“To be employed is to be at
risk…to be employable is to be
secure”
Dr Peter Hawkins, The Art of Building Windmills
E&E Week 1 session B - 4th Feb 2010
Employability…
Emma Hall
Careers Consultant to the
Business School
Graduate Futures
Employability
‘A set of achievements – skills, understandings and
personal attributes – that make graduates more likely to
gain employment and be successful in their chosen
occupations, which benefits themselves, the workforce,
the community and the economy’ (ESECT, 2004)
Yorke, M. (2006) Employability in higher education: what it is-what it is not,
Learning and Employability Series One. Enhancing Student Employability
Coordination Team. Higher Education Academy
Aims of this session
• Give an overview of what we will cover in weeks 2-5
• Find out what you already know about employability
• Introduce you to assignment 1
Who am I ?.....
• Academic : Business Studies, Human
Psychology, Career Guidance
• Professional: HR, Career Guidance
• Graduate recruitment Been on both sides
(not too long ago on either side!!)
………your real / virtual career coach during this module
Who are you ?….
• Do you currently work part-time?
• Have you previously worked part-time?
• Do have work experience prior to your degree?
• Are you sponsored by your company to do your degree?
• Have you applied for placements for next year?
• Have you got a placement confirmed for next year?
• Are you still thinking about doing a placement year?
• Are you an international student?
• Are you thinking of doing an exchange year overseas?
• Are you here on an exchange?
Do you know what you want
to do after your degree?
Do you know what will
expected from you to be
successful ?
So…what do you
already know ?
Employability team quiz
• In groups of up to 5
• 1 answer sheet per team
• Prize for winning team members (max of 5 !)
• Will move quickly through the questions – so need to use
your negotiating / communicating / decision making skills
• Tie-breaker question will be used if necessary
Start capturing your
answers on the sheet
……have you nominated a timekeeper?
Q 1. How many final year university students
are due to graduate from UK universities in
the summer of 2010 ?
Source: Times top 100 Graduate Employers
A) 224,000
B) 320,000
C) 400,000
Q 2. Figures from the Association of
Graduate Recruiters show that graduate
vacancies fell by _________% in 2009
Source: AGR Graduate Recruitment Survey 2009 ( 226 employers
surveyed between May and June 2009)
A) 5.4%
B) 24.9%
C) 38%
Q 3. Student and graduate futures
compromised by
their __________ footprint
(news item on www.milkround.com Nov 07)
A) carbon
B) electronic
C) financial
D) large
Q 4. Approximately what % of graduate
level jobs do not specify a degree subject
when advertised ?
A) 20-30%
B) 40-50%
C) 60-70%
D) 75-85%
Q 5. UH has used feedback from employers
and surveys to come up with a list of 8
Graduate Employability skills all UH students
should develop
List 5 of these (1 point for each correct)
Q 6. What is FIT {student}
A) a new personal development module
available to all students at UH
B) a speed dating night at the UH Forum
C) a membership promotion from UH Sports
Village
Q 7. Employers often use “competency based”
activities to select graduates – what does this look
at ?
A) Skills and behaviours you think you would
use in a specific situation?
B) Skills and behaviours you think you use
generally in a range of situations
C) Skills and behaviours you have already
demonstrated in specific situations
Q 8. Which of the following would you be
encouraged to do in the year between 2nd and final
year?
A) A year in a large corporate organisation
filing and answering the phone
B) A year at a Pilot Training Centre
C) A year on the beach in Thailand
D) A year divided between studying abroad
for one semester and working
TIE-BREAKER QUESTION – write it down !
What was the average salary for a 2008 UH
Business School graduate in full-time
employment 6 months after finishing their
course ?
The Assignment……..
Employability
Assignment 1 –
Career Action Plan
3 Key Elements:
• Research a job / career of your choice
• Where are you now?
• How are you going to get to where you want
to be ?
Section 1 – 3rd Person Research
• Choose one area of employment open to recent graduates
• Research - a minimum of 6 organisations that have
opportunities for graduates (should include a range of
different organisations : large, small & medium sized
enterprises (SMEs), public sector, not for profit etc)
• What to include?: trends in graduate employment,
opportunities for graduates, what employers are looking
for in graduates (skills, knowledge & experience),how
graduates are selected i.e. CVs / on-line apps /
assessment centres etc
Section 2 – CV , Gap Analysis & Career
Action Plan
• Once you have completed your research in section 1
• Write up in the first person an outline of ALL your current
skills, knowledge and experience relevant to employment.
• Imagine you are preparing to apply for a job in this area
• Prepare a CV & covering letter based on your information
now.
Section 2 – CV , Gap Analysis & Career
Action Plan
• Look at how you currently stand against
what is required from a graduate applicant
• Where do you need to focus your development ?
• What do you need to do to develop the skills, knowledge
and experiences to prepare you for a successful application
& selection ?
• Prepare a Career Action Plan to get you there (remember to
include skills you will need to get through the selection
process i.e. interviews, presentations etc)
Choosing an area for your assignment
• What is your starting point ? – sector,
profession, specific role ?
• Narrowing down – what is open to recent
graduates? Is it realistic at this stage in your
career ?
• Research– where can you find the information?
» Don’t know where to start?
» Try “What jobs might suit me” – under jobs and
Careers areas on www.prospects.ac.uk
Jobs and Careers on studynet
Jobs and Careers - Studynet
BS Employability Workshops in
February – all in M015
• Mon 8th 4-5pm Effective Applications
• Tues 9th 4-5pm Job Interviews
• Mon 15th 3-5pm Assessment Centres
• Tues 16th 4-5pm Effective Applications
• Mon 22nd 1-2pm Effective Applications
• Weds 24th 2-3pm Job Interviews
Employer Presentations
in February
• 9th February - Debenhams Ottaway Solicitors
“Path to becoming a solicitor”
• 10th February - Enterprise Rent A Car
“How to sell yourself in an interview”
• 17th February - Jonathan Davis
“Financial Planning as a Professional Career”
• 17th February - Whitbread
“Working for the UK's leading hospitality group”
Before next week…….
• Do some research from
the key sites shown
today
• Bring any questions /
research you don’t
understand with you to
next weeks session or
post on-line
On-line questions…..
Not very helpful !
“help me………….”
“assignment 1………”
Very helpful !
“ Marketing opportunities in small companies”
“Writing up section 1 of Assignment 1”
Questions ?
Week 2
World of Work
Research skills
