Best 5 Tips For Your Interview
How To Write A Winning CV
Great Ways To Get Work Experience
UH Alumni Working Their Way To The Top
School of Humanities Careers Guide
Written and designed by students from Journalism and New Media Publishing
Foreword
Our focus in the School of Humanities is on the success of our students. A degree in the Humanities
provides a much valued foundation for the start of a rewarding graduate career, providing key
transferable skills – including teamwork, effective communication, time management, and the ability to
sustain in-depth research and analysis.
Besides these, we give you the opportunity to develop a portfolio that on top of your academic studies
will put you a step ahead when it comes to applying for jobs. As well as offering a range of modules
where your practical and creative skills will be enhanced, we support students in writing their CV
and arrange events such as careers days and talks by people from the world of work. The School
of Humanities also offers an unparalleled range of work experience opportunities. Current examples
include a filming project with the Michelin-starred restaurant L’Auberge, a collaborative partnership
with the digital media company Ariel Productions, community history projects and a creative writing
workshop with schools, funded by the Laura Ashley Foundation. We are proud in the School of
Humanities of this wealth of co-curricular activity and I hope you will take full advantage of everything
we have to offer.
Jeremy Ridgman, Head of School
The Benefits of Work Experience
Entry into the graduate labour market can be challenging.
Success will depend on the ability of candidates being able
to provide evidence of the skills and qualities that employers
want. Your degree provides knowledge and many skills but
this is no longer enough for graduate employers. Gaining
work experience is vital in providing the variety of evidence
which will be needed to give you the edge in the recruitment
process.
Work experience opportunities may be found through paid
and unpaid work so there is considerable scope for gaining
key employability skills. Your work experience may not relate
directly to what you want to do after graduation but reflecting
on what you have learned from it, and maybe what you could
do differently in the future will be important.
‘Work it Out’ has been prepared to help you to see that
work experience is not only essential in developing your
employability skills but provides many other benefits, perhaps
even an offer of employment after graduation!
Thanks go to those students who have made valuable
contributions to this booklet as a way of helping fellow
students to gain an advantage in the graduate labour market.
Ann Barber Careers Consultant
Graduate Futures – the University’s Jobs & Careers Network
CONTENTS
The Future Starts Here 02
A Winning CV
03
En Route To Success
05
Great Ways To Get Work Experience 07
Employers Want You
09
Learning From Working 10
Written and designed by students on the Journalism
and New Media Publishing pathways, School of
Humanities with academic supervision by Sharon
Maxwell-Magnus and Mimi Tessier. THE FUTURE STARTS HERE
A
Humanities or Mass Communications degree
is like no other. Graduates are able to choose
from a wide range of careers, which for many
can be a very difficult decision. So students are
advised to undertake some type of work experience
throughout their time at University.
Work experience can cover all types of work such
as part-time work, shadowing and volunteering.
Usually, this work is unpaid, but the experience you
can gain from it is valuable. Unlike an internship
work experience only usually lasts for a short
period of time, whereas internships expand for a
longer period.
As a graduate, it is important to stand out from the
crowd. Having relevant work experience on your
CV can really help you achieve this as it can show
the employer that you have an understanding of
the industry and allows you to make reference to
the skills you learnt from your work experience
when being interviewed for a first job.
Helen Meyer, Information and Communications
Officer for Graduate Futures believes that it is
important to undertake work experience as early as
possible, and recommends that students look into
it in their first year. As your course progresses, your
work load will become more intense, so gaining
work experience earlier on will benefit you in the
long run. Helen says: ‘The more you can do in your
first year, the better.’
Finding the right work experience for you can be
difficult. Helen advises students to firstly think
about the type of areas they wish to explore after
graduating. Students are advised to have a look at
www.prospects.ac.uk for guidance on future career
paths. Once you have an idea in your head, there are
many ways of obtaining relevant work experience.
One of the main ways to approach a business
you are interested in is to send an e-mail or letter,
including your CV to the employer. Another way is
to apply for vacancies online, for example the BBC
has an excellent work experience programme,
which includes a vast range of potential careers.
Asking your friends and family if they have any
connections to the industry you are interested in
By Maria Zanre
is another effective way of finding work experience
opportunities. Helen holds the belief that, ‘it’s not
what you know, but who you know.’
