here are a couple of top tips to make a great first impression through speculative applications; • Always make sure your CV and covering

letter is specific to a role and the organisation it is being sent to. Research

your organisation thoroughly to do this – previous networking can help!

• Get a named contact. Your application form will make more of an impact, and go to the right person, if you make sure it is addressed to the appropriate person. You can always call up an organisation to ask for a named contact.

• Follow up your speculative application with a phone call or email. This will demonstrate that you are genuinely interested and enthusiastic about working for them.

follow us using social media

LJMU WoW

LJMUWoW

LJMUWoW

Follow us using social media and access our ‘World of Work Careers Centre in Conversation’ videos, in which we chat to graduate recruiters, get information about our latest workshops, career presentations and employer days or just have a chat with our team of careers experts. We are also open to suggestions about speakers from industry you would like to see, or companies you would be interested seeing on video. You can also email us at [email protected] or visit our website at www.ljmu.ac.uk/worldofwork for the latest news and information.


During 2010/11 588,720 students were registered on postgraduate courses in the UK. Careers Adviser Steve Burbage looks at why this is such a popular option.

A postgraduate qualification may ‘help you to stand out from the crowd’ but make

sure you do your research first as, although it may enhance your career prospects in some cases, in other cases relevant work experience will be more valuable. Many students also opt to do postgraduate study to further develop subject knowledge or to convert to a new career area such as law, medicine, education or IT. If you are unsure about what to do next and feel that doing a postgraduate course will give you more time to help you decide, think about whether this is the best strategy; postgraduate study is time consuming and can be very costly so you should be reasonably clear about your career goals/aims before starting a course.

You can always meet with a Careers Adviser to discuss postgraduate options in more detail.

The options

The UK has one of the largest and most diversified postgraduate sectors in the world with almost 20,000 postgraduate course/research options on offer, which can make choosing the right course quite challenging. The following information will hopefully help you to decide what option is most appropriate for you.

Taught Masters (e.g. MA, MSc, MBA, LLM, etc)

Taught Masters programmes usually last a year full-time (two years part-time) and combine a conventional lecture/seminar programme with an element of independent research, i.e. a dissertation. Masters

programmes often provide the opportunity to study a subject in more depth or may enable you to develop new skills/knowledge in an area that has little or no relation to your undergraduate degree. Many lead to a specific professional qualification (or provide exemptions towards one) in order to pursue a career in a particular area, such as social work or human resource management.

Postgraduate diploma/certificate

These are taught (usually vocational) courses that last around 9 months (full-time). They frequently provide the professional qualifications needed to pursue a particular career e.g. teaching, law, or journalism. Postgraduate diplomas/certificates can sometimes be a stepping stone to a Masters degree, alternatively they can also be awarded to students who haven’t quite completed a Masters; for example this may happen if all the taught elements of a Masters course have been completed but not the dissertation.

thinking about postgraduate study? turning it up a degree

postgraduateemployability programmeThe World of Work Careers Centre runs a FREE 2 day employability skills programme aimed specifically at preparing Post Graduate Researchers (PGRs) and Early Career Researchers (ECRS) for the world of work. This highly focused programme covers a range of topics to help PGR students develop the skills they need to evaluate their career options, and sell themselves effectively to employers and communicate their research to colleagues and the public.

Key workshops include:• Career Planning• How to write an academic/non-

academic CV• Job Search and Networking • Succeeding at Interview

Attendees are also given the opportunity to network and engage with former PGRs from a variety of backgrounds.

Who should attend:Any PGR student or early career research student, who would like to prepare for their career following their PhD.

www.ljmu.ac.uk/pep


Tactics and Choices

Research degrees

The most well known research qualification is the PhD (or DPhil) which usually takes three to four years to complete full-time. It is possible to start a PhD straight after your first degree, however, it may be necessary to do a Masters first. You can also complete Masters degrees by research e.g. MA, MSc, MRes and the MPhil; as a rule these qualifications take one year (full-time), however, an MPhil may take longer (up to two years full-time). It may be possible to transfer from a Masters by research to a PhD. Research degrees require students to undertake an individual piece of research which is usually carried out (and supervised) in a university department.

How/when to apply

The majority of applications are made directly to the institutions concerned, however, some vocational courses such as teaching, law and social work require applications to be made via a central admissions service which will restrict the amount of courses you can

apply to and will usually stipulate a particular closing date. Not all courses have a closing date, however, it is still highly recommended that you do your research well in advance as some courses fill up very quickly and may stipulate particular entry requirements i.e. relevant work experience. Applications (or enquiries) regarding PhDs/Masters by research should ideally be made around Christmas time; the earlier your application the more likely it is to attract funding.

Funding

Obtaining funding can be difficult and is usually more challenging than obtaining a place; it is therefore advisable to start researching the various funding options as early as you can. It is usually a good idea to contact the admissions tutor/supervisor in order to establish the typical funding arrangements for the course you are interested in. Although funding isn’t guaranteed, options may include research councils, charities and trusts, loans and institutional funding.

The following publications are available from the World of Work Careers Centre:

• Turning it up a Degree - a guide to postgraduate study (full guide)

• Prospects Postgraduate Directory

• Prospects Postgraduate Funding Guide

• Prospects Postgrad Magazine• Prospects Postgrad UK

further information

See the LJMU website for details of our postgraduate courses or contact individual universities to request a postgraduate prospectus.


Tactics and Choices

What is a graduate scheme? A graduate scheme (or programme) is a type of job opportunity which is mainly offered by large employers. In some job sectors, employers tend to use graduate schemes as a means of recruiting future leaders and managers. Therefore when you apply to some graduate schemes you are actually applying for a trainee management position although some roles (for example within the engineering and scientific field) enable you to apply your technical skills. Graduate schemes can also give you a chance to ‘change direction’ as around half of the schemes available with large companies are open to graduates who are studying or have completed any degree subject. Such schemes tend to offer graduates a structured period of training and development. Therefore whilst you are actually employed by a company and gaining ‘hands-on experience’, you should have the chance to continue your professional development.

What sort of employers offer graduate schemes? There are a very broad range of opportunities available! Large employers tend to offer graduate schemes within job areas such as human resources, finance, sales, marketing, IT and business management. It is true that there tend to be more graduate schemes available within the business area, however there are also schemes available for graduates who wish to apply their specialist skills in a technical field. For example; engineering or scientific companies may offer job opportunities in research and development. The public sector also has graduate schemes available with the NHS, Civil Service and local government (NGDP) offering some of the most well-known programmes. Within some job sectors graduate schemes are less common, for example within the media, sport and leisure industries there are very few graduate schemes available. If you want to go into a career area where there are not a lot of graduate schemes on offer, this does not mean that there will not be job opportunities

Graduate schemes with large employers often offer excellent job opportunities for graduates. Careers Adviser Laura Aldridge asks why so many students haven't heard of them.

Graduate schemes Uncovered

through to other more senior roles within the company. Many graduate schemes also offer a competitive starting salary with other additional benefits. If you are employed by a large company you may find that you start work at the same time as a group of other graduates which gives you a chance to network and socialise with your peers. This may make the transition from university to working life a bit easier!

Cons: There is high competition for graduate schemes and (according to the Real Prospects Directory) only around 10% of applicants to such schemes are successful in gaining a place on one of them. Many employers also have specific academic requirements for graduate schemes. Some employers also expect those whom they recruit onto graduate schemes to be mobile and willing to move around the country to different locations as required. Furthermore, many graduate schemes are intensive and employers demand a high level of commitment which can mean long working hours.

When should I apply for graduate schemes? Many employers have application deadlines between November and January for their graduate schemes which start the following Summer/Autumn. Therefore, it is important to apply early in your

for you but it may be that you will need to take a different, more creative approach to your job search.

Where do I find out about graduate schemes?You can find details of the graduate schemes available in different job areas on websites such as: www.prospects.ac.uk and http://targetjobs.co.uk/. The Real Prospects Directory (which is available from the World of Work Careers Centre) also lists many of the leading graduate schemes on offer from employers. It is also a good idea to attend graduate recruitment fairs as these give you an opportunity to talk to employers directly about the graduate schemes which they have available. There is a graduate recruitment fair which takes place at St George’s Hall in Liverpool twice a year and also a fair which takes place in Manchester once a year. Please keep an eye on our website at www.ljmu.ac.uk/worldofwork for dates and times of local recruitment fairs. You can also arrange to see the Careers Adviser for your Faculty to find out more about graduate schemes available within the job area which you wish to go into.

