Looking for Work This Summer?

If so, know that there is a wide range of opportunities available to help you gain new skills, as well as valuable work experience to make your CV shine. Whether it’s an internship or a volunteering position, summer or vacation work can play an important role in your career in a number of ways. Here’s how:

Why Do It?

• To gain work experience and improve your CV: many students have more free time during the summer, so vacation work is a great opportunity to fill in any gaps in your CV.
• To develop transferable skills: employers are looking for such skills as adaptability, teamwork and problem-solving, which you can gain by working in a shop or volunteering with a charity, for instance.
• To make informed career choices: by sampling a particular job or industry, you can find out what skills you have or what activities you enjoy, which can help you choose a career path tailored to your needs.
• To get an entry into certain sectors: for example, recruiters in the media or banking sector are typically looking for candidates with relevant work experience, while many graduate employers tend to recruit from their own intern pool. Alternatively, you can use your work experience to network and make contacts for later opportunities.

What’s Available

• Internships – work placements offered by companies often seeking to hire employees for permanent positions. They provide an insight into diverse industries and allow you to get firsthand experience of particular roles.
• Work Shadowing – observing the work and role of certain professionals to better understand the field. Work shadowing can land you a job offer if the employer is impressed with your performance and initiative.
• Temping – temporary placements are a great way to earn some extra cash or network with people from different fields. See The University of London Temp Agency website for more information.
• Working Abroad ­– not only can you get work experience, but you can also discover new cultures and even learn a new language to really stand out from the crowd. There are various career options abroad, one of the most popular being teaching English as a foreign language.
• Volunteering ­– tasks can be more diverse and less structured than with an internship, and they generally involve a greater degree of responsibility. Volunteering demonstrates commitment, initiative and social engagement – essential skills sought after by any employer!

These are just a few of the opportunities out there, so it’s worth doing some research to see what work experience schemes are available in your area of interest.

Where to Look

To find summer or vacation work placements, visit the websites of the organizations you’re interested in or contact them directly asking for information. The Prospects website is an excellent source of industry information, as well as vacancy listings.

JobOnline, our very own vacancy database, is an extremely useful tool for finding work experience. The current online vacancies run the gamut from summer placements with insurance companies, to technical internships within media corporations or temporary clerical and office-based positions with various institutions and firms. To apply for these and to access other work placements, visit JobOnline.

Raluca – Maria Chereji
2^nd Year French and Politics Student

Experience Works – On Campus Opportunities

Experience Works 2011
5pm – 7pm 22 September 2011
Marquee in Library Square

Getting part-time work, or volunteering, on campus can be a great way of boosting your CV with some substantial work experience, as well as getting some extra cash to fund your study.

Experience Works is an event featuring opportunities from across campus with paid work available in departments including:

Alumni Relations Office, Education Liaison, Student Mentoring, QM Careers and Widening Participation.

Outreach Volunteering positions will be available as a Course Rep, with QM Media, or through QM SIFE.

At the event you will be able to find out how to apply for all these opportunities.

No need to register for this event, simply turn up…

Part time work

Most of the queries we are getting at the moment in QM Careers are from students looking for part time work. Here are our top tips:

• Check out QM JobOnline our online jobs board with vacancies across London
• Come to the Experience Works event on Thursday for opportunities on campus and in the local area
• Visit the resources section of our website to download our part time jobs leaflet and job hunting information
• Our resources section also has details on applying for jobs – how to write a CV or application to impress
• Get feedback on your CV or application. Make an appointment by visiting QM Careers in WG3 Queens’ Building or call us on 0207 882 8533.

Part time work – earn cash, get experience, build up your CV

Our part time work leaflets arrived this week – full of links, ideas and advice on how to find a part time job.

     Many students come and see us saying they have no work experience, because they think their part time job doesn’t count.

Actually part time work is a great way to build on your experience, gain new skills and boost your CV.

First off, having a part time job whilst you are studying shows employers that you have time management and organisational skills as you are able to balance work alongside study.  Whatever kind of work you do, it  is also likely to help you develop team working skills, communication skills as well as customer service too.

