How to Impress Employers & Get Placements
How to Impress Employers & Get Placements Booklets produced by Careers & Employability 50 Park Place. Booklets sponsored by , n o i t a m r o f n I Careers ice v d A & t r o p p Su tions Help ur ques o y r e w s n a ing to AS AN ACCA FINANCE PROFESSIONAL, YOU GET THE COMPLETE PICTURE CFP Student female A4.indd 1 Unlike some, ACCA accountants are properly grounded in all areas of business and finance including reporting, taxation and audit. This ensures truly forward looking ‘business ready’ finance professionals, more thoroughly prepared for strategic leadership roles. Find out more at www.accaglobal.com/ukgraduates [email protected] The global body for professional accountants 06/06/2013 15:00 CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 2 2. WHAT DO EMPLOYERS WANT FROM YOU? ...................................................................................... 2 2.1 EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS..................................................................................................................... 2 2.2 KNOWLEDGE ..................................................................................................................................... 4 2.2.1 COMMERCIAL AWARENESS .......................................................................................................... 6 2.2.2 SELF PROMOTION – MAKING AN IMPACT ................................................................................... 7 2.2.3 ONLINE PROMOTION .................................................................................................................... 8 2.2.4 PERSONAL TRAITS REQUIRED FOR CAREER SUCCESS .................................................................. 9 3. EXPERIENCE ...................................................................................................................................... 12 4. REFLECTION ...................................................................................................................................... 19 5. WHAT TO DO NEXT? ......................................................................................................................... 22 APPENDIX 1: EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS AUDIT ...................................................................................... 23 APPENDIX 2: GENERIC EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS FRAMEWORK ........................................................... 24 APPENDIX 3: STAR – HOW TO PRESENT INFORMATION..................................................................... 26 APPENDIX 4: TIPS ON SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE ...................................................................................... 27 APPENDIX 5: SOURCES OF WORK EXPERIENCE ................................................................................... 28 1 1. INTRODUCTION This booklet has been produced for students who would like to learn about the skills, traits and attributes that employers are looking for in newly qualified graduates. In particular, it will demonstrate the importance of gaining work experience and help you to become familiar with ways you can find it. It is essential that you leave university equipped with a good degree coupled with work experience and skills that can be utilised effectively in the workplace. The number of graduates entering the job market each year keeps increasing. At Cardiff University we have around 6000 individuals graduating each year. What does this mean for you? High competition for jobs - try multiplying 6000 by the number of Universities across the UK. You need to learn the key ways you can differentiate yourself – how you can stand out from the crowd. ‘More than a quarter of organisations have reduced their spending on recruitment this year ... over a third of this year’s entry level positions will be filled by graduates who have already worked for their organisation’ Graduate Market in 2013, High Fliers Research. 2. WHAT DO EMPLOYERS WANT FROM YOU? Employers look for a variety of different criteria when recruiting graduates into their organisations. An easy way to think about this is breaking it into the following areas: 1. 2. 3. 4. Employability skills Knowledge Experience Reflection By balancing your expertise across all these areas you can ensure that you give yourself the best chance possible of securing the work that you dream of. 2.1 EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS When we talk about ‘employability skills’ we are talking about the skills that employers are looking for in their new recruits. They will question you, and assess you, on these skills. You need to be able to provide evidence of these skills to impress them and be successful in securing work. These are the skills you will gain by completing work experience, placements and internships, as well as other activities, that give you experience in the work place. 2 The ‘employability skills’ provided below are generally considered as the most important by employers – you need to focus on gaining, or further developing, these skills as well as being able to talk about them. 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. 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, spread sheets, file management and use of internet search engines. This booklet will get you started on both of these. This list is not exhaustive so we recommend checking information on Career Central: https://careercentral.cardiff.ac.uk/topics/employability-skills/employabilityskills/what-are-employability-skills/ 3 You will find that there is a mismatch between the skills employers believe graduates have and what the graduates think they have. Employers believe graduates have: Graduates believe they have: Strengths Information Technology Numeracy Team working Strengths Self management Communication Team working Weaknesses Self Management Business / Commercial Awareness Weaknesses Numeracy Business / Commercial awareness As you will see in the table above, the only skills match accuracy as perceived by these groups are highlighted in bold. It is important for graduates to be aware of their weaknesses as perceived by employers. Your applications will be success if you can address what employers want and make sure you back it up with skills based evidence. The Employability Skills Audit in Appendix 1 and 2 will help you recognise your skills and develop them. 2.2 KNOWLEDGE Your university course will provide you with knowledge around particular subject areas e.g. medicine, engineering, social science and many other specialist domains. Your degree is a foundation stone upon which you will build your career. For some jobs specialist knowledge is essential, whereas, for other jobs the skills and aptitude for learning are more important. Many employers want to see a combination of degree success coupled with the knowledge, skills and experience necessary to be a success in the workplace. 28% of employers stated that they required a particular degree subject as selection criteria 48% sought evidence of particular employability skills AGR Summer Survey 2013 4 Academic achievement on its own is no longer going to give you the competitive advantage needed for successful job hunting. You will need to find a way to differentiate yourself and stand out from the crowd. Knowledge is a key aspect of this - it is essential that you build up other areas of knowledge alongside your degree. For instance, you will need to gain knowledge about the following areas to impress organisations (regardless of sector). Occupation: Research what careers are suitable for you in terms of degree but also in terms of interest (not everyone goes into roles related to their degrees!). Think about: What skills will you be using? What are the routes to achieve the career goal? What additional skills do you need? What does the job entail? Where do the jobs tend to be related? Deadlines for application? It is these types of questions that will help you pinpoint exactly how you can achieve the careers aspirations you have. To help you, check both our Careers and Employability Centre, Career Central and prospects.ac.uk (Occupational Profiles). Company / Industry: Research what companies will be of particular interest to you and research the sector generally. Dig deep for information so that you are as informed as possible. Think about: Company aim? Size? Product? Service? Reputation? Competitors? Location? Ethos? Culture? What is happening with them in the news? What’s going on there right now? To help you, you can use companies like ratemyplacment, you can direct search on google for companies or use company directories, and you can start to follow blogs and other social media strands to pick up who are the movers and shakers in the industry. Try Companies House for information and try to download company reports, portfolios and sign up to newsletters and other forms of electronic information. Wider context: There are bigger factors that affect all organisations regardless of size, sector, product or service. Think about: Use the PESTLE technique to break down analysis of companies and sectors into manageable chunks. What is the impact of the following areas on the company or industry? Political? Economic? Sociological? Technological? Legal? Environmental? 