Semester 1 sees many of the big corporates recruiting and having events on campus, the “non – corporates” tend to recruit in less regular patturns so to give them a stronger presence each year we focus on them in semester 2.

Just a few of the events coming up:

• Environmental careers
• Development work
• Broadcast journalism
• Entrepreneurship and enterprise
• Voluntary and not for profit sector

For further details and more events keep checking in Careerslink

I am currently trying to decide which MA to do: Art Gallery and Museum Studies or History, and whether to do it at Manchester or Kent. But that’s not really relevant to this story. I went to an AGMS open day, and it looks very good. I just need to arrange some work experience before I apply as work experience is a prerequisite to being accepted onto the course. But again, this is effort so I’ve put that on the back burner a bit and had some time to think. Thinking is my downfall. “What if half way through the course I decide that I don’t want to work in museums?” Of course, work experience will help this worry, so I should really get on that. History, my other option, is (or so I thought) a relatively safe bet. I’ve done it for three years, and there’s a lot of careers that you can get from it, or so I am told.

I went to speak to one of my lecturers about something completely unrelated and we ended up talking about my desire to do an MA.

“Why do you want to do a History MA?” he asked.

I really had not expected this question to arise, so my answer was less than satisfactory.

“It’s something to do I guess.”

“That’s not a very good reason.”

He was right. It is not a very good reason. Of course it isn’t the real reason, but I was having an off morning. I asked him what would be a good reason to do a History MA.

“The only good reason to do a History MA is to do a History PhD.”

I do not want to do a History PhD (I say now. Who knows, in September I didn’t even want to do an MA). He then told me that I should spend my £5000 on something better, such as getting a train to London to get work experience in something that I want to do. I don’t know what I want to do, which is part of this problem. But I’ve been told that an MA can make you more employable. We then went on to talk about the pros and cons of certain jobs. “The first five years of every job is hard. You have to work a lot and, generally, you get paid very little,” he told me, leaving me feeling downtrodden and confused.

Disheartened, I went to the postgrad careers fair at the GMEX (or Manchester Central as the City Council is now trying to call it), had a nice mosey round and had a chat with a careers advisor from Salford Uni. She was very nice, very helpful and a lot more balanced than my lecturer. She asked me questions that I had asked myself but had not really properly addressed. For instance, I have decided what jobs I do not want, but hadn’t properly questioned if there was a theme throughout these jobs which made me turn away from them. In short, I don’t want to work too much with maths; I don’t want my work to be my life (as is the case in a lot of well paid jobs); I want to work with people that I’d get on with; I want reasonable hours and I would like the possibility of being able to move abroad. She said that they were very good thoughts. I then went on to ask about the pros and cons of doing an MA. In short, the AGMS MA is very good if I’m sure that this is what I want to do. As I said, work experience will be invaluable here. (If you work in a museum and are reading this please do contact me). She also said that wanting to do a PhD isn’t the only reason to do a History MA. Whilst it is the only thing that directly follows, only 20-30% of people that do the MA go on to do the PhD. What the MA will do is enhance the critical, analytical etc. transferable skills that the History BA will already have given me. It would also, she said, be a good chance to meet people in the industries that I am interested in working in, make connections and get some work experience. After this meeting I felt a lot better about my decision, but am aware that I need to get some more work done on the matter, and, of course, actually applying for an MA.

Even though some of the advice given to me did make me want to cry, I think it was important that I have spoken to more people about my options as it has clarified the pros and cons in my head. Also, I will add that the postgrad studies fair was very good, and if you are free you should take the time out to go to events put on by the careers service. That’s my ad for the day.

Sophia White, Student Blogger

Clearly we don’t always feel positive, especially in this socioeconomic climate. Global recession, inflation, increased tuition fees, public sector job cuts, soaring petrol prices all beg the question ‘What is there to be positive about?’ However the question you should be asking is ‘Why should I be positive?’ because the answer is a much more satisfying one.

Ultimately positive thinking creates positivity. A positive mind-set shapes your interpretations of the world around you. As Winston Churchill said “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” I think this is a great quote that explains how the power of positivity can override negative influences. If you accept the difficulties and look for the positives you will be much more motivated and satisfied in life.

The human mind has astounding capability to affect our lives, though we are not always aware of it. It is widely accepted that stress adversely affects our health and our moods and I’m sure anyone who has ever had multiple deadlines or exams in one week will attest to this. So if stress or negativity can affect us then it makes sense that positivity may affect us in a beneficial way.

