A good approach is to admit a real weakness (which does not impact on the job), then describe how you overcome it by using strengths which are relevant to the job. By talking about how you manage your weakness, you can finish your answer on a positive note. You could, for example, refer to overcoming nervousness at public speaking by thorough preparation and organisation.

The scheme in brief:

• When? 50 weeks in duration starting September 2012 (not deferrable).
• Where?UK based (either nearGlasgow or inLondon), with the possibility of travel to projects and or country offices depending on the role.
• Who can apply?Graduates from 2011 or those who will be completing graduate or postgraduate study in 2012. Open to any degree subject. Minimum 2:1 grade requirement. Not open to applicants who would need a work permit (see the scheme’s website FAQs for more information – link below).
• What is on offer?DFID describe the scheme as offering graduates ‘…invaluable experience in areas from Policy development to Private sector partnerships.’ The programme will comprise ‘…personalised induction and training, e-learning, and a mentor. Whilst at DFID, you will be able to apply for internal opportunities and you will gain valuable work experience and improve your employability in the sector.’
• What’s the selection process? The online application process is open until 20^th March 2012. Successful applicants will be invited to attend an assessment centre.
• How do I get in? This programme is likely to attract lots of interest. Come along to the Careers Service for support with your application.

If you are interested in international development issues then don’t miss  ‘Getting into International Development’  run by The Careers Group on March 15^th 2012 www.careers.lon.ac.uk/events.  Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Stephen O’Brien MP will be the keynote speaker at this event.

Find out more about the DFID graduate scheme at http://www.dfid.gov.uk/graduate.

You’re eighteen months into your Arts PhD and facing the dreaded ‘upgrade’ process. You’re not sure how you’re going to get through this as you still only have 2000 words of your first chapter, the archive you need is being difficult about access, and your supervisor is in America and hasn’t spoken to you in months.

 Disappointingly you weren’t successful in your grant application, so you’re living on tomato soup and juggling part time jobs just to pay the rent.

 You feel completely isolated and see no hope of getting your thesis finished, let alone getting anything published.

 Where did it all go wrong?

 You would have to be very unlucky for all these things to go wrong, but as all of these things, at some time during the PhD, have happened to me or my friends, here’s some advice to help you avoid this scenario.

Firstly, think carefully before applying to do an Arts PhD. Where, when, with whom and how you’re planning to do your PhD are almost as important to think about as what you want to do it on. Also, given the financial, time and even perhaps opportunity costs of a 3-4 year course of study, you have to be sure you really want to do this.

• Where. This is one of the most important decisions to make. Institutions now run grant application rounds themselves and have different numbers of awards to give out. They will also have their own priorities when it comes to what sort of projects they want to support. It’s also important to find out what the research community is like: how many people of your specialism/period are active in the department, what sort of research groups are there. And then there are practical things like, how well resourced is the library? Or how far is the institution from any archives you might need?
• When. You are looking at embarking on a course of study for 3-4 years, so you need to plan for this personally and financially. You should also find out about the deadlines at your favoured institution for applications for places and funding.
• Who. Your relationship with your supervisor will be very important for your success. Find someone who is interested in your area of specialism – academics usually provide information about what they would be interested in supervising on their web-pages – and contact them directly. Also, are they likely to be at the institution for the period of your PhD?
• How. Will you be carrying out archival research, or do you need a strategy for publishing and attending conferences? Also, how do you plan to support yourself or secure funding? If you are not successful in gaining funding remember to budget carefully – think about how long it will realistically take you to finish, and find out if the fees will go up over the four years.

If you can answer all these questions, then you will be well on the way to making a successful application for a PhD. And if you are successful then the academic life can certainly be rewarding. Discovering something in a little known archive, presenting your ideas at conferences, teaching undergraduates, all these things can be hugely enjoyable.

And if you find you have something to say – something important – then a PhD could be the first step of an exciting academic career.

*Upgrade is a progression point which involves submitting some written work (eg a chapter) and then having a discussion about it with two academics. They then assess whether the project is viable and whether it will produce publishable work. The three possible outcomes are (1) you pass, (2) you are asked to try again when you are more prepared, or (3) the academics decide that the project is not viable or not of the required quality and recommend that the work is submitted in a shorter form for an MPhil rather than a PhD.

Find out more about further study and get your questions answered at the annual Postgraduate Study and MBA fair, where there’ll be information about the postgraduate courses on offer at up to 100 universities and business schools in the UK and around the world

When and where?
1pm – 7pm in Macmillan Hall, Crush Hall, Beveridge Hall & Chancellor’s Hall at Senate House

• Meet staff from global universities, business schools and vocational training colleges, and get personal information you wouldn’t get on a website
• Get professional advice from expert University of London Careers Advisers on funding, specific subject areas and your future career opportunities
• Comprehensive presentation programme

For further information and to download the online fair guide go to http://www.careers.lon.ac.uk/postgrad/

Applying for a course and want to get feedback on your personal statement? Want to talk to a Careers Consultant about whether postgrad study is right for you? Contact QM Careers on 0207 882 8533.

