The Employability Service

1. The Employability Service David Bulmer

2. Services • Careers Advice • 20 minute drop in sessions for quick queries • Employability • Placements • Graduate careers • Longer appointments for specific issues • Career pathways guidance • Practise interviews • Completing application forms

3. Services • One to One Interview Slots • Employability Drop Ins • CVs and covering letters • Part time work and work experience • Placement Drop Ins • Placement search and applications • CVs and covering letters • Careers Drop Ins • Graduate job search and applications • CVs and covering letters

4. Services • Extensive Careers Resources • Concise Careers Guides • Available online and in print, guides on everything from covering letters and CVs to interviews and job searching • FAQs • Available online and in print, information on searching for a job in your field • Destinations • Available online, careers resource helping you design your career around your expertise and interests

5. Services • Online Job Shop • Part time and casual vacancies • Placements • Work experience • Graduate careers

6. Services • Help and support in finding placements • Dedicated staff members for placements • Placement drop in sessions • Longer sessions for advice and guidance on applications • Vetting of placement companies • Support during your placement

7. Services • Events • Jobs fairs and other employer events • Workshops on • CV’s • interview techniques • creative job hunting • Psychometric Testing sessions, for practise on some of the tools employers use when recruiting

8. Services • Careers Resources Centre • Student Life Centre, Borough Road • Hard copies of CCGs and FAQs • Prospects and other graduate directories • Job Shop employment search • Drop in sessions and other appointments

9. An Example CV • Take a look at the example CV • Make a note of anything that stands out • What would you suggest to improve it?

10. Creative Job Hunting

11. What is the Speculative Approach to Job Hunting? • A request for a job that you send to a company although the company has not advertised one (Financial Times Lexicon: http://lexicon.ft.com/ ) STEP 1) – INDUSTRY RESEARCH STEP 2) - SEARCH FOR SUITABLE ORGANISATIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES STEP 3) - PUT TOGETHER A SPECULATIVE APPLICATION STEP 4) – FOLLOW UP FOR FEEDBACK

12. Researching your Industry: • Trade Publications / Websites: • http://www.computerweekly.com/ • http://www.computing.co.uk/ • Careers Publications and Websites: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/http://targetjobs.co.uk/ • Networking & making links with those already working in the sector, information interviewing • Social Media – Linked In groups, Facebook Groups, Following relevant organisations on Twitter • Sector Skills Councils: http://www.e-skills.com/

13. Searching for Specific Organisations/ Opportunities • Online directories (good for geographical search) e.g. www.yell.comhttp://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/index.shtml • Sector - specific jobsites- examples: Jobserve: http://www.jobserve.com/gb/en/Job-Search/ • http://www.theitjobboard.co.uk • Sector – specific recruitment agencies: http://www.rec.uk.com/member-directory/details-rec-members • Networking online or face to face (e.g. sector-based events) • Leads from press articles in the sector • Where have other LSBU students from my course worked?

14. What are the Advantages of a Speculative Approach? • It unearths opportunities which aren’t advertised (hidden labour market)- between 70% and 80% of jobs are never advertised • If executed effectively, It impresses employersby showing that you have initiative/motivation and a genuine interest in their business • You may get signposted to other organisations/ opportunities • It can be combined with traditional techniques to help you maximise your opportunities (such as applying to adverts and searching online)

15. Any Disadvantages? • It takes time (often more time that traditional search methods)………..but this should be weighed against the potential for results • It requires confidence and assertiveness…..however if you can master these, this can be seen as an advantage- less jobseekers will choose these methods as they are perceived as more challenging

16. Some Rules for Speculative Applications • Research the company thoroughly beforehand and make sure you are clear about: -What they do & why -How they make a profit (if applicable) -Where they are based • Ensure your covering letter includes: - Your understanding of their activities - An explanation as to why you are interested in working with them - Relevant skills you can offer them

17. Some More Rules: • Avoid the “scattergun” approach • Always follow up by phone if you don’t hear anything- a short conversation sometimes goes a long way • Don’t be put off by knock-backs. If a particular organisation can’t help you, you can still ask for their advice/ opinions on the best way forward. You can still ask for their feedback on your application

18. Next Steps ? • Bring your CV in to be checked and get access to the university job shop website

19. Employability Skills • What skills would you think employers are specifically looking for?

20. Employability Skills • Self-management– readiness to accept responsibility, flexibility, resilience, self-starting, appropriate assertiveness, time management, readiness to improve own performance based on feedback/reflective learning. • Team working– respecting others, co-operating, negotiating/persuading, contributing to discussions, and awareness of interdependence with others. • Business and customer awareness– basic understanding of the key drivers for business success – including the importance of innovation and taking calculated risks – and the need to provide customer satisfaction and build customer loyalty

21. Employability Skills • Problem solving– analysing facts and situations and applying creative thinking to develop appropriate solutions. • Communication and literacy– application of literacy, ability to produce clear, structured written work and oral literacy - including listening and questioning. • Application of numeracy– manipulation of numbers, general mathematical awareness and its application in practical contexts (e.g. measuring, weighing, estimating and applying formulae). • Application of information technology– basic IT skills, including familiarity with word processing, spreadsheets, file management and use of internet search engines.

22. Employability Skills • Underpinning all these attributes, the key foundation, must be a positive attitude: • a 'can-do' approach • a readiness to take part and contribute • openness to new ideas • a drive to make these happen. • Employers also value entrepreneurial graduateswho demonstrate an innovative approach, creative thinking, bring fresh knowledge and challenge assumptions.

23. What You Need • Knowledge • The right specialist knowledge to get the job done • Skills • The ability to perform a set of specific and general tasks • Attitude • The right approach to work and life

24. What To Do Now • Firstly, do some thinking: • Work out what you want to achieve over the course of your degree • Work out what direction you’d like to go in when you graduate • Work out what you need to be able to do and know in order to get there

25. What To Do Now • Secondly, take some action • Get some experience • Volunteering • Part time work • Placements, work shadowing, work experience • Develop some skills • Learning Resource Centre • Students’ Union

26. What To Do Now • Thirdly, do some reflection • It’s important to be able to describe and sell the skills you’re developing • Keep a log, diary, journal or some other way of recording your personal development • It will be very useful when you come to CVs, cover letters, applications and interviews

27. Getting In Touch • Call the main Employability and Careers Service reception on 020 7815 6431 • Email questions or queries to sscareers@lsbu.ac.uk • Visit our website for information on services and timetables https://my.lsbu.ac.uk/page/employability • Come and see us; Student Life Centre

28. Any Questions?