 

A part time job can also give you real insight into how business works and can help you develop commercial awareness – something that employers really value. It is all about understanding the customer and their needs, and how the business tries to meet that through their product or service.  This doesn’t just apply to working for well known shops or restaurants, but is the case whether you coach a local kids football club, work in a bar, or fundraise for a charity.

If you would like information on putting together a CV or application, or would like feedback once you have written it come to QM Careers WG3 to see our leaflets, resources and to book an appointment.

FAQ: Is any work experience better than none?

Competition for graduate jobs is becoming increasingly stiff! Depending on the sector, employers can have many more applications than they have jobs available. They have the luxury of being picky. Employers like to see well-rounded individuals that are both work-savvy and academically capable. The gold standard would be work experience in the relevant sector for the job you are applying. However, any work experience shows that you have used your initiative and have gained some skills along the way. Working as a waiter/waitress involves dealing with the general public and working under pressure. Working in a shop helps develop commercial / buisiness awareness, as well as customer service and sales skills. Sell the skills that you have gained in a way that will be attractive to employers, even if they were acquired from a ‘less than perfect’ job. Come to Careers for some more advice on how to do this.

Flexible working – an option for you?

Think flexible working is just a buzz word for part-time hours? Time for a rethink. In the current job market there are many ways of working flexibly, including options that can really make it possible for you to combine paid work with other priorities, whether they be parenting, research, caring or other activities. So here’s a quick update on how people are putting flexible working into practice:

• Compressed hours – Work full-time hours over a reduced number of days e.g. a 35 hour week over four days.
• Annualised hours – Average out your working time across the year so that you work a set number of hours per year rather than per week.
• Job share – Share the duties and responsibilities of a full-time position with another worker. For example, two employees may share one teaching position.
• Flexitime – Work standard core hours, but vary your start, finish and break times each day.

Can flexible workers have successful careers? The evidence is ‘Yes’. Research amongst several major UKemployers* found that managers of flexible workers reported that there was either a positive impact or no impact on individual performance.

What’s more, changes in legislation over the last few years mean that more people now have the right to request flexible working patterns. So maybe you can have your cake and time to eat it too!

Find out more:

• Flexible working arrangements:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/Flexibleworking

• *Flexible Working and Performance’ research conducted by Cranfield University School of Management and Working Families 2008:

www.som.cranfield.ac.uk/…/WF-DA%20Flex%20Working%20Report.pdf

 

New campus jobs for QM students and graduates

JobOnline is advertising three new jobs for students and graduates on Mile End campus.

1. Customer Service Assistant
Are you available from June to September 2011?
Have you got previous experience in the service or hospitality industry and dealing with customer complaints?
If you answered yes to all the above apply now.

2. Residential Assistants
Are you a full-time QM student?
Would you like to live in halls from September 2011?
If it’s three nods, don’t delay, apply now.

3. Residential Support Advisors
Are you a recent graduate?
Are you willing to live in student residences and work some out of work hours?
This may be the job for you, apply now.

If the above are not quite what you are looking for, have another look at JobOnline,  as new and diverse vacancies are posted each day.

Remember QM Careers (WG3, Queens’ Building) is here to help all QM current students or GradClub members with job applications and anything else to support your career.

Student Stories: How to make the most of your part time work

Hi there, my name is Amelia, and I work for the Student’s Union part-time serving coffee. Like many students I could not afford to study unless I had a job. I’m in my third year, and the chilling realisation of ‘the real world’ is looming. I’ve emerged blinking into the blinding lights of numerous graduate schemes and initiatives and feel woefully underprepared. I blame this partly on naivety, but mostly on my absence of free time. I want to get a first – thus every moment I’m not ‘on the clock’ I’m putting in the hours at the library.

So now I’m in this position how do I demonstrate relevant work experience to an employer?

There will be many of you, like me, who look at the vast, gaping hole in the ‘relevant experience’ part on your graduate applications and feel like crying. In my darker moments, I wonder why any employer would pick the girl from the coffee shop over the girl who has done one million internships. Well, I’m about to tell you.