5 These factors will shape the business and work environment – you need to know their effect. Think about: Use a SWOT analysis when thinking about the above factors. This stands for Strengths – Weaknesses - Opportunities - Threats. Under each heading you can think of all the potential possibilities. It is a technique used to really get to the heart of what is going on in a certain circumstance at a set time. 2.2.1 COMMERCIAL AWARENESS ‘Commercial Awareness is a primary skill that graduates have in short supply’ Association of Graduate Recruiters Employers and Graduates recognise ‘Commercial Awareness’ as an area lacking focus in new graduates. According to the Cambridge Dictionary it is defined as ‘...the knowledge of how businesses make money, what customers want and what problems there are in particular areas of business’. As you will see, by following the guidance above, you are already on the way to being commercially aware – companies will really appreciate this! However, it doesn’t end here; there is a range of other ways to develop your commercial awareness further. You can: Read newspapers, journals and specialist magazines Watch relevant TV programmes (not just the standard news). Why not try the BBC news channel given its breath of interesting and informative content? Listen to radio shows – you can multitask. Try podcasts too! Select relevant RSS feeds – get live feeds of up to date information Join a relevant institution / association – this can provide specialist publications and, even better, it is a chance for you to network with others in the industry Think about what you can do outside of university life that can add value to your career prospects. For example, are there committees you can join? Are there specialist societies related to your chosen career? Get involved in some capacity! 6 To get more information on Commercial Awareness you can use: - Career Central (https://careercentral.cardiff.ac.uk) - Student Development Service (http://www.cardiffstudents.com/jobs_skills/skills_development_service/) - Enterprise Team (http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/racdv/students/index.html). Careers and Employability put on a range of events during the year, including Commercial Awareness workshops, and some of our schools run their own events. There are many ways for you to get practical hands on experience of activities to build your skills – find out what is happening as soon as possible. 2.2.2 SELF PROMOTION – MAKING AN IMPACT One of the best ways you can help your career is being able to talk eloquently about your experiences, your skills and what traits you have that will make you an excellent employee. In the information below you will find a range of tips and advice that you will help you make a difference when talking to others. The best thing you can do is practice. Hopefully reading the text below will give you more confidence in getting out there and promoting your best features. We want to help you build the resilience you need to get the career you want and we want you to be able to use a range of tools that will increase your presence online. Communicating with others effectively There are many situations you will encounter during your professional, and personal, life where you will have to communicate effectively. It is difficult to master the ability of being concise while covering all the information necessary. If you are describing a particular skill, or experience, we suggest using the STAR technique to funnel information either verbally or in a written format (see APPENDIX 3). Essentially by following this format you will find it a lot easier to accurately describe your experiences and provide a logical structure for those listening or reading. Another of the skills you have to master, and one that is quite often overlooked, is actually listening effectively – this can have a massive impact on improving your communication skills. This will allow you to build a two way relationship where you can build rapport with another person. By listening effectively opportunities will present themselves where you can demonstrate how you can make a difference to that person’s private or professional life. We have two ears and one mouth – this is the ratio in which they should be used to be a really good communicator. 7 2.2.3 ONLINE PROMOTION Modern technology over the last 10 - 20 years has changed the landscape of how business is conducted and how we interact generally. Now a high number of people have smart phones, it’s possible to be online constantly and there are many opportunities to record our thoughts, and monitor our lives, online. Managing, and effectively promoting, a professional brand online is another way you can really differentiate yourself from those around you. However, beware; this differentiation can be both good and bad. Make sure you get it right! LinkedIn – this is a professional networking site which can be a powerful tool to connect with others in the business world. You can introduce yourself to new contacts, connect with existing contacts and use it as an organic CV. You will be able to get references from people, manage a large network of contacts and identify how those relationships overlap. If you do not have a LinkedIn profile already then you should create one. It’s free! You are putting yourself at a disadvantage if you do not have one as many students and graduates are already reaping the benefits. Remember though your profile needs to be realistic, constantly updated and managed effectively. It will work for you if you put the time and effort in. Facebook – this is one of the most popular ways for students and graduates to connect with peers and with companies. It is a constant source of live information. You can gather information directly from your contacts or pick up details through various promotional pages, groups and message boards. This can be an effective tool but generally it is viewed as less professional than LinkedIn. Remember: if you are posting personal comments, pictures and other material you have to be clear about a strategy to manage your online presence. During the recruitment process employers will quite often view Facebook pages to get a feel for what the person is like – make sure your security settings on facebook are correctly adjusted to avoid unwanted attention (if this is necessary). Once something is in the public domain it is very hard to retain control – it is even harder to maintain control over pictures or comments posted by others. Twitter – this is an increasingly popular tool perfect for short, sharp bursts of communication. Your messages are limited to a small amount of characters (160) but that means people interact a lot quicker and more dynamically. Lots of businesses have been built solely through effective twitter usage. Just as the advice states above, you need to be careful what you say, who you say it too and how you promote yourself. This can be a particularly useful tool for you to build up a following in an industry but can be deadly to your career if used carelessly. 8 Blogs – a blog is a public space where people get to write freely about their thoughts, feelings, actions, in a central place that others can view online. Some blogs are particularly informative, useful and loved by the business world. Others are not so informative or interesting. Quality of content can vary widely on blogs. Be careful on how much trust you put in what you read and be careful with what you write. Managing your online presence is just as important here as it is elsewhere. If you are going to write a blog then write regular updates. This will help you maintain, and increase, your audience. Marketing, PR, Journalism and other related disciplines lend themselves particularly well to blog writing – it provides you with a way to demonstrate your writing skills to potential employers. Often employers will ask for evidence of your writing. If you are not involved in these activities your career may well not flourish as well as you would like it too. Job sites and company websites – there are a number of ways you can set up profiles online that will allow others to search for, and find, your personal information, career history and aspirations. Some companies allow you to register your details on their company website. This allows them to search proactively for suitable people that might make good employees when a suitable vacancy occurs. Additionally, you should register your details with many of the big job sites (e.g. Monster, Total jobs, etc.). You will be able to set up an online CV for perusal by others and you can also receive job alerts on vacancies directly relevant to you. Social media can be a useful tool for self promotion; however, it can affect the reputation of both you and your employer. Be mindful of your online presence and manage it appropriately. While you may not be uploading anything harmful, your friends may not know better! For tips on managing social media in the workplace see APPENDIX 4. 