Introduction to the Careers and Employability Service
Nicola UrquhartEmployability Adviser
What we will cover:• What is
employability?• What employability
skills are graduate recruiters looking for?
• How the Careers and Employability Service can help you.
• How to stay informed• Action points• Questions
What is Employability?
‘A set of attributes, skills and knowledge that all labour market participants should possess to ensure they have the capability of being effective in the workplace – to the benefit of themselves, their employer and the wider economy.’ (CBI, March 2009)
What employability skills are graduate recruiters looking for?
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Communication
Report writing
Team working
Leadership
Planning and organisation
Project management
Enterprise
Problem SolvingReflection
Adaptability
Energy
Drive and resilience
Integrity
Reliability
Enthusiasm/passion
Self awareness
Confidence
Contextual/cultural awareness
Capacity to develop
NumeracyPositive attitude
Business and customer awareness
IT skills
Why are employability skills so important?
• Increased competition – over 400,000 graduates leaving university each year.
‘Our latest UK recruitment campaign closed having attracted c.24500. The bank will offer c.475 places in 2012.’ HSBC newsletter April 2012
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Why are employability skills so important now?
Changing world of work:• Global economy• More career
changes• New technology• Roles change
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What employers say…
• "Few students are able to articulate what they have gained from their experience in higher education." (Association of Graduate Recruiters, 1995)
www.kent.ac.uk/ces Telephone: 01227 823299 Email: [email protected] hours: Monday to Friday 9 to 5 including vacations Drop-in times (no appointment needed): 10.30 to 12.30 & 2 to 5 pm
Careers and Employability Service
• Drop In - Quick Query• Careers Guidance Interviews• Careers Talks and Workshops• Careers Library: Employer Directories, Occupational
Profiles, Books etc• Comprehensive Web Pages • Careers Employability Award (CEM) on Moodle• Vacancy Database• Alumni Careers Network• Annual Careers and Recruitment Fair
Speak to an Adviser:
• Quick query, drop in and speak to an Adviser 10.30am -12.30pm and 2pm-5pm Monday to Friday.
• E mail @careerhelp and an Adviser will respond to your query.
• You can also book a longer career guidance appointment over the phone or pop in.
Attend Careers Talks and Workshops. Examples this term include: • Using Social Media to
enhance your employability • How to prepare a CV• Applying for a solicitor’s
training contract• Using Personal
Development Planning to enhance employability.
• More information available at www.kent.ac.uk/calandar
Use the Careers Library and Publications
• Graduate Directories • Postgraduate
Prospectuses• Various books and
publications• Career Planning Guide for
Undergraduates• The Creative Career
Search Booklet
Careers and Employability Service Web Pages
• I want to work in Creative Careers http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/workin/creative-careers.htm
• What can I do with my degree in Film Studies. http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/Film.htm
• Applications and Interviews (includes assessment centres and psychometric tests etc.) www.kent.ac.uk/careers/applicn.htm
• Example CVs & Covering Letterswww.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv/cvexamples.htm
• Interview Reports http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/ivreps/ivrepsmenu.htm
Careers Employability Award
• Indentifying and learning how to develop your employability skills and how to sell them to employers.
• Identifying your interests, values and personal styles and finding out which careers these relate to.
• Finding out about a particular career or industry.
• Preparing a quality CV and learning how to perform well at interview.
Moodle Careers Employability Award
• Assessed by a range of quizzes and assignments• Will greatly improve your career planning and job
hunting skills, giving you strategies to make career choices and will increase your chances of getting a graduate level job.
• Takes about 12 hours to complete• On completion you will get a University of Kent
Careers Employability Award to add to your CV • Get 40 Kent Employability points for successful
completion of the module.• www.kent.ac.uk/careers/moodle.htm
• “I liked the fact that the assignments relate to how you would fill in answers on a graduate job application step by step and provides examples of how to fill it in.”
• “I really enjoyed the quizzes. They effectively highlighted the gaps in my knowledge, as many of the answers surprised me. I also found the module on creating my own CV very useful, these skills will be invaluable for tailoring my CV to particular jobs.”
• “There is a wealth of information about everything; I especially liked the individual information about specific job types and the advice given about interview skills.”
Comments from students who have completed the award.
On successful completion you receive a University of Kent Careers Employability Award.
You can then add the following to your CV to show to employers. "On my own initiative I enrolled for and successfully completed the University of Kent Careers Employability Award which covered identification and development of employability skills, self-awareness, identification of relevant career options, researching opportunities, CV preparation and interview skills."
The Careers Employability Award
Vacancy Database
• All vacancies sent to the Careers and Employability Service by employers, whether for graduate jobs, sandwich placements or vacation work/internships are entered on this database which offers:
• A personalised search facility • Email alerts of new vacancies which may
interest you • Employers notifying vacancies are often
specifically targeting Kent graduates, so competition for jobs is lower than on other vacancy sites www.kent.ac.uk/careers/jobs/index.htm
KSCV Bronze
25 hours of volunteering
KSCV Silver
50 hours of volunteering 15 minute review with a
member of staff
KSCV Gold
100 volunteering hours Review 2 training sessions 750 words
Careers Network
• Helps current students gain an insight into careers through contact with alumni.
• Information and advice by letter/phone/email, work-shadowing.
• Visit the Careers Centre and ask to use the Careers Network.
Kent Grads
• KentGrads - database of companies in Kent who employ graduates, and who may, from time to time, have vacancies. It is not a list of current vacancies, but a resource to help you find possible employers.
• The site can list all the companies in the database grouped in one of a number of ways:
• by location in Kent , by the criteria you specify or by keywords. For example: if you can remember the surname of a particular contact at a company, but are unsure of the company name.
Employer events and information
• Employer talks on campus e.g. IBM, Coca Cola, Bloomberg, European Commission.
• Careers and Recruitment Fair 1st November Eliot Great Hall
• Working in Kent Pages www.kent.ac.uk/careers/kentopps.htm
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How to use CESBegin by doing some research
Perhaps into yourself (ideas, interests, preferences)
Then into your opportunities (use vacancy database, Directories)
Use IT: CES website
Attend talks/workshops/presentations etc
Quick Query at CES
1:1 careers interview
Employability Web Pages
• Volunteering (Kent Union)• Student Ambassadors Scheme • Employability Points• Opportunities to learn a language • Information on working/studying abroad• www.kent.ac.uk/employability
Stay up-to-date with what is happening
• www.kent.ac.uk/ces • www.kent.ac.uk/employability• Employability Newsletter• Follow us on Facebook at
University of Kent Student Employability www.facebook.com/UKCE
• Follow us on Twitter at @unikentemploy
• Check out your School website.
Action Points• Take advantage of all the
initiatives the university has to offer. www.kent.ac.uk/employability
• Register on the vacancy database – become aware of deadlines
• Make use of the Careers and Employability Service. www.kent.ac.uk/ces
• start NOW!
The University of KentCareers and Employability
Service
You can download a copy of this presentation at www.kent.ac.uk/careers/slides.htm