Calling all CDT students that are unsure what to do with their time during the pandemic, want to find out more about what’s on offer, or have a particular career path in mind.
Many companies and employers are now offering virtual/remote working opportunities that will give you the chance to gain work experience from the comfort of your own home. Also, these opportunities could be what you need to expand your search area for jobs and other opportunities as there are no geographical limits.
We understand the difficulties you face either as a current student or new graduate entering work during this pandemic, which is why we are here to help. We are regularly updating MyCareer with current opportunities and labelling which are virtual/remote to make it easier for you.
Here are some current virtual opportunities being advertised:
Novacoast Attack Team
DEADLINE: 27/07/20
Research Assistant in Data Science
DEADLINE: 16/07/2020
Data Science Internship
DEADLINE: 27/07/20
Website Developer – Squarespace
DEADLINE: 27/07/20
T System Administrator – Microsoft
DEADLINE: 27/07/20
Have you thought about any virtual opportunities? Contact a career Coach!
To speak to one of our Career Coaches get in touch:
Virtual work experience is a popular topic at the moment due to the effects of COVID-19 and the questions is……..Why shouldn’t students and graduates be given the opportunities to find alternative ways to boost their employability during lockdown?
We in the Digital Career Studio want to provide students with all the information required to apply for their Virtual chance. Coaches and Advisors are:
Looking all over the country, hunting for the jobs so students can work from home.
Working with Unitemps who offer Internal opportunities.
Researching the technologies that companies are using for the application Process.
Offering one-one coaching sessions.
Working with students on their CV’s, Covering Letters and Interview Approach.
Facebook: Staffordshire University Career & Personal Development
LinkedIn: @CareersAtStaffs
Why Complete a Virtual Internship?
By Grace,
Written by Grace
Alongside the recent pandemic outbreak of COVID-19, The Careers Studio has been focusing on bringing students virtual internships and online job opportunities. Meaning student’s can complete their courses to their full potential gaining valuable work experience and developing transferable skills.
Virtual internships provide students with the opportunity to apply their academic knowledge to a role within a company where they can gain invaluable skills to apply to their future career. Through completing an internship virtually, students are not confined from adding value to an organisation and instead are provided with the flexibility of completing it in their own home comforts.
Technology developments mean students are able to communicate efficiently with employers through applications such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Skype. Through gaining work experience, working in a virtual manner, student’s will gain skills which they can apply to an array of future job opportunities such as: how to effectively manage their time independently, being able to adapt to new ways of working and develop their digital skills.
Staffordshire University interviewed student’s who have completed an virtual internship, check out what they have to say!
Facebook: Staffordshire University Career & Personal Development
LinkedIn: @CareersAtStaffs
How to Find a job on LinkedIn!
By Grace,
Written by Grace
With job vacancies becoming increasingly competitive, it is important that all job searching platforms are utilized to help you find the right job opportunity for you! LinkedIn is the most popular social network for job seeking professionals. Many users, however, do not fully utilize the platforms capabilities, instead just copying and pasting their CV onto their profile and waiting for an employer to find/approach them! This blog will provide you with all the tips and tricks to help you find a job on LinkedIn!
Step one- Update your Profile!
Before applying to positions on LinkedIn, it is critical that your profile is up to date beforehand as 87% of recruiters will look at your LinkedIn profile before they do anything with your application!
If you have an idea of what type of job/sector you would be interested in working in, tailor your profile like you would your CV, including transferable skills under your work experience to demonstrate your capabilities for the job.
With an increasingly competitive industry, companies will be looking for the “so what?” factor, the aspects which make you stand out from the crowd! Ensure you really sell yourself based on your recent experiences and skills. For instance, a way in which you could sell yourself is through talking about the value you added to the company whilst working there, detailing your roles and responsibilities.
Your profile can help you stand out not just from your professional experience, but also from what you are sharing/posting/interacting with on LinkedIn.
Step Two- Update your headline
You can make your profile stand out through adding a banner and profile picture to provide the employer with a bit more information about yourself. Your photo, name and headline are the only items people see when they do a search. Your headline should be clear about the industry you would like to enter.