2.2.4 PERSONAL TRAITS REQUIRED FOR CAREER SUCCESS There are key personality traits that you will need to develop as a person to truly be successful in your career. Two of the key areas where we see a number of students fall short is in their ability to feel confident about themselves, their ability and what they can achieve. Also, another area where students could generally improve is their ability to stay resilient during tough times i.e. the coping mechanisms needed to remain positive and upbeat after a number of failed job applications or being unsuccessful at interview for a job they crave. You will find many ways listed on the internet regarding how you can build both of these, additionally, you can seek advice from Cardiff University’s Counselling Service (http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/counselling/), particularly about building self 9 esteem, and the Student Development Service offers courses that can help build some of these key traits for your future success – look at this webpage for more information (http://www.cardiffstudents.com/jobs_skills/skills_development_service/). Discussing your career options, and how you can build these traits, with one of our careers consultants often proves invaluable for students and graduates. According to about.com (http://psychology.about.com/od/crisiscounseling/tp/becomemore-resilient.htm) top tips to build resilience include: - - - - - Build positive belief in what you can do. Through building your self esteem you are better able to manage stress and cope with difficult circumstances. Have purpose in life – get involved in activities or groups that are meaningful Develop a strong social network – through having people in your life that you can trust, and confide in, you are better equipped to deal with life’s challenges Embracing change – by becoming more flexible you can see change as an opportunity rather than a barrier Being optimistic – embrace positive thinking and be hopeful that you can help shape a positive and brighter future regardless of the circumstances. Do not neglect yourself – make sure you find time for activities you enjoy, whatever the situation, and try to remain well rested as well as getting involved in exercise. Create goals – break down difficult situations or problems into manageable steps and set small achievable goals to work your way through a situation. Being overwhelmed can be a barrier to action – this technique should help. Take action to solve problems – rather than waiting for a problem to resolve itself (often it won’t!) take action to resolve it. By taking more control you reduce the stress levels and will resolve the issue quicker. Keeping working on your resilience – just like any skill this can be built with patience and persistence. Keep practising and your resilience to cope with life will build. There are proactive methods you can take as an individual to improve the way you think about yourself and the way you see the world. Just like you can go to the gym to exercise your body there are ways to exercise your mind as well. You can make it more flexible, more resilient and you can have more belief in what you can achieve. The common factor here is that you have to find the motivation and energy to find out how to develop, create a plan of activity and action that plan. 10 Creating the right impression The impression you create within others will be a key aspect of what will make or break your career. Building rapport, obeying social norms and creating a long lasting positive impression will go a long way to ensuring that the other person remembers you for all the right reasons. Business etiquette is about building relationships with people. If you feel comfortable around someone and vice versa, better communication and mutual trust will develop. Business etiquette varies from region to region and country to country. However, there are key pillars upon which good business etiquette is built. Behaviour - manners and attitude speak volumes about you. If you come across as selfish, undisciplined or discourteous your relationship is unlikely to prosper. Appropriate business etiquette promotes positive traits. Honesty - a reputation is slowly gained but quickly lost. Any placement is an opportunity to grow your reputation. Understanding business etiquette provides a framework in which you can work without fear of crossing boundaries in terms of agreements, promises and contracts. Character - Your character refers to what you as an individual bring to the business table. Proper business etiquette allows you to exhibit your positive qualities e.g. knowing when to be passionate and not emotional or selfconfident without being arrogant. Sensitivity - sensitivity and consideration underlie all good business etiquette. By avoiding misunderstandings / misinterpretations you lay foundations for a strong business relationship. Diplomacy - avoiding thoughtless words and actions protects you from negative consequences. Business etiquette encourages careful thought of the interests of others and choosing acceptable forms of expression. Appearance - dressing appropriately, standing and sitting in the right place at the right time, good posture and looking physically presentable are all elements in making a good impression. Business etiquette teaches you how to suitably present yourself and what to avoid. Analysing, understanding and implementing the above will help you recognise what business etiquette is and how it should be employed within the business world. If you adopt an enthusiastic, professional and determined approach to any work that you undertake then you will already be making great strides towards creating the right impression on others. 11 3. EXPERIENCE … in a highly competitive graduate job market, new graduates who have not had any work experience at all during their time at university have little hope of landing a well paid job with a leading employer irrespective of the academic results they achieve or the university they attended.’ ‘ Martin Birchall, Managing Director of High Fliers Research, 2012 According to the AGR Summer Survey 2013 the average number of applications per graduate job, with leading graduate recruiters, was 85! This means you have 84 people to compete with! WHAT DO WE MEAN BY PLACEMENTS/INTERNSHIPS? Although there are many different types of work experience, structured placements and internships are a particularly popular way of gaining career skills. They tend to: Focus on one career area (this varies greatly depending on the placement). Occur in a set time frame (either 12 months or between 6-12 weeks over the summer). Be generally project-based. Be open to penultimate year students only (there are some exceptions but these are few and far between). Occur in organisations of all sizes, generally the bigger the company the more structured the training plan. Be paid fairly well (again this can depend on company size and varies dependent on location), a recent survey carried out by the Association of Graduate Recruiters (2013) found that 80% of employers offer salaries of more than £250 per week to interns. Be very competitive, with lots of students applying for a few roles. It is therefore essential that your application hits the mark. Other benefits include: The structured element means the learning will be much greater than that of shorter term placements. As they tend to be more career related you can find out if this is the right choice for you. You can gain an insight into the organisation you wish to work in after graduation. 12 You will gain and develop ‘soft’ skills required by employers; these include self management, teamwork, business and customer awareness, problem solving, communication and application of information technology. More than half of recruiters want graduates who have had no previous work experience at all are unlikely to be successful during the selection process and have little or no chance of receiving a job offer for their organisations’ graduate programmes. You are able to apply theory into practice. You could receive sponsorship for your final year. Work experience provides you with introductions to the ‘right’ people and personal contacts that can be used for further work experience, future jobs and possible referees for graduate applications. Applying for placements / internships provides you with the necessary job search skills required for your final year and after graduation. Undertaking a placement makes the transition from University to work after graduation much easier. FINDING VACANCIES Internships and placement programmes are marketed via a number of means. According to the AGR 2013 Winter survey in some cases you may need to apply speculatively (explained later) in which case you may need to adopt a more creative approach. Social media, company websites and recruitment websites are the most common form of marketing graduate recruitment and where recruiters spend the most money. Sources of work experience can be found in APPENDIX 5. THE APPLICATION PROCESS What’s involved? If you are applying for placement schemes or internships with graduate recruiters then you can expect the application process to be similar to that of applications for graduate jobs. Apply using an on-line application form, this is usually followed by interviews and / or assessment centres (some may ask for a CV and covering letter but this is rare). 