Congratulations on completing your degree at Staffordshire University. Go and be brave, bold and find the successes you deserve. Use your key skills, your knowledge and personality to find the right opportunity to excel.
Good luck graduates, for tomorrow, next year and years to come!
Remember your roots and remember that Careers offer a life time service, if you need anything tomorrow, next year or in years to come we will be here to support YOU.
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!
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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:
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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.
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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
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Managing Stress During These Difficult Times
By Grace,
Written by Megan
During these challenging times, it is important to acknowledge if you are feeling stressed and if so, what is causing it. Finding the root of the problem alone can help us to relax, making it easier to decide what we want to do about it. Should it be Covid-19 related, then what aspects are getting to you the most?
At this time, it may be safe to say that there is a possibility you are feeling some form of grief. This does not always have to be in the way we usually think of grief (although this could be an option), but instead, you may be grieving the normality of how life used to be beforehand. It is a new situation for everyone, and one that may be difficult to comprehend. There is also uncertainty to how things will be once this is over, causing an anticipatory grief. We know things will change, and now we feel that some safety may be lost so not knowing what the future holds can cause tension.
Knowing how to deal with these tensions can be a difficult matter, especially if you have never experienced the feelings before. First and foremost, it is important to mention that turning to unhealthy coping habits such as smoking, drinking, or other substance abuse is unhelpful in the long term, even if they seem to help in the moment. Instead, should you be having anxieties about the things that could go wrong, the goal is to find a balance in the things going on in your head. Repressing the thoughts can lead to a buildup of tension, however letting them take over your mind can also disrupt mindfulness. Maintaining this mindfulness will be discussed in a later blog, so be sure to keep an eye out!
Once finding the balance, this may help you feel more in control of your situation. This builds emotional strength and can help to maintain a positive outlook. Taking control means limiting your news consumption, as this will only make your anxieties grow stronger, and choosing what you set your focuses on. This could be a new hobby such as music, crafts, or personal development for future career plans, helping to keep yourself distracted and ultimately stopping your mind from being consumed by distressing thoughts.
There are also many resources that can help with managing stress, such as Facebook support pages and websites that contain useful information on regaining control. Most of these will also promote exercise! Keeping fit and active is never bad for the mind or body, even if it is just a light walk every couple of days.
Over the next few weeks, we will be focusing on how to further manage stress in more depth, focusing on mindfulness, keeping in touch, being physically active, and so on. And as always, we would like to thank the NHS and other front-line workers for all they are doing for us during this time.
To speak to one of our Career Coaches get in touch.
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Benefits of Entering Digital GradEX!
By Grace,
Check out this Vlog by Becky, a Career Coach, talking about all things Digital GradEX! You really don’t want to miss this unique opportunity to showcase your final year project and network with over 7,000 employers and alumnis!
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GradEX Top Tips!
By Grace,
Written by Ben
With Digital GradEX20 having over 7,000 employers already signed up to view final year projects, Ben has put together his top tips for applying, networking and making the most of this unique opportunity!
GradEX Top Tips:
Get involved – Quick and easy sign up process and a day’s effort that could benefit you in your career for the rest of your life!
Don’t be afraid to sell yourself – This is a unique opportunity you have to promote yourself and show employers what you’re made of. Don’t be scared to talk about yourself!
Comfort zone – what comfort zone? Try your best to step out of your comfort zone. If you are someone who struggles talking to people or presenting, this may be a great opportunity to find a middle ground and gain some exposure.
Conversation is key – when communicating with professionals and employers, make the most of the opportunities after GradEx; ask questions, be open to discussion and remain professional.
Be concise and be clear – When completing your summary and uploading images, make sure that what you are writing is clear, essential and best sells your skills. Contact us for help with this if you need it. Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm on careers@staffs.ac.uk
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Get Involved and Get Ahead!
By Grace,
Written by Annie
Get Ahead is a four-week block of learning where you will get the chance to engage in a wide variety of activities to develop new skills and encounter new experiences. These activities are a combination of sessions specific to your subject area and sessions you can take part in outside your area of expertise!
Why should you participate?
Graduates will be more employable if they have a wide variety of skills to offer employers in addition to their subject expertise. It gives you a chance to develop a broader skill set during your time studying and Get Ahead is designed just for that!