Step Three- Let recruiters know you are available
Through turning on your job’s notification LinkedIn will signal recruiters your interest in new job openings. Once you switch on your job’s notifications, you can add a note to recruiters to detail the job search, location preference and type of opportunity you are looking for.
Step Four- Search and apply for positions
Select the “job” section at the top and then “Search jobs” as shown on the screen shot below.
You can select the location and position you are interested in.
Jobs can be filtered based on date posted, experience level and company.
After this there are two ways in which you can apply based on the job one is easy apply, which enables you to apply directly based on your LinkedIn profile, and the other will re-direct you to a third-part website or companies website to apply directly there.
Step Five- Network
My final tip when seeking job opportunities on LinkedIn is simply networking with companies you would like to work for, connecting with their HR and recruitment managers to make yourself known. You could interact with the companies posts and build up your professional network. Don’t be shy to directly message employers asking about openings.
If you would like any further guidance/feedback on your LinkedIn profile and help with networking online, please contact a Career Coach.
To speak to one of our Career Coaches get in touch:
Facebook: Staffordshire University Career & Personal Development
LinkedIn: @CareersAtStaffs
MyCareer, YOUR Website to help Secure YOUR next Opportunity!
By Grace,
Written by Ben
MyCareer is a site which holds information for any Staffordshire University student who would appreciate some guidance to secure their work opportunity. Along with our Career Coaches in the Career Studio and online Digital Career Studio this site will help with CV’s, covering letters, LinkedIn profiles, mock interviews and interview preparation plus more…….
Further to our services and our social media platforms, another fantastic way to engage and interact with other employers is by the links you can build and conversations you can have on social platforms. Create relationships with professionals by using your LinkedIn profile, Follow companies on Facebook, register to graduate websites such as:
Prospects
Gradcracker
Indeed
JobSite
Glassdoor
A huge amount of time every week is spent using technology and social media, use that to your advantage today, get in touch about your future and start networking.
To speak to one of our Career Coaches get in touch.
Facebook: Staffordshire University Career & Personal Development
LinkedIn: @CareersAtStaffs
Women in Engineering Day!
By Grace,
Written by Annie
Today marks the international Women in Engineering Day (#INWED20) where we celebrate the things women in engineering do and encourage more women to enter the industry! The campaign sets out to raise the profile of women in engineering and bring to light amazing opportunities available to women in the sector.
In an industry still dominated by men, career satisfaction and rewarding salaries are helping women push for a change. Women are successfully breaking into the sector however they still only make up for 12.3% of all engineers in the UK.
Women are generally underrepresented in STEM industries and the engineering sector is working hard to recruit more female engineers and address the gender imbalance. There are fantastic initiatives to highlight the range of careers available in this sector and inspire more young women into these roles and these are some of them;
WISE CAMPAIGN – encourages women and girls to value and pursue a career in science, technology and engineering related paths.
TOP 50 WOMEN IN ENGINEERING– aims to raise awareness of the skills short ages faced in the industry and the huge discrepancy between men vs women currently in engineering professions.
Campaigns like these have an impact and the UK is on track to achieve a million women working in STEM roles by 2020.
Some of the engineering graduate roles available;
Engineering Graduate Scheme – Birmingham – Arriva UK Trains
Facebook: Staffordshire University Career & Personal Development
LinkedIn: @CareersAtStaffs
Animation Job Opportunities for Graduates!
By Grace,
Written by Rosie
As a graduate, I’m sure you have heard all about how COVID-19 is affecting the job market and heard how it might be a little harder to find a graduate job. Don’t panic! There are still companies looking for graduates in your field and are hiring right now. Yes, the application and job role might look a little different than it used to being all online or remote working but don’t let this stop you for applying to some amazing opportunities. Below are some opportunities for animation graduates to take a look at.
Job Opportunities:
(Click the company logo to access the job application)
Motion Designer at MySort (Manchester)
Full time role starting at £24,000
Responsible for;
Creating best in class, engaging animated/ motion design assets for a range of different media.
Assist in designing and creating storyboards
Prepare design plan, concept and layout for motion graphic project
Assist in selecting audio, video, colours, animation, etc for graphic design
Take graphic elements, add effects and create a moving motion graphics piece
Animation Programmer at Sports Interactive (London)
Full time role with competitive salary
Responsible for;
Develop, extend, improve and maintain our animation engine, pipeline and tools.
