Identifying fake jobs and scams

Just graduated and looking for a job? Unfortunately, according to Saferjobs, a joint industry and law enforcement organisation which aims to tackle recruitment fraud, “job scams are on the rise and in the last two years we have witnessed a 300% rise in recruitment related fraud and misconduct.”

It’s important to be aware of what to look out for, to avoid becoming a victim. If a job is offering you the opportunity to earn money quickly, without requiring any skills and perhaps not even inviting you to interview, it could well be a scam. Legitimate employers will never ask you to send them money for set up costs or to make use of your bank account. Looking at a company website can help you decide whether the employer is genuine. Does it look professional and up to date? Do they have professional email addresses (rather than a Hotmail or Gmail account) and do they provide details of their office address and phone number?

Be suspicious if you see the following in a job advert:

• Personal email addresses, e.g. xyzrecruitment@hotmail.com
• Regular spelling and grammar mistakes, which could indicate poor translation
• Unrealistic salaries (if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!)
• A job offer without an interview
• Stating ‘No Experience Necessary’ as a job title
• Premium rate phone numbers for interviews
• Illegitimate company names and web addresses (Google them to see if you can find any information online)
• Extortionate DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) costs (anything over £75 should be queried), or requesting a candidate to pay for a CRB check (Criminal Records Bureau), which no longer exists

Other useful sources of help: Queen Mary Legal Advice Centre & Citizens Advice Bureau

If you would like to book an appointment in relation to any of the topics above please see careers.qmul.ac.uk/about/book/index.html to book an appointment or for further information visit the Careers & Enterprise Centre in Queens’ WG3, Mile End campus.

Advice to international students looking to work in the UK after graduation

This is a tough time of year for international graduates. Many have enjoyed their time living and studying in the UK, making new friends and connections as well as achieving the necessary academic results to earn their degrees. The next step is often to explore how to extend this academic experience by applying for jobs.

The UK job market is difficult enough for recent Masters graduates to find employment, but with a four-month time limit before student visas expire in the January after graduating this can seem like an impossible task for international students.

Here are some suggestions to help prepare for this challenge:

1. What visa do I need to apply for?

Any international student who wants to work in the UK after completing their studies will need to apply for a Tier 2 visa that is supported by a registered UK employer sponsor.

The QMUL Advice & Counselling website contains lots of information on the options for international students who want to remain in the UK to work after their studies, or who want to return to the UK in future for work. Make sure you are aware of the latest salary requirements and conditions of the Tier 2 visa. For further information, Advice & Counselling are based in Geography Square on the Mile End campus.

For graduates with a genuine and credible business idea, see our website for information on the Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) visa.

2. How can I find a job in a company that offers tier 2 visas?

You can check if an employer is on the Home Office list of registered UK employer sponsors: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/register-of-licensed-sponsors-workers

Student story: My QConsult experience (applications open now!)

Thinking about autumn term already? Don’t forget that QConsult starts again in September and applications are open NOW. 

Carola (2nd from left) & her QConsult team

Carola Bigogno (2^nd Year Biomedical Sciences student) took part in the spring round of QConsult, working on a project for a local housing charity. Here’s what she had to say about her experience on the programme:

Why did you get involved with QConsult?

When I found out about QConsult I was thrilled. I thought it would be a great chance to improve my skills and gain new transferable ones, to learn more about a particular job profile – consultant, which I found extremely interesting, and also give back to the community in a different, but still valuable way.  And I was definitely not wrong, the overall experience was incredible!

Did you enjoy the programme?

The best part, for me, was working together in a team: putting together ideas and opinions and using our skills to present to our client and write up the best report possible. I think that I’ve always worked pretty well in a team, however, working with other people can be extremely challenging. Luckily enough, everyone in my group was very professional. We also became friends, sharing not only the experiences of the programme but socialising together too.

Apply now for 2018 Graduate Schemes

This is a good opportunity to remind you that many large graduate programmes conclude their recruitment by the end of the autumn term. If you think you might want to apply for one of these schemes make sure you start looking now! Many finance positions are already open and fill quickly. The benefit for you is that you can complete the recruitment process before you get too far into your final year – so you can concentrate on your exams rather than your job hunt.

Banks who have opened up their graduate scheme applications include Citi, Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse. For those of you thinking about applying to Investment Banking internships for summer 2018, please note that some Banks have already started accepting applications – including Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse.