Week 1 Brilliant and Friendly:There are many sessions offered by multiple faculties that you can engage in. Digital services are offering the chance to learn, practice and complete online exams (for certification!) in these areas;
Microsoft Office Specialist
Adobe Certified Associate
Microsoft Technology Associate
Microsoft technical certifications
Using these programmes are so important and a certification to prove your competence in these areas is exactly what employers are looking for, it is so useful for your employability skillset and they are externally recognised certificates! There are also workshops on finding good resources, research skills for humanities, LinkedIn networking, and multiple support sessions!
Week 2 Curious and Daring: Step outside your comfort zone and try something new! Be bold – try an online masterclass, set up a professional social media account, volunteer for an organisation, join an online fitness session!
There is a careers assessment page that can help you find your career preference, LinkedIn online training courses and a pro tools and online audio masterclasses!
There are many more sessions that can be accessed so develop your skills, enhance your employability, and be curious, daring and bold whilst trying something new!
How do I sign up?
To get started, just choose a week to view the different activities. Some of the activities will be specific to your course – in which case, the link will direct you to your Blackboard pages. However, many of the activities are open to all students, so please feel free to explore activities listed by the other Schools.
All sessions can be viewed/ and signed up for in the link below:
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Mental Health Awareness Week!
By jp4,
Kindness Matters…Always!
Written by Megan
Whilst going through the stresses of day-to-day life, it is easy to forget that we all live in this world together. Focusing on ourselves and those closest to us, it is better to give than receive, as not only does this make a family member or a dear friend happy, but it makes you happy to see them smile. So why stop there? Why not extend this to a stranger? This week is mental health awareness week and we plan to promote just how important kindness is, not only for these 7 days, but every day of the year!
By kindness, we mean doing something for someone else, and often putting other peoples needs before your own. It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant, nor does it need to cost a lot of money or time, however there is research to suggest that whilst helping someone else you are actually helping your own wellbeing by reducing stress, and ultimately improving your mood, self-esteem and happiness.
So how can this help you?
The health benefits for both yourself and the person who you have helped are many. For the individual who has received kindness, it could be the only good thing that has happened to them throughout a really bad day, and in some cases, you may be the only person they have seen or spoken to in days or sometimes weeks. This means that not only are you making them smile, but you are also reducing their loneliness and isolation. This could be the case for the person who has been kind too (A.K.A you), as helping other may encourage you to be active, and helping another may create and strengthen social connections (if you were volunteering for example). Helping others is a fantastic way to make new friends, become part of a community and overall find a sense of belonging you might not have had beforehand.
It is also important to remember that one act of kindness could inspire so many more! Have you ever been at a party and didn’t want to be the first up dancing, but as soon as someone else was on the dancefloor, there was no stopping you after that? A lot of people feel shy about being the first person to do anything, but someone has to be. And what better way than being the first person that reaches out and helps someone else? You never know, if you boost their confidence and self-esteem, then they may go on to do the same for someone else.
What are some ways to be kind to others?
Sometimes it can be difficult to know what can be considered as kindness, but it really could be anything. Checking on your elderly neighbour and asking if they need any help with anything, sending someone a card telling them you appreciate them, or even giving someone a small compliment. Kindness comes in all shapes and sizes, from a smile, to helping in a soup kitchen, all the way up to skydiving to raise money for charity! Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, you can help somebody out whilst maintaining a safe distance. This could include a smile and wave over the garden fence, a message via social media or grabbing a couple of extra bits whilst doing your food shops for someone who may be less able to make it to the supermarket. Popping these items on the doorstep with a little note may be all it takes to invoke a smile. The possibilities are endless and a combination of big and small actions from everyone can only make the world a better place.
As a final example of an act of kindness, we would like to say thank you to all our NHS and other frontline workers. Here at the Staffs Uni Career Studio, and across the entire university, we appreciate every single one of you and we hope kindness comes to you in leaps and bounds, regardless of whether you are a Staffordshire University student, alumni, or from anywhere else.
*Should you ever need any support with mental health, please do not hesitate to contact the wellbeing team at Staffordshire University, or alternatively (should you wish to remain anonymous, visit bigwhitewall.com. This is a 24 hour service that is free for all staff and students at the university, and you only need to tell them your identity should you wish to*
To speak to one of our Career Coaches get in touch.
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.
Whilst going through the stresses of day-to-day life, it is easy to forget that we all live in this world together. Focusing on ourselves and those closest to us, it is better to give than receive, as not only does this make a family member or a dear friend happy, but it makes you happy to see them smile. So why stop there? Why not extend this to a stranger? This week is mental health awareness week and we plan to promote just how important kindness is, not only for these 7 days, but every day of the year!