Work closely and iterate with our match engine, animation, graphics and tools teams across the studio to continuously improve the look and feel of our match engine.
Help to research and implement new animation and simulation technologies as needed both independently and as part of multiple teams.
Animation Engineer at Playground Games (Royal Leamington Spa)
Full time role with competitive salary
Responsible for;
You will combine your detailed knowledge of animation technology, techniques and performance considerations on console platforms with first rate C++ and software architecture to become a key member of a new engineering team.
Working as part of this team, you will be responsible for the implementation of animation systems and pipelines which empower animators to create world leading visuals for a cutting edge AAA title.
3D Character Animator for Children Animation Series at Jellyfish Pictures
Temporary summer role with competitive salary.
We are looking to recruit 3D Character Animators, with at least one year experience on a series or feature, to join our Team on the second season of a high end children animation series. Note that this is a temporary role running from end of June to end of August 2020.
Animator for a Warwickshire gaming Developer (through Talk Recruitment)
Full time role with competitive salary and benefits
Responsibilities include;
Create 3D character animation
Work closely with the project leads to match styles
Liaise with other teams in particular Artists and Game Designers.
Work within specifications of the project and technology.
Work quickly through animation lists while keeping quality levels to a high standard
These are just a few examples of the animation roles out there at the minute, but there are plenty of others too. Make sure to get your LinkedIn page looking really good with some examples or a portfolio of your work so employers can start finding you as well. Contact the Career Studio if you would like some support creating your LinkedIn page or getting your CV perfect. We know that it’s tough out there for graduates at the moment, but please don’t be disheartened. There are still opportunities out there and we are here to help you with whatever you need to reach your career goals.
To speak to one of our Career Coaches get in touch.
Facebook: Staffordshire University Career & Personal Development
LinkedIn: @CareersAtStaffs
Graduate Jobs in Business!
By Grace,
Written by Grace
Whilst COVID-19 has affected many job opportunities and vacancies in the hospitality and tourism industry, there are still companies who are growing and are looking for graduates to join their company.
There are still graduate schemes available which are recruiting for 2020 intake. Why join a company through a graduate scheme rather than a position you may ask? Graduate scheme’s provide you with a fast-track into the company, often equipping you with training and a diverse network to help you develop quickly in your career.
Current Graduate Scheme/Job Vacancies:
(Select company logo to view vacancy)
Grayce
Business Analyst Development Programme
Grayce
Project Manager Devlopment Programme
BAE Systems
Business Development Officer Graduate Programme
BAE Systems
Human Resource Officer
DXC Technology
Business Graduate Programme
ALDI
Graduate Area Manager
Nestle
Quality Assurance Graduate Scheme
MDS
Graduate Trainee Manager
Vanilla
Graduate Consultant
RSM
Graduate Programme
Top Tips for Applying to Graduate Schemes:
Get organised- Make a spreadsheet/ word document with all the schemes/ vacancies you want to apply for including key information such as: log ins you may have created for the company’s website, deadline for each application, and stages that you’re up to with your application.
Tailor your Application- Tailor your CV and covering letter to ensure you meet the job description criteria and key skills the company is looking for in a candidate. For more help and guidance around this please contact a Career Coach (contact info below).
Research, Research and Research- With the job market becoming increasingly competitive, research key information about the company and let this shine through in your application to help you stand out!
Network- Connect with the employer on LinkedIn and showcase extra information about yourself which demonstrate your skills such as your final year project.
To speak to one of our Career Coaches get in touch.
Facebook: Staffordshire University Career & Personal Development
LinkedIn: @CareersAtStaffs
A Career In The Rail Sector… Could This Be For Me?
By Grace,
Written by Megan
Railways are a massive part of today’s society and have been part of our lives for over 200 years. With so many people using railways to travel to see family, friends, for university or commuting to work, and also for transporting goods across the UK and mainland Europe, thousands of jobs have been created and there will only become more as time goes on. Some of these include the obvious, such as train drivers, ticket inspectors, conductors, and so on. But others are not so obvious. Today’s blog will focus on the endless possibilities that a career in the rail sector may be able to offer you.