In summer 2011 I did a 7 week work placement at a global consumer goods company. This was my first ever experience in a corporate environment and I’m not afraid to say I was terrified.  The first week I spent most of the time waiting for somebody to come up to me and say ‘Who are you? You shouldn’t be here,’ and was surprised that the employees were taking me seriously. However I maintained a positive and willing attitude throughout the internship and quickly saw my abilities developing. By the end of it I felt like I had worked there for a year and could cope with any situation. You may think I was lucky and that this won’t work for you and you could be right, but the main point is that by the end of my 7 weeks I could see that all my employers wanted to see was somebody who was pleasant, attentive, and hardworking. My total lack of previous experience in a commercial setting was irrelevant due to my positive mind-set. Even if I produced substandard work but showed that I was putting in the effort and was willing to learn from my mistakes I would have been successful.

From the perspective of employers a positive person will benefit everyone they come into contact with. Having the ability to stay positive sets a good example for co-workers, impresses clients, ensures you are calm, flexible and productive in your work as well as being consistently motivated. I would argue that positivity is our not so secret weapon in life, which the majority of us take for granted. We all know how to be positive and with so many people out there being negative in these uncertain times, positivity will set you apart from others more than ever before.

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Actor and singer-songwriter Will Smith talks about his belief in positive thinking.  He says our thoughts have a physical force that can affect our lives and that all of us have the power to believe that things are possible, which creates a physical thrust towards the realisation of our goals. There are a few videos of him on YouTube on this subject;  Click here to see one.

I’m not trying to say that positivity will suddenly make everything perfect because it won’t, it will not prevent inconveniences, mistakes or tragedies. Being positive involves disregarding the negativity that is inevitable in our lives and being able to move forward. A positive person accepts that bad things happen but resists the urge to become negative in light of this fact. If there is not a lot to smile about, then perhaps that is all the more reason to smile and stay positive because being negative will only perpetuate the cycle.

In the long term I think it takes a lot more effort to be negative than it does to be positive. A negative attitude is like a pair of goggles, easy to put on and wear, but once adorned they obscure happiness and magnify negativity. Even if being positive does not come naturally, everyone has the power to change their own thoughts and actions to this end and it can make a big difference to how potential employers will perceive you.

Tom Wilson – Student blogger

• Check your email and voice mail regularly, at least once a day.
• If you are given a choice of times, locations or dates, book one immediately.
• If you can’t make any of them ring the company immediately and tell them why not, but it better be a good excuse like an exam!

The slots will book up with other candidates who are sure about their commitment to this company very fast. It is possible they may invite more people than there are slots – there will always be some who don’t bother or have had a better offer.

So think carefully about your priorities:

• Is playing football that afternoon worth giving up that job for?
• Can you miss a lecture or tutorial? (It’s fairly likley that on balance you will be able to negociate something with your school so don’t wait a week while you figure it out!)
• Can you change a shift at your part time job?

At the end of the day how much do you want to work for company X? What is your future worth to you?

It’s tough out there but this is nothing new, companies simply don’t have time and money to waste waiting around to fit in around potential employees.   There are plenty of other candidates out there so don’t get left behind in the race!

According to the Jobvite Social Recruiting Survey, 32% of recruiters always search for social media profiles when reviewing candidates, 38% sometimes do and 13.5% review if provided by candidate.

This can have both negative and positive outcomes:

Reasons why you’re fired:

• Poor communication skills
  – illiterate, poor grammar or spelling
• Inappropriate photos
• Information about drinking/drug use
• Lying about qualifications/experience
• Unprofessional screen names
• Racist/sexist/offensive comments

Reasons why you’re hired:

• Great communication skills
• Professional image portrayed
• Good fit for company’s culture
• Wide range of interests
• Positive recommendations, achievements, qualifications, experience, awards etc.
• Use keywords that you want to be associated with (to be picked up by search engines)

So, how can you make sure your digital footprint gets you hired rather than fired?

Approach 1: Keep your personal and professional profiles separate

Approach 2: Ensure ALL your social networking profiles are respectable

Also be aware of ‘open’ profiles, make sure you check your privacy settings! For profiles which are open, make sure you:

• Use your real name
• Clean up ‘digital dirt’ – don’t send the wrong message
• Join groups selectively
• Monitor or block comments

REMEMBER: If in doubt, think ‘Would I be happy for a prospective employer to see/read this?’