13 If applying for summer placements through schemes such as GO Wales or STEP, then you will need to register your details on-line, they usually require an up-to-date CV and/ or online application form. Speculative applications can be a way into the organisations that do not advertise that they offer work experience. You need to apply with a well written, tailored CV and covering letter. The diagram demonstrates the processes or different approaches required for each type. Graduate Recruiters – Structured Placement Years/ Summer Internships On- line application form/aptitude tests – Check dates with employers as they vary widely Summer Placements with other organised schemes e.g. GO Wales Source your own Research organisations Register on-line, apply with a well written, tailored online application form Find out who is responsible for recruitment Telephone Interview / 1st Interview Assessment Centres / 2nd Interview Apply with a tailored CV and Covering Letter MAKING THE APPLICATION Applying speculatively should not involve sending the same letter and CV to numerous organisations. You should follow a few simple rules: Research the company, find out what they do. Identify the key decision maker (a quick call to HR or the office if it’s a small business should be enough to find this out). Personalise the letter, show evidence of your company research. Do not use the words job or vacancy, instead use the words opening or opportunity and do not mention money until you get to interview! Be enthusiastic and promote a positive self image. Ask for a meeting. Follow up with a phone call if you have not heard anything after a week or two. 14 Example Letter Dear NAMED PERSON I AM (WHO ARE YOU AND WHY ARE YOU WRITING?) ... e.g. a second year Business Management student at Cardiff, committed to a career in accounting. YOUR COMPANY IS GREAT (!) … e.g. with clients such as xxx the company has an excellent reputation for the quality of its work. I particularly admire your xxx and would love to learn xxx. I AM SUITED TO THIS WORK AND YOUR COMPANY … e.g. you will see from my CV, I have excellent numeracy skills developed acting as treasurer for the Business Society. I have also gained leadership skills, developed in the volunteering sector where I was responsible for a group of young adults cleaning the local river. I am looking forward to applying these skills in a commercial context. EXACTLY WHAT IT IS I WANT … e.g. I would value the opportunity to gain work experience for however brief a period during the summer. I am available during the following weeks ... I CAN BE CONTACTED AT e.g. should you feel there may be a suitable opening I would be happy to discuss these with you, I can be contacted by letter at the address provided above, alternatively telephone xxxxxxxxx or e-mail xxxxxxxxx. Yours sincerely. Your name Check Career Central – there is a range of tools and downloadable booklets that can help with your CV, application forms and interviews. Applications Forms / Interviews / Assessment Centres – all these processes are designed to extract the right information needed to select or reject you. In all situations it is essential that you are able to sell yourself and your skills in a positive way. You need to exude enthusiasm and confidence as well as demonstrating your knowledge of the organisation you are applying to. A careers consultant can help you with your application and preparing you for an interview/ assessment centre. 15 CONSIDER YOUR PAST ACTIVITES What have you done that could help your application? Have you been involved in any extra-curricular activities during your time at University that could help your application? Check the methods of gaining experience chart below: Placement Schemes Internships: Work experience within a large organisation, usually paid. These tend to take place over the summer and last between 6-12 weeks. Placement schemes: A period of work experience (paid and unpaid) taken as part of your course or extra curricular activities. Can be arranged by the university or independently through placement providers e.g. GO Wales Sandwich/Industrial Placements GO Wales Assessed work undertaken in your penultimate year as part of a study programme. Generally paid. GO Wales work with students and graduates to improve employability and offer work experience. Students can take part in the following: GO Wales Placements Paid work experience lasting 6-10 weeks in a variety of industries. Candidates are paid a minimum of £250 per week. GO Wales Tasters Unpaid work experience in a variety of occupations designed to fit around your timetable. Experience Works Unpaid work experience for students (particularly 1st and 2nd years) usually for 17 – 70 hours. Work Shadowing Observing an employee in their role to learn what it entails. Use personal contacts to source opportunities. CEPClassroom Experience Project The Classroom Experience Project manages and offers unpaid classroom based work experience opportunities to Cardiff University undergraduates and postgraduates who are looking at a career in teaching. 16 Entrepreneurial Not just self employment, the Cardiff University Enterprise Team activities host a number of events where you can develop skills and gain real commercial awareness. Student societies Excellent for gaining valuable transferable skills from your 1st year, even better if you can take on positions of responsibility. Vacation work Make full use of vacation work experiences. Customer facing work is very useful, as is gaining positions of responsibility. Year out Working or volunteering for a year before or after studying. Paid or unpaid (if you choose this option make sure you make the year out count) Volunteering A chance for you to contribute to the local community and to gain an understanding of the wider social issues. This can be undertaken in the evenings or at the weekend, in the UK and abroad e.g. scouting activities. Project-based work Opportunities within your course to undertake a real-life project that gets you out into different workplaces or communities. Often unpaid. The Cardiff Award The Cardiff Award encourages students to improve their professionalism and employability whilst gaining confidence and skills to be successful in the world of work. Participants are expected to undertake extra-curricular activities or work experience and attend a series of bespoke employer sessions. Written submissions and presentations form a part of the process and the end result is a more confident, skilled individual that can sell their strengths to any recruiter. Study/work abroad These can be exchange programmes organised through third party organisations, or are obtained independently. Useful for gaining experience of a different culture and language. Paid or unpaid. Part-time work Casual paid work undertaken during your studies. If you are lacking activities that could add value to your applications think about undertaking some short-term work experience. In addition to the previous list other ideas include:17 Employer skills events run www.cardiff.ac.uk/careers). Student Enterprise run a number of events designed to increase your transferable skills (visit www.cardiff.ac.uk/racdv/students). Volunteering, e.g. register with Student Volunteering Cardiff www.svcardiff.org or www.volunteering-wales.net for ideas). Paid casual work (register with Unistaff - www.cardiffstudents.com/jobs). Take up a leadership role within a student society. Become a Student Ambassador for a graduate recruiter, many employ students to raise the profile of their company across campus. by Careers & Employability (visit (visit Visit the Cardiff University Careers Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/#!