If you need some support in your job search, or with applications and interview practice, please do make use of the Careers & Enterprise Centre as soon as you can. During the first few weeks of the autumn term we will be extremely busy with appointments, so the more you can do over the summer the better!

Also don’t forget we have a huge range of events taking place in the autumn term where you can meet lots of employers with open positions. These events will be announced on our website before the start of the new term.

In the meantime take a look at careers.qmul.ac.uk for further resources, and our vacancy site www.careers.qmul.ac.uk/jobs for opportunities.

Guest blog: How to prepare for the 6 most common interview questions

If you’ve recently graduated, you may already be thinking ahead to what your next steps might be in terms of your career. As you begin to do so, your mind will start posing questions about the interview process – and that can feel quite daunting if you aren’t sure what to expect.

Read on to find out the 6 most common interview questions, with some tips on how to prepare for them and answer with confidence on the day.

Tell me about yourself

This is always one of the first questions in an interview. The reason you’ll be asked this is not because they want to know about your likes and interests, but because they want to hear what you value most about yourself in your career.

Think of it as a little bit like the overview you give on a CV.

The company will want to hear about your commitments to your career and what kind of person you are as a professional.

It’s useful to find out a bit about the company’s ethos ahead of your interview, so that you can gauge how you should approach this question.

What is your greatest strength?

If blowing your own trumpet is no easy task, then this question can be a tough one to answer.

The key here is to keep it relevant and think about what the company is looking for in you. It’s worth reflecting on previous jobs where possible (part time, internships and volunteering are all noteworthy), so that you can demonstrate your strengths.

This is a question that could ultimately set you apart from or give way to other candidates, so take this opportunity to closely match the qualities that the company is seeking.

WATCH: Isabel’s QConsult Story (& apply for the autumn round)

Looking to get some work experience on your CV?

Want to do more than photocopy and make the tea?

Why not apply to the autumn round of QConsult?

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The QConsult programme involves students working in a team of 5 to conduct a research/consultancy project on behalf of a business or charity, helping to solve a real problem and working as a team to conduct research and analysis before presenting their recommendations to the client. Past projects have involved research, marketing, product development and evaluation.

To hear more about what it’s like to be on the programme, see previous QConsultant Isabel’s video below, where she tells us about her experience and gives her top tips for those thinking of applying. Read on for more details about the programme …

The programme will take place over 9 weeks in the autumn term, from 18 Sep – 17 Nov. Students work part-time and are paid London Living Wage (£9.75/hr) for 20 hours of project work, with additional training sessions on top. All undergraduate students are eligible to apply for the programme and we welcome applications from all schools.

We will also be releasing two video diaries from students who just finished the summer QConsult programme. Follow us on Twitter (@qmcareers) to catch diary updates throughout August.

To find out more about the programme and apply visit careers.qmul.ac.uk/qconsult.

Applications close at 9am on Tuesday 29^th August.

Why you shouldn’t lie on your CV

Have you ever told a lie on your CV? Maybe a little one like making it sound like you had a bit more responsibility in a past job than you actually had, or a big one like saying you were awarded a 1^st when you weren’t?

So, is it okay to bend the truth?

It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that the Careers & Enterprise team, and any recruiter, would highly advise against any CV fraud as the cost of getting caught can be severe. When you’re thinking of adding that little (or big) fib to a CV, keep in mind that:

• Recruiters are often trained to catch on to lies. Recruiting the candidate with the right skills and experience is what they do and they are often trained to pick up on mistruths.
• You are likely to be asked for more detail about your degree and experiences listed on your CV at interview. If your answers even appear ever-so-slightly untruthful they won’t give you the job. Just think how important it is to for a company to hire someone that they trust from the very start.
• Employers are increasingly checking degrees. The Higher Education Degree Datacheck (HEDD) is a service that allows employers to check the validity of an applicant’s degree. More employers are using this system.
• You could lose your job. If you do land the job and your employer finds out that you told a significant lie during the application or interview process, it would be seen as a breakdown of trust and you could be fired. This would leave a gap or ‘reason for departure’ on your CV that would be very difficult to explain to future employers.

For advice on your CV or application, book a 1-2-1 appointment with a Careers Consultant by calling 020 7882 8533.