Job Hunting in the South Westor any other region

Sue BriaultCareers Adviser

versus

Creative and Active

Passive and Reactive

To make a good career choices we need to

• Have a thorough understanding of who we are and what we want in our work and life– Not sure what kind of work to go for? Use our

Pathfinder Pages on the web

• Gather accurate, up to date labour market information

• Combine and apply information about ourselves and the labour market in creative ways

Retention of Graduates in the SW• Around half of employed graduates in most subject groups retained by

the region• Produced fewer than a thousand more than local demand. • The region produced an unusually high number of employed media

studies graduates, and retained only 39% of them. • With the exception of nursing and social work the South West did not

show unusually high retention of any major subjects. • The region did show low retention of graduates in economics (21%),

mathematics (33%) and marketing (33%). The low retention despite apparent local graduate demand does raise questions as to whether retention can be improved.

• Source: Graduate regional mobility (Winter 08/09) Prospects.ac.uk

New graduates in the SW

• 40.8% of graduates from 2005/6 employed in the South West six months after graduating were domiciled and had studied in the region. The majority of new nurses, primary teachers, social workers and midwives in the region were in this Loyal category.

• 30.6% of employed 2005/6 graduates were Returners coming back to the region after studying elsewhere. Office work, retail, childcare and advertising were popular roles for this group, and the majority of new probation officers in the region were Returners.

• 14.3% were Stayers, remaining in the region after gaining their degree despite not being domiciled there originally. Although they did not dominate any one kind of job in the region, they were likely to be working as junior doctors, as retail and office workers, in IT and in business and finance.

• Almost the same proportion, 14.3%, of graduates from 2005/6 employed in the region six months after graduating , were Incomers who had not taken their degree at a South West university and were not originally domiciled there. This group included nearly half of the new junior doctors starting work in the region and also a higher proportion than the other employment groups of engineers, accountants and vets.

What do graduates do?

Table 1. Graduate employment categories for graduates working in the South West six months after graduating from 2003/4 to 2005/6

2003/4 2004/5 2005/6

Traditional graduate occupations 9.8% 10.2% 10.6%

Modern graduate occupations 12.2% 12.3% 13.7%

New graduate occupations 14.5% 14.9% 15.5%

Niche graduate occupations 21.5% 21.5% 22.4%

Non-graduate occupations 42.1% 41.2% 37.8%

All Graduates in SW• >30% of the working age population in the region are educated to

degree level: 38% in Bath and North East Somerset and 33.3% in Bristol

• 85% of graduates are employed in a permanent graduate level job. • 10% of graduates working here are self-employed - more than any

other English region. • The Education sector has the highest number of graduates - just

over 62% of employees. • South West graduates earn around 91% of the UK average salary.

• Graduates in the South West spend on average 27 minutes

commuting to work.

Source: South West Observatory and Where Next www.bath.ac.uk/careers/springboard/wherenext.html

Know Your Job Market

Labour market in SW

• Manufacturing in the SW provides one in eight jobs but employment is steadily falling in line with the national decline in manufacturing

• Public Sector accounts for 4 in every 10 jobs and distribution 3 in 10

Source: South West Observatory

Specialisms and Growth areas

• Advanced engineering -– Airbus, BAE Systems, Rolls Royce, Honda and West Pharmaceutical Services– Aerospace Bristol, Automotive (Swindon), Measuring Instruments and medical devices

(Gloucestershire)• Biomedical and Healthcare (Bristol/Bath and Exeter/Plymouth)

– AstraZeneca, GW Pharmaceuticals and Vectura • Creative Industries (Bristol, Wessex, Gloucestershire and Plymouth areas)

– advertising, architecture, film and video, music, the performing arts, publishing, software and computer games, and television and radio

– Aardman Animation, Twofour Productions, BBC and HP Labs • Environmental Technologies

– Halcrow, Johnson Matthey and GeoScience Ltd – Biotechnology, waste management, pollution control

• Food and Drink• Information Communication Technology

– Elixent, STMicroelectronics, Motorola, Orange and QinetiQ. – Wireless, photonics, Ssemiconductors,software,supercomputing– Bristol area has more silicon chip designers apart from USA

• Leisure and Tourism• Marine Source: Grad South West

Bath and North East Somerset• Bath and North East Somerset Council Approx 6400

• Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust Approx 3500

• University of Bath Approx 2352

• Wessex Water 1500

• Helphire Group Plc.800

• Bath Spa University 700

• Future Publishing Ltd 650

• Yeo Valley Farms (Production) Ltd.600

• Walter Lawrence Civil and Mechanical Ltd 500

• Buro Happold 400

• Communisis BBF Composition and Plate Making 300

• Rotork Controls Ltd.Valve Manufacturers 300

• Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases 300

• The Bath Chronicle 300

• Welton Bibby & Baron Ltd.paper and paperboard manufacturer 300

• First in Somerset and Avon 300

• Jollys House of Fraser 250

• BMT Defence Services 230Source: http://www.business-matters.biz/site.aspx?i=pg46

Putting it together

• LMI can help you match your preferences to the world of work– LMI can prevent you looking for work that isn’t there

• LMI can help you target yourself at particular employers

• LMI can help you target particular job sectors• LMI can help you see real trends rather than

fads

So what do you need to do this?

• Knowledge - LMI• Information Skills – skills to apply the information

you find• Some lateral thinking ability to link information

and follow threads

How job adverts can help you

• Helps you identify companies rather than just jobs– E.g. Want to work in

publishing? Might see Finance job advertised

• Helps you see that certain jobs not available– E.g. Can’t be an

investment banker in Bath

• Higher level jobs may indicate lower level opportunities

• Helps you identify job roles in a wide variety of sectors

• Look for nuggets hidden in a lot of irrelevant jobs

• Maternity leave cover or temporary jobs can develop your experience

How to use job adverts

• Look at existing and old job advertisements• Ask people you know• Think about organisations you know about• Work your way through business magazines and financial columns

in the local press to find companies whose activities could create opportunities for you. Look out for news items, articles and annual reports referring to:

– commissioning of new factories or offices – the opening of new sales markets – introduction of new technology or work systems – launch of new products or services – organisations relocating – expansion in areas to which your skills are related – takeovers (planned or recent)

Identifying Potential Employers

• Define your geographical/travel to work area• Research the key players in the sector and

then their suppliers, distributors, competitors and customers (Top 100 Companies, Business Directories, Yellow pages)

• Identify individuals as well as organisations• Think small and big• Go walkabout

More resources

• Tap into local networks– Professional

• Identify local branch of relevant professional body for chosen field e.g. Institute of Marketing, CIPD

– Volunteering, civic projects or local action • Network with the people you meet

– graduate destination information • http://www.bath.ac.uk/careers/destinations/intro.html

Sources of Information

• GradSouthWest or regional alternative – http://www.tees.ac.uk/depts/careers/careers_help/library_region

al_list.cfm

• Regional Development Agency – http://www.englandsrdas.com/

• Chambers of Commerce– http://www.chamberonline.co.uk/

• www.bath.ac.uk/careers/springboard/region.html– Business West– Bath and North East Somerset Business Directory– Western Daily Press Business Guide– Resources for Business Start Ups

How CAS Can Help

• Information staff• Employer & Occupational Information• Information about Professional Bodies• Handouts/ Leaflets • My Future• Careers Advice (e.g. job hunting strategy, CV

feedback)• Guidance (e.g. best course of action, what area

of work to choose)

Any Questions?