‘Making the most of your year abroad’

Careers and Employability Service

Nicola Urquhart Careers AdviserOctober 2012

What we will cover:

• What is employability?• What employability skills are graduate recruiters

looking for? • Benefits of a year abroad – Activity 1 • How to ‘sell’ your year abroad to potential

employers• CVs – Activity 2• Interviews – Activity 3• Action points• Questions

What is Employability?

‘A set of attributes, skills and knowledge that all labour market participants should possess to ensure they have the capability of being effective in the workplace – to the benefit of themselves, their employer and the wider economy.’ (CBI, March 2009)

Why are employability skills so important?

• Increased competition – over 400,000 graduates leaving university each year.

‘Our latest UK recruitment campaign closed having attracted c.24500. The bank will offer c.475 places in 2012.’ HSBC newsletter April 2012

Changing world of work:

• Global economy• More career changes• New technology/social media• Roles change• Changes to graduate

recruitment

Changes to graduate recruitment

Employers increasingly focusing on attributes in addition to traditional employability skills

Successful candidates need to be able to demonstrate these attributes on their applications and articulate them at interview

Your year abroad can help you to do this!

Activity 1

• In your groups write down what you gained from your year abroad.

Benefits of a Year Abroad• The experience itself

“rewarding” & “life-changing”• Enduring friendships• Extended network• Enhanced cultural

awareness• Better prepared for further

study• Confidence • Learnt more about me• Improved planning and skills• And many more!

Skills and attributes that graduate recruiters are looking for?

Communication

Report writing

Team working

Leadership

Planning and organisation

Project management

Enterprise

Problem SolvingReflection

Adaptability

Energy

Drive and resilience

Integrity

Reliability

Enthusiasm/passion

Self awareness

Confidence

Contextual/cultural awareness

Capacity to develop

NumeracyPositive attitude

Business and customer awareness

IT skills

Adaptability

Maturity

Benefit to employers“international education ignites a passion for understanding other people and their perspectives .. essential to success in our increasingly diverse world.”Douglas N. DaftChairman & Chief Executive – Coca-Cola

Who to sell these benefits to

• Civil Service Departmentse.g. DFID, Diplomatic Service, GCHQ etc…

• International businessese.g. Nestle, PwC, Sky, Shell, Bloomberg etc…

• International NGOse.g. Greenpeace, Amnesty, Raleigh etc…

• Other International groupse.g. United Nations, European Union etc…

What employers say…

"Few students are able to articulate what they have gained from their experience in higher education." (Association of Graduate Recruiters, 1995)

Using your year abroad to enhance your CV

When should a CV be used?

• When an employer asks for an application in that format

• When an employer states ‘apply to…’ without specifying the format

• When making speculative applications

• Always with a covering letter

What is the purpose of a CV?

• To inform the employer about your education, work experience, skills and interests

• To show how you meet the criteria so the employer can not deselect you

• To ‘sell’ your qualities and to persuade the employer to invite you to interview

Matching up your CV with the position/company

• It is not ‘one size fits all’, you need to tailor your CV to each position you apply for.

• Research the organisation. Do they have a mission statement or core values? What will they be looking for in you? Who works there at the moment? What are they passionate about?

What makes an effective CV and covering letter

• Right format• Well presented• Proof read/consistent tenses • You have included all the

necessary information• Your skills and abilities are clearly

evidenced • Conveyed your understanding and

enthusiasm for the job• Targeted it to the job

What does it need to contain?• Personal details• Education and qualifications• Work experience• Skills• Interests and additional information• References

However don’t be constrained by headings.

• Scholarships/Awards• Voluntary work • Relevant experience• Positions of responsibility • Publication/Presentations • Conferences attended • Research skills • Additional skills• Languages

Hints on wording• Avoid personal pronouns -

No “I’s”• Avoid producing a passive

CV• Start with verbs wherever

possible• Use short sentences &

concise phrases• Focus on accomplishments• Refer to specific projects

with quantifiable results

Make use of Action Verbscreated instructed analysed producednegotiated designed calculated maintainedadministered controlled reviewed observedconsolidated delivered founded increasedstudied invented supplied detectedprogrammed recommended distributeddeveloped solved prepared installed selectedarranged formulated solved started

Activity 2

• In your groups write down employability skills/ attributes you would want to highlight on your CV. How can you demonstrate these through your year abroad?

