CAREERS NEWSLETTER
2018-‐19
ISSUE 1 – Friday 14 September 2018 We are very excited to feature Amrit & Bethan, dynamic students at different stages of
their own career paths. We also advertise the Kenilworth Arts Festival, which offers extension opportunities for the Bablake community, & remind you of our #18Before18 concept, in this first circular for 2018-‐ 19. What a summer it was too, with superb public examination grades for so many students & great feats beyond the classroom! Photo above: Aston Martin Valkyrie, by Amrit Bhandal.
A PERFECT SUMMER TO REMEMBER FOR AMRIT
With the press documenting the resurgence of Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd and chief executive officer Andy Palmer announcing the arrival of Penny Hughes, the company’s first female chair, in time to oversee a public flotation of a rumoured 5 billion pounds, this summer was an exciting time for Bablake Sixth Form student Amrit Bhandal to enjoy a projected two week work placement in Wellesbourne. Amrit arrived at Aston Martin on the first Monday in July, confident of confirming his intentions to study a degree in Finance and Accountancy. 9 weeks later, after an exhilarating experience at both Wellesbourne and Gaydon, he is about to sign a contract confirming his status from September 2019 as a fully sponsored Special Operations degree apprentice. This means he will study Mechanical Engineering at the University of Warwick on block release while working for Aston Martin. His Post 18 route is now set, almost a month before official applications for the company open online – a fantastic reward gained after a professional, purposeful summer spent with an employer he only dreamt of working for! In 32 years at Bablake, the Careers Department has always been privileged to learn from the school’s current and former students. This was no different when, earlier this week, Amrit, still beaming from ear to ear after his experience this summer, spent a full afternoon talking about his placement; it was a joy to witness his professional confidence, enthusiasm and humility. He claimed he had been in the right place in the right time, while we suspect his keen knowledge of the luxury c ar industry and confidence to take the initiative and devour opportunities offered over the summer thoroughly impressed the company. While with AML, he worked on the Valkyrie fuel system and was involved with research projects, contacting suppliers, developing and testing adhesives and presenting findings to senior colleagues. Our Economics department has already expressed its pleasure at how much ‘real’ knowledge Amrit has brought back into the classroom this term following his placement. He certainly impressed AML’s Q Advanced Operations team led by chief engineer Fraser Dunn, for he received the following glowing recommendations in his reference: “Amrit p roved to b e an exceptionally capable and h ardworking person, delivering high-‐quality results and contributing to the business. He is a self-‐starter, with a n impressive ability to work independently, proposing next steps for the projects he is working on and executing them… He did not shy from presenting his findings in front of senior management… (At 17) His performance was more representative of what one might expect from a university graduate.” Amrit’s impact is no surprise to Bablake’s Careers Department since he presented himself as dynamic, ambitious, well-‐researched, an excellent communicator and impressively professional in all consultations across the Lower Sixth. As he eagerly now crosses the days off his calendar until next September and enjoys his final year of A level studies, we are certain he will repay Aston Martin’s huge vote of confidence in his ability.
Amrit p roudly holds his Aston Martin polo shirt!
FOOTNOTE RE SIXTH FORM WORK EXPERIENCE (SUMMER 18)
It should be no shock to hear that so many Bablake students proved their exciting potential to future employers over the summer. We received a humbling array of work experience reports and references from a great range of professions, so please watch out for coverage of more of these in future circulars during the year.
@BablakeCareers
#BABLAKEPUPILSEVERYWHERE – BETHAN MORDEY
2014 leaver Bethan, who graduated this year from the University of st Portsmouth University with a 1 in Marketing, has just begun work as a Partnerships Account Executive at Brand and Deliver. She kindly spoke to the Careers department about her internship year with Warner Brothers. What did you study for A Level? I studied Economics, English Literature and Philosophy & Ethics. Which clubs were you involved with at the University of Portsmouth? (At Bablake, Bethan was a keen photographer for The Wheatleyan, a fine sportswoman and a founding member of our Macmillan charity team.) I was involved with a number of clubs at university, including netball, photography and the marketing society. Did you have to do an internship on your d egree? For my course in particular, as with most of those offered by the Business School at Portsmouth, we were given the option to take a ‘sandwich course’ with a placement year in between your second and final year. Whilst this wasn’t compulsory, we were definitely pushed to opt for a placement year, as it can make such a difference with graduate job applications. (Of course with the growth of Post 18 apprenticeships & School Leaver programmes, this a dvice would be even more pertinent n ow -‐ Bablake Careers)
Why did you apply for your work placement at Warner Brothers? I’ve always been interested in films and entertainment, so a placement at Warner Bros. seemed the perfect opportunity. I knew I’d gain incredible experience and really enjoy my job at the same time.
How did your university help with the application process? The Business School has a full-‐time, dedicated placement office and team on hand to help with application processes and any issues or questions when on placement. We were provided with a database of information about placement opportunities and could speak to the careers team about advice for interviews or assessment days. What were your main responsibilities during the internship? As the WBUK Marketing Intern, I worked within the Marketing and Media Partnerships department. We worked closely with agencies and brands to create collaborative partnerships on the slate of films. As an intern, I was really treated as an integral member of the team and given a lot of responsibility over the year. This included managing titles and specific partnerships, organising agency and brand events, implementing marketing campaigns and managing the day-‐to-‐day logistics of a range of partnerships across multiple titles. Why was it a valuable experience? Being on placement at Warner Bros. gave me such a good insight into both the world of work and also the way that marketing is implemented. I developed a lot of skills both through workshops and exposure to marketing campaigns across different films and genres. What was the h ighlight of your internship? Professionally, I think the highlight of the internship was the opportunity to make so many contacts and learn so much from people in the industry, while personally, being able to work at and attend the film premieres and events was a massive perk! What did you hope to do after your degree? I’d really wanted to move back to London and find a marketing job in the film and entertainment industry. (Bethan’s employer Brand & Deliver is a full service creative marketing a gency in Central London, where experts in experiential, digital, film, design, partnerships, promotions and marketing a ll work together to create, launch, manage and drive sales for a range of clients, from b lue chip companies to brand new businesses.)
What was the b est piece of advice you ever received at Bablake? The best advice or insight I received was from the Careers department! It made me realise that some of the jobs we’ll be doing in five or ten years’ time don’t even exist yet and therefore it’s always best to take any opportunities that come forward, while exploring subjects and hobbies that really interest you. Finally, what would you tell your 16 year old self? I’d tell myself not to get too caught up in worrying that you don’t already know exactly which career you want to pursue. I spent a lot of time at school thinking that because I wasn’t heading for a vocational degree such as medicine or law, it meant I was underprepared. I think it’s really important to take up the subjects you have a real interest in and those that will give you transferable skills, because the reality is that 6 years on, I still don’t know exactly what I want to do, but I have a clear understanding of where my interests lie and the industry I’d like to work in.
#MARKETING #DISCOVERYOURPOTENTIAL
@18before18 In September 2017, we launched a simple new careers concept, 18 Before 18, which encouraged all Bablake pupils to explore 18 activities in the quest to make key decisions at 16/ 18 a little easier. We suggested everyone should choose from a mix of the following 6 categories: i) networking, ii) qualifications, iii) help with decisions, iv) challenging yourself, v) beyond the classroom and vi) Bablake opportunity. It is unlikely that your proposed list of activities will exactly match those of your peers. After piloting this programme for a year, we can offer more specific year group advice as the term progresses, but for now, it would be excellent for pupils to start to plan the activities they would consider for 2018/19.
ACTIVITIES PLANNED FOR 2018/19 Name…………………………………………………………………. Form ………
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.
We would love to see the grids completed by Bablake pupils. If you are happy to share yours, please email a photo of it to mgw@bablake.coventry.sch.uk. If you would a free 52 week 18 Before 18 planner, ask at the Careers department … while stocks last!
For more information, please see www.18before18.co.uk.
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The full 2018 KENILWORTH ARTS FESTIVAL programme is available via: https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/62067701/kenilworth-‐arts-‐festival-‐2018-‐programme.
IN THE POST
University Related • Booklets Lancaster -‐ Environment Centre. Manchester -‐ Physics and Astronomy. Nottingham -‐ Cancer Sciences. Sheffield -‐ Animal & Plant Sciences, Biomedical Science, Chemistry, Mathematics & Statistics, Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Physics & Astronomy, Psychology.