/cardiffunicareers) for opportunities and you can follow them on twitter (@cardiffcareers). Tips to help you shine in the workplace: - - Be friendly and confident –find opportunities to talk to others in the office and build up your relationships. Offer to make tea if you have nothing else to do or just go up and introduce yourself to new people and show an interest in what they are doing. Suggest new ideas and get involved – by getting involved you will learn more, understand more and you will be recognised positively for your energy and enthusiasm. Key traits that will impress others. - Record your contacts – You will meet a lot of interesting and useful contact in the places you work or the other companies you come into contact with. Make sure you keep in touch – Linkedin (as mentioned above) is a great way to connect with people and to open up job opportunities in the future. - View everything as an opportunity – while some tasks may not be as exciting as other by demonstrating your competence at whatever you approach you will not only build your skills but you will increase the faith people have in you to handle bigger and more complex tasks. - Ask questions – during quiet periods you may want to ask staff how they got into their careers and gain as much career related information as possible. This is a great learning opportunity to gain some useful insights and advice. If you have free time – you may want to volunteer to help other departments that you are particularly interested in or that you can see are struggling with the resources they have. Just make sure this doesn’t impact on your day to day activities / work. - 18 4. REFLECTION “We do not learn from experience – we learn from reflecting on experience.” John Dewey An ideal way to improve your skills and develop as a person is to reflect on your experience – you can access a deeper form of learning. Reflection can help you: Better understand your strengths and weaknesses Identify and question your underlying values and beliefs Acknowledge and challenge possible assumptions on which you base your ideas, feelings and actions Recognise areas of potential bias or discrimination Acknowledge your fears Identify possible inadequacies or areas for improvement. Reflection is a necessary stage in identifying areas for improvement in both personal and professional contexts. Taking time to reflect can help you identify approaches that have worked well. This will reinforce good practice. The Gibbs Model of Reflection (1988) The model above will help you to reflect by providing structure for your thoughts. It will help you to learn from your experiences and can be applied to any situation. This is not the only model available for thinking about reflection but it is one of the most 19 popular. As you get into this way of thinking you can adapt and change things to suit your own purpose. The majority of employers are looking for abilities that are difficult to teach, such as self-motivation, self-awareness and confidence. Using this model will help you develop skills that will make you more employable and provide you with potential examples of when you have used them. Levels of reflective writing: LEVEL 1 - Experience Only – Students experience the learning without giving any thought to it – it just happens. They find it hard to relate the areas of work covered to their learning targets. They are often not sure if they have encountered a topic or not. LEVEL 2 - Record and make explicit the experience – Students are able to articulate their learning experience to others but only at a superficial level. LEVEL 3 - Reflections on the learning experience – Students know what the learning has meant to them. They are able to interpret the learning in a deeper way, providing a range of examples and clear explanation of what they have gained from the experience. LEVEL 4 - Making the links and matching the learning – Students are able to draw together and internalise their learning through concepts and models. They can see the links and applications to other learning applications to other learning situations and/or potential careers. LEVEL 5 - Application of learning to new situations – Students can put their learning into practice in new situations. They can make connections and piece together what they have learnt. They are able to transfer their learning and add value in the new context. LEVEL 6 - Adapting to new situations – Students are more flexible and effective in applying their learning to new situations, constantly evaluating its worth and adapting their model of thinking accordingly, thus taking responsibility for and control of their own development. Kindly reproduced from the National Council for Work Experience and “Making the Most of Work Experience” written by Centre for Career Development, University of Nottingham 20 Remember: Reflection is not just a description. It is an exploration and evaluation of events. Genuine reflective writing will involve revealing anxieties, errors and weaknesses as well as your strengths and successes. You should show understanding, look for reasoning and suggest plans for improvement. When reflecting, only select significant parts of your experience. The full story could become too descriptive. Remember to think about what you would do differently in the future. Reflective log / journal Keeping a journal / diary describing your learning and achievements is beneficial. Having this type of reflective log will enable you to: Reflect on your experience (using the Gibbs Model) Collect evidence on what you are learning Establish how you are progressing towards your goals There are two stages to do this: Stage 1 – Collect suitable documentary evidence e.g. written work / reports, written statements from your manager / colleague, video / audio / photographic evidence. Stage 2 – Writing your journal e.g. specific incidents where you have learnt something, any training you have experienced, notes on the work conducted, details of key contacts, other notes on important information you have discovered and your personal thoughts and reflection. Regularly record incidents that best demonstrate the skills, knowledge and understanding you are aiming to develop. This will relate to, and should be measured against, your action plan and the objectives you set. This may seem like hard work but it will be an invaluable resource for updating your CV and completing job application forms in the future. 21 5. WHAT TO DO NEXT? Familiarise yourself with Career Central – this is your online tool for all things careers (https://careercentral.cardiff.ac.uk) Make contact with the work experience team – find out how we can help you to get the experience you need to shine in your career ([email protected]) Do the employability skills audit located in Appendix 1 – this is really important for you to map where you are and where you are going. Research online methods of promotion and create profiles where appropriate – we run workshops in conjunction with the Student Development Service to give students practical experience of trying to identify opportunities for work experience, finding jobs and utilising online promotional tools. Check here to find out when these, and other events, are running across the university (http://cardiff.ac.uk/careers/whats-on/cecentre/) Decide on your preferred occupation/s and research thoroughly taking into account the information provided above. Think about the companies, the sector and also the ways you can build your general commercial awareness. You need to set work experience goals. Think about the year you are in, what timings are good for you and when you need to apply to be successful for various placement / job opportunities. You need to set up a regular system for reflection so that you maximise your learning and constantly review how you are going to achieve your career goals. Find opportunities to talk about yourself to others. Networking, presentations, asking family members – set up a system where you systematically check with people you know how they can help you and practice telling them why you can make a difference. If you don’t sell yourself no one else is going to do it for you – there is lots of competition out there for jobs, placements and experience opportunities. Find the ways to make you stand out. 22 APPENDIX 1: EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS AUDIT Use this sheet to identify and evaluate the skills you can offer to an employer. For this exercise your tutor will assign you one skill, you are required to make a note of your best specific example of how you have demonstrated or developed each skill, and where you developed it (socially, in work, at University). Please refer to the definition table in appendix 2 for helpful ways to express each skill. Go back to this table at a later date and consider where, when and how you have developed other skills. SKILLS PEOPLE & SOCIAL STUDY WORK SOCIAL YOUR THEM EXAMPLES OF USING Team working Interpersonal Influence and negotiating Independent Working Networking Leadership Cultural Awareness INTELLECTUAL Reflection Action Planning / Organisational Analysis & Decision Making Problem Solving Ability to put theory into practise Creativity & Innovation Self Promotion FUNDAMENTAL Business Awareness Communication & Literacy ICT Flexibility & Adaptability Numeracy PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES Integrity & Honesty Self Awareness Self Belief/Confidence Self Management Commitment Positive Attitude SPECIALIST Technical Skills/Knowledge Sources: Adapted from Birmingham City University, Educational Staff Development Unit The Art of Building Windmills – Peter Hawkins 1999 23 APPENDIX 2: GENERIC EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS FRAMEWORK Specialist Skills relating to the course, module or profession. Feel free to add your own. Technical Knowledge An understanding of basic principle and the ability to apply, develop and adapt them Sector based e.g., engineering, language skills, programming, personnel etc. Fundamental The most basic skill /competencies required by employers Intellectual Your ability to analyse think critically, evaluate and synthesise information People and Social How you react to, communicate and work with other people Business Awareness A basic understanding of the key drivers for business success including the importance of innovation and taking calculated risks; the need to provide customer satisfaction and build customer loyalty. Understanding more complex issues like how an organisation attracts and keeps customers and global, national and local political and economic issues and their impacts. Communication & Literacy The ability to communicate formally and informally, verbally and in the written form, with a wide range of people both internal and external of the organisation Reflection Able to reflect upon, analyse and learn from significant experiences to support and encourage self understanding Team working Able to co-operate and communicate effectively with others. Contribute to a group to meet shared objectives and an awareness of interdependence. Contribute to an atmosphere that supports and empowers all group members Action Planning/ Organisational Ability to plan, develop and oversee projects or events from start to finish considering areas such as reliability and punctuality and attention to detail ICT Skills Use, present and communicate information using a variety of ICT skills and software Analysis & Decision Making Able to reach a position, opinion or judgment demonstrating a critical consideration of the options Interpersonal skills The ability to relate to, and feel comfortable with people at all levels, to be able to make and maintain relationships as circumstances change, to be able to demonstrate active listening and communicate effectively Influence and Negotiating Identify desired outcomes, show flexibility in negotiating assertively to reach mutually agreed outcomes 24 Personal Attributes Understanding who you are and your feelings; self awareness of personal qualities in order to develop continuously through life Integrity and honesty Demonstrate the ability to develop a relationship over time showing honesty, reliability, and fairness. An understanding of right from wrong and consideration of ethic dilemmas Self Awareness Awareness of who we are, why we do things in particular ways, knowing your personal characteristics and traits. Ability to identify your strengths, weaknesses and values Self Belief Self promotion and confidence in one’s own identified strengths, abilities and capabilities Adaptability & Flexibility Able to manage change in an adaptable and flexible manner. Ability to ‘think on feet’ and change styles in different situations Problem Solving Define and apply strategies for changing or resolving a situation or problem. Evaluate and review method used Numeracy Able to use, analyse and present numerical data in appropriate contexts Putting theory into practice Able to clearly understand theory and integrate theoretical concepts into practical work. Creativity & Innovation Create and develop original ways of working and problem solving – ‘thinking outside the box’ Self Promotion The ability to articulate your strengths/skills/attributes to others. Independent Working Take control and responsibility of own contribution within set boundaries or constrictions. Work without supervision to meet a set target Networking Establish and maintain working and communicative relationships with others to support and further their own objectives, identify role models and develop a professional identity Leadership Able to take a leadership role allowing others to contribute effectively, whilst accommodating differences in opinion Cultural Awareness Awareness and respect of other cultures, the impact in a business context, multi lingual Sources: Adapted from Birmingham City University, Educational Staff Development Unit The Art of Building Windmills – Peter Hawkins 1999 25 Self Management Readiness to accept responsibility, flexibility, resilience, a self starter, readiness to improve your performance based on feedback and reflection Commitment Demonstrated motivation towards goals, showing passion and dedication Positive attitude A 'can-do' approach, a readiness to take part and contribute, openness to new ideas and making these happen APPENDIX 3: STAR – HOW TO PRESENT INFORMATION The steps in STAR: Describe the Situation – provide a broad description about what was going on at the time. This could be a particular project for instance or the context of a situation you dealt with. Think about who, where, what, when and why. Describe the Task – here you provide a more focussed description regarding the particular task you were involved with. Remember to provide enough detail with specifics but keep it succinct. Describe the Action – Explain what action you took in this scenario. Make sure you focus on what you did. At times people get caught in the trap of talking about ‘we’ – avoid this and make sure you focus on your actions. You may want to provide information on your thinking / rationale behind your actions in this section. Describe the Result – Describe what happened at the end of the project or situation – what was the outcome? The important part here is to keep the example positive and upbeat. Avoid using an example that ends with a negative consequence e.g. project failure. Where possible make sure you use examples which are quantifiable. People really buy into facts and figures. A little self reflection (which we will come on to later) shows that you are thinking about your actions, how you can improve and where you can increase efficiency in the future – this is all about demonstrating a desire to continuously improve. The STAR technique can be a really useful way to impart information to others. It can be used in a variety of situations. For instance, you may attend networking events or have other opportunities to meet professionals from companies you would like to work for. When you find yourself talking to others about your skills think about using this technique. You can then guide the conversation in such a way that you can promote your abilities and experiences and open up new opportunities. It will also be important for you to continue to build your ability at communicating with larger groups. While your course might give you some opportunities you will need to build up these skills as much as possible. Quite often opportunities present themselves that will allow you to talk to small groups of people, or even larger groups, both of which are a great way to make a large impact in a short space of time. Seek out opportunities to make presentations, talk to groups and generally polish those communication skills (you may wish to check organisation like toast masters – an international organisation aimed at helping people improve their public speaking skills). 26 APPENDIX 4: TIPS ON SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE Here is a list of hints and tips on the use of social media for when you enter the workplace. Refrain from adding colleagues or supervisors as friends on personal networks. Many people want to keep their personal and professional lives separate. Consider connecting on LinkedIn or Twitter as opposed to Facebook. Be respectful. End of discussion. Swearing or derogatory comments can get you in trouble. Know your company’s social media guidelines. When it doubt, look at any formal guidelines the organisation has produced to know what to do and what not to do. Be thoughtful about how you present yourself. If you identify yourself as an employee of your company, make sure you represent yourself accordingly. Use a disclaimer. When blogging or sharing opinions or thoughts via social media, make it clear that the views you share are yours and not the company’s. Don’t forget about your work priorities. Online activities should not take precedence over your job. Don’t engage in arguments with media or customers. If you see something you disagree with, address it appropriately via your own blog or social media accounts – but don’t pick fights. Back up your views with facts. Add value. IBM’s Social Computing Guidelines state it best: “If it helps you, your coworkers, our clients or our partners to do their jobs and solve problems; if it helps to improve knowledge or skills; if it contributes directly or indirectly to the improvement