Welcome (back) to Manchester!

Whether you’ve just arrived in Manchester to start your first year, or are returning for your second, third or final year after the summer break, we can help you make the most of your time here and help you land a job for when you leave!

So how can we help you?

Exploring your options

We run a number of events throughout the year which can help you get an insight into a variety of industries and hear from people who do these jobs first hand. Search for events on CareersLink, log in using your university username and password: www.manchester.ac.uk/careerslink

Work experience

Work experience, whether it’s a part-time job, volunteering, an internship, work shadowing or getting involved in student societies, is vital to helping you get a job after you graduate! We offer a range of support and advice about work experience on our website: www.manchester.ac.uk/careers/workexperience and we advertise hundreds of part-time and work experience vacancies on CareersLink: www.manchester.ac.uk/careerslink

Applications and Interviews

We offer advice and guidance on applications and interview whether for full-time graduate jobs, part-time work, work experience or for further study.

A good application will get you noticed and get you through to the important interview stage! We offer a range of advice on our website: www.manchester.ac.uk/careers/applications or you can come in for a 15 minute quick query appointment and get your application checked by an expert: www.manchester.ac.uk/careers/students/services/quickquery

Interviews are usually the final hurdle between you and a job! Don’t let your nerves get the better of you, and make sure you’re prepared. We offer practice interviews and have a range of advice on our website: www.manchester.ac.uk/careers/students/services/practiceinterviews/

Accredited Modules

Want to boost your employability and earn credits at the same time? We offer two accredited modules, Career Management Skills which is largely delivered by employers so you can find out first hand the skills they are looking for: www.manchester.ac.uk/careers/students/employable/modules/ and the Manchester Leadership Programme, which combines volunteering with academic study around leadership www.manchester.ac.uk/mlp

Considering your module choice options? Think again…

We (your Careers Service) offer Career Management Skills (CMS) modules which give you the chance to gain academic credits, meet employers and develop skills to make you employable

.

CMS modules are a great way for you to improve your:

• Job search strategy
• CVs and applications
• Interview technique
• Teamwork skills
• Presentation skills
• Business awareness

Plus many lectures are delivered by employers so you can find out exactly what skills they look for.

Through CMS you can build on the skills you have through taking part in group projects and case studies. You can also assess and evaluate your skills helping you prepare for the recruitment process and the world of work.

Some CMS modules are compulsory, some optional and many are credit-bearing.  Look in your school handbook to find out if there is one you can attend, or visit: www.manchester.ac.uk/careers/cms

Looking for work – how selective can you afford to be?

Here’s a dilemma for you

• Unemployment rates are high, some students fear they might not get a job when they graduate.
• Yet employers tell us they can’t find graduates to fill the jobs.
• Students and new graduates tell us they aren’t interested in the jobs available.
• Yet some graduates are content to stay on in casual jobs in bars and fast foot outlets, rather than finding graduate level roles.

Here at Careers Service we hear from students every day that “there are no jobs” and yet we have employers desperate to find students and graduates to apply for vacancies.

We have seen that some vacancies get few hits on our database, and some get few applicants.

Whats going on?

• Some students are just not ready to think about employment after their final year: High flyers survey tells us that nationally –   13% have no plans after graduation,  12% plan to go travelling or take a gap year, 8% intend to volunteer or get work experience.
• Are we blinded by high profile companies and won’t look at other organisations no matter what the job is?
• Are smaller or less high profile companies just not very good at making their opportunities sound interesting?
• Are some locations not appealing enough?
• Are the salaries not high enough?
• Some students tell us they are put off by the time it takes to make an application.
• Is it low priority to think about careers and graduate jobs if you could continue in your student casual job after you graduate?

If you can’t get your ideal job are you going to give up or look at other options?

The simple facts are:

• A job is not for life! If you don’t like it or find a better one you can leave.
• Taking a job in a smaller company may give you more responsibility earlier – a great start to your career.
• It’s easier to get a job when you are in a job. You are gaining skills and experience and therefore look attractive to other employers.
• All jobs can’t be exciting all the time. Everyone has things they would prefer not to have to do in a job, be realistic about what jobs really involve.
• Taking a gap year can be useful, but if you don’t plan ahead it can easily turn into 2 years off with no income.
• Jobseekers allowance isn’t much, your friends will be out at work so it can get pretty dull especially if you end up having to move home.
• Casual jobs like bar and fast food jobs are fine to earn money, but if there is no hope of progression and you are still doing it 2 years after graduation it’s not ideal.  Aim to be looking for roles that will give you more experience and skills while you earn money to pay the bills – you could consider a graduate internship.

You can’t afford not to be looking for work.