Once you have successfully secured a placement,
you need to begin to think about what you hope
to gain from your work experience. Helen believes
that the key to successful work experience is to
have a clear objective to start with. It is important
to know what you want to gain from your time
there, and to make sure that your employer knows
that too, so that they can help you to reach your
goals. For example, if you want to build upon
your presentational skills, tell your employer this,
they can give you jobs that will coincide with your
objectives. This way you will be able to enhance
your own skills and broaden your knowledge about
the industry you are interested in.
Helen also thinks there are the other key aspects
which you should look to gain from your work
experience. She believes that networking is very
important and that meeting new people and making
connections could prove to be very worthwhile
in the future. She also advises you to ask your
employer if it is alright to use them for a reference
before you leave. She adds:
‘Don’t be afraid to ask your employer
questions like this, the worse they
can do is to say no.’
Work experience is an essential element towards
building up your CV as it is valuable experience
which you can draw upon for your applications in
the future. Even if your time at the company was
not necessarily very pleasant, you can still learn
from it.
Helen says: ‘Don’t worry if your work experience
was not what you expected. All experience is good
experience.’
Work experience is not the only thing which
employers look for in a candidate. If you have a
part-time job, this can also contribute to your CV
and skills, as employers like to see that you are a
committed and hard working individual and having
a part time job shows this off.
A Winning CV
W
hen you are hunting for work experience,
the first thing you have to do is to write a CV
that stands out and gets the employer interested
enough to give you an interview. Career Consultant
Ann Barber from Graduate Futures says: 'The CV
is a marketing document to employers to hopefully
get you an interview. You need to make employers
believe that you’ve got something special they need,
and that is why your CV must always be targeted to
each position you are applying for.'
For example, Asda and M&S are both in the retail
sector and the core skills required may be similar
but there will be some specific skills, competencies
or experience that each company wants. M&S may
be looking for someone with more experience of
working in fashion clothing so do mention if you, as an
applicant, have had a Saturday job working in Next
where you developed good customer service skills,
achieved sales targets and developed knowledge of
the fashion industry, or even if you volunteered as a
model in a charity fashion show.
Preparation is the key to writing a CV. You must know
what you’ve got to offer. Ann says: 'One good way
to do this is to list all your life experiences and work
experiences and the skills you have gained from
them.
What are employers looking for?
The skills the employers are looking for may vary,
but they all want someone with a positive ‘can do’
approach which should come across in your CV.
You should explain why these work activities inspire
you. For example, you could have had an interest in
something since you were a child.
'Think of yourself applying for the same job
as 5 colleagues, how would you stand out?'
says Ann. For example, you may speak a language
that would be an advantage in the job. The job
description and person specification for a job will
specify what the employer requires.
If you are not sure about what skills you have gained
on your course, information on www.prospects.
ac.uk will be helpful.
By Salla Hanninen
How do I structure my CV?
You can structure your CV in two main ways. The
first way is to do it in reverse chronological order,
where you start with your most recent education and
work experience and work backwards. This type of
CV may be most suitable for young graduates with
relevant work experience who intend using their
degree subject in their job.
The other way is to do a skills based CV, where you
give more emphasis to profiling your achievements
and skills rather than just presenting a chronological
record. This format particularly suits graduates
with a range of experience and skills where their
degree discipline is not directly related to the job. A
combination of these two styles is often used.
Always remember to include your contact details,
personal details, education and any work experience
you may have. 'It is also important to tell them about
your interests, because that gives an idea about who
you are as a person. Think about the interests that
might be relevant in this particular work experience
you are applying for.' says Ann. Also, you do not
have to list references in your CV, but you need to
tell the employer that ‘references are available upon
request’.
You might also add a personal profile at the beginning
of the CV where you tell the most important things
about yourself in no more than 5 lines. 'A personal
profile is a ‘hook’ to the employer that gets them
interested in you and encourages them to read on.'
says Ann.
Your CV should be no longer than two pages and you
should make sure that you get the most important
messages across on the first page, so do not waste
half of the page on your contact details.
Is grammar or spelling important?
It is very important that the CV is well laid out and
there are no mistakes in grammar or spelling.
Remember to be careful with grammar tools and
give your CV to read to someone who is stronger
than you in grammar. This is important as the CV is
your marketing tool and you want to give the best
possible impression.
What is the covering letter for?
You should attach a covering letter to your CV, that will make an impact together with your CV. 'You should
always explain in your covering letter why you are writing, why they should consider you and why you are
interested in working for them. You should end your letter with an enthusiastic last sentence.' says Ann.
