Guest blog: Graduating with a 2:2 degree

 Guest blog provided by Ashley Hever, Enterprise rent-a-car (previously published on the company’s website).

What do I have in common with Prince Charles, JK Rowling, Jo Whiley and Bear Grylls? No, it’s not castles (didn’t know you lived in a castle? Ed.). What we have in common is that we all graduated from university with the same grade: a 2:2.

I was the first in my family to go to university and I had absolutely no idea how to improve my employability while studying so as to give myself a fighting chance to get a job at the end of my studies. I am trying to remember if I even went to a careers fair or visited the careers service while at university. It was also an issue that I had no idea what the ‘Milkround’ was, so when I started looking for jobs after graduation, rather than during my last year, I missed out on all those graduate roles that had been advertised and closed before I even started looking.

Careers in Commercial Archaeology- what you need to know!

 Careers blog written by Kate Morris, Careers Consultant, Careers

I recently attended a fantastic session on careers in commercial archaeology delivered by Malin Holst and these are my top take away tips:

What does a commercial archaeologist do?

You work for an archaeological firm, which secures contracts from a range of clients including property developers, construction firms, public sector, energy companies, transport organisations. Work includes planning and undertaking excavations, cataloguing finds and liaising with heritage organisations. Find out more:

• www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/archaeologist
• https://ccskills.org.uk/careers/advice/article/start-a-career-in-archaeology

What kind of skills or qualifications do you need to become a commercial archaeologist?

Careers blog: Why should I do a summer internship?

 Careers blog written by Cara Close, Graduate Intern – Student Engagement  & Communications, Careers

With exams (almost) over and summer holidays just around the corner, it’s all too easy to forget about responsibilities for a while and let the months breeze by.

However, you will thank your past self at your graduation by using this free time to be productive. Summer is a great time to get work experience in the career you are interested in, and has too many benefits to pass up on.

Online Question and Answer event – ask us about working in the UK after your studies (short term)

Don’t forget our online event for international students tomorrow between 11am and 1.00pm.

If you have any careers or immigration questions about your options for working in the UK for up to 12 months at the end of your degree, you can contact us online during our live Q&A chat on Tuesday 6 June from 11.00am – 1.00pm.  You can ask questions about working on your Tier 4 visa immediately after your degree, or about the Tier 5 Temporary Worker visa. 

The event will be hosted by Mandy Simmons from Careers and Placements and Mo Onyett from the Immigration Advice Service and is open to all undergraduate and postgraduate students.  Join us online any time during the session and post a question about anything you are not sure about.

Drop into our chat using the Careers Q&A link between 11.00 and 13.00.  (NB you need to be logged out of the VLE in order to access the chat via this link.)

We will run a similar session in Week 10 focusing on longer term work on longer term options under the Tier 2 visa – hope you can join us for that too.

GUEST BLOG: Working for a SME

 Guest blog post by Sophie Hudson, Head of Marketing at TalentPool.

Over the past few years there’s been a noticeable increase in the number of university leavers turning away from the larger, more traditional graduate employers in favour of working for a smaller company. With 9/10 graduate opportunities currently found in startups and SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), there is a growing awareness amongst recent graduates of the benefits of being a part of a small team. These include the development of a wide skill set, the ability to really make an impact on the business and the high levels of responsibility given from an early stage, to name a few.

So, with all these opportunities out there, what do smaller businesses actually look for when they’re hiring? We’ve rounded up the top 5 for you to take into consideration if you’re thinking of applying to a startup or SME.

GUEST BLOG: The charity sector, a road to an interesting career

Guest blog written by CharityJob

What comes into you head when you think of charity work? Is it volunteer work? High street shops? Do you fear reduced career prospects and a low salary?

Well, it’s time to change your expectations because the charity & not-for-profit sector is a fantastically unique and diverse sector where many dedicated individuals have found long and fulfilling careers. Many jobs are paid and hardly any of them in are in high street charity shops, these are a minor element of a charity’s operation.

So, you’re not going to be wiling a way a quiet afternoon on your local high street (well, unless that’s what you really want!) a charity sector job could be your ticket to making a difference in the world, through a career you really love! The variety of work is wide-ranging and exciting, paid opportunities regularly open up in a number of areas, each of these can be a rewarding alternative to a corporate career.

You could end up working in education jobs, youth jobs, housing jobs, disability jobs, environment jobs, arts jobs and many other exciting areas. That said, volunteer work is available and can be extremely fulfilling, it can also be your way into the sector. However, you need to bear in mind that this is not always the case:  there are many paid career options in the charity sector, which could be your route into a job you truly love.

Careers in technology and engineering

Careers blog written by Irena Zientek, Information Development Manager, Careers

Two areas with high demand for graduates are technology and engineering. Skills shortages in these areas mean there are lots of opportunities for graduates with the necessary qualifications and experience.

Developers and cyber security specialists are particularly in demand – just think of the recent data hit the NHS and other organisations took last week.

The scope of opportunities is also widened by the fact that all sorts of industries and services rely on digital systems, not just IT companies. So, there are plenty of possible employers out there.