Year abroad specific

• Energy and commitment• Language skills• Cultural awareness• A positive ‘can do’ attitude • Drive, resilience and adaptability • Planning and organisational skills • Enhanced communication skills• Confidence• Awareness of a different labour market • Problem solving skills

Relevant skillsAdaptability • Produced work to a high standard whilst learning new academic

procedures during my time spent at another university

Communication skills• Cultivated language and communication skills through contact with people

from around the world. Learned to use non verbal and verbal communication to overcome communication and language barriers

Planning and organisational skills • Developed budgeting and planning skills by financing, planning and

organising my year abroad. This involved using various spreadsheets and keeping a record of expenses

Confidence • Successfully undertook a year abroad which enabled me to make contacts

with students and employers working within the sector in Italy

Using your year abroad to help you succeed at interviews

Selling yourself at interview • The interviewer is very likely to ask

you about your year abroad at interview

• This is your opportunity to highlight your skills/attributes and how you could be successful in the role

• It is easier to interview someone who is talking about something they are interested in.

Activity 3

• Write down three possible questions an interviewer may ask about your year abroad. Have a think about how you would answer the questions.

Possible questions …

• ‘Why did you decide to spend a year abroad as part of your degree?’

• ‘Tell me about your year abroad?’• ‘How did you decide where to go?’• ‘What were the main challenge of spending

a year abroad?’• ‘What did you learn about yourself on your

year abroad?’• 'Is there anything you would do differently?

Possible answers

Describe a situation during your year abroad where you had to adapt to a new situation. • Situation: I was studying at the University of ….

during my year abroad• Task: I had to submit an essay which was a

different length from what I was used to. • Action: I spent longer planning the essay,

including producing a detailed structure. As it was a bigger piece of work I started writing the essay earlier than I normally would.

• Result: I submitted my essay on time and achieved a merit.

How the Careers and Employability Service can help you.

What we do

• Careers Talks and Workshops • Careers Library: Employer Directories, Occupational

Profiles, Books etc• Comprehensive Web Pages • Careers Employability Award (CEM) on Moodle• Vacancy Database• Alumni Careers Network• Annual Careers and Recruitment Fair• Drop In - Quick Query• Careers Guidance Interviews

Careers and Employability Service Web Site: www.kent.ac.uk/ces

Working abroad • Information on working abroad http://

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/sitesint.htm

• Prospects ‘Working abroad’ (50 Country Profiles) http://www.prospects.ac.uk/working_abroad.htm

• Advice on working abroad http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/BritonsLivingAbroad/EducationAndJobs/DG_4014676

• Another route is to work for a large organisation initially in the UK and then transfer

Careers Employability Award (on moodle)

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/moodle.htm• The module takes about 12 hours to complete

• But this can be done at your own pace

You do this by completing:9 quizzes3 short assignments1 feedback form

Vacancy Database

• All vacancies sent to the Careers and Employability Service by employers, whether for graduate jobs, sandwich placements or vacation work/internships are entered on this database which offers:

• Email alerts of new vacancies which may interest you

• Employers notifying vacancies are often specifically targeting Kent graduates, so competition for jobs is lower than on other vacancy sites www.kent.ac.uk/careers/jobs/index.htm

Careers and Employability Service Fair

• Thursday 1st November 2-5pm Eliot Great Hall.

Chance to meet employers and hear about opportunities

Speak to an adviser:

• Quick query, drop in and speak to an adviser 10.30am -12.30pm and 2.00pm-4pm Monday to Friday.

• E mail @careerhelp and an adviser will respond to your query.

• You can also book a longer career guidance appointment over the phone or pop in.

Stay up-to-date with what is happening

• www.kent.ac.uk/ces • www.kent.ac.uk/employability• Employability Newsletter• Follow us on Facebook at University

of Kent Student Employability www.facebook.com/UKCES

• Follow us on Twitter at @unikentemploy

Action Points• Be proud of what you achieved!• Put together a CV while your year

abroad is still fresh in your mind.• Prepare responses to typical

interview questions drawing on your year abroad.

• Stay in touch with people you met ( LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook etc.) These people are your network

• Make use of the Careers and Employability Service. www.kent.ac.uk/ces

Questions

The University of KentCareers and Employability

Service

You can download a copy of this presentation at www.kent.ac.uk/careers/slides.htm