What are the pros and cons of a graduate scheme? Pros: Graduate schemes generally tend to offer structured training and some employers (such as the NHS) may support and fund you to undertake a relevant Masters Degree or other professional qualification. Usually, your progress during the scheme will be monitored and you may be allocated a mentor. Many graduate schemes offer you the opportunity to do a series of placements or rotations to gain experience of working in different departments within the company. This can be helpful if you haven’t yet quite made your mind up about the type of role you would like to end up in! Some graduate schemes enable you to start as a trainee manager so if you perform well whilst on the scheme you may also have the chance to ‘fast track’ your progression


Tactics and Choices

many graduate schemes offer you the opportunity to do a series of placements or rotations to gain experience of working in different departments within the company.

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final year for these schemes. Whilst some employers are more flexible in their recruitment for graduate schemes and may recruit all year round, many do have deadlines which are even before Christmas so if you do not apply early you may miss out on some important opportunities. It is possible to apply for graduate schemes after you graduate but obviously this means that you will not have a job offer lined up for when you finish your degree.

What do I need to get onto a graduate scheme? Many employers ask for a 2:1 degree classification for entry onto their graduate scheme. Some employers will accept a 2:2 result but you will undoubtedly have more choice of graduate schemes to apply to if you have or are anticipating a 2:1. Some (though not all) employers also ask for a certain number of UCAS points. For some graduate schemes (eg in the engineering or scientific field) it is necessary to have studied a specific degree subject, but for other schemes (eg in business or finance) employers will accept any degree subject. If you are not sure if you meet the entry requirements for a graduate scheme then always check the employer’s website, or contact the relevant company directly.

What can I do to increase my chances of getting onto a graduate scheme?

Due to the high competition for places on graduate schemes it is very important to make sure that your on-line application form or CV is as strong as possible. Employability Advisers at the World of Work Careers Centre can check through and give feedback on draft applications and CVs. Employers also use a very rigorous interviewing and assessment process when selecting candidates for graduate schemes so you may wish to use the mock interview service available at the World of Work Careers Centre, to help you prepare. The World of Work Skills Certificate is also designed to help you prepare for the employer selection process so don’t miss the opportunity to complete this crucial employability award whilst you are at LJMU! It is also important to recognise that work experience can give you valuable evidence of skills which you can talk about at interview.

In fact, according to a recent survey of large employers (carried out by the Association of Graduate Recruiters), more than half of employers warned that graduates who have had no previous work experience are unlikely to be successful during the selection process. Furthermore, one third of the vacancies (offered by the employers who were surveyed) were filled by graduates who had already worked for that same company previously. This illustrates the importance of ‘getting a foot in the door’ of a company, for example by doing an internship with that

company during your degree course may possibly increase your chances of getting onto that employer's graduate scheme.

What should I do if a graduate scheme is not for me? Graduate schemes may not suit everybody; some graduates prefer to start their working life with a smaller company which may have a different working culture. Alternatively, it may be the case that you do not meet the requirements for graduate schemes or that there are simply not many suitable schemes available in the job area which you wish to go into. Remember that there are many job opportunities available as well for graduates with SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises). Refer to our article about how to access the ‘hidden job market’ to find out more.

Whether you are looking for a part time job, a volunteering opportunity, a work placement or a graduate post we have a dedicated vacancy website. It is free to all undergraduates and recent graduates and contains over 1000 regional and national employers listing opportunities.

To register go to:

https://ljmu.prospects.ac.uk

Vacancy website


Tactics and Choices

The World of Work Careers Centre offers a range of services for our international students and bespoke events that take into account visa status. Gary Douglas explains what's on offer.

There are over 2,300 international students undertaking programmes at

Liverpool John Moores University. Over 50 countries are represented including China, Malaysia and India.

A range of resources specifically aimed at international students can be found on our website at www.ljmu.ac.uk/worldofwork/student/international This site provides information regarding the right to work in the UK, as well as information on working in other countries. Advice on the activities that are required to improve your employment prospects are contained in this part of the website.

Work experience can greatly improve your employment prospects by helping you to develop a range of practical skills. Through part-time jobs, vacation work, placements, internships and voluntary work you could develop commercial awareness, a greater understanding of British culture and improve your English language skills. You can look for these opportunities on the LJMU Vacancy website.

The World of Work Careers Centre runs specialist workshops for international students focusing on CV writing, preparation for interviews, assessment centres and job hunting strategies. The timing of these sessions is very flexible to allow more students to attend each session

In addition, international students can engage in the university’s World of Work Skills Certificate. This is an employer-led initiative which covers three areas of Self Awareness, Organisational Awareness and the ability to Make Things Happen. Employers such as Airbus, Oracle and Sony have indicated that demonstrating these skills will help to find that all important graduate job.

Each faculty in the University has a link Careers Adviser who is responsible for your subject. You can book an appointment with one of these friendly

and very helpful Advisers, who will help you to explore careers options with your subject, although they are not in a position to get a job for you.

Through one-to-one appointments our Employability Advisers will help you to construct a winning CV or application form, specific to the type of job that you would like to apply for. Guidance can also be provided

on writing style although they will not re-write your CV or application form

for you.

Please look out for a questionnaire that may be sent to you asking what type of work experience you would like to undertake whilst you are at University. While we cannot guarantee a placement, it may be possible for the department to secure some work experience opportunities

during your time at University. We are also very keen to hear about activities that you would like included as part of our programme of events.

Close links have been developed with our International Office and their International

international students

Work experience can greatly improve your employment prospects by helping you to develop a range of practical skills.

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Tactics and Choices

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i was constantly searching for additional courses to help me get a job. that was when i was introduced to the world of work skills certificate and i wanted to make use of it. i realised this was certification that will not only help me secure a job but also give me skills for life. the course helped me with networking, interview skills and a different approach to finding and applying for jobs. with the help of world of work careers centre staff, i created a new cV and improved my interview skills. the employer interview helped me a lot as i was given a dVd to look back at my performance, which i used to improve myself. when i got an interview for ford motor company i spoke about my previous work experience, education with ljmU and also about the world of work skills certificate. when i explained the process to him he seemed very impressed and i noticed he made a special note in his pad. in total 50 it graduates got through to the assessment centre and only seven were selected. i met the others and it feels like a privilege to be chosen. throughout the recruitment process i used all the skills taught in the world of work skills certificate and it made me feel good about this initiative ljmU is taking to help its students.

Student Advisers. Workshops will be delivered throughout the semester including a session on filling in Visa applications.

Please remember that the World of Work Careers Centre is here to help you.

www.ljmu.ac.uk/worldofwork/student/international

tharun thirungarimba business administration

Call in and see us at Kingsway House, Hatton Garden, a two minute walk from Avril Robarts Learning Resource Centre, Mon-Fri 9am-5pm.


Tactics and Choices

useful Online resources■ World of Work website -

www.ljmu.ac.uk/worldofwork■ World of Work Blackboard module -

via LJMU student website■ LJMU Vacancy Website -

http://ljmu.prospects.ac.uk ■ Details of the Careers Fairs -

www.liverpoolfairs.org.uk■ An extensive source of careers-related

information including job vacancies, CV examples, options with your degree and advice on interviews and assessment centres - www.prospects.ac.uk

■ Careers resources - www.targetjobs.co.uk

■ Some graduate schemes may close for applications in November. The majority of deadlines will be in December and January

■ Civil Service Fast Stream deadline is usually at the end of November

■ The deadline for PGCE Primary applications is in December

key dates & deadlines

Students have many things to juggle during their time at university meaning they often leave their employability until after they graduate which can lead to missed opportunities. Andy Byrne suggests how to fit it all in.

At LJMU there is a wealth of support available to you as you start to look towards your future career. The World of Work

Careers Centre is your one stop shop for all things careers related and you are encouraged to start early and engage with the Centre in your first year with us. This might seem very early but the race for graduate jobs is incredibly competitive so the earlier you get started the better.

Ensure you get the employer-backed World of Work Skills Certificate, as this will not only help you to articulate your skills but also demonstrates to employers you are serious about your career. Speak to a Careers Adviser and start to consider your options, attend employer talks and careers presentations both in your faculty and at the World of Work Careers Centre as these will allow you to hear first hand from employers what a particular job role or career entails.