Take the time to look at your part-time job. The fact you have managed to keep popping into work and focussed on your degree is an achievement in itself. Pat yourself on the back – you’ve earned it. So look right there is a little thing called ‘time-management’ (essential in any field of work) on the job description. Think up a great example of when this has been crucial and tick that off the list!

Now remember what you are actually doing at work. Most student part-time work is customer-service based. Congratulations, you little social-networker – what you are practicing every shift shows you have excellent ‘communication skills’. In the real world of work, these will be essential all the time. You will be able to build relationships with clients and workers effectively and easily.

Take a look at the person next to you – your co-worker. Are they your friend? Your enemy?  Your lover? (naughty!) Whatever relationship you have, the fact that you work together effectively reveals your ability to ‘teamwork’. Being able to ignore their screechy laugh and humour them when they show you the umpteenth picture of their cat means you will be able to work toward a team goal without irritating each other. Well done you tolerant lot.

Is your work fast paced? Well that shows that you are driven. Work in sales? Then you are target orientated and used to working under pressure.  More creative? Then you are ideas led. You get the idea, people.

Essentially what I am saying is that you must make the most of your part-time work. There are plenty of graduates who have the luxury of time and money to complete ‘relevant’ unpaid placements, and they are your competition. However, does this actually make them any better? You have to convince your potential employer how and why your seemingly irrelevant job actually reveals your inner strengths in the same way a placement would.

Well I hope that this piece puts the fire in your belly to succeed. Take your part-time job and make it work for you, fellow students – you’ve earned it.

New Opportunities in Food and Retail

Supermarkets are reporting a growth in sales and many plan to expand, creating new branches and new jobs.  This  is fantastic news for students looking for part-time work when they study  (park time work in retail is a great way to build customer service and commercial awareness skills whilst earning money).  But this growth is also likely to mean that there will be an increase in the number of graduate positions available too.  opportunities can range from finance and general management, HR and  marketing to buying, merchandising and product development.

Many supermarkets are also expanding globally and have roles in Asia, so for those interested in working abroad there may be opportunities to travel.

To find out more see Target’s article about the Supermarket jobs boom and thriving food and drink manufactures.

Learning the lingo: shadow, placement or internship?

There are many different types of work experience opportunities. The most important thing to remember is that all work gives you some experience, whether it is a year long placement, a vacation scheme or casual and voluntary work. The careers website Prospects.ac.uk outlines the different types of work experience available to students:

• Placements- The term ‘placement’ is loosely applied to any formal, structured work experience scheme. Organisations often have a structured scheme which can include working on a specific project and gaining work knowledge of various departments.
• Internships- Internships are essentially the same as placements. The terms are preferred in sectors such as IT, banking and finance and they demand a high calibre of applicant…often have vigorous applicant processes.
• Sandwich placements-This is a year of work between your second and final year at university. They are built into your degree course and you will be paid a reasonable wage during the year.
• Vacation placements- Most summer vacation placements take place during the summer months, but many employers offer schemes during the Easter and Christmas holidays. Running for between two and eight weeks to fit in with university vacation dates, such experience gives you the opportunity to develop a variety of skills.
• Work shadowing- This is where a student observes a member of staff working in an organisation, and so gains an understanding of what a particular job entails. This can give you a useful insight into the requirements and challenges facing a role.
• Gap years- A gap year will provide you with the opportunity to develop a variety of skills and make useful contacts. It will also give you time to carefully consider your career path. Find out more about gap years here.
• Part-time and casual work- Part time and casual work while at university or during the holidays can help fund your degree while gaining important employability skills at the same time. Whether it’s working in a bar or office temping, you can use your experience to illustrate skills such as problem solving, communication, team work and business acumen.
• Voluntary work- This is essentially volunteering your services for free. In the case of charities and conservation work it will show employers a lot about your character, such as a passion and commitment. You may even be able to help out in a role that’s close to your chosen career route, such as finance, IT or PR.

For information on where to locate work experience opportunities, visit the prospects’ website or drop by Queen Mary Careers to have a chat with a member of our Information Team.