Remember that your covering letter and your CV can get detached, so your CV should stand alone.
What if there is a computer form?
Some companies may want you to fill an on-line application form instead of sending your CV and covering
letter. You can still use the information you used to prepare your CV, you just need to pick the information the
employer is asking for.
Interview
If your application is successful, the employer will probably invite you to an interview. Here are Ann
Barber’s 5 important tips for your interview:
1. Preparation is the key: It helps your nerves and you will be ready for the questions you might be asked.
Analyse your skills and experiences to provide evidence for competency questions, so your employers
can be sure you can do the job. Applying 'S.T.A.R.' will help you to structure your answers so think about
the Situation you have been in, the Task you were given, the Action you took and the Result of those
actions.
2. It is also very important that you are familiar with the contents of your CV. It is possible that not all people
in the interviewing panel have read your CV beforehand so don't assume they know about you.
3. Body language is important. You will be evaluated from the minute you walk in. Remember to look people
in the eyes, don’t stare at the floor. A firm handshake will also give a good impression. Don’t forget to
smile and remember to dress appropriately for the interview. When you choose your outfit think about
the company. However, no matter where you are going, always dress smartly. First impressions matter!
Show enthusiasm and good attitude, your employer needs to know that you really want this job.
4. It is equally important to ask the interviewers a couple of questions too after they have finished interviewing
you. But do not ask about the salary first.
5. Know where you are going. Find out where the place is and how you can get there. If you are late, your
interviewers may not want to meet you.
You can find more information on interview techniques on Jobs and Careers on StudyNet. There’s also
information about phone interviews which are also common these days.
04
En Route To Success
Working their way to the top.....
By Karen Koromahinter-
W
hen you have just started university finishing and getting a good job can seem a lifetime away. However, with around
40% of young people going to university, students need to do something that will make them stand out. Getting relevant
work experience--and references from it--can really make a difference. Here, Humanities students from the University
of Hertfordshire, two of whom are in excellent jobs, tell student Karen Koromah how work experience helped them achieve their
dreams:
Punteha Yazdanian, studied English Language, Journalism and Digital Publishing at UH and is now feature writer on Britain’s
best-selling weekly magazine Take a Break.
Q:What sorts of work experience did you have?
A:I did two stints at Cosmopolitan, the women’s magazine, working on the features desk and a fortnight at the
style magazine Instyle. I also wrote for and edited the student newspaper and wrote commissioned news
pieces for FDMX-an affiliate UH network.
Q:How did you find work experience and what skills did you have that you feel helped you get
those positions?
A:I hounded them! I wrote letters to all the national magazines in the first term of my
second year and Cosmo came back to me to say they were fully booked but call again
in September the following year. I called them the following August and by chance,
they had a placement so I took it. Instyle came back to me on the second round of
letters I sent out. I told them I wanted to be a feature writer, that I loved real life and
always read their magazines. I talked about a recent feature in their publication
and what I liked about it to prove to them I was a regular reader and knew their
style. Working on the student newspaper was great. It gave me some idea
about the print process and later proved a great talking point for interviews.
Most of the journalists I know on national newspapers and magazines were
involved in student media[e.g. Fame,The Universe,]. It gives any future
employer the feeling that you’ve done everything possible to get where you
want to be.
Q:What did you learn from the experience? What were the best and
worst things that happened?
A:I learnt how the feature departments worked, who the publishing
houses are such as National Magazine Company and IPC, how they
search for their stories and ideas and how to do vox pops.One mission was
to go to Oxford Circus and find attractive men to talk about how they knew
their missus was ‘the one’! Best things that happened were writing columns
for Cosmo and also helping out on bigger features. Those first by lines
were golden!It was a great learning experience and invaluable to my future
success.
Q:Did it make you more employable?
A:Definitely! Every interview I had from that moment on, the work
placements at Cosmo and Instyle etc were a talking point. I went on to work for
a reputable regional news agency, INS, and they employed me on the basis of
my women’s mag orientated portfolio because they wanted to expand their features
work to cater more for the women’s sector. I freelanced for a while after two years at
INS, working for the Daily Mail Femail team, Woman, Pick Me Up and now have a staff
feature writer position with Take a Break Magazine.
Q:What do you wish you knew before you started your work experience?
A:Nothing. I went in with my expectations set at making cups of tea as this can happen.
Anything above that was above and beyond anything I could have hoped for.’
