Leaving QM this year?

If you are graduating this year you have probably got a lot on your mind! We hope exams are going well and wish you all the very best with whatever you go on to do after Queen Mary. Whatever your plans, there are a few things we wanted to let you know:

QM Careers is open as usual throughout the summer. Book an appointment if you would like feedback on your CV, a practice job interview, help finding jobs or deciding what to do next.

Employers call us daily with new vacancies, so keep checking QM JobOnline  to find out about the latest work opportunities. Right now there are over 1000 vacancies on the system.

Follow QM Careers on facebook, twitter and Jobs Blog for up-to-date news. For details of employer events taking place on and off campus see our events page.

Students graduating in 2012 can carry on using QM Careers for free until July 2014 by joining GradClub.  This special offer is only available before 31 Dec 2012, so register today using the promotional code QM2012UL.

Early in 2013, we will need to get in touch to find out what you have gone on to do, whether that’s a job, further training, work experience or travel. The UK government requires all universities to conduct this survey (read more about it here).  Results affect university rankings, and also let future students know what they can do with a QM degree. Help us get in contact later on by taking a minute now to update your contact details here. When you receive the survey, please do complete it.  It is really helpful if you do.

And in the meantime… enjoy the summer!

Summertime blues – not got an internship or summer job yet?

Haven’t got an internship? Not volunteering with vipers in Venuezla, tigers in Tanzania, youngsters in Yarmouth?

Maybe the name of your vacation game is making money.

Are you worried that you’ve missed the boat? If so, here are some ideas to get you sailing again:

London Life
Endless opportunities for casual and short-term paid work in the Great Metropolis, some more interesting than others.  Use the web links below and /or go straight to individual websites of bars, stores, hospitals, local councils (etc.)

Culture Vultures
A few openings remain at museums and tourist sites.  Act with alacrity. In addition, festivals, music and drama events, performance projects could all do with a helping hand (yours).

High Society
Left off the list for Ascot, Wimbledon, Henley?  See some of the action and get paid too. Polish up your serving skills – strawberries, not aces – and apply. ASAP.

Rough And Rugged?
Summer camps and adventure holidays, in the UK and beyond, continue to look for outdoor types who can coach and care for clients.

Wave Me Goodbye
Resorts from the Balearics to Barry Island are hiring help.  Whether you’re a well-worn waiter or a would-be water babe, move as fast as you like.

Home Sweet Home
Returning to your nearest and dearest? Get the family to put out feelers, check local papers and do your research for you.  Now.

Olympics Ahoy
Thought it was just London?  Think again. Venues include Newcastle, Glasgow, Cardiff, Weymouth. North of Watford and south of Streatham, they’re raring to recruit!

The Usual Suspects
Wherever you are, a high street near you will have agencies with something to offer.  Get registered, get known, get in there.

Sites To See
www.qmul.ac.uk/careers
wwww.careers.lon.ac.uk
www.gumtree.com
www.e4s.co.uk
www.summer-jobs.co.uk
www.student-jobs.co.uk

All aboard and full steam ahead.

Gill Sharp
Careers Consultant QM  Careers

Vacancies – part time, full time, summer jobs and more

It’s that time of the year again, when you start making plans and thinking about your future. Perhaps you’re looking for an internship to kick-start your career or just want to earn some extra pocket money during the summer. With all the information available on the Internet though, you might not know where to start your job-hunt.

QM  JobOnline is our online job board where employers advertise their vacancies directly to  students. And right now there are nearly 1000 opportunities.  Whether you’re looking for a part-time job, a graduate scheme or a summer placement, search to access a wide variety of vacancies across all sectors.

For more information on JobOnline or to book a careers discussion with one of our advisers, drop by our office in Room WG3 in the Queen’s Building or give us a call at 020 7882 8533.

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

Working outside of London

Moving away from London?

If you are graduating this year, you might have decided to move away from London.  Or maybe when it comes to job hunting, you are flexible on location and happy to move outside of the capital.

Whatever the reason, as well as looking on our vacancy site QM JobOnline for a role you might also want to have a look at these resources

www.gradsouthwest.com
www.graduateadvantage.co.uk- West Midlands internships
www.graduatejobsouth.co.uk
www.grad-central.co.uk - West Midlands jobs
www.graduatesyorkshire.co.uk
www.hotprospects.org.uk/graduates - Originally based in the East Midlands, now broader
www.gradseast.co.uk
www.cornwall.ac.uk/ucp/
www.gradskent.com/

(found via http://careerslucy.wordpress.com)

James Weaver
Employer Liaison & Events

Opportunities for Economists

Would you like to use your Economics degree but not work in Finance?  Economist jobs can be found in the civil service, government agencies, scientific research and development services and management, scientific, and technical consulting services.