The best thing you can do now is breathe, step back and relax. I have realised you can do this and still be productive. Here I have compiled 3 little things you could do to get the most out of the break, before revision kicks in:

1) Get Twitter – Not only is it a useful tool to find jobs and volunteering opportunities but equally for networking. Trying to get into the field of international development, as I am, is difficult without keeping up with development updates that cannot be found in the news, and if you have a few things to say yourself, people in the field will begin to follow you. Your employers are most likely to have a look. For an example, mine can be found here.

2) Update your CV – Creativity can go a long way. Even something as simple as changing your layout to highlight your key attributes, can be enough for your creativity to stand out. Right now I am on the couch, listening to music with a mug of coffee, re-designing the layout and fixing a small section on my career objectives and the individual qualities that make me stand out from others.

3) Research your Interests – Recently, I have been thinking, what really interests me? This could be anything from a hobby to something related to the field you are interested in. Once you have something in mind, then search for articles, books, reports and even possible volunteer opportunities related to this. You could even start a blog and have a say on your findings. In this way, you will get a bigger picture into the work and have an enjoyable experience in the process. Equally, your passion will shine through to employers.

In this way, getting ahead doesn’t necessarily have to be a tedious task. When you have a passion for something, the usual tasks can become a way in which you can unwind.

Priya Changela (Student Blogger)

According to the Jobvite Social Recruiting Survey, 92% of those hiring in 2010 were already recruiting or planned to recruit via social networks and of this group, 86% used Linked In, 60% used Facebook and 50% used Twitter to do this.

So, how can you use social media to help you bag your dream job?

Blogs- Following blogs such as this are a good way to find out about various opportunities and gain tips and advice on how to make yourself employable, how to make applications and find out industry specific information.

Similarly, for those of you interested in working in the creative industries, a blog is a good way of showcasing your talent and demonstrating an interest within your chosen industry.  You can attach a link to your blog on your CV and this will provide an employer with hard evidence of your skills and talents. However, if you are going to do this- make sure there is nothing on there you wouldn’t want a potential employer to see!

Facebook- Join our Careers Facebook group for your academic school to be the first to hear about relevant events, vacancies, internships, placements, training and further study. www.manchester.ac.uk/careers/facebook

 Twitter- The careers service twitter is a good place to find out information as soon as we hear about it, follow @ManUniCareers or @ManPGCareers for Postgraduate Careers Advice or @mcrmediaclub for the Media Club’s own twitter.

Similarly, many employers use twitter as a place to advertise jobs and work experience placements, therefore it may be wise to follow companies you are really interested in working for on twitter. Also search engines such as www.twitjobsearch.com make searching for jobs on twitter easy for you!

Twitter can also be used to find out information about the industry you wish to work in, and you can keep up to date on industry news by following relevant bodies such as the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, for example (follow @IPA_Updates)

You can also use Twitter for networking, and to create your own opportunities. The following article on the Guardian website, which was written by a current Manchester student, details her experiences of using twitter to do this. http://careers.guardian.co.uk/journalism-work-experience-twitter

Our student bloggers also recommend Twitter, see these previous blog posts: http://manchesterundergradcareers.wordpress.com/2010/02/15/where-would-i-be-without-twitter and http://manchesterundergradcareers.wordpress.com/2011/11/14/a-career-in-journalism-its-time-to-get-started

Linked In- Although this is perceived as a resource for business people- Linked In can also help you get that first rung on the career ladder!

Helen has previously posted an excellent blog  post regarding all things linked in: http://manchesterundergradcareers.wordpress.com/2011/05/11/why-linkedin-is-the-facebook-for-professionals-and-jobseekers

Here are my tips:

Fill in your profile with as many details as possible, such as your degree and extra curricular activities and you can add work experience and volunteering to the work history section, creating an online CV. By filling in your profile using key words this will allow people to search for you using these words- and who knows what opportunities may arise!

Further, you can join a wide range of groups which may allow you the opportunity to discuss key issues within your chosen industry with professionals and consequently provide a vehicle for networking. You can also use Linked In to research organisations and specific job roles.

Linked In can also be used to keep a track of people you have networked with, through work experience, careers events etc, and this allows you to maintain these relationships.

What are you waiting for? Get started with your social media hunt today!