You only have so much time, so which jobs SHOULD you apply for and which ones should you ignore?

Apply for:

• Jobs you have the relevant skills and experience for.
• Jobs you have some of the relevant skills and experience for. Don’t be put off by a long list of requirements you may still be better than other applicants.
• Jobs where you may not know much about the company but the role sounds interesting. You can easily research the company to find out more.
• Jobs in places you may not have heard of.  It may not be as far away as you think – research bus and train fares. You don’t necessarily have to live there, if you can commute less than an hour each way you are doing well!
• Jobs that are less than the average salary.  The average graduate salary is due to hit £26K this year but that takes into account big city firms, most starting salaries will be well below this. 
• Jobs that are low paid but give you great experience to progress your career – e.g. admin work or teaching assistants.
• Think strategically – if the location or some element of the job is a little offputting to you, others will probably feel the same. Low application numbers = more chance of success for you!

 Ignore:

•  Jobs you can’t be bothered to properly research.
• Jobs you would turn down if you got an interview or an offer.

If you are simply not interested you are wasting your time and the recruiter’s.

There are simply thousands of immediate start jobs available right now, but you need to have a positive attitude and be prepared to put in the time to make a good application.  Employers would rather be short staffed than take on  staff with bad attitudes. So what are you waiting for? Get applying…

 

‘… But I’ve only worked in a bar, that’s not work experience right?’

WRONG.

Any kind of work- whether full- time, part-time, voluntary, vacation, casual or unpaid can count as work experience, boost your CV and help you land a dream job, even if it is completely unrelated to your future career.

So what skills can you gain from working part-time?

Apply for 2013 start – graduate schemes open now!

Whether you are just about to graduate or have a year to go, you need to get started now for jobs starting summer 2013.

While there are lots of graduate jobs being advertised at the moment with immediate start dates, some 2013 graduate schemes are also opening now. These opportunities are open to graduates from previous years as well as the class of 2013. If you are graduating this summer, or are just going into your final year there are many reasons why it is a good idea to get in early…

There’s something for everyone at the Graduate Fair

The University of Manchester Graduate Fair takes place at the Armitage Centre in Fallowfield on the 13 and 14 June 2012. It’s your chance to meet with over 160 employers (different ones on each day), who all have immediate vacancies. Find out more and register here: www.manchester.ac.uk/graduatefair

A number of recruiters are looking for graduates of any discipline: Abercrombie and Fitch, Arcadia Group, The Co-operative Group, Deloitte LLP, Google, Matalan, Royal Air Force, Teach First, adidas Group, Asda, Civil Service, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, HSBC, Rolls Royce plc, TEFL Express and Warner Music to name but a few.

A number of others have more specific requirements and are looking for language, business or law students, engineers, scientists and mathematicians.

View the full list of recruiters by subject here: http://www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/media/services/careersandemployabilitydivision/careersservice/talkshandouts/calendarofevents/Summer-Fair-Rec-by-Subject-2012.pdf

Want to know how to make the most of the fair? Come along to one of our ‘Prepare for the Fair’ seminars, more details here: www.manchester.ac.uk/careers/summercareersevents/?src=blog

Summer jobsearch act now #catsandcareers No3

The harder Tinkerbell looked the further away those jobs seemed
to get.

It seemed like an easier option to let it all wait till after exams. (or perhaps after a nice long summer snooze)

Did you know that May and June are actually the busiest months of the year for vacancies, but you have to act now!

About to graduate or want to get a head start for next year?

Worried about your job prospects? Thinking what options are open to you? Need advice on how to get a job? Then Summer Careers Events 2012 is for you!

The sun may not be shining yet, but we have organised a programme of events to get your career off to a bright start.

Getting started. #catsandcareers. No1

Until now Magenta had found sitting on the fence with her eyes tight shut a useful technique to avoid dealing with her future plans.

Unfortunately with finals looming it was becoming obvious that she would have to take action soon.

If like Magenta you are in denial or frozen into indecision there  a few small steps that you can take, it’s not too late.

1. Try careerkickstart it’s a little programme that goes a big way to helping you to assess what to do next.

Graduating and not yet found a job or postgraduate course?

Come along to the Graduate Recruitment Fair in Manchester on Wednesday 13 and Thursday 14 June 2012, 10.30am – 4.00pm at The Armitage Centre, Fallowfield, Manchester, and get your first step on the career ladder.

There are hundreds of graduate jobs (permanent paid and voluntary) and some postgrad course places available. These include both local and national vacancies and are in a variety of sectors- so there’s something for everyone!

Don’t just take our word for it- Tommy (who graduated last year) gained a job from the fair: