How To Have A Productive Summer!

By Gemma McCann,

Written by Gemma McCann

Happy Summer!

Exams and assignments are coming to an end, and I know that many students will be preparing for summer; going home, having barbecues, and sun, sun, sun! This time of year however can be valuable in enhancing your employability and future prospects.

How can I make my summer productive?

  • Create/update your cv – Summer can be a great time to start thinking about creating or updating your placement/graduate cv. This is a task that can be done so easily, no matter where you are, and it could save you a lot of time in the future! To begin, it can be useful to gather your educational background and personal details, you can then move on to your work experience and then you can start to think about what skills you may have gained. You can then have a go at putting your information together in a professional-looking cv, or you can contact the Career Connect Hub to help you finalise it.
  • Work experience – This is the perfect opportunity to gain some experience in your chosen field of study. Whether it be paid or voluntary work, any kind of work experience you can get will be both productive and advantageous in enhancing your skillset, gaining some work-based knowledge, and building your cv. It can also keep you as busy or as free as you like… You can choose your availability. If you are interested in this, but you don’t know where to start then contact us and we can help!

Work, rest, play:

Although it can seem tempting to do absolutely everything you can to utilise your summer, it is important to remember that you are most efficient when you are feeling your best; so a balance between work, rest, and play is key to success.

Remember! The Career Connect Hub is still open throughout the summer, so if you are around and would like some support then pop in and see us, or if you are away from campus this summer then book a digital appointment, or for general queries email in.

To speak to one of our Career Coaches get in touch:

Email: careers@staffs.ac.uk

Twitter: @CareersAtStaffs

Instagram: @CareersAtStaffs

Facebook: Staffordshire University​ Career & Personal Development

LinkedIn: @CareersAtStaffs

Social Media – How To Network Right:

By Gemma McCann,

Written by Gemma McCann

Fact! 85% of jobs are filled via networking. Fact! 70% of jobs are NEVER advertised.

YOU WANT IT? YOU GET IT!… But How?

First thing’s first… Where to network? Many social media platforms can be used, depending on what you need them for. The most commonly used platforms for networking, however, are LinkedIn and Instagram. Why? They are professional and pleasant to view, and they are simple to use!

Top Tip! Keep your professional profile and your personal profile separate! Your potential employers want to see what you are capable of, your work, and your previous experience – not what you had for your lunch or who you are dating!

What should your profile include?

It depends on what platform you are using as to how much information you include; for example:

Instagram – As this is picture-based, it can be perfect for creating an online portfolio! However, it doesn’t give you much room for writing. Work, skills, and experience can be shown creatively throughout the pictures, with a bit of detail going into the caption. That leaves the ‘short but sweet’ bio for you to add who you are and the contact details that you would like potential employers to contact you on.

LinkedIn – This can be a useful place to host all of your relevant information, similarly to your cv. You can fit a lot of your important details in here – just remember to keep it relevant and to the point. If you ramble on, potential employers won’t want to read; this is why it is important to keep your beginning section short and punchy, much like your personal profile on your cv. You can then go into more detail further down, where the employers can choose to carry on reading but remember to keep it relevant!

Fact! At least 84% of organisations use social media for recruitment, and 9% of those who do not yet use it are planning to start.

What content should you consider including?

  • Skills.
  • Qualifications.
  • Keep it short, and relevant.
  • Be positive and enthusiastic.
  • Mention career goals/aspirations.
  • All contact information that you would be happy to be contacted on e.g. business cards, email address.

Top Tip! Post engaging content – only what you would like potential employers to see.

What contacts should you use/look for?

  • Former and current colleagues.
  • People you went to school/college/university with.
  • Contacts made through dedicated networking events.
  • Contacts made through conferences and career/employability fairs.

Top Tip! You can look for and interact with potential employers too!

Why is it important to network on social media?

  • Career support.
  • Useful information and to gain knowledge.
  • Company relations and speculative applications.

For any further information, or for support on how to set up/use your social media for career networking please feel free to contact the Career Connect Hub!

To speak to one of our Career Coaches get in touch:

Email: careers@staffs.ac.uk

Twitter: @CareersAtStaffs

Instagram: @CareersAtStaffs

Facebook: Staffordshire University​ Career & Personal Development

LinkedIn: @CareersAtStaffs

Job-Hunting… Where To Begin

By Gemma McCann,

Written by Sarah Hartley.

Students predominantly attend university with the goal of getting a job at the end of their degree, however, it’s sometimes a struggle to know where to start! Developing good job-hunting habits is essential to getting a job.

What to do when job-hunting:

1. Network:

Networking is one of the most effective tactics when it comes to job-hunting. When an opportunity arises, introduce yourself and start a conversation, and get to know new people. Where you are doesn’t matter; opportunities to network are everywhere, and you never know where the connection or conversation may lead.

2. Enhance your credentials:

What are your career goals? Once you know the answer to this question and know where you want to go, you can start looking into conferences, seminars, programs, etc. which will allow you to expand your knowledge and make you invaluable to potential employers.

3. Boost your CV:

It is imperative to have a good CV. You want to make a great first impression, and having a good CV allows you to do this. Your CV needs to make you stand out; ensuring you’re not overlooked by employers or recruiters. Before applying for jobs, fine-tune your CV, and ideally get it reviewed.

4. Practice interviewing:

If your CV is accepted and you are invited to an interview, make sure you’re ready. Interview skills can be perfected in several different ways:

· Roleplay with a friend/family, where they ask you interview questions

· Record yourself, and see where you could improve

· Use a mirror to see how you present yourself

5. Utilise what Staffordshire University has to offer:

The University has a team who are trained to aid you with all of the above, and more. Our skilled Career Coaches offer peer-to-peer support, regarding any career-related queries you may have. Appointments can be made through our website, MyCareer. As well as this, MyCareer shows all the roles available to students; with emphasis on graduate-level roles.

Hopefully this will help you when job-hunting! If you require any assistance, feel free to contact the Career Connect team!

To speak to one of our Career Coaches get in touch:

Email: careers@staffs.ac.uk

Twitter: @CareersAtStaffs

Instagram: @CareersAtStaffs

Facebook: Staffordshire University​ Career & Personal Development

LinkedIn: @CareersAtStaffs