Acing the Tests
There aren’t any foolproof tricks to getting a perfect score. But there are things you can do to improve your performance. It all comes down to practice. The more familiar you get with the typical format and questions, the less nervous you’ll be on the day and the easier you’ll find the tests .

Simple Practice Tips
It’s essential to practice psychometric tests under exam conditions to improve your test-taking skills. Why not sign up to our online practice test? You can also train your brain through simple, everyday steps that make practicing almost fun! Here’s how:

• Verbal Ability – Read as much as possible, and diversify your material. Look at manuals, journals, newspapers, reports and books and talk to your friends about what you read. You can also have a go at word games and puzzles testing your logical reasoning.

• Numerical Ability – Read financial reports and pay attention to data presented in tables, charts and graphs. Improve your mental agility by doing mathematical teasers and games and try to avoid using a calculator to do basic arithmetic.

• Diagrammatic Ability – Study flow charts and installation and circuit diagrams. You can even create one yourself to fully understand how a system works. You should also sequence the steps you take when using specific equipment.

You can find further tips and advice on the Careers website under the ‘Resources’ section. You can also drop by if you want to borrow one of our practice psychometric books or sign up for a free online test.

What Now?

First of all, congratulations! Getting invited for an interview means you’re in the last stages of the recruitment process and the employer is really interested in you. However, don’t take this for granted – the interview is vital in convincing the employer you’re the right person for the job. Ensure you make the most of this opportunity to really sell yourself and give the right impression. Here are some tips:

DO

• Pay attention to the interviewer and give specific, focused answers to their questions.
• Use the STAR technique when asked to provide examples of your skills and experience: Situation, Task, Action and Result.
• Highlight your achievements and talk about those skills that make you stand out (motivation, hard work, leadership, etc).
• Use facts and figures to give a tangible impression of your successes.
• Give varied examples of what’s outstanding about you: perhaps you led a university project or were involved in a rock-climbing society. Anything out of the ordinary that helped you gain new skills.
• Be truthful, but stay positive. Talk about your weaknesses and failures, but focus on what you’ve learned and how they made you a better candidate.
• Be enthusiastic and show your genuine interest in the job!

DON’T

• Give yes or no answers. The interviewer wants to see why they should hire you, so expand on your answer and give details about yourself.
• Digress or go off topic – while giving specific answers is fine, getting caught up in convoluted explanations isn’t!
• Make things up! The interviewer might ask for further details of your little fib, and it’s easy to lose track of what you’re saying!
• Forget to mention university projects or extra-curricular activities as examples of skills and competencies. Employers want ‘well-rounded’ people who have been involved in all aspects of university life. 
• Be overly modest! If you feel you’ve achieved something extraordinary, don’t hesitate to talk about it! Employers will appreciate your confidence and initiative.
• At the same time, don’t be arrogant about your skills! Too much self-confidence will give off the wrong impression – so be realistic!
• Be afraid to ask questions. Ask for clarification if you don’t understand the question.

For further help on how to prepare and to see a list of interview questions see the resources page of our website. You can also book to see a Careers Consultant to practice answering some questions.

Raluca Maria Chereji
2nd year French and politics student at Queen Mary

Recent research

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) published a UK employment outlook in November 2011.  You might be surprised to know that despite the current economic situation, at least 60% of organisations represented definitely do intend to recruit over the coming months.

Take a look at the full report here.

So where are the jobs?

Graduate schemes continue to exist and are mainly (though not solely) run by large organisations, making up around 20% of graduate recruitment annually. Competition for places can be fierce. Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) will get around 30,000 applications from graduates this year for a few hundred places.

Don’t let this put you off applying. Do let it motivate you to put in an outstanding  application and have other options in your search strategy. Come and have a Quick Query session with Careers to discuss how. There is a trend for large companies to recruit from the pool of graduates they already know from internships and placements, so think about building your work experience and getting an internship too.

Graduate jobs are not just found in large companies offering graduate schemes. Over 20 million people are employed in the UK* in SMEs (Small to Medium sized Enterprises**). These organisations make up 99% of all UK businesses, yet these vacancies are often overlooked by graduates.  Often this is because these companies are not as visible on campus and can be harder to find.

How to include SMEs in your job and work experience search

SME opportunities are not advertised as widely as those with major corporations. They certainly exist, so your curiosity and research skills will help you find them. A great first step is to get to know who’s doing what in your sector. Trade and industry publications (like The Economist, Marketing Week and The New Scientist etc) are really useful for undcovering companies, alongside talking to anyone you know in the industry.

To find out how to identify useful resources for finding unadvertised jobs including trade associations, directories and more, book a Quick Query session take a look at the Resources section of the Queen Mary Careers website.