of IBM’s products, processes and policies; if it builds a sense of community; or if it helps to promote IBM’s Values, then it is adding value.” Don’t overshare about your company. Here are some topics to avoid discussing online: revenue, pricing, industry rumours, executive leadership, potential acquisitions or investments, future product release dates, etc. Be honest. Transparency is vital online. Don’t post anonymously or fail to mention your affiliation with the organisation. Source: www.getworksimple.com 27 APPENDIX 5: SOURCES OF WORK EXPERIENCE Give yourself a head start by gaining some work experience. The following will help you identify the variety of work experience on offer and will get you started. It is not intended to be a comprehensive overview of sources. UK Work related to your academic discipline or to your chosen career area often has to be arranged well in advance. Maximise your chances by beginning your search as soon as possible. Cardiff University Careers & Employability on-line Vacancy Bulletin Personal contacts www.cardiff.ac.uk/careers BBC Work Experience www.bbc.co.uk/workexperience Civil Service Experience Enternships Work www.civilservice.gov.uk www.enternship.com Fledgings Graduate Advantage www.fledglings.net www.graduateadvantage.co.uk Graduate Business Partnership Graduate Talent Pool Hobsons Inside Careers Prospects http://services.exeter.ac.uk/businesspr ojects/ http://graduatetalentpool.direct.gov.uk/ cms/ShowPage/Home_page/p!ecaaefg www.get.hobsons.co.uk www.insidecareers.co.uk www.prospects.ac.uk/workexperience Rate My Placement http://www.ratemyplacement.co.uk Search for vacation work and work experience opportunities on our on-line Vacancy Bulletin to identify large firms with structured summer placements and internships as well as finding work experience organised through Cardiff University Careers & Employability. Talk to final year students on your course; find out which employers were interested in them last summer. Don’t forget to ask academic staff. The BBC is able to offer a broad range of short, unpaid work experience placements, very competitive, apply online. Opportunities for work experience in the UK Civil Service. Enternships provides ambitious and dynamic students and graduates with an opportunity to learn about business and enterprise through work placements in entrepreneurial and innovative environments, from start-ups to global venture funds around the world. Student resource for industrial placements. Apply for paid full-time and part-time work placements, summer internships, graduate placements, and free employability training. 20-week graduate work placements into SME’s in the South West region (mainly Devon, limited opportunities in Cornwall). The Graduate Talent Pool advertises a range of paid and unpaid internships suitable for graduates. Provides sound work experience advice and advertises work experience vacancies. Advertises placements and internships in specialist industries e.g engineering / accounting. Good source of advice and a searchable database. The work experience discussion forum is worth looking at. A website community designed by students, for students. It allows you to write a review of your experiences on placements or internships for the benefit of those looking to do the same. Also advertise vacancies. 28 www.step.org.uk STEP Student Services Target Events Employment www.studentemploymentservices.co.u k/ Target-events.co.uk Target Jobs The Careers Group www.targetjobs.co.uk www.careers.lon.ac.uk The Year in Industry www.etrust.org.uk The Year Out Group Top Internships www.yearoutgroup.org www.topinternships.com Transition Tradition Wexo Work Experience Events www.transitiontradition.com www.wexo.co.uk Cardiff University Work Experience Workshops Cardiff University Provider of paid project based work placements into small and medium sized companies in England. Open to penultimate year students and graduates. A student placement company, register online to receive placement information Provides you with an unique opportunity to meet potential employers. Events vary annually. Provides sound work experience advice, also advertises placements and internships. Up-to-date vacancies for part -time, temporary, voluntary or vacation work from the University of London Careers Service. Organise 12 month work placements across the UK. £25 fee. Suitable for penultimate year students from engineering, science, IT, e-commerce, business, marketing, finance and logistics. Offering opportunities and advice to people taking a gap year. A website dedicated to advertising undergraduate internships; also provides useful information and advice. A portal for creative students, providing useful information and advice. Unpaid placements across a range of sectors, mainly in London. £10 fee Make sure you attend any Careers & Employability Work Experience events e.g. fairs, workshops, employer talks etc. Attend these workshops to ensure your work experience really counts. Refer to our programme of events for upcoming workshops. Use our online Booking System to reserve your place. Workshops run through CMS within depts too. Casual/Work UK & International If you want to earn some money and/or have a different type of experience this category of work is easier to find. As above, we advertise any vacancies notified to us on our Vacancy Bulletin, and the same websites are worth a look. Adventure Work BUNAC Camp America Employment4students Eurocamp Gap Year International Summer Jobs Hotrecruit Jobs Abroad Bulletin www.adventurework.co.uk www.bunac.org.uk www.campamerica.co.uk www.e4s.co.uk www.holidaybreakjobs.com www.gap-year.com www.summerjobs.com www.hotrecruit.com www.jobsabroadbulletin.co.uk Working adventures, outdoor pursuits. UK & abroad. Overseas work and travel programmes for students. Summer jobs in the USA. Advertises part time and temporary jobs as well as internships and industrial placements. Summer jobs in Europe with Eurocamp or Keycamp holidays. Seasonal work in the UK and abroad. Database of summer jobs in a range of countries. For national retail and fast food jobs. Seasonal paid jobs in the UK and abroad. 29 PGL Holidays Pickingjobs.com Season Workers www.pgl.co.uk//pglweb www.pickingjobs.com www.seasonworkers.com Unistaff Jobshop www.cardiffstudents.com/jobs Vacancies working with children in PGL summer camps within the UK and abroad. Fruit picking jobs in the UK and worldwide. UK vacancies, mainly volunteer work, with links to other sites advertising UK seasonal vacancies. Unistaff Jobshop is a free service which provides all registered Cardiff University students and students from any UK university with a central starting point in their search for casual employment. Wales Speculative Enquiries BBC Wales www.bbc.co.uk/careers/workexperience/ Cardiff Works CSV Action Cardiff GO Wales Jobs Experience Works GO Wales Work Placements www.csv.org.uk www.gowales.co.uk [email protected] www.gowales.co.uk GO Wales Work Tasters www.gowales.co.uk IT Wales Local Government Students in Free Enterprise www.itwales.com www.direct.gov.uk www.lgjobs.co.uk/ www.sifeuk.org Student Volunteering Cardiff Una Exchange www.svcardiff.org www.unaexchange.org VCS - Voluntary Community Service www.volunteering-wales.net Visit them at 109 St Mary St, or telephone (029) 2022 7625. Never reject the direct approach. Use the local employer directories available in the Careers & Employability Centre, or the Yellow Pages to identify relevant firms. Send a CV and covering letter and follow up with a phone call. Ideally identify and contact directly the person who deals with personnel issues. Lists all work experience opportunities on offer at BBC Wales, to apply complete the on-line application form. Cardiff Council’s in-house temporary employment bureaux. Information and application packs available on (029) 2087 3087. Places volunteers in educational based projects across the city. Lists vacancies in Wales, also advertises work experience opportunities. Provider of paid project based work placements in small and medium sized companies in Wales. Visit the website, call in their office, email [email protected] or telephone to make an appointment – details available upon registration. GO Wales Work Tasters provide undergraduates and graduates with support for short-term, unpaid placements with employers in Wales. Up to 10-weeks paid IT placements for students studying IT-related disciplines (Wales only). Both websites provide a full list of local authorities in Wales (and the UK). Useful for applying for work experience. Student teams working on social enterprise projects which create economic opportunity for others. Team presents annually at national and international competition, sponsored and recognised by major graduate recruiters. Contact the Student Enterprise team for more information. Based in the Students’ Union. SVC works with disadvantaged groups in the community. Although it advertises international opportunities, often there are summer