And on the topic of hunting… what about all you first years looking for a home for the next year? I’m aware some of you are fine as you are, but if you haven’t even thought about it yet – don’t worry. I wouldn’t leave it much later though – spend the break looking for some properties in the area you want to be in, looking for people you want to live with, and speak to fellow students – second years, etc. They’ll have been through this process already, and I’m sure they’ll have some words of wisdom for you! But if this post is making you panic a little, stop. There are more houses than students, so you’re definitely not going to be homeless!

And on a final note, I’d just like to say happy holidays! Good luck to everyone with January exams – I know I’ll be knuckling down hard this Christmas, and hope you all have a wonderful New Year.

Heena. -x

Student Blogger

Pearson Education, the leading publisher for higher education, is now once again looking for bright, motivated university students to become part of its Pearson Student Advisory Board from September 2012 until June 2013. Could you be one of the 8 students selected?

Those selected to be on the board will work on individual projects on campus on behalf of Pearson and attend 3 expenses paid residential weekends sharing their ideas with the Pearson executive board.

For at least the last 3 years, a student from the University of Manchester has been one of a select group of 8 students from all over the UK to join the Board, and we’re obviously keen that this trend continues! This year, we have done particularly well as we are the only university to have not one but two students on the Board!

Find out more about the Pearson Student Advisory Board here: www.pearsoned.co.uk/psab

Why apply?

•  It’s a great way for students who are interested in a career in business, marketing, education or publishing in particular, to get some valuable experience for their CV.
• The board will get the opportunity to meet Pearson executives and influence decision makers at the highest level.
• A £500 bursary and free books are provided, as well as the support of a Pearson mentor for the duration of your time on the board.

 Who can apply?

Pearson are looking for undergraduate students in any subject (currently in their 1^st, 2^nd or penultimate year) who are “passionate about the experience of learning and care about helping those in education to reach their full potential.”

 How to apply

Send your completed application to Janet Willis, Careers Consultant at the University of Manchester Careers Service via email: janet.k.willis@manchester.ac.uk in the form of:

• A CV with details of two referees (one must be an academic)
• A covering letter that outlines details of the student’s course and academic attainment to date
• A 100-word summary outlining interest in and suitability for becoming a Board member

 Deadline is Friday 30th January 2011.

I was once taking an email address from one applicant. It ended in “@mccann.com.” I used to want to do advertising (this  dream has now died a death, in fact following this meeting), and wondered if the “mccann” in the email address referred to McCann Erickson, one of the biggest ad agencies in the world. I carried on taking his information, but then curiosity got the best of me, so I asked him “does the McCann in your email address refer to McCann Erickson?” Indeed it did. We spoke for about twenty minutes about McCann, advertising, and finding grad jobs. He was quite impressed that I knew about McCann and also knew about the different sectors of advertising e.g. that ‘accounts’ does not directly have anything to do with money. He then helped me arrange some work experience, which I ended up declining, a rather misinformed decision due to travel issues, and we continued to contact each other as I applied for a few ad training schemes. However, as I said before, I ended up changing my mind about advertising after doing some more extensive research about it. But the lesson I took from this story is: if you’re interested in something and an opportunity hits you in the face, take it. Had I not asked him about the ‘McCann’ in his email address I would forever live on in wonder, and if you do ask the worst they can say is “no” and you can just brush the embarrassment off your back.

My second example is with an investment banker. She had a ten minute rant at me about how much she disliked her job. “I don’t feel like I’m me anymore… During the week, I’m just another corporate drone… It’s so stressful and the people aren’t very nice…Unless money is all you care about, investment banking just isn’t worth it…If I could go back in time and change things, I definitely would not do investment banking.” Bizarrely enough, after this extensive tirade against her job, she said that she could set me up an interview if I wanted one. Unsurprisingly, I did not want to go into investment banking having been told what it’s like to be in investment banking. Nonetheless, it was very nice of her to offer me a job. But it was still very nice to talk to someone who was in a successful grad job and had spoken about all the fears that I have about finding jobs and choosing the right career path.

I realise as I am writing this that these stories don’t have a very clear message and seem relatively unrelated. But what I’ve taken away from these examples is: you meet a lot of people in life, don’t be afraid to talk to people. The more you talk to people, the clearer things become in your head. Also, if an opportunity arises, don’t be afraid to grab it…no matter how uncomfortable you may seem.

Sophia White – Student Blogger