Higher Education Orientation

1. Higher Education Orientation Elaine Cohen Careers Adviser for LMBS Career Development & Employment Service Department of Student Services

2. Lecture Plan • Graduate Labour Market • Transferable Skills • Ways to Develop Transferable Skills • Resources

3. New World of Work • Gone is the job for life • Gone are the clear functional identities of jobs Instead: • World of customers, clients and adding value • Lifelong learning, flexibility, portfolio careers, self development and staying employable Skills for Graduates in the 21st Century: Association of Graduate Recruiters

4. “having a degree opens up more doors than without one …. Graduates have significantly higher earnings than non-graduates and the financial benefits of a degree increase markedly with age.” www.prospects.ac.uk, 2006

5. Good News for Business Graduates • Graduate unemployment is low, 6.2% in 2005 • Graduate unemployment amongst Business graduates is lower, at 6.0% Source: Prospects website

6. Outlook for 2007/08 • Graduate vacancies expected to rise by 16.7% in 2007 • 83% of employers set to hire similar or more graduates than the previous year. • The average starting salary for graduates in 2006 was £23,136. • London remains the graduate recruitment hotspot for vacancies in the UK Source: Prospects website

7. However... We are in an era of mass Higher Education Every year: • Over 5000 students graduate from London Met. • You are competing with a lot of equally qualified people. • A degree is an excellent start, but you need more!

8. “21st century graduates need to demonstrate to employers that they can 'hit the ground running'. In addition to working hard to gain a good degree, students should engage in extra curricular activities and obtain work experience in order to develop skills that will make them better prepared for the world of work.” Carl Gilleard – Chief Executive, Association of Graduate Recruiters

9. Improve your career prospects 1st Year • Find your feet, Have fun • Explore your degree subject Develop some transferable skills 2nd Year • Gain work experience in chosen field of study Final Year • Consider your career after graduation • Start applying for positions/training schemes

10. 1 Motivation and enthusiasm 2 Team working 3 Communication 4 Flexibility 5 Customer focus 6 Problem solving 7 Managing own learning 8 Commercial awareness 9 Planning and organisation 10 Desire to achieve 1 Commercial awareness 2 Leadership 3 Risk taking/enterprise 4 Project management 5 Managing own learning 6 Second language 7 Problem solving 8 Customer focus 9 Report writing 10 Cultural sensitivity SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES CHECKLIST THE TOP TEN IN 2006 Important Skills Difficult to find skills

11. “Our employers look for individuals who have some knowledge of the world of work, have reflected on their experiences and can articulate in a job interview what they have learned.” The Council for Industry and Higher Education

12. Key to Success • Gaining the experience to help you develop transferable skills • Learning how to communicate the skills to employers via the application process: • CV with covering letter • Application form • Interview process

13. Developing Skills • Through school activities • Through your home life • Through your course • Through vacation and part-time work • Through a placement • Through extra curricular activities

14. Work ExperienceHelps you findout: • Whether you are suited to working in a large or small company • Whether you prefer to work in the commercial or not-for-profit sector • Reality of every day working eg. timekeeping • Whether you want to work indoors, outdoors, at home or abroad • What you like and don’t like doing • What you are good at • Whether you might want to start your own business Liz Rhodes, National Council for Work Experience http://nusonline.co.uk

15. Employment Online • Part time work • Vacation work • Placements • Internships • Graduate jobs • Jobs by email Register online www.londonmet.ac.uk/careers/employment Based in Student Services (North) between 10.30 and 3.30pm (Mon-Weds)

16. Benefits of a Placement • You often need experience in order to get a graduate job!! • Practice for the graduate recruitment process • Get a thorough understanding of a sector, organisation or job role • Gain real evidence of achievement and the skills employers look for • “Test-drive” a specific job without long term commitment • Become aware of the culture and structure of a working environment

17. Business Relations Office • Helps LMBS students into sandwich placements and work experience • Advice and guidance on planning, making applications and interview techniques • Advertises hundreds of placement vacancies every year and liaises with employers on behalf of the Business School • Stapleton House, Room 213 Web:  www.londonmet.ac.uk/lmbs/careers-and-employability.cfm

18. Employability Unit • Work Placement for Professional Experience • For students, who do not have a compulsory placement as part of their degree • A minimum of 5 weeks full time during the summer vacation after year 2 or a period which is equivalent to 5 weeks (25 days) during year 3 • Placements should be related to your course and be professional level/near graduate level • email: t.platt@londonmet.ac.uk

19. Volunteering Almost 75% of top UK businesses prefer to recruit candidates with volunteering experience on their CV (source: Timebank survey) Volunteering enables individuals to demonstrate their skills in a wider context, and gives them greater worldliness and maturity“ Roger Hammett, Head of Recruitment Communications, BBC

20. Volunteering Drop in Sessions North Campus – Student Services Monday and Wednesdays 12-2 pm Appointments can be made by prior arrangements, on Wednesday at the North campus. Email: reach@londonmet.ac.uk Tel: 020 7133 2994 Web: reach.londonmet.ac.uk

21. What is ERASMUS? ERASMUS allows you to study or work for 3-12 months in one of 31 other European countries as part of your degree. ERASMUS: • Enhances your intercultural skills • Helps you to gain self-reliance • Looks good on your CV and can be emphasised in job interviews

22. What does it cost? • You do not pay tuition fees at the partner university • If you go for a whole academic year, you do not pay fees to London Met (unless you are an international student) • You pay for accommodation and living costs but generally costs will be lower than in London • You continue to receive all student loans and grants you are normally entitled to • You will receive an additional grant

23. How can I apply? For further information: • Visit www.londonmet.ac.uk/erasmus • Contact the Europe Office on erasmus@londonmet.ac.uk 133 Whitechapel High Street 3rd Floor, Room 3-02.

24. Career Development & Employment Service Resources • CVs, application forms, covering letters • Quick careers queries and vocational guidance • Workshops • Information on jobs, careers and employers • Job vacancies – Employment Service • Visiting employers-presentations, stands, workshops • Computer-aided guidance • Psychometric test sessions • Free take-away literature • E-guidance

25. How to get in touch Student Services, 1st Floor, Tower Building Open 9-6pm Drop-in 12-3pm, Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri term-time Wed. 12-3pm phone to book on the day Tel: 020 7133 2094 careers.north@londonmet.ac.uk www.londonmet.ac.uk/careers

26. Prospectswww. prospects.ac.uk

27. Conclusions • You will already have many skills and abilities that employers will value • You will further develop these and learn additional ones whilst at university • Work experience and/or volunteering are vital • Learning how to communicate your abilities to employers is essential • Use the resources that the university provides to get ahead in the job market