Take a look too at the STEP programme at www.step.org.uk which links ‘talented and ambitious graduates with project focussed placements’ in the SME sector. Current roles advertised include Deputy Venue Logistics Managers for the 2012 Olympics.

*Source: HECSU report 2010

** SMEs are defined by the European Commission as having less than 250 employees and annual turnover under Euro 50 million.

The obvious answer is the Olympics and Paralympics which continue to recruit paid staff (although perhaps not for much longer).. …..

With sport still in mind, Wimbledon, Henley and other events hire seasonal staff.  So  do such varied attractions as Regents Park Open Air Theatre, BuckinghamPalace,  theScience Museum and – er – Chessington World of Adventure.

What else? Well, the knock-on effect of London 2012 means that major stores and shopping centres will be seeking additional staff more eagerly than ever.

Not staying in London?  Whether you want to be a surf instructor in Sidmouth, a gardener in Guernsey or a counsellor inConnecticut, these websites will give you the low-down:

www.anyworkanywhere.com
www.gumtree.com
www.seasonworkers.com
www.summer-jobs.co.uk

www.bunac.org and www.campamerica.co.uk arrange working holidays with accommodation and pocket money wages throughout theUSA

If you prefer a good book, “Summer Jobs Worldwide 2012” is indispensable.

Going back to your home town? Job possibilities may be more limited.  Think hard: which companies / organisations might have temporary work?  Contact them right away, as many holiday jobs are never openly marketed: they go to employees’ sons, daughters and neighbours, not to mention sisters, cousins and aunts.  Get in first! Use your own family and friends for inside information

Time is tight, so scramble through that small window of opportunity before it closes for ever.

Gill Sharp
QM Careers Consultant

Case studies are used by many graduate employers as part of their recruitment process. They may form part of an assessment centre, interview or on-line selection tool. Here are some useful tips to help you be prepared to tackle whatever comes your way.

1. Clarify the process

While you can’t get hold of the content of the case study in advance, it’s a good idea to remove some of the mystery by being clear about the process.

• Is the case study an individual exercise, or will you be working on it with a group of other potential recruits?
• How long will you be given?
• Will it be paper-based or on screen?
• How will you be asked to feed back your thoughts (e.g. presentation and or written report, group discussion etc)?

Sometimes employers will let you know the above as part of their recruitment communications. In other cases, you may find it helpful to drop an email to the HR representative to get come answers.

2. What’s it all for?

The objectives of case studies are typically to give you the opportunity to showcase your ability to:

• Deal with data in different formats (e.g. numerical, graphical, reports, informal memos)
• Perform under pressure and to a deadline
• Analyse information
• Use critical reasoning
• Prioritise
• Make a decision
• Communicate the reasons for your decision
• Handle objections
• Present (in writing and or/in person) your analysis and recommendations
• Other specific objectives for the role/industry

Check the objectives for the case study and keep them in the front of your mind as you work. Remember there is usually more than one objective, so balance your approach. E.g. allow yourself enough time to analyse the information AND to communicate your findings really well.

3. Is there a ‘right’ answer to the case study?

Generally, NO. Successful candidates will be those who use the information given to come to conclusions using clear and well-reasoned arguments.

Conflicting viewpoints and incomplete data are often part of the scenario you are given. So it’s more about a ‘right enough’ answer and doing a great job of arriving at (and communicating) that. Do, however look out for intentional inaccuracies and distractions in the material you are given, since getting caught out by these could damage your recommendations.

Our next post will be a case study dissected, so you can see an example worked out…

January and February can be tough months. Chances are there’s lots on your plate. It can be all too easy put those good intentions to one side and procrastinate when it comes to thinking about jobs and work experience.  So here are some ideas about success and how to find it in 2012.

1. Look back to help you move forward

Focus on your goals, but also think about the small steps you can take to achieve them. This could include sorting out your CV,  attending some employer events and practising psychometric tests.  To help motivate you, how about noticing the things that have helped you be successful in the past? Then identify how you can simply do more of these. A number of small changes over time can bring big results.

For example, you might have found holiday work after A Levels by writing directly to a few local businesses. How about building on this approach for finding internships and graduate roles? QM Careers can help you put this idea into action.

2.Success doesn’t follow a straight line

Read our December post about the student who found a great role after 40 rejections? Know that JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter novel was turned down by loads of publishers before finding success? Your own path to success will more than likely have its downs alongside its ups. Persistence is key.

When The Guardian newspaper did research among 1,000 job seekers a couple of years ago, it found that two key indicators of successful job search were active use of a range of job search methods (including networking and direct approaches to employers, but definitely not relying entirely on internet job search) and staying positive.

So whatever your plans and goals, think not only about what you’ll do, but how you will do it. A couple of first steps could be to book an appointment with a Careers Consultant, attend some of our Spring Semester employer events or sign up for an online practice psychometric test to get you on your way.