Sign up for LJMU’s Vacancy Website and check out the latest opportunities from both World of Work partner organisations and from other universities in the region. The site includes graduate job vacancies as well as placements, internships, voluntary jobs and research projects. Getting relevant work experience or voluntary experience on top of a degree will enhance any future job applications you make. Get help and advice with CVs and application forms to ensure they are up to scratch, especially if you secure a voluntary position, placement or internship. See what options are available at LiverpoolSU, the student union, as these roles are challenging and also appeal to employers. Finally, see the Skills Support/Student Development staff in your faculty for help and advice on Graduate Skills and how to articulate and record them.

career action plan & timetable

November/December

■ PGCE applications open via the GTTR website. Graduate schemes for the large recruiters also open for applications

■ Liverpool Graduate Careers Festival takes place at St George's Hall in October - 10th October 2012

■ Companies offering industrial or sandwich placements may also open their application process

■ Applications for four year courses in dentistry and medicine via UCAS by 15th October. Entrance tests such as BMAT, GAMSAT or UKCAT must be sat before you apply

September/October


Getting the Job

key dates & deadlines

For more information

www.ljmu.ac.uk/worldofwork

3rd Year of study

■ Explore placement and internship opportunities. Register on the LJMU vacancy website.

■ Attend Careers Fairs

■ Attend employer talks at LJMU

■ Explore volunteering opportunities

■ Explore possible career options eg teaching

■ Complete your World of Work Silver and Gold statements to assist you in researching possible future job roles

■ Seek advice on CVs and applications

■ Make speculative applications to companies about possible summer placement opportunities

1st Year of study■ Find out what’s on offer

around LJMU to support you and assist you in gaining experience

■ Start to think of the career options available to you with your degree

■ Complete your World of Work Bronze statement

■ Explore work experience and volunteering opportunities

■ Get expert advice on producing a great CV, even for summer work and casual work

2nd Year of study■ Be aware of deadlines

for graduate jobs. Many employers begin to arrange interviews before the advertised closing date and may close the application process early

■ Research employers and possible job roles. Collect a free graduate directory from the World of Work Careers Centre.

■ Attend Careers Fairs in Liverpool in October and June

■ Attend Ready for Work workshops and employer talks held at the World of Work Careers Centre. Prepare for assessment centres

■ Explore career options eg Postgraduate study

■ If you have not already done so, complete your World of Work Silver and Gold statements

■ Make speculative applications to employers about possible job opportunities or work experience

■ Register with LJMU’s Alumni Association - www.ljmu.ac.uk/alumni

■ Assessment Centres will begin to be held for graduate schemes at large recruiters

■ Sandwich and summer placement schemes may open for applications at some employers

■ Deadline for Social Work courses via UCAS is in January

The large graduate recruiters may start to send out job offers to successful applicants

Liverpool Graduate Recruitment Festival is held at St George's Hall - 4th June 2013

January/February March/April May/June July onwards■ Graduate vacancies may still be open

for applications for some employers■ LJMU graduates can access the facilities

and support at the World of Work Careers Centre after graduation

■ The graduate recruitment cycle begins again in September and many employers welcome applications from individuals who graduated the year before or whose application was previously unsuccessful


Getting the Job

Employers spend about 30 seconds looking at your CV before deciding whether you are suitable for a position. Employability Adviser Jenny Walker offers top tips to make sure yours makes the cut.

creating a winning cV

Your CV is a personal marketing tool that should be structured in a way

that best showcases your relevant skills and experience. There is no right or wrong format for your CV but there are certainly some guidelines you can follow to ensure you are selling your skills and experience and targeting the CV to the best of your ability.

When it comes to sending out your CV to employers one thing to remember is that using a ‘one size fits all’ approach isn’t the best option. You should always find out what the employer is looking for and modify your CV to meet these requirements. This means that each time you apply for a position you should adapt the document so that it is tailored for the specific role and organisation.

As the first page is the first thing the employer sees you should aim to include

the most important information here, in an attempt to grab their attention. If you have

plenty of relevant work experience you should probably opt for the chronological or traditional CV format, where you can highlight this experience, focusing on key responsibilities, achievements and skills developed in these roles.

If your experience is lacking or you are changing career path, you may want to use a skills-based CV. By including a ‘skills profile’ you can focus on the relevant skills required

for the role. By drawing on examples from university, work and extra-curricular activities you can demonstrate that you have what the employer is looking for.

Other countries may have slightly different requirements when it comes to writing a CV. For example, in the USA, the ‘resumé’, containing very succinct, factual information can be just one page in length.

there is no right or wrong format for your cV but there are certainly some guidelines you can follow.

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top tips for writing a winning cV:

• Clearly list your name at the top of the document (never use the title ‘CV’ as this is self-evident!)• Stick to one or two sides of A4 and use a clear, concise writing style – employers typically spend 30 seconds

reading the CV so you want to make it easy for them to access the most important information!• If you have a person specification, make sure you address all relevant skills using examples to back up what you say • Consider using bold font, sub-headings and bullet points to break up information • Structure the CV to make the most out of your relevant skills and experience. If you have previously carried out a

similar role or worked on a project using applicable skills then list these on the front page • Always check through your CV for spelling and grammatical mistakes or get someone to check through it for you

– employers often use spelling and grammatical mistakes as a way to sift out applicants


Getting the Job

jonathan khan

3 hatton road, liverpool, l3 4Za email: [email protected] Mobile: 01234 255 342

personal profile

a human resource Management graduate and associate ciPd member, eager to put my excellent interper-

sonal and financial management skills into practice in a graduate hr position in a large financial organisation

education and Qualifications

2008 –2012 liverpool John Moores University (lJMU)

ba (hons) human resource Management (2:1)• Modules include contemporary aspects of strategic hr; international hrM & hrd; employment rela-

tions & legal context; and organisational development

• developed excellent analytical skills working with statistical data using sPss and good written commu-

nication skills through research and report writing. Gained a strong understanding of key hr issues and

legislation and how they are applied within organisations

2004 – 2008 st Joseph’s Grammar school, stafforda-levels: history (b), biology (d), Psychology (c)11 Gcses including Maths (a*), english (c), science (bb), spanish (a*)

hr work experience

2011-present peels accountants, liverpool – hr assistant

• delivered equality and diversity workshops to staff, honing my training and presentation skills

• advised staff on various issues, such as pay, performance, and health and safety

• supported the recruitment process by helping to draft job descriptions, shortlisting candidates, and

organising job interviews • excellent interpersonal skills developed by building a rapport with staff throughout the organisation, deal-

ing with confidential information in a sensitive manner

• developed strong commercial awareness by understanding the financial issues regarding the business

and contributing to the organisation’s goals by developing staff

2010-2011 croft finance, merseyside – hr assistant (sandwich placement)

• Worked as part of the Training and development Team with responsibility for new graduate recruits

• developed excellent interpersonal and listening skills liaising with staff from all levels of the organisation

on a regular basis to establish training needs. Planning and organisational skills enhanced by putting

together training plans and organising training days for new starters

may-july 2010 care needs, stafford – support assistant (voluntary)

• helped to recruit and train volunteers – drafted job advertisements to be placed in local publications and

websites and devised an induction plan. organised payment of expenses for volunteers, enhancing my

numeracy skills and attention to detail

november 2009 office solutions limited, wirral (work experience)

• Two weeks work experience in hr department. shadowed hr staff and found out more about recruit-

ment and selection and disciplinary and redundancy procedures in the workplace. improved my adminis-

trative skills by carrying out a range of administrative tasks such as filing, typing letters and contracts for

new staff and inputting data into databases

other work experience

2008-2010 Johnson & son – administrative assistant • effectively managed my workload and prioritised tasks providing administrative support to a team of

construction professionals

2006-2008 The black cat Pub, stafford – Waiter • Gained excellent customer service, communication and teamwork skills serving food and drinks in a

busy pub restaurant Voluntary experience

summer 2011 Teaching english/school building in bolivia • spent 6 weeks teaching and building a school improved my communication skills working with people

from all over the world, many with minimal english language skills • Worked closely with other members of the team sharing tasks, listening to others’ ideas and following a

schedule to construct the building in a set period of time • devised a plan, which included a week’s spanish language course followed by independent travelling

around bolivia and Peru for one month achievements

• World of Work skills certificate at lJMU: this award demonstrated my self awareness, organisational awareness and my ability to make things happen and was verified by a hr employer interview

• followed a strict training plan and completed the edinburgh Marathon in 2010

other skills

it skills • competent with Microsoft office programmes, including Word and PowerPoint. i have also used excel

and access to produce spreadsheets and databases in my hr roles. • familiar with sPss, which i used to analyse results from my dissertation

spanish language• Good command of spanish which i have used whilst travelling round south america

additional information

• captain of the university football team: organised fixtures and led the team through two tournaments• driving licence: have held a full, clean licence since 2009• ciPd membership: held since 2010, read newsletters and articles on the website on a regular basis to

keep up to date with industry developments referees

dr Jack smith, senior lecturer, liverpool business school, lJMUTel: 0151 231 0000 email: [email protected] samantha Williams, Managing director, Peels accountants, liverpoolTel: 0151 123 1234 email: [email protected]

Chronological CV

Don't list all your GCSE subjects

Clearly present the dates you worked, the name of the organisation and the position you held

Provide an overview of your key responsibilities, achievements and skills developed

Keep this section fairly short by providing a brief summary of the role

Use your name as the heading. Never use ‘CV’ or ‘Curriculum Vitae’

List in reverse chronological order

If relevant, separate your work experience into relevant experience and other experience then list these sections in reverse chronological order

If you include a personal profile ensure it is targeted at the role and organisation. Keep it concise and focused

Contact the World of Work Careers Centre on 0151 231 8099 (option 1) and book an appointment with an Employability Adviser to have your CV checked prior to submitting. Alternatively, we run a Ready for Work workshop entitled ‘How to Write a Winning CV’ where you can learn how to sell your skills and experience effectively. The workshop runs regularly throughout the year. Visit the Events System athttps://worldofwork.ljmu.ac.uk/events for details or to book a place.

Get your cV checked


Getting the Job

stephanie styles

3 Kingsway Garden, liverpool, l1 7aT email: [email protected] Mobile: 01771 121824

blog:

personal profile

a business studies graduate with excellent writing and organisational skills, seeking a challenging

marketing assistant role with a forward-thinking marketing agency

education and Qualifications

2009 –2012 liverpool john moores University (ljmU)

ba (hons) business studies (2:1)• Modules include: Principles of Marketing (72%); strategic Management (66%); and Marketing

strategy (60%)• dissertation: analysis of the london olympic Games marketing strategy (74%)

2005 – 2009 lakeside school, liverpool a-levels: Geography (a), business studies (b), spanish (c)

10 Gcses including Maths (c), english (b), spanish (c) and french (a*)

skills profilecommunication & interpersonal skills• strong written communication skills enhanced by writing reports at university. for example, i

conducted a study on the effects of the capital of culture on tourism in liverpool. after carrying out

in-depth research and interviews with members of the public i compiled my findings into a 3,000

word report, utilising appropriate language, aimed at senior executives in the council. The report

was well-received and the marker commented on my strong writing style

• My interpersonal skills have been developed working in a close team in my position as a support

assistant at hampton ltd. by building a rapport with customers and always communicating in a

professional and friendly manner i was able to deal with problems effectively

teamwork• excellent teamwork skills demonstrated whilst working as a camp counsellor through camp

leaders. led teams of children through various activities, by focusing on sharing tasks out based

on strengths, listening to others’ ideas and building a rapport with everyone in the team

commercial awareness• completed an enterprise module at university which highlighted the importance of understanding

your industry and focusing on strategy, planning and building strong relationships. demonstrated an

understanding of good financial planning and setting realistic timescales when working on a project

• Keep up to date with the marketing sector by subscribing to Marketing Week and regularly reading

ciM newsletters

organisation & administration skills• demonstrated strong organisation and administrative skills in my role as admin assistant by

providing diary management, booking travel arrangements and planning events held in the

department• strong ability to multitask by prioritising my workload by importance and reacting to pressures

by adapting plans as new work comes in. Gathered data from a range of sources during my

dissertation whilst balancing my other studies and part-time job, resulting in a 74% gradecreativity• devised a comprehensive marketing strategy to promote a programme of music events in liverpool city

centre for a friend. designed and developed flyers, which i distributed around the university and outside other music venues. created a strong social media presence, generating links with promoters and other music events and generated over 400 ‘likes’ on facebook within the first two weeks

it skills• competent using all Microsoft office programmes, including Word, excel, PowerPoint and access, which i

have used in university and in my admin role• Use an online website builder to host my blog – use my design skills and include my own photographs to

make it look contemporary and interesting and update it on a regular basis• familiar with sPss which i used to analyse a range of data from my dissertation

work history

2010-present hampton limited, liverpool – administrative assistant • General administrative and customer service role. responsible for diary management for director and

processing incoming enquiries in a busy office environment

summer 2009 summer camp, west Virginia, Usa – camp counsellor • assisted in the design and delivery of the summer camp for 11-16 year olds. coached swimming and tennis

and put together an activity based evening programme

2008-2009 emilio’s italian restaurant, liverpool – waitress • Worked effectively in a team in a busy city centre restaurant. developed strong customer service skills, built a

rapport with regular customers and acted as team leader during weekend shifts

2007-2008 sainsbury’s, liverpool – retail assistant • strong customer service skills used in a busy retail environment

Voluntary experience

2006-2007 oxfam, liverpool – retail assistant • volunteered in busy city centre store every saturday

achievements

• World of Work skills certificate at lJMU: 4 stage award completed alongside my degree demonstrating my self awareness, organisational awareness and ability to make things happen. received excellent feedback on my communication skills during the employer interview

additional information

• interests: enjoy running to keep fit and recently completed a 5k run for race for life to raise money for charity. also enjoy painting and have entered a number of local competitions

• travel: have travelled extensively around europe and asia. Put my strong organisational and time management skills into practice and immersed myself in different cultures

• driving licence: have held a full, clean licence since 2009• cipr membership: held since 2010 referees

dr James Walker, senior lecture, liverpool business school, lJMUTel: 0151 231 0000 email: [email protected] Mr frank smith, Managing director, hampton limited, liverpoolTel: 0151 123 1234 email: [email protected]

Skills-based CV

If you include a personal profile ensure it is targeted at the role and organisation. Keep it concise and focused.List in reverse

chronological order

If you have completed relevant modules you can list some of these here

Look at the job advert and include all the skills and attributes required for the role

Use positive language and examples from university, previous work, etc to demonstrate how you have used these skills

List in reverse chronological order and provide a brief overview of the role

Preferably use one academic and one employer reference. If you run out of space you can state ‘References available on request’.


Getting the Job

A covering letter, which should be no longer than a page in length, should

always accompany your CV. If you can, find out the name of the person to send the application to and address it to them by name.

As with the CV, the covering letter should always be tailored for the role. You should demonstrate that you have researched the organisation and explain why you want to work there, then draw the employer’s attention to the key skills and experience that are highlighted within your CV.

Extra support

You can get one-to-one support from our team of Employability Advisers, who can offer personalised advice on your CV and

covering letters, helping you tailor them for specific roles. You can make an appointment by calling 0151 231 8099 (option 1).

The ‘Write a Winning CV’ workshop, which we run at the World of Work Careers Centre provides guidance on writing CVs and covering letters. You can find out more about this workshop and book a place on our events website.

A covering letter is often the first thing a prospective employer will read from you. Jenny Walker offers advice about what it should contain.

writing a covering letter

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3 Hatton Road Liverpool

L3 4ZA

Ms M TaylorHead of Graduate Recruitment Taylor Smiths Ltd15 Station RoadLiverpoolL3 4AE

1 September 2012

Dear Ms Taylor,

I am writing to apply for the Graduate HR Adviser role as advertised on the LJMU Vacancy website and

enclose my CV for your consideration.

My interest in your company initially arose after reading an article in a local publication last summer about

your continued success and the focus the organisation puts on staff training and development. The interview

with your HR staff really stood out and through further research, and after meeting with last year’s HR

graduate trainee at a local employer event at my university, I realised that Taylor Smiths Ltd was a company

that I would really like to work for. The trainee emphasised the importance of commitment, teamwork and

staff development within the organisation and I am confident I would be a good fit.

You will see from my CV that I have gained a wealth of HR experience over the last few years. In addition

to some voluntary HR work I completed a full-time 12 month sandwich placement, where I used my strong

organisational skills by implementing a training plan for new recruits. I built strong relationships with staff by

offering support and dealing with enquiries efficiently. My understanding of the HR environment has been

reinforced through my current part-time HR Assistant role where I have taken responsibility for managing

employee records and advising staff on a range of HR issues. I also meet with the HR Manager on a regular

basis to analyse training needs for staff.