Rachel Leigh is in her third year studying English Language
& Communication with Journalism.
Q:What sorts of work experience did you get involved in?
A: At the end of my first year I applied for work experience
at a business to business (B2B) magazine called The
Grapevine based in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire. It’s
a specialist magazine which reports on Human Resources
(HR) and talent management. There I started off by finding
press releases and writing them up into news stories for the
website. These were subbed by the online editor before they
made it onto the page. Some of my stories would also be
used each month for the magazine’s news section. I was also
lucky enough to have the chance to write an extended news
piece for the magazine each month. The story involved lots
of research and interviewing at least two HR professionals,
which was always very daunting but they make you feel
at ease! I also did image sourcing for the magazine and
transcribed my other colleagues’ interviews which they had
recorded on the phone. After the summer, I went back to
university but The Grapevine offered me a part-time paid
position. I have since been working there part-time whilst
studying at uni and working there more in my holidays.
Over this summer (2010) at the end of my second year,
I decided I wanted to get further experience. I secured
one week’s placement at a local newspaper to my home
in Bedfordshire, called the Biggleswade Chronicle. I have
also written features for two Bedfordshire magazines Living
Locally (a newspaper supplement) and The Villager (a local
magazine for a few small towns and villages). The Villager
involved simply submitting an article. I wrote about a recent
theatre event that had taken place. For Living Locally, I met
with the editor and we discussed feature ideas. I decided
to write one about Twitter. This got a 3 page feature in the
October issue of the mag and I even had my photo taken
professionally! Another ongoing summer work experience
opportunity has involved writing for a new website which is
yet to be set up. It is being launched in December and is
called “Stuff4Mags”.
Q:How did you find the work experience? What skills do
you have that you feel helped you get that position?
The Grapevine position was advertised on JobsNetPlus,
the UH jobs site, I strongly advise people to use this service
because it is constantly updated with great jobs in the media
and publishing areas. I simply had to send in my CV and a
sample article that I had written. In the interview I also had
a mini-test and had to write a press release into a story but
thankfully my experience from writing those in journalism
seminars gave me an advantage. With the newspaper, I
A:
contacted the group publishing editor who set me a test to
source and write three local news stories within two weeks.
I managed to obtain comment and write the stories in two
days, and then I was offered the place. With the other
magazines, I simply found the contact details of their editors
and wrote to them asking if they would be interested in
me writing an article for them. I sent them an article I had
written and it all went from there! I think you just have to
have confidence to go for it and try and get a placement.
Show that you are keen to be a journalist and that you enjoy
writing.’
Q: What did you learn from the experience? What were the
best and worst things that happened?
A:All the work experience that I have been involved in
has been brilliant. As a result of my work experience at The
Grapevine, I have felt more confident to apply for other
work experience. My scariest part of work experience
was interviewing. I interviewed the President of a large
corporation based in America, so first I had to make sure that
I called him at the right time due to the time differences. Then
I had to be prepared to engage with him in the interview and
show that I was interested in what he was talking about and
be prepared with follow-up questions. I remember
frantically trying to write down everything he said in case I
missed anything even though I knew the conversation was
being recorded. But I felt so happy when it was over and it
felt so good to write an article knowing that you have done all
your own background research and you have done an
interview with someone so you have original material to work
from. That is always important in journalism. So that was the
best and worst thing that happened at the same time.
Although you learn in journalism workshops at uni how to
write articles and releases, you don’t get real experience until
you go out in the real world. I have received consistent firsts
in my journalism assignments since my work experience and
that is because I feel confident as a journalist.
Q:Did it make you more employable?
A: ‘It definitely made me more employable - I’ve got a job
offer for a start! The Grapevine has offered me a full-time
position after I finish university.’
Q:What do you wish you knew before you started your
work experience?
A: I wish I had been better at news sourcing. I was fed
stories to write up but now I can independently source some
news and write an original story.’
06
Great Ways To Get Work Experience
By Zaina Mutingwa
B
eing at University is not just about lectures and seminars or every thing in between. At the University of
Hertfordshire, Humanities undergraduates can enjoy a huge range of exciting opportunities. Here we talk to
five undergraduates who made the most of what UH has to offer, gained invaluable experience for their CV and
had a brilliant time into the bargain. Ricky Brooks is a post-graduate student who took a year abroad and is
now doing a PGCE in Teaching Languages. Jamie Fewery is an ex-student who founded his own magazine whilst he
was a student at UH and is now working in publishing. Lynette Moore is in her final year and is the station manager of
UH’s Crush Radio. Rebecca McAleese worked for the UH press office and Adam Jones-Lloyd is doing an MA and
filming on a professional basis.
