Transcript for Seminar 2: Sourcing opportunities for work and further study

Slide 1: Sourcing Opportunities

Welcome to seminar 2, “Sourcing Opportunities”of our seven seminar series for graduates looking for a long term career. The seminarlasts for approximately 10 minutes.

Slide 2: Sourcing Opportunities for Work and Study

This seminar is designed to allow you tofind both advertised and non-advertised job vacancies (what is sometimes referred to as the “hidden job market”); see how useful graduate internship opportunities might be, find out more about postgraduate courses;know how to use your networks effectively, and formulate your next steps. We suggest that you check out the suggested actions on each slide before accessing them on the interactive PowerPoint presentation which accompanies this audio visual presentation.

Slide 3: Before you start

Before we start, please review the career plans you made in seminar one, to help focus your search for appropriate opportunities. Having done this, consider where you are able to access opportunities– do you need to stay in Aberdeen,perhaps due to family commitments? Would your preference be to remain in Scotland, or the UK? Or would you like to travel worldwide to find the best opportunity? Knowing where you can go will help you make applications for opportunities that suit your current circumstances. If you have not already done so, you might want to complete seminar 1 before going any further.

Slide 4: Finding Advertised Job Opportunities

The Careers Service advertises graduate level jobs as part of Scotland’s “Shared Vacancy System”, whereby Careers Services share vacancies. Registering your preferences on our website enables you to receive appropriate vacancy information, relating to employment sector and geographical location. Other graduate vacancy websites include Target Jobs– again, you can register for updates, and also read their magazine for careers advice. Alternatively, there are specialised websites advertising graduate vacancies – two examples include Gradcracker for STEM graduates, or the Museums Association for opportunities within exhibitions and galleries.

See our online resources in the “to do” section, for further example of specialised recruitment sites. Local and national pressmay advertise vacancies – either in their paper format, or online. You may prefer to register with a recruitment agency, which can provide an excellent way of gaining entry and experience in specific industries. Check that the agency is reputable – the Recruitment and Employment Confederation has listings of member agencies.

And don’t forget, organisations do advertise vacancies directly on their own websites, so remember to check these out regularly bookmarking them for easy access.

Slide 5: Non-Advertised Positions

Many jobs may never be publically advertised, and this is known as the “hidden” job market. These jobs are accessed primarily through networking: use your friends and graduate colleagues to access contacts within your preferred career area. Professional networking can be undertaken by getting involved in the local branch of professional organisations, such as the Society of Professional Engineers, or umbrella organisations like Junior Chamber International listed in the “to do “ section of the slide.

There may be career opportunities within your current workplace, such as secondment opportunities, special project work or providing cover for more senior colleagues on long term leave. You might also contact someone in your organisation to ask about work shadowing opportunities, showing your commitment and desire to progress.

Don’t forget recruitment and trade fairs. In Aberdeen, the two Universities host an annual recruitment fair each spring, and Aberdeen hosts Offshore Europe – Europe’s largest energy industry showcase event - every second year. Recruiters are usually presentat trade fairs, and it’s worth visiting to find out more about opportunities and developments within that sector. Perhaps there’s a new business, leisure or retail park opening shortly in your desired location – keep up to date with local business developments to see if you can access new andas yet unadvertised opportunities.

Speculative applications– where there is no specific job advertised – can be useful. Do your research, make a strong application, and maybe this approach will yield the perfect opportunity.

Slide 6: Sourcing Opportunities with Social Media

Social media is increasingly important in sourcing graduate vacancies. Having a current, endorsed LinkedIn profile is vital. Make sure your LinkedIn profile complements, and does not contradict information on your CV. Further information about LinkedIn is in seminar 6, “Developing your online presence”. LinkedIn has a range of specialist groups and opportunities to connect with current, previous and future colleagues. Twitter can be a source of finding new opportunities – add organisations of interest to your news feed to hear of vacancies. Facebook, like Twitter, can provide information on vacancies – our Careers Service Facebook pages often have information on current opportunities – but employers also use Facebook for question and answer sessions on their vacancies. You can set up Google Alerts to register your preference, and receive an email based on activity and newly advertised vacancies from your preferred organisations. Use the resources in the “To do” list to ensure a good quality online presence.

Slide 7: Graduate Internships

Graduate Internships, ranging from 3-12 months, can be an excellent way of gaining relevant short term experience while enabling your development of appropriate skills and abilities. They can also become a gateway to a long term career.

The University of Aberdeen is part of the Santander Universities network offering paid graduate placements to new graduates, within SME companies (ie less than 250 employees), across a wide variety of employment sectors. Up to 60% of Aberdeen Santander Interns have subsequently been offered a position within their placement company.

Scotgrad provides paid graduate placements in various Scottish locations, while Talent Scotland advertises in sectors such as energy and the life sciences. The websites of specific organisations may have adverts for internships while speculative approaches for a graduate internship to organisations of interest can yield results. The Careers Service is happy to review your applications at any time.

Slide 8: Postgraduate courses:

Your career planning may have confirmed that you need to undertake postgraduate level study, particularly for vocational roles. Postgrad study is recommended for careers in sectors such as conservation or journalism.

The Target Postgrad website provides a comprehensive source of postgraduate courses in the UK.You can search this by subject, institution and funding opportunities. Other sources of postgraduate course listings are listed on our website, and in the “To do” list below. Postgraduate application is normally by application form and personal statement, and information on completing these is available on our website.

You will need to research the costs associated with any further studyand ifany funding is provided. If not, use the resources below to investigate alternatives, or ask the academic recruiting to the coursehow others have previously funded their studies.

Slide 9: Managing your opportunities

Managing your opportunities is simply about organisation.

Remember to keep a copy of all vacancy descriptions as they disappear from websites as soon as the closing date has passed.

Allow enough time which can be up to 3 or 4 hours per application and it’s best never to rush them.

Take care to follow specific application instructions from the start – to prevent you from re-doing an application, andconsider applying for graduate schemes in the year after you graduate – most are open for 2 to 3 years to recent graduates. Keeping copies of speculative applicationsis orderly and allows you to follow them up in a systematic way.

Slide 10: Next steps

Having followed the suggestions and recommendations here, when you have sourced an opportunity, remember the Careers Service can provide help and feedback at all stages of the application process, including interview preparation. Advice on preparing CVs covering letters and making successful applications is in our next 2 seminars.

Appointments are available on weekdays throughout the whole year at our offices in the Hub. If you’re no longer based in Aberdeen, feedback can be provided through our Virtual Adviser service or by arranging a phone interview with the Careers reception.

Slide 12: What’s next

Thanks for completingseminar 2 of our 7 seminar series for graduates.