In addition to my HR work experience I also have good administrative and customer service experience. In

these roles I focused on communicating effectively and working closely with other team members to carry

out group tasks. I further enhanced my ability to integrate well in a team by volunteering in Bolivia to build

a school and teach English to children. This exciting opportunity also enabled me to improve my Spanish

language skills, which I hope will be useful when speaking with staff from your office in Madrid, should I be

offered the position.

I selected all the HR modules on my Business Studies degree, providing me with CIPD exemptions. I thor-

oughly enjoyed my degree programme and feel that the range of modules I selected provided me with

a good grounding in understanding the finance environment. I regularly read the Financial Times and HR

publications, such as Personnel Today to improve my understanding of key issues and developments in the

sectors.

I am passionate about pursuing a HR career and feel I could make a real contribution to Taylor Smiths Ltd.

I hope that on consideration of my CV you will be persuaded of my ability to succeed in the graduate HR

role. I can be available for interview at any time and look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Jonathan Khan

many thanks for taking the time to review my cV and covering letter and providing such great feedback. i shall amend it as advised. once again thank you very much for your time it is greatly appreciated.

thank you so much for providing me with your invaluable feedback. i am grateful to you for taking the time to support me.

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student feedback

thanks, i really appreciate the time and effort you have given me and, don’t think my cV, covering letter and chance of getting a job would be anywhere near as good without your involvement.


Getting the Job

Many employers, especially large graduate recruiters and public

sector organisations like the NHS or local councils, require candidates to complete an application form as the first stage of the recruitment process. Using application forms allows recruiters to collect information that is specific to the job requirements and that helps them assess how your education, work or voluntary work experience, skills and extracurricular activities relate to the vacancy.

A standard application form usually requires you to complete sections on your personal details, education and qualifications, work history, supporting information and references. Apart from the supporting information, these sections should be relatively straightforward for you to complete and you can copy relevant details from your CV. The supporting information section is hugely important and needs to be tailored to the individual role, because this is where you need to convince the employer that you are the right candidate for the job and discuss why you would like to work for their organisation. In this section, you should address the job requirements outlined on the person specification one by one providing convincing evidence for your suitability and including key words from the job advert.

Instead of the supporting information section, some application forms use a list of specific questions (usually competency-based questions) to assess your suitability for the role. These could include questions like:

• Please provide an example from your extra-curricular activities of when you have worked with others to achieve a common goal.

• Tell us about a time when you needed to organise time and resources to complete a project.

• What has motivated you to apply for the Network Rail Graduate Scheme and why have you chosen this particular role?

• Please give an example of a challenge that you have set yourself and describe how you have gone about achieving it.

• Describe a situation of when you made a mistake when dealing with a patient/representative which could have or did affect patient safety. What actions did you take and what have you learnt as a result?

The best approach to answer these questions and to provide evidence in the supporting information section is using the STAR structure. STAR is a simple strategy that will help you focus your answer and stands for:

• Situation: briefly describe the context for your example. When was this? Where was this?

• Task: describe what you had to do. What were you hoping to achieve?

• Action: describe what you did to achieve the task, how you did it and what skills you used.

• Result: briefly describe the outcome. What did you learn? Would you do anything differently in hindsight?

NB: Sometimes STAR is also referred to as BAR or CAR, where the ST is replaced by B for Background or C for Context, and this works just as well.

Application forms are usually the first stage of the recruitment process. Employability Adviser Anja Heid offers some tips to impress employers.

application forms: be a star applicant


Getting the Job

Top tips for completing application forms:

• Read through the whole form before you start filling it in so you can collect any relevant information you need to complete the form. Research the organisation thoroughly and analyse the person specification so you are familiar with the job requirements and can show employers that you have done your homework.

• Avoid spelling mistakes, grammatical errors and text-speak. Some graduate recruiters reject more than half of all applications because of the poor standard of English on the application forms. For online applications, draft your answers in Word, and spellcheck them before copying and pasting onto the form. Ask a friend or family member to proofread your answers.

• Answer the questions! It can be tempting to use answers from previous application questions but these might not cover all aspects required for a similar question. Read each question carefully and check that your answer provides all the necessary details. Keep within any given word limits.

• Sell yourself! The application form might only be the first stage of the recruitment process, but if you are too modest or too unspecific in your answers, you are unlikely to make it to the next stage. Ensure your evidence is recent, relevant and reflects the skills and knowledge required for the role.

• And finally, keep a copy of the completed

application form. As you will be likely to fill in several application forms, it will be useful to have a record of each application to prepare for a potential interview or assessment centre.

Help and support available from the World of Work Careers Centre

• World of Work Skills Certificate: Completing this certificate will make you a STAR applicant as it gives you the chance to practice selling yourself to employers both on paper and in an interview situation. The Bronze, Silver and Gold stage will allow you to practice writing competency-based statements and improve your self awareness and organisational awareness. Sign up for the process via http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/worldofwork

• Ready for Work sessions: Our workshop “The Art of Job Application Forms” will help you understand the key principles behind successful job applications, why employers ask certain things and give you an insight into good practice when applying for jobs in the UK. To check dates and register for a session, please go to https://worldofwork.ljmu.ac.uk/events/

• One-to-one support: Our team of Employability Advisers will be happy to give you tailored advice on completing application forms. To make an appointment for some one-to-one feedback, please call the World of Work Careers Centre on 0151 231 8099 (option 1).

Please describe a time when you had to negotiate with another person.

situation:Last year, I worked as a mentor/facilitator to a group of students on the Aim Higher project to encourage pupils from non-traditional backgrounds to consider applying for university.

task:I was asked to design and deliver a 20 minute presentation to a class of Year 10 Gifted and Talented pupils to outline the benefits of entering Higher Education

action:I contacted the school to find out further information such as the size of the group, what information they had received, the main issues they would see as barriers and details of the venue and equipment available. From this, I was able to focus on the objectives of the presentation and develop a suitable structure which would engage the group. I pitched the presentation at an appropriate level and used language, examples and graphics that they could relate to. I structured the session into short sections and made sure I explained any terms they may not be familiar with such as ‘semester’ and ‘dissertation’. The session began with a brief interactive activity in order to build a rapport with the pupils. I also included an activity at the end of the session in order to check their understanding of the information and assess any areas of misunderstanding. I practised the delivery of the presentation several times before the day so I felt comfortable with the content and the flow of the session.

result:I felt confident whilst delivering the presentation due to my preparation and the pupils asked lots of questions which showed their enthusiasm. The feedback I received from the school staff was very positive and they have asked me to deliver the same session to the Year 9 group.

example:


Getting the Job

Why not arrange a mock interview with an experienced Careers Adviser

or Trainer who can give you personal feedback before the real thing?

Interviews can be nerve wracking and stressful situations - but don’t panic. A few simple techniques, good preparation and some positive thinking can do wonders to reduce your stress levels and help you shine.

What to do before, during and after the interview…

Before the interview ...

Preparation: Thorough preparation is the key to a successful interview. One of the main ways to prepare is to research:

• Research the organisation – this demonstrates how interested and enthusiastic you are about working for the organisation and will help you prepare some questions to ask them at the end. All employers will expect you to display

some understanding of what they do and the sector in which they operate!

• Research yourself – think about your strengths and demonstrate self-awareness. What makes you the best candidate for the post? Look at the job description and/or person specification and make sure you can give at least one positive example (preferably more) for each of the skills and attributes the employer is seeking.

• Anticipate the questions - It is often possible to predict the kind of questions you may get by looking at the Job Description and/or Person Specification or the organisation's key competencies. These provide the selection criteria for the job and they will ask you questions in order to determine whether or not you have the skills listed to do the job effectively.

There are however, some common interview questions which will often come up…..

Practical issues - Practical preparation can often be overlooked but don’t forget this

Preparation is the key to a successful interview - Hayley Fallon explains what you can do to make a good impression and boost your chances of success.

• Tell me about yourself• Why have you applied for this

particular role?• Why do you want to work

for this organisation?• What skills can you bring to

this job?• What do you consider to be

your greatest achievement and why?

• What are your views on...? (current issue related to the industry/sector)

You’re hired! top tips for interviews

common interview Questions:


Getting the Job

when preparing for your interview. Plan your day so that you arrive as calm, collected and professional as you can be! Find out what the format of the interview is. Where will it be? Do you need to take anything? What are you going to wear? Do you need over night accommodation? etc

During the Interview ...

