The hunt for a part-time job

Adam Coombs, student blogger

It finally hits you. Your student loan is not going to be enough to sustain your wild life of parties anymore. Well, maybe if you cut out food and decide that alcohol is more important than the rent, but most sane people would either cut back on going out or do what I’ve been doing for the past month or so. And that is to try and find a part-time job in recession-struck Britain.

Is teaching your back-up?

Anastasia Miari – student blogger

Teaching, for a lot of us, is a back up. If all else fails, then teach, right? If this is your mindset, maybe you should consider taking part in the Student Associates Scheme, as I did for three weeks this summer.

Along with a great number of students, before this summer I thought that teaching would be a brilliant fall back if my acting/ journalism/TV-producing career doesn’t exactly go to plan. Lets face it, the country’s not getting any richer and jobs aren’t exactly being handed out willy nilly. So, I decided that I’d see if teaching was actually for me.

The Student Associates Scheme is organised by The University of Manchester in

An Aldi poster can inspire your career plans too, honestly…

Helen McGuire – student blogger

There is a poster I walk past almost everyday in the John Ryland’s Library, and every time I see it I’m filled with a sort of sense of impending doom about the future course of my adult life. It’s a poster advertising careers at the discount supermarket ‘Aldi’. In the corner of the poster of doom it states that a graduate can get a starting salary of £40,000 and a ‘fully expensed Audi A4’. This poster always gets me thinking about what I’d want out of a career. Would I really be happy in a 9 to 5 job, working for Aldi and driving around in my Audi A4? Or am I prepared to sacrifice financial success for a more fulfilling career?

As a second year student, I’m just starting to think about what I want to do with my life. I still have no fixed career

25th Nov Placement Fair and Career Development Day

Manchester Metropolitan University Business School are holding a Placement Fair & Career Development Day on Wednesday 25th November in partnership with Pro Manchester, a corporate membership organisation representing the 240,000 employed in the financial and professional service community in and around Greater Manchester.

The Fair is open to all students from MMU, Salford and The University of Manchester to attend. Open to students studying on any year of any course (undergraduate or postgraduate) but may be of particular interest to those interested in; Business, Marketing, Accounting, Finance, IT, Computing, Law, Media, Advertising and PR.

More details follow…

Prices increase, opportunities decrease – find a solution now!

Student blogger – Priya Thakrar

I remember when I hit the age of 16. I’d be in town every Saturday handing my CV out to every shop I could – especially the clothing retail ones in hope of some store discount! I ended up working in a petrol station. Although I’d moan about this at the time, I now realise that the experience I gained from assisting in simple commerce such as on the till or shop floor has been vital to progressing my employability skills. It’s not that I’ve become an

Welcome freshers and returning students

Welcome to Manchester – if it’s your first time here then I guess you are pretty busy finding out what you like & dislike about the city. I can assure you it doesn’t rain ALL the time (though a waterproof and wellies can be pretty handy!)

Manchester has a reputation as a party city and there is certainly plenty to keep you entertained! To make the best of your time at university you need to work hard and play hard.  I don’t just mean study hard – you need to get involved in volunteering, clubs, societies and get work experience.  A degree on its own is simply is not enough to get a good job and it’s never to early to start.

Your Career Timeline

Getting a job in a recession – feedback from employers

Even though we are in a recession there are still jobs out there.

There seems to be a somewhat convenient urban myth going round that there are no jobs so you might as well not bother looking or applying – just give up and go travelling. Check out the article in The Times: There are still 10,000 reasons for graduates to get out of bed.

Finding a summer job back home

If you haven’t had time to organise some work experience over the summer or suddenly realise that you need funds for that trip to Ibiza or Thailand then read on…

It’s never too late to start looking; it really depends on what you want to get out of your summer.

Want to be a Campus Brand Manager next year?

Are you interested in being a Campus Brand Manager or Ambassador, and representing a company on campus during the next academic year?  If you are, you may be interested in the jobs below – full details and application information can be found on the Careers Service website.

Campus Brand Managers or Ambassadors carry out work on campus to help promote their organisation’s opportunities on campus to fellow students -  job details, requirements and pay will differ depending on the company.  Being a company’s representative on campus can give you an invaluable insight into marketing and brand management, help develop your skills, give you great first-hand experience to put on your CV and is an opportunity to learn about the organisation as well!

Here are just a few examples of roles available at the moment – for more, please search the vacancies section of our website:

• Deutsche Bank Campus Ambassadors – they are looking for FIRST years to represent them on campus. If you’re a proactive and enthusiastic team player and want to join the financial sector, you’ll need to apply by Wednesday 6th May!
• Teach First Brand Managers – they are looking for SECOND years to represent them on campus for up to 3 hours each week.  It’s a flexible role so you can fit it round your studies. If you’re sociable, well connected around the university, able to work as part of team as well as independently, make sure to apply by Friday 15th May.
• GlaxoSmithKline Campus Brand Manager - they are looking for a student to help them achieve their campus marketing strategy in this part time job. If you’re committed, motivated and pro-active, they want to hear from you by Sunday 17th May.

Long hot summer…

With the end of the academic year fast approaching, now’s a good time to think of how to boost your CV over the summer months.   Work experience can be invaluable.  The Shell Step scheme is now open to second year/penultimate year and final year students and offers eight-week paid placements with small and medium-sized companies and community organisations.   For other work experience ideas go to the work experience section of the Careers Service website. If you fancy doing a bit volunteering check out Time Bank and Do It.  Both will help you find something near to where you live.  And, of course, there’s volunteering info on the careers site that’s easy to register for and browse.   If you want to brush up your IT skills, or learn something new, why not ring the government backed careers advice service tel 0800 101 901, and ask about short courses.   However, it’s worth seeing what’s out there before you commit.   Finally, don’t forget to register for vacancies on our website so you don’t miss out!