Rebecca, McAleese 20, is in her last year of study at the University, studying English Language
& Communications with Journalism. Rebecca says that she has always been passionate about
journalism, so when she saw an advertisement for a chance to work for the UH Press Office, she
thought about trying out.
Rebecca worked at the press office as an assistant to the PR Manager for a total of 25 weeks,
and she was at the office once a week. ‘Each week we had to write up case studies and provide
a summary of the Vice Chancellor’s blog. At first I found it quite hard to get used to the way the
case studies had to be written, but nearer to end of my time there I could write them easily.’ she
said.
When asked how she balanced working there as well as going to University, she said: ‘You have to learn to adapt,
as it will prepare you for later on in life when you will have a big work load. There would sometimes be several jobs at
once and some things had to be done by the end of the day, so I learnt how to work to a limit as well as improving my
writing skills.' Rebecca also wrote a press release which was picked and used by the U.K’s leading higher education
magazine, the Times Higher Education Supplement.
Rebecca appreciates that she got the practical experience she was looking for. ‘I don’t think there were any negatives
because I thoroughly enjoyed it.' As soon as she graduates, Rebecca plans to get into press office work, as taking this
opportunity has made her realise it is definitely what she wants to do. ‘This work experience has cemented itself in my
life and confirmed where I want to go after University’, she said.
Rebecca’s TIP:
• ‘Don’t be scared to ask questions, just go for it and don’t hold back. The worse they can say is no.
Ricky Brooks, 25, is a post-graduate student from UH who hopes to become a specialist
language teacher. Ricky studied History and French and, after his second year, decided to study
abroad. Ricky believes that his decision to study abroad has been a big part in helping him fulfil
his dream. ‘I felt like it was something I needed to do while I could and I believed that it would look
impressive on my CV’ he said. Ricky studied at the University of Jean Monnet in Saint Etienne,
France. ‘I was at University from Monday to Thursday, it gave me plenty of time to manage my
work’ said Ricky. ‘Being abroad can make you feel a bit lonely at first, but when you realise that
everybody is in the same boat as you, it does not last long. There was a fantastic community of
students there and I also learnt a little bit about other cultures from all the other foreign students.’
he said. Ricky is now doing a PGCE in primary teaching course at the University of East Anglia and has just finished
his placement and taught his first languages class to year three pupils’.
Ricky’s TIP:
• ‘Do it, Do it while you have the support and funding to make it possible. This is a chance to put
your knowledge to the test.'
Jamie Fewery, 26, studied English Literature and Philosophy and is working as a Special Sales
Executive at Anova books, a non-fiction and Illustrated book publisher and is also a Social Media
Blogger. Whilst he was a student at UH, Jamie worked for DIY Womp, an arts promotions company
and many others. He said: ‘I made sure that I kept myself busy and took advantage of every single opportunity’.
When asked how he got into the magazine ‘Arts and Things’ he said: ‘Rob Walker, the founder of DIY Womp,
wanted to start an online magazine and asked me to start the project up.’ The idea was to put the ideals of DIY
Womp, promoting unknown talent, along with some editorial and humour pieces. ‘It was a bit of laugh because it
was an amateur magazine that managed to look very professional. My time at UH made it possible for me to do
the magazine and all of my work experience. It also gave me an education that I can value.’ You can catch Jamie
on his blog www.bottledandshelved.com or follow him on Twitter@jamiefewery
Jamie’s TIP:
• ‘Just get out there, e-mail people, make yourself known and do the work.
Lynette Moore is an undergraduate Humanities student taking English Literature with
Journalism and Spanish. At the beginning of her second year she saw an ad for a chance to
do a show on Crush, the University’s radio station. Since giving it a go, Lynette has become
the station’s manager.
At her first meeting, Lynette had to stand up in front of 100 people and admits that doing
this and the shows that followed ‘was a little daunting and scary’ at first. Her daily routine at
the station consists of checking emails, listening to radio shows, organising meetings and
keeping an eye on the studios. She said radio work can be time consuming: ‘It has the
potential to take over, but on the up side, it’s a great experience, I love being involved with
radio and working with so many talented people’.