First impressions: First impressions are crucial. Studies have shown that employers form judgements about you within the first four minutes of meeting you. Give a good impression to your interviewer from the very first moment. Be on time, shake hands confidently, smile and introduce yourself. Walk tall, maintain eye contact, sit upright, talk clearly and be enthusiastic and positive. With thorough preparation, you are in a good position to respond effectively to questions

and display knowledge of yourself, the job and the organisation. When answering avoid yes/no answers, seek clarification if needed, listen to the questions, be positive and use examples from different experiences.

To give structure to your answers and give evidence of your skills the STAR technique can be very useful. This technique was discussed in more detail on p.32. This strategy will help you to focus your answers and demonstrate your competencies to the recruiter.

After the interview ...

Learn from the experience:

• Note down some of the questions they asked. Were you satisfied with your answers or could you do better next

time? This will help you prepare for the next stage of the process or get ready for interviews with other employers.

• If they don’t contact you when they said they would, or if it has been more than two weeks, try ringing to check the situation.

• Get feedback from the interview if you have been unsuccessful, this can be invaluable and most recruiters are happy to provide it.

If you have an interview coming up and would like to practise your technique then you can book a one-to-one mock interview at the World of Work Careers Centre. Or you can attend a ‘Preparation for Interviews’ workshop. To book a place visit:www.ljmu.ac.uk/worldofwork or call 0151 231 8099.

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at wirral council we are only allowed to ask questions based on the person specification. candidates should therefore use this document and analyse it step by step to work out likely questions or issues that will be raised. the person specification tells you what we are looking for so use it!

Colin Clayton, Environmental Health Manager, Wirral Council


Getting the Job

The two main types of psychometric tests used are ability (or sometimes

called aptitude) tests and personality questionnaires.

Ability Tests: These are formal tests designed to indicate how well you are able to carry out various aspects of a job i.e. to show employers your potential to do a task well. The tests can be done online or as a paper based test and are usually a series of multiple choice questions taken under strict time limits. Increasingly online tests are used early in the selection process with candidates being asked to sit a similar test in person, should they progress to a later stage of assessment or selection.

The most common tests used by graduate recruiters are:• verbal tests - such as verbal reasoning,

analysis and word sort;• numerical tests - such as reasoning,

analysis and sequential tests;• diagrammatic and spatial

reasoning - testing your sense of logic and visual thinking and organisation skills;

• specific tests - for example, syntax for computer programming, data checking or mechanics.

How can you prepare for all this?If you have special requirements it is advisable to declare this beforehand. The organisation may be able to make adjustments, allow you extra time or grade your results more appropriately.

Other tips include:• Call to ask if the employer will tell you

broadly what types of test you will have to complete if they have not given any information;

• Try as many practice exercises as

possible using the resources below • Listen to or read instructions carefully,

and don’t be afraid to ask if you do not understand what to do.

• Keep calm, and take a few deep breaths

before starting the test. • Many ability tests are designed to ask

more questions than an average person can answer in the time allowed. If it looks as though you will not finish in time do not worry, just do your best to answer as many questions as you can correctly.

• Many tests do not take points off for wrong answers. Listen to what the test administrator says or carefully read the instructions given. You should be told if

wrong answers are penalised so it would be better not to guess your answer.

• Make sure you know what you have to do before the test starts.

• Remember you can go back and consult

the instructions during the test if you are unsure of something.

• Do not spend too much time on any one question. Unless expressly told to work through the questions in order, just move on if you really get stuck.

• If you do find yourself with some free time at the end of the test, go back and check your answers.

The World of Work Careers Centre offers an online practice ability test. Please ring 0151 231 8099 (option 2) for more information.

Personality Questionnaires: These look at behavioural preferences, that is, how you like to work. They are not concerned with your abilities, but how you see yourself in terms of your personality; for example, the way you relate to others, and how you deal with feelings and emotions. There are no rights or wrongs in behavioural style, although some behaviours may be more or less appropriate to certain situations. However, the best advice is to be honest in the way you answer the questions.

Most large organisations use tests of some type as part of their recruitment process as research has shown that they are the best single predictor of performance. Careers Adviser Jan Logan explains what they entail.

psychometric tests

www.shldirect.com/example_questions.htmlwww.aptitudetestsonline.com/http://practicetests.cubiks.com/www.kenexa.com/assessments/assessment_guidancewww.morrisby.com/www.careerplayer.com/psychometrics.aspxwww.keirsey.com/www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/

i came in to do the practice numerical psychometric tests in preparation for my re-test at co-op. just to let you know i did the re-test yesterday and passed it and now have my job offer for the finance graduate scheme! thanks for your help with this.

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the following links will give you more information about ability tests and personality Questionnaires, some have free questions you can do or the option to pay for access to on-line tests.


Getting the Job

Forums The Officers

Advice Centre

Hall Reps

Course Reps

Give It A Go

Campaigns Student Shops

Societies & Clubs

Mature StudentNetwork Scholars Bar

Better University, Better City and Better Union. Discussing the issues that matter to the student body, to bring about positive change.

An elected student officer team there to listen to the voices of the students at LJMU and lobbying for positive change.

Offering professional, confidential, free advice to all students on an appointment basis.

Offering opportunities to try new extracurricular activities from The Chill Factor to Blackpool!

We encourage, support and lead campaigns on a national and local level to benefit students and the communities they live in.

Providing you with all your snack, stationery and merchandise requirements.

Expand your circle of friends and learn new skills through the vast number of sports clubs and societies on offer at LJMU.

Offering the opportunity to meet other mature students with regular events whilst having a chance to campaign on issues.

Looking for somewhere to grab a quick bite, unwind with friends, start a night out or watch live sporting events? Head to Scholars Bar!

Making living in halls more enjoyable by talking to students in halls and arranging events.

Improving the University experience by working closely with students about their education.

Are you making the most of your time at LJMU?

PresidentPaul Abernethy0151 231 [email protected]

Vice President Academic QualityKate Wilkinson0151 231 [email protected]

Vice President CommunityCurtis Reid0151 231 [email protected]

Vice President ActivitiesTom Aldus0151 231 [email protected]

The Officer Team

A4 full page advert.indd 1 28/06/2012 14:30

assessment centres

The next stage in the graduate recruitment process is often an

invitation to attend an Assessment Centre or Selection Centre event. Assessment Centres are costly both in terms of financial outlay and staff resources so tend to be used mainly by larger organisations who offer structured graduate training programmes.

If you have been invited to an Assessment Centre then congratulations! You have done really well to get this far but remember careful preparation and research continue to be vital ingredients for ultimate success.

What are they?The Assessment Centre is generally a one day event held in a training centre, hotel, conference centre or the employer’s own premises. Other applicants who have been successful in the first round of the selection process will also be present, usually placed in groups of between six and eight candidates.

Through group exercises, further interviews, tests, presentations and in-tray exercises

the selectors will have a chance to examine your potential as an employee in their organisation more closely. The activities will have been devised to highlight the attributes they require for the particular role you have applied for. It is an intensive day during which you will be under constant scrutiny and formal and informal assessment, even at meal times.

What will the day include?Not all Assessment Centres are the same, but they will usually include a combination of the following activities:

Group Exercises:Group exercises are always observed by a number of assessors each charged with noting the performance of a particular individual. Try to block out the observer’s presence and act in as natural a way as possible. The observer will be briefed to look for specific skills and qualities. Consider in advance the positive contribution you can make to the group. You will need to actively participate and to ensure that you

get your views across but do not feel that you need to dominate proceedings as such individuals can be marked down for their lack of inclusivity. You could suggest the allocation of specific roles to the group or volunteer to keep an eye on the time. The observer will be looking for someone who contributes to the group situation by encouraging comments, analysing situations, summarising and giving direction to the discussion along with: • good attention to detail, ability to grasp

the task in hand and stick to it • enthusiastic participation in discussion• willingness to take on a leadership role,

evidence of thinking problems through• ability to listen to, and communicate with

others• flexibility and the ability to change

direction at short notice and accept different views

In-tray/individual exercises:This could involve sorting through a folder of information from various sources including letters, memos, telephone

Assessment centres are another tool employers use to find the best graduates for their positions. Careers Adviser Liz Harrison explains how to suceed if you are invited to one.


Getting the Job

The World of Work Careers Centre run a two hour workshop session offering the opportunity to gain a practical insight and experience of typical assessment centre activities.

For more details about the session or to book a place please register via our events page:

https://worldofwork.ljmu.ac.uk/events/

messages and be asked to find a solution to a particular situation using this information. This is also often done via an email inbox (e-tray exercise). The recruiter will be looking for evidence that you can assimilate details, prioritise, make effective decisions, work quickly and accurately, communicate in writing and work under pressure.