So is a career in rail one that will remain stable in years to come?
The answer is a big yes! We are in a new era of railway expansion with High Speed 2, which will connect London to the Midlands, and later on to the North and Scotland. There is also the Crossrail which will connect 40 stations in London and the South East in a high frequency and high capacity manner.
If helping to build and develop new railways isn’t your thing, don’t worry. There are plenty of other opportunities in other areas.
Which degree would aid me in securing a role?
The answer to this of course depends on your area of interest. However, in some cases the answer may be any degree. Roles in finance, marketing, project management, interior design, etc., may not require any form of specific degree. There are many companies that offer graduate schemes or accept graduates for roles regardless of their educational background. Other roles may require subject specific degrees though. Some of these include Architecture, engineering, computer science, software/web development, archaeology and environmental sciences.
What will my job role consist of?
Again, this of course depends on your subject area. Should you wish to work in engineering, you may be designing, upgrading and maintaining lines and infrastructure such as platforms, stations, bridges etc. Electrical, mechanical, and civil engineers are all used in the rail sector. If you are more interested in architecture, then designing stations, tunnels and bridges to go along the lines will be the main focus of your role. You will also work alongside engineers to ensure the safety and eco-friendliness of your designs. Archaeology is also required as all the digging from making new tracks can often uncover historical artefacts below the ground. Maintenance engineers ensure that track and infrastructure work reliably and safely. Art and marketing roles will consist of creating memorable advertisement campaigns to promote rail companies. This may also tie in with a software development role, as companies release apps for buying tickets, passes, and also to keep track of trains running to update staff and travelers of expected arrival and departure times. Environmental sciences are also vital to ensure that any new projects have minimal impact on wildlife and surrounding nature, relocating trees and animals if necessary.
Who will be my employer?
Network Rail own and manage the track, whilst rail operators such as Virgin, Crosscountry rail, and so on run train services. There are also specific companies that are set up to manage projects such as High Speed 2 and Crossrail. Other contractors are brought in to carry out projects such as software consultancy/development or design engineering too, so the chance to work in companies who may not be directly related to rail is also there.
How do I find the job for me?
A lot of employers offer graduate schemes (whether that is for direct rail employers or contractors who are brought in). if you are to complete a placement year during your degree and this is something you are interested in, it may be worth looking into completing a sandwich year with one of these companies too, and sometimes they may go on to offer you a graduate role once you finish.
But overall, the real question is… is a career in the rail sector for me?
From reading above, you can see there may be an opportunity for almost anyone, so the answer is more than likely yes. There are also benefits such as UK and world travel depending on your role, job security in an ever-growing sector, and even if you never travel by train, we rely on this method to transport goods and around the country so it is also beneficial in ways we may not initially think.
To speak to one of our Career Coaches get in touch.
Facebook: Staffordshire University Career & Personal Development
LinkedIn: @CareersAtStaffs
Women in Engineering
By Grace,
Written by Annie
In an industry still dominated by men, career satisfaction and rewarding salaries are helping women push for a change. Women are successfully breaking into the sector however they still only make up for 12.3% of all engineers in the UK.
Women are generally underrepresented in STEM industries and the engineering sector is working hard to recruit more female engineers and address gender imbalance. There are fantastic initiatives to highlight the range of careers available in this sector and inspire more young women into these roles and these are some of them;
WISE CAMPAIGN– encourages women and girls to value and pursue a career in science, technology and engineering related paths
TOP 50 WOMEN IN ENGINEERING – aims to raise awareness of the skills short ages faced in the industry and the huge discrepancy between men vs women currently in engineering professions.
Campaigns like these have an impact and the UK is on track to achieve a million women working in STEM roles by 2020.
Some of the engineering graduate roles available;
Engineering Graduate Scheme – Birmingham – Arriva UK Trains
Virtual work experience is a popular topic at the moment due to the effects of COVID-19 and the questions is……..Why shouldn’t students and graduates be given the opportunities to find alternative ways to boost their employability during lockdown?
You can make your profile stand out through adding a banner and profile picture to provide the employer with a bit more information about yourself. Your photo, name and headline are the only items people see when they do a search. Your headline should be clear about the industry you would like to enter.