schemes running in Wales with international volunteers that requires leaders. Offers help for people wanting to volunteer in Cardiff with information on over 300 voluntary organisations in areas such as youth work, mental health, disability, older people, advice lines, environmental projects, administration and community work. Visit them at St Mary’s Street, 30 Volunteering Wales www.volunteering-wales.net Wales Council for Voluntary Action www.wcva.org.uk Cardiff. Portal site for all volunteer agencies in Wales. Many opportunities advertised The official website of the Wales Council for Voluntary Action, the voice of the voluntary sector in Wales. They represent and campaign for voluntary organisations, volunteers and communities across Wales, contains a jobs page. Non UK Speculative Enquiries Careers & Employability Centre Agriventure www.agriventure.com AIESEC AIPT Azafady www.aiesec.org www.AIPT.org www.madagascar.co.uk Council on International Educational Exchange ECTARC www.ciee.org For those wishing to contact employers directly with speculative applications, the Careers & Employability Centre holds a collection of directories of overseas employers, plus The Global Resume and CV Guide. A programme organised by the International Agricultural Exchange Association for students to live and work in one of 12 countries on a farm or horticultural enterprise. International student society organising exchange programmes and traineeships. Prospects’ counterpart for organising work placements in the USA. Volunteering in Madagascar on health, educational and sustainable development projects, fees apply. The Council provides educational and work exchanges as well as travel services for students. www.ectarc.com 3 months work experience in Europe for students and graduates. Europa http://ec.europa.eu/eures European Commission Traineeships Office http://ec.europa.eu/stages/index_en.h tm Gap-year.com www.gap-year.com Gap Year Review www.gapyearreview.co.uk IAESTE InternOptions Mountbatten Internship Programme Play Soccer Camps Travellers Worldwide www.iaeste.org www.internoptions.com www.mountbatten.org United Eurobridge www.unitedeurobridge.org Public employment services across Europe, advertises a variety of jobs, some which are suitable for students and graduates. The EU office is responsible for the administration of “Stages” (five-month periods of in-service training for young university graduates and public service employees from the member states of the European Union). Everything you need to know about gap years from organisation information to insurance and visa details. Written by students who have undertaken gap years, provides independent reviews on various companies. International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience. A placement service for people wanting work placements in Australia or New Zealand. Providing an opportunity for graduates to gain business experience in organisations in New York. Placements run for 12 months. There is a registration and participation fee. One-year sports placements in New England USA. Offers placements in a number of areas, including Journalism, TV and Radio, Law, Medicine and Archaeology. There is a cost to participate. Advertises placements abroad. Students need to register. www.playsoccercamps.com www.travellersworldwide.com 31 Volunteer Brazil World of Skills Year out Group www.volunteerbrazil.com http://worldofskills.com www.yearoutgroup.org Volunteering opportunities for all people of all ages in Brazil, fees apply. Paid placements in Europe An umbrella group set up to provide details on companies and advice on planning your trip. Voluntary Opportunities UK and International British Trust for Conservation Volunteers Do It EIL Idealist Millennium Volunteers National Centre for Volunteering The National Trust Prince’s Trust Project Trust www.btcv.com Opportunities Worldwide. www.do-it.org.uk www.eiluk.org www.idealist.org www.millenniumvolunteers.gov.uk www.volunteering.org.uk Advertises voluntary opportunities. The main provider of volunteers for work camps. A world database of volunteer organisations and vacancies. Millennium Volunteers arranges voluntary work for 16-24 year olds in the local community. Volunteering development agency for England. www.nationaltrust.org.uk www.princes-trust.org.uk www.projecttrust.org.uk Raleigh International www.raleighinternational.org Sabre Trust http://www.sabretrust.org/ Student Partnerships Worldwide Timebank www.spw.org A large number of volunteering opportunities available across the UK. UK charity helping disadvantaged young people. Have projects in Africa, South America and Asia. Teaching, medical and journalistic placements are available as well as work in orphanages and children’s homes. Offers three-month placements in Asia, South America and Africa on a variety of environmental projects. A UK registered charity working with communities and schools in the western region of Ghana, Western Africa to enhance the education provision. Numerous volunteers are sent to Ghana annually to help with literacy and School projects. Fees apply to cover administration costs. A development charity, with rural community projects in Africa and Asia. Voluntary Service Overseas www.vso.org.uk Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms Working Abroad www.wwoof.org Working in Europe and Asia http://www.workingineuropeandasia.co m/?u=671f166ba5f3da81e93fd6fe4c87c d3f# www.timebank.org.uk www.workingabroad.com A national campaign to raise awareness of the value of giving time. It includes an overseas directory and volunteering opportunities. Offers longer placements (usually two years) for older travellers. Relevant skills are required; jobs range from doctors to plumbers. Youth programmes are also available. Offers board, meals and an insight into farming in exchange for work. An international networking service for volunteers. Includes organisations looking for volunteers. Europe and Asia's top-rated graduate employers and live economic data by country. 32 FURTHER HELP If you have found this booklet useful, you may want to pick up or download our other booklets, from: www.cardiff.ac.uk/careers Careers & Employability also runs a series of workshops in conjunction with these booklets. You can find out more about these on our website. We offer Career Management Skills (CMS) Workshops in many Departments. To find out if your Department hosts these sessions, contact your Department or School Office. THIS BOOKLET IS AVAILABLE IN WELSH AND ON CD on request at the Careers & Employability Centre Careers & Employability aims to offer a fair and equal service to all its clients, regardless of their sex, ethnic origin, age, sexuality, religion or disability. We are able to offer additional support to students who may benefit from extra help. Please contact us for further details. DISCLAIMER The information and advice provided by Careers & Employability is given in good faith and all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy. Neither Cardiff University nor the individual members of staff shall be liable to any person in contract, tort, statute or otherwise for any loss, distress or damage of any kind howsoever caused (except for death or personal injury caused by the negligence of Cardiff University or the individual members of staff). All information and advice is provided only on the basis of this disclaimer. What is Careers & Employability? Careers & Employability is part of the University’s Registry, Governance & Students Directorate and will provide you with the professional careers-related support you need during your studies and beyond. The new Careers & Employability Centre opened in July 2010. It is free for you to use and is open weekdays from 9am - 5pm throughout the year. Whether you are just beginning to think about your future, have made some plans or simply haven’t a clue what you want to do there is an array of help available to you so please make use of it. Start today by reading this booklet and utilising the events and services on offer. Where is the Careers & Employability Centre? 2nd Floor, 50 Park Place, Cardiff Minutes from the Students’ Union and a short walk from most Academic Schools. Offering information, advice and guidance; appointments, drop-ins and workshops; A wide range of resources Employer events As well as these services at the Centre we have a presence at Cardigan House, Heath Park Campus. We also have GO Wales situated at 5 Corbett Road, Cardiff. Please see the Web for further details: www.cardiff.ac.uk/careers Careers & Employability Centre GO Wales Main Building Students’ Union City Hall Glamorgan Building 50 Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT Tel: (029) 2087 4828 Tel: (029) 2087 4828 e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] © Cardiff University 2013. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the express, prior written consent of the copyright owner.
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