She believes there are no official requirements for working in radio and that all it takes is to be ‘creative, committed
and not too shy because you will have to speak live on air!’ Lynette says that through the ‘insight and experience’
she has gained, working for Crush will ‘immensely’ help her in her future projects.
Lynette’s TIP:
• ‘Get involved by starting with a show, so you can get a feel of student radio, make yourself known by being
involved and helping out with events
• To listen to Crush Radio online go to www.crushradio.co.uk
Adam Jones-Lloyd, 22, is now doing an MA. He previously did a degree in English Literature,
Film and New Media Publishing at UH. During his time at UH he took part in a variety of filming
projects obtained through the film course.
'One day my film tutor, Steven Peacock, asked for volunteers to film a project the Saracens
rugby team were doing.' says Adam. 'I hadn’t had much hands-on experience of filming,
although we’d covered the theory in classes, so I decided to go for it.' The project, called
Film of Dreams, documented a scheme which the Saracens were offering to at-risk youth,
giving them both rugby and life coaching. Although Adam hadn’t known much about rugby
beforehand, he found it fascinating. 'I learnt all about how to operate different cameras, and the actual making
of films, as opposed to the theory, although having that background was very useful indeed. I also worked with
another student, Abu Lullah-Jaffer, who’d had more experience than me and who helped me with some of the
technical side.'
For Adam, the experience was inspirational both from a career perspective and emotionally. 'On the last day of the
project, the boys played in the Vicarage Road stadium at half time during a Saracens game. The stadium was full
and everyone was watching them and it was moving and very memorable.'
Adam then obtained work filming for the UH Athletics Union and through those contacts, he obtained other projects.
Soon word spread and now both he and Abu are being paid as professional film-makers. At the moment, he and
Abu are making a film about the top chef at Brockett Hall, a prestigious hotel not far from UH. 'He’s a sort of Jamie
Oliver, a guy at the top of his profession, so it’s a great experience,' says Adam. 'But if I hadn’t gone for that very
first opportunity, none of it would have happened.'
Adam’s TIP:
• Go for every opportunity you can. One opportunity leads to another, as you meet different people along the
way.'
08
Employers Want You
A
s the competition for jobs escalates, it seems
graduates may need more than just a good
degree in order to secure their dream careers.
In a new survey, it was found that three-fifths of the
UK’s leading employers were either ‘not very likely’
or ‘not at all likely’ to hire graduates without any
relevant previous experience.
This study proves that work experience is an
invaluable asset for prospective graduates when it
comes to applying for jobs following the completion
of their degrees. According to Dan Hawes, the cofounder of the Graduate Recruitment Bureau (GRB),
internships and prior work experience are very
important to employers. He said: ‘In a competitive job
market, anything to stand out to an employer is key.
If you can demonstrate transferable skills relevant to
the role advertised you are in with a shout.’
Despite common misconceptions, internships do not
only involve making hot drinks and getting acquainted
with the photocopying machine, as Jerome Botbol
from digital creative agency Cyber-duck says: ‘To
us, interns aren’t just interns, they’re part of the team.
We give them jobs that carry responsibility. We want
to set them up for the future because we were all in
that position once in our lives. Why would we bring
someone in just to make tea? It takes seconds to do
that. We want our interns to actually learn.’
The importance of an internship lies not only in
obtaining a place within a company, but more so
through what is learnt during the process. Through
self-introductions to the rest of the team, asking for
extra work and visible dedication to tasks, an intern
can demonstrate a genuine eagerness to impress.
Mr. Botbol added: ‘We have an intern at the moment
doing all our marketing, which includes SEO
campaigns, link building and how to attract different
people to different parts of our website. They’re also
learning about sales, so understanding how to target
relevant companies, how to speak to the decision
makers within companies and how to use degree
acquired skills along with innate abilities to push
through and open doors. We aim to teach our interns
learn a bit of everything.’
'It is important to keep in mind that you see everything
that is going on first hand. Also, as we’re growing
very quickly, new jobs come up and we occasionally
have various projects that we need help with for
which we’ve hired interns in the past.’
While an internship or work placement provides
ample opportunity to ride a learning curve and
By Rosa Watson
enhance employability, it can also be a fast track
route into a guaranteed job. One such success
story is that of the managing director of Vauxhall, as
representative Alex Lee said: ‘When our placement
scheme started, Vauxhall took on an undergraduate
called Duncan Aldred. Twenty years down the line,
he is now the MD of the company, so it just goes
to show that the work experience you get can really
help and progress you up the ladder. It is a really
beneficial thing to do.’