Presentations:In most cases you will be given advanced warning of this and asked to prepare a presentation on a specific theme to a set timescale. Your presentation should be engaging, well structured and researched ideally using a wide range of resources. You must strictly adhere to the time limit and demonstrate that you are able to communicate with the audience. Be prepared to answer questions at the end. It is important to rehearse your presentation

and to seek feedback from a member of the World of Work Careers Centre team or family and friends. You will also need to check what equipment is available to you and bring copies of your presentation in both electronic and hard copy format as back up.

Interview:Any interview(s) at this stage will explore your experience in more depth and will typically assess you against a list of pre-agreed competencies linked to the role. It is useful to refer back to your original application and anticipate more probing questions into your technical knowledge, motivations for joining the company, reasons for applying for that particular function, and possibly discussion of your actions and experiences at the Assessment Centre.

preparation: next steps

let me take this opportunity to thank you and the world of work careers centre for all of your support throughout my job hunting process. the various workshops i did at the centre certainly helped me to know what to expect at the assessment centre. the mock interview especially helped me to think about and develop a ‘pool’ of situations to draw examples from. Your detailed feedback was most useful, and is a service i am strongly encouraging my uni friends to take advantage of!

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i would like to thank you for all the help with assessment centres i have received from you in regards to the bat Graduate scheme in poland. i have been successful and got offered a job in warsaw. overall 6000 people applied for 37 positions within europe.

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Getting the Job

Organisational awareness simply means being able to demonstrate an insight

into the organisation and sector you are considering as an employment option: how it functions, the environment it operates in and who its customers are.

This is important because by developing your organisational awareness you will be able to make informed decisions about the type of work you wish to secure. By ensuring that your own values and ethics match that of an organisation, you are taking a significant step towards employment which will be motivating and rewarding. Also, at both application and interview stages, employers will be looking for evidence that you understand their organisation. They want to recruit people who care about what the

organisation does and who have considered whether they will fit in well and be able to add value.

To assess this, employers will ask questions such as:

• Why do you want to enter this industry?

• What do you know about our organisation?

• What are our main products/services? • What do you think the job you would

be doing involves? • What are the challenges facing our

industry at this time? • What changes have there been in our

industry recently? • Who are our competitors? What are

the differences between them and us? • Who are our clients? • How do you keep up to date with

current issues in the sector?

There are many resources available to you to research an organisation and the sector in which it operates. One of the first places to start is the organisation’s website. It’s likely that you will find lots of relevant information here about the history, function, mission, structure, values and culture of the organisation. Take a look at the ‘working with us’ pages for an insight into what they are looking for in their employees and consider if you are a good match. You may find information published for stakeholders, such as investors, particularly useful. Read recent annual reports with details of its

organisational awareness

Organisational or commercial awareness is vital if you are to impress at interview. Trainer Colette Ashbrook explains what it means and what you have to know.


Getting the Job

performance, to analyse key trends for the organisation – very useful to generate a well informed interview.

You should also analyse the job description and person specification for the role you are interested in. This should help you to identify how to best demonstrate that you meet all of the requirements for the role and produce a suitably tailored application.

Don’t be afraid to contact the organisation directly for further information. Employers often value candidates who show a genuine interest by asking for a short meeting or telephone conversation to discuss the role and support their research. Joanne MacDonnell, Head of Nursing for 5 Boroughs Partnership Foundation Trust in Warrington says “I’m really appreciative of the people who make the effort to phone you or come to see you before an interview. They are

showing that they have a real commitment to the job and they haven’t just filled out ten application forms online and that any of them will do”.

Social networks can also be a great way to find out accurate, up to date information about an organisation. For example, you can research a company on LinkedIn and make contact with current employees to help you to develop an insight into what it’s like to work there and the sector in general. Twitter is also a useful tool by following people who are posting relevant information about their employer or industry. Similarly, a company’s pages on Facebook can have valuable information for anyone looking to build a profile of the organisation.

Equally, employers are looking for candidates who can demonstrate that they understand the environment that the organisation

operates in. Specific research into the sector or industry can be done by keeping updated with industry publications and professional bodies. You may also want to look at recent market research reports for information on developments, trends, key players and current issues – all good topics for interview questions.

Finally, a good grasp of business issues will ensure that a potential employer views you as being commercially aware. You should be able to analyse and evaluate the impact of issues in areas such as politics, the economy, society and technology on the organisation. Following the organisation for a month in the business press should give you a good insight and support your understanding of your chosen organisation and industry.

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Go to the World of Work

Careers Centre website at:

www.ljmu.ac.uk/worldofwork

preparation: next stepsThe World of Work Careers Centre run a workshop on Organisational Awareness, which is also the second stage of the World of Work Skills Certificate. You can register for the workshop via our events page: https://worldofwork.ljmu.ac.uk/events

by ensuring that your own values and ethics match that of an organisation, you are taking a significant step towards employment which will be motivating and rewarding.


Getting the Job

liverpoolSUliverpoolsU: enhance Your cV with the students' Union

Did you know that by getting involved with LiverpoolSU you could hugely increase your skills and employability, enhance your CV and improve your chances of finding a job once you leave University?

There are endless opportunities available to students who want to engage with

LiverpoolSU during their time at University. Whether you see yourself as the next President or the Captain of a sports team, if you are someone who wants to make a difference and improve the lives of students at LJMU, or perhaps you just want to earn some extra cash throughout your studies, why not utilise your skills and become part of an organisation that is dedicated to helping all LJMU students love student life!

LiverpoolSU is a student led organisation managed by a team of four Student Officers – the President and three Vice Presidents (Academic Quality, Activities and Community Engagement) - who are elected and held to account by the student body to represent their views and lobby for positive change to improve the experience of all LJMU students.

The Student Officers also sit on the Board of Trustees, the governing body within LiverpoolSU, which has overall responsibility for the management and administration of the organisation. Three other student Trustees also sit on the Board, these are the Chairs of the three forums; Better City, Better Union and Better University. The Chairs are elected each spring, and preside over the forums which allow students to debate and discuss issues that matter to them, as well as allowing students to hold the elected officers to account.

Jemma Dudley (pictured above) is one of LiverpoolSU’s many success stories, initially getting involved with the Students’ Union through joining a sports team before progressing to the roles of Course Rep,

Disability Rights Officer and Vice President Academic Quality.

Jemma said: “LiverpoolSU had such a positive impact on my life. Being involved gave me a great social, work and academic life at LJMU.

“I am now on the Co-operative Leadership Programme as a Graduate Projects Officer and being involved with LiverpoolSU, and the skills and experience gained here, was a key factor in helping me achieve this.”

You can also develop your skills and gain valuable experience by taking on representative roles such as Course Reps, Community Reps and Student Officers. Or there are opportunities for students and graduates to join the LiverpoolSU team as paid staff members; whether it is for a placement year or part-time employment in LiverpoolSU’s shops, cafes and bar. Each year LiverpoolSU employs six placement students to work as Student Voice Co-ordinators, Student Community Co-ordinators and Student Group Co-ordinators.

As well as creating policy and campaigning on behalf of LJMU students, LiverpoolSU also offers students the opportunity to be a part of many sports teams, clubs and societies, all of which are run by individual student committees. Being a member, or committee member, of a club or society can be a highly rewarding experience, as well as a fun way to socialise and meet new people.

Sam Pullinger is the Chairman/player of LJMU men’s football team and a PhD student. As the head of a sports team Sam has worked closely with LiverpoolSU during his time at LJMU.

He said: “Being a member of the football team is having a life changing impact on my future.

“Not many of my peers can say they have been in charge of 80 individuals, managed finances, worked to a budget and co-ordinated a number of events.”


Jobs & Other Opportunities

liverpoolSU

For more information on how to get involved visit www.liverpoolsu.com, check out our facebook page; liverpool students’ Union, or follow us on twitter @liverpoolsU.

You can also develop your skills and gain valuable experience by taking on representative roles such as course reps, community reps and student officers. or there are opportunities for students and graduates to join the liverpoolsU team as paid staff members.

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Jobs & Other Opportunities

Enterprise Management Training ProgrammeIf you’re planning on writing your own success story, you should take a leaf out of our book. After all, we have a global turnover of more than $12 billion, plus 3,400 people in the UK and Ireland alone.