One of the largest recruiters of Economists is the government economics service.  Their fast stream recruitment round opens on 5^th March. Opportunities will be available across government departments in London, Sheffield, Leeds, Liverpool, Newport, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

To join as a fast stream Assistant Economist, applicants need to have, or expect to obtain in 2012, a first or upper second-class honours degree in economics, or a postgraduate degree in economics.  At least 50% of the course modules must be in economics.

The closing date for applications is Tuesday, 10 April 2012.

For further details about the jobs and the application process please
visit http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/networks/ges*

Where are the jobs? The latest facts and figures…

We’ve looked into some of the facts behind the headlines about job market prospects for 2012. Here are a few points you may like to keep in mind as you seek employment or work experience.

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.

Paid work during the Winter Holiday

Want to get some work experience and/or some money coming in over the coming Winter Holiday? Wondering if there are any opportunities left out there which won’t require you to dress up in a Santa costume?

Here are two businesses currently recruiting in the London area:

Royal Mail – https://rmg.i-grasp.com/fe/angard.asp?newms=hm
Boots – http://www.boots.jobs/christmas/

Retail (shops, markets and their distributors) and hospitality (restaurants, pubs and hotels) do a huge amount of business at this time of year. While some will already have recruited the extra staff they need, others are still scaling up. Look out for opportunities with local businesses and keep an eye on sites such as Gumtree http://www.gumtree.com/jobs/london

But is it worth the effort if retail and hospitality aren’t sectors where your career is heading? It is. You’ll gain skills which you can transfer to other roles and be building a track record of work on your CV with evidence of team-working, customer focus, being organised, meeting quality standards and more. Take a look at http://ow.ly/7Q2rK for some thoughts from Target Jobs on the value of bar work for example.

Sue Moseley
Freelance Careers Consultant

Paid internships for graduates

The Step London Graduate Internship Programme is a way for recent London graduates to get paid work experience.  The internships will be project based, where you will be given responsibility for tasks that will allow you to gain REAL experience and insight into the working world

What it can offer you:

• gain experience in the workplace
• put university and life skills into practice
• develop technical and general employability skills
• enhance employment prospects

Internships available now include Marketing, IT,  Social Media,  Sales, Data Processing, and Licensing & Syndication.

Click here to find out more and to see the latest opportunities. Register your details to make sure you get updates of the latest vacancies. You can also read case studies about previous participants here.

FAQ: What is the National Minimum Wage?

If you are looking for part time work at the moment, you might be interested to know that on the 1st October the National Minium Wage increased.

The National Minimum Wage is a minimum amount per hour that most workers in the UK are entitled to be paid by law.  Your legal entitlement to be paid  National Minimum Wage is not affected by:

• how you are paid – weekly or monthly, by cheque, in cash or in another way
• whether you work full time, part time or any other working pattern
• whether you work at your employer’s work place or elsewhere
• the size of your employer
• where you work in the UK.

Currently the National Minimum Wage is £6.08 per hour for 21 year olds and older, and £4.98 per hour for 18 -20 year olds.

The rates do change, so keep an eye on the Directgov website.

If you have any questions about a vacancy please ask QM Careers for guidance.  If you would like legal advice about employment issues contact the QM Legal Advice Centre, a free service for you.

FAQ: What is the National Minimum Wage?

The National Minimum Wage is a minimum amount per hour that most workers in the UK are entitled to be paid by law.  Your legal entitlement to be paid  National Minimum Wage is not affected by:

• how you are paid – weekly or monthly, by cheque, in cash or in another way
• whether you work full time, part time or any other working pattern
• whether you work at your employer’s work place or elsewhere
• the size of your employer
• where you work in the UK.

Currently the National Minimum Wage is £5.93 per hour for 21 year olds and older, and £4.92 per hour for 18 -20 year olds.

The rates do change so keep an eye on the Directgov website.

If you have any questions about a vacancy please ask QM Careers for guidance.  If you would like legal advice about employment issues contact the QM Legal Advice Centre, a free service for you.