Working for the Giants
by Bukola Mohammedalabi
Sonia Jenkins from corporate giant IBM says that the
company regularly hosts work experience students
and invests in them. ‘Taking on a student is just like
employing any new member of staff. It is important
to ensure that there is job description for the work
you want them to do, thought has been given to
how long we need them for and that there is an
evaluation at the end. This is to ensure they have
the opportunity to understand the skills they have
acquired which are relevant to the world of work.’
Sonia also said that as well as it being a good
experience for the students, the company benefits
too from the infusion of new ideas and abilities.
'Employing work experience students happens
to be the best decision I have made. The students
are very eager to learn, they have a passion to
deliver their 100% best quality, every one is
striving to be employed, so this is where their
true colours are shown.'
IBM pays their work experience students and only
employs students who are business driven and have
a passion for logical reasoning.
What is IBM looking for?
'People at IBM stand out for their imagination,
adaptability, drive, teamwork, boundless energy and
passion for their area of expertise,' says Sonia. The
company takes any degree background, providing
you are expecting at least a 2:1. Whether it’s a year
out as part of your degree, a summer internship, IBM
offer first-class opportunities across fields such as
consulting, technology, sales, finance and human
resources.
Learning From Working
By Ann Barber
It is important for you to reflect on what you have gained from any work experience so that you have a
good understanding of the employability skills you have developed.
Work experience arranged through a formal placement supported by the University will gain accreditation
through the completion of formal assessments and reports. In other cases, I would recommend that you
keep a diary or a log to record your daily tasks and activities, what you learned from them and what
you might do differently next time. You will then have evidence of your skills to hand when you come to
prepare an effective CV or Application Form in the future.
You may have taken a one year placement or shorter term internship in an area of work which you have
been considering as a future career – your observations and feelings whilst in that environment will be
worth recording:
• What did the job involve?
• What aspects of the job did you most enjoy/dislike?
• Is this an environment/organisation you would be interested in working in?
• What were your personal achievements?
• How did it impact on my existing knowledge and experience and how will it impact on my future
studies?
• What contacts have you made from your networking activities?
This information will help you in your future career planning and job search activities.
Based on research UH has identified 8 Employability & Enterprise skills that employers are most likely to
want, so you may like to check these and see how you rate. (See Jobs & Careers via StudyNet: click on
‘Employability & Enterprise Skills’).
When completing your log, consider identifying at least a couple of examples in respect of each of the
following:
• Self-management & development – employers are increasingly putting greater emphasis on
attitude and personality and how well you will fit into the organisation. So, for example, think about
how you responded to particular situations that arose…What was the Situation, what was the Task,
what Action did you take and what was the Result (S.T.A.R.) a helpful way to identify and structure
your evidence.
• Managing tasks – identify tasks you undertook where you demonstrated the skill in organising yourself
and managing your own workload through good planning in order to meet specific deadlines. Think
STAR!
• Communication – effective and accurate written and spoken communication are essential skills
in the workplace. Examples might include writing reports, dealing with customer queries…what
evidence do you have to prove that you were effective? Think STAR!
• Working with and relating to others – good working relationships lead to effective working, so how
can you demonstrate that you did this well? Did you have to overcome any difficulties maybe when
you were working in a team? What strategies did you use to deal with conflict? Think STAR!
• Applying knowledge – perhaps you have had an opportunity to put into practice knowledge or a
theory you have learnt on your degree course … that will be good evidence! Think STAR!
• Using initiative in work problems – did you ever find yourself in a situation where you had to think
creatively to solve a problem? Think STAR!
Reflecting on your work experience is the key to getting the maximum benefit from it. Recording what
went well or not so well to produce a desired result will provide evidence to any employer that you have
a commitment to learning and that you have the potential to develop and perform at the required level.
Asking for feedback from your Supervisor/Line Manager will give you a good idea of your strengths and
those areas that need to be developed.
The experience gained from short or longer term placements will always put you in the best position of
being able to meet the demands of recruitment in the graduate labour market. Recognising what you
have gained from that experience will be the key to seizing the opportunities that lead to success.
Don’t forget that the team at Graduate Futures, the University’s Jobs & Careers network, are there to
support you too.
10
A pocket guide to your MA in:
english
literature
Modern Literary Cultures
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