Our Management Training Programme is just as impressive. For a start, you’ll be able to take advantage of extra fast progression and a super speedy route to management with an organisation that loves to promote from within. The fact is, if you work hard at Enterprise, you could be managing your own branch a little less than two years after you join.

Quick? Certainly. Possible? Definitely. Our training and support are second to none, and you’ll be working alongside like-minded people in the branch, each one of whom will want to meet targets just as much as you – it really is teamwork at its finest. And while the challenges can be tough, we believe in having fun too. Because when you feel good, you learn more and progress faster.

Start getting ahead of yourself by visiting www.enterprisealive.co.uk/liverpool or call 0870 850 1232.

With a Management Training Programme as successful as ours, it’s easy to start getting ahead of yourself.

STUDIIS DIVISI. VOL ANDO SOCIA I R.A.F. V. R T

UNI

VERS

ITY OF LIVERPOOL AIR SQUADRON

When it comes to achieving commercial success through ethical means, we’re something of an expert. In fact the good of our customers, communities and the wider world is at the heart of all our business decisions and every single thing that we do. As one of our pioneering graduates, we want you to share our passion. And, by joining one of our five graduate programmes – in HR, Finance, Retail Operations, IT or Business Management – you can enjoy some pretty exciting career growth too.

BECOME A PIONEER: CO-OPERATIVE.JOBS/GRADUATES Finance | Business Management | Retail | HR | IT

FROM BEING THE FIRST BUSINESS TO SELL FAIRTRADE IN THE UK, TO BEING THE FIRST CHOICE FOR ETHICALLY MINDED PEOPLE.What will you pioneer?

Join us°DWF is a business law firm with a distinctive approach, providing a comprehensive range of legal services to corporate bodies, public sector institutions and private individuals. DWF was named “Best National Law Firm” at the 2011 Legal Business Awards.

Looking for the opportunity to take your career further? We are currently looking for a range of lawyers and graduates to join our growing offices across the UK. Working with us you’ll be entitled to a contributory pension scheme, private healthcare, 25 days holiday, life assurance and a discretionary bonus scheme. Applications or enquiries can be made to Alexandra Sutcliffe at [email protected] or call 0161 838 0144. All applications are treated in the strictest confidence.

Find out what it’s like to work at DWF, meet our people at www.dwf.co.uk/join-us

Want to be part of something different?

Then join LiverpooL

UniversiTy Air sqUAdron

And LeArn To FLy, CAnoe, KAyAK, CAve, roCK CLiMB, iCe CLiMB, GLide, hAnG GLide, pArAGLide, MoUnTAineer, MoUnTAin BiKe, sAiL, sKi, WATer sKi, sKydive, sCUBA dive, pLAy FooTBALL, hoCKey, rUGBy, Tennis, BAdMinTon, visiT rAF sTATions ThroUGhoUT The UK: WorK And pLAy hArd!

Why bother?Because We DO IT ALL and MORE

There is no obligation to join the Royal Air Force, just a commitment to enjoy life to the full!

Find our stand at the following Freshers fairs; LIVERPOOL, BANGOR, LANCASTER

Or for more information then contact: LIVERPOOL UNIVERSITY AIR SQUADRON (LUAS), RAF WOODVALE, FORMBY, MERSEYSIDE, L37 7AD. TEL: 01704 872287 EXT 7268/7264

OR WWW.LIVERPOOLUAS.COM


The AldiGraduate Area

Management ProgrammeGraduate Positions

Available Nationwide£40,000 rising to £63,500 after four years.

Currently number four in the Times Top 100 list of graduate employers, Aldi offers a market-leading package in return for a demanding Area Management

training role. There are more than 100 graduate positions available nationwide, with applications being taken throughout 2012-2013. For more information on

Aldi and its Graduate Area Management Programme please visit www.aldirecruitment.co.uk

Think you’ve got what it takes? Super. Apply online now.

aldirecruitment.co.uk

A Nuclear Management Partners company operated under contract to the NDA

Sellafield Limited Graduate and Student OpportunitiesSellafield Site, Cumbria and Risley, Warrington

Sellafield Ltd is the company responsible for safely delivering decommissioning, reprocessing, nuclear waste management and fuel manufacturing activities on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

Sellafield Ltd has the largest concentration of nuclear expertise in Europe, with over 50 years of experience.

Sellafield Limited has a range of opportunities for engineering and scientific students and graduates to join our organisation:

Graduate ProgrammeIn this graduate opportunity, you will gain a wide range of experience in one of our key areas. Depending on your degree, you will join the Plant engineering, Design engineering, Technical support, Environmental Management, Project Management or Safety team. Initially, you will work across a wide range of projects, supported by your line manager and an independent professional mentor. You’ll have the opportunity to experience a wide range of projects and operations and develop a deep knowledge of one of the world’s most complex and challenging engineering sectors.

Student ProgrammesAs a placement student you’ll work on live projects and manage real responsibilities. The hands-on experience we can offer will provide you with all the necessary business skills and educational knowledge you will need upon embarking into the real world of work. We recognise the importance of student placements and are pleased to offer the following:Summer Vacation Work (10 weeks) Industrial Placements (12 months)

For further information about the posts and how to apply, please visit:www.sellafieldsites.com/careers

Sellafield Ltd is an equal opportunities employer

smallerearth

www.smallerearth.com

Work & Travel, Internship & Volunteering opportunities worldwide. Broaden your horizons by enhancing your CV and exploring the globe with Smaller Earth.

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 0151 702 6808


We offer part time work that fits round your academic studies with all types of new and valued skill sets. We find jobs for graduates at different stages within their career across a wide range of industries.

contact us: [email protected]

follow us on:facebook: Work banktwitter: Theworkbank_JMU

the workbankthe haigh building

maryland streetliverpool l1 9de

WORkbANk iS thE PLACE tO COME

0151 231 4964

YOur WOrld OF WOrk netWOrkThe World of Work Careers Centre run a series of careers and employability workshops as well as employer-led events throughout the year which give you the chance to network with national graduate recruiters and local employers to discuss potential opportunities. They include:

Keep an eye on our Events System for time, dates and details of careers sessions and employer sessions both at the World of Work Careers Centre and in faculties at:

world of work in conversation

Q&As

employer days

careers presentations

guest lectures

networking events

WORLD OF WORKCAREERS CENTRE

https://worldofwork.ljmu.ac.uk/events

Follow us

@LJMU_Enterprise LJMU Start-Up Entrepreneurs Network

C E N T R E F O R E N T R E P R E N E U R S H I P

LIVERPOOL JOHN MOORES UNIVERSITY

Centre for Entrepreneurship Liverpool John Moores University

Ground floor

Rodney House

70 Mount Pleasant

Liverpool

L3 5UX

T: 0151 231 3300

E: [email protected]

W: www.ljmu.ac.uk/startup

TALK TO US:

VISIT US:BECOME YOUR OWN BOSSEver thought of going into business for yourself? If so, you should visit our Centre for Entrepreneurship.

This activity is part of the NW HE Enterprise Champions Project

LIVERPOOLJOHN MOORESUNIVERSITY

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Follow us

@LJMU_Enterprise LJMU Start-Up Entrepreneurs Network

C E N T R E F O R E N T R E P R E N E U R S H I P

LIVERPOOL JOHN MOORES UNIVERSITY

Centre for Entrepreneurship Liverpool John Moores University

Ground floor

Rodney House

70 Mount Pleasant

Liverpool

L3 5UX

T: 0151 231 3300

E: [email protected]

W: www.ljmu.ac.uk/startup

TALK TO US:

VISIT US:BECOME YOUR OWN BOSSEver thought of going into business for yourself? If so, you should visit our Centre for Entrepreneurship.

This activity is part of the NW HE Enterprise Champions Project


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www.ljmu.ac.uk/startup

The Centre for Entrepreneurship helps students and graduates of Liverpool John Moores University develop the skills to start up and succeed in business. Our dedicated team helps hundreds of students and graduates start businesses, become self-employed, establish freelance careers and launch a whole variety of products and services.

T: 0151 231 3300 @LJMU_EnterpriseE: [email protected] LJMU Start-Up Entrepreneurs Network

World of Work Careers CentreKingsway HouseHatton Garden

LiverpoolL3 2AJ

T: 0151 231 8099E: [email protected]

W: www.ljmu.ac.uk/worldofwork

LJMU WoW LJMUWoWLJMUWoW

WORLD OF WORKCAREERS CENTRE

Documents

LJMU Career Planning Guide