• Open Day Information Plymouth -‐ www.plymouth.ac.uk/study/open-‐days. UCA (University for the Creative Arts) -‐ www.uca.ac.uk/open-‐days.
• Subject Talks et al We have received information on subject talks, university life et al from 2 institutions so far: Lancaster and Newcastle. We would expect news from Coventry very soon.
• Websites EdVet – www.edvet.co.uk -‐ student-‐led website to assist prospective veterinary students. The Lawyer Portal – www.thelawyerportal.com -‐ and The Medic Portal – www.themedicportal.com -‐ excellent advice/ newsletters.
Courses/ Events Please note we a lways try not to a dvertise opportunities that cost more than a reasonable a mount to cover necessary admin/ refreshments/ materials costs, unless students or staff report favourably on a particular course (e.g. Headstart or Smallpeice Trust.)
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National Apprenticeship Show – 3, 4 October (Cheltenham Racecourse). See www.nationalapprenticeshipshow.org/west/ for more information on exhibitors. [What Career/ University Live? 12, 13 October (Olympia) may have a wider range.] ‘So You Want To Be A Doctor’ – 17, 18 December (Liverpool Medical Institution) (£185). NB Liverpool usually runs a cheaper taster day option later in the academic year; Medlink (medlink-‐uk.net/medlink-‐free/) has a free day conference – Dec 17 in Nottingham -‐ and Coventry’s University Hospital runs a 3 day course in February for c£50. USA College Day – 28 or 29 September (ILEC Conference Centre, London). Run by www.fulbright.org.uk -‐ the UK’s largest US university fair. WorldSkills UK Live -‐ 15, 16, 17 November (The NEC, Birmingham). Free via www.worldskillsuk.org -‐ the UK’s largest skills, apprenticeships and careers event
Degree Apprenticeships • Jaguar Land Rover Careers Applications for JLR’s degree apprenticeships opened this week, according to a tweet from @jlrcareers. Initially, the links for these were not all working, but we would urge students interested in applying to ensure they do so well before the stated deadline. Once a satisfactory number of applications has been received, the opportunity will be closed. NB JLR is not the only company to do this.
@bablakecareers
MOOCS – MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSES (1) ‘MAKE YOUR ASK’ The MAKE YOUR ASK project is a bold new movement, founded by negotiation expert Natalie Reynolds, @AdvSpring CEO, to provide 1 million women around the world with the confidence and skills to negotiate effectively and ‘make their ask’.
“Negotiation is the most powerful skill in business and in life to get what you want, need and deserve.” “For too long, negotiation has been seen as a skill requiring aggression, bullying behaviour and tough talk. As a result, many people are frightened and intimidated by it.”
The MAKE YOUR ASK project has 3 aims: 1: Reclaiming Negotiation Challenging the old-‐fashioned belief that negotiation is all about aggression, bullying behaviour and tough talk.
2: Levelling The Playing Field Good quality negotiation training has only traditionally been available to those with enough money to pay the hefty price tag. So to level the playing field, Natalie’s pioneering 5 step DEALSTM negotiation method and materials will be made available as an online course, priced at only £10.
3: Using Negotiation as a Tool for Empowerment and Change Based on the principle of ‘Invest in You: Invest in Her’, for every £10 course purchased, MAKE YOUR ASK is committing to gifting the course to a woman across the globe via one of its charity partners. The goal is to gift 1 million courses to empower One Million Women to ‘make their ask’.
Mastering Negotiation: The Art of Making Your Ask is a modular course comprised of 8 x 20 minute master class lessons, downloadable toolkits and worksheets. The globally respected DEALSTM negotiation training method provides a robust introduction to excelling at the negotiation table and an easy to use framework for effectively ‘making your ask’. The 8 modules are: 1. Why Negotiation M atters. 2. Common Negotiation Mistakes to Avoid. 3. DEALSTM Discover. 4. DEALSTM Establish. 5. DEALSTM Ask. 6. DEALSTM Lead. 7. DEALSTM Seal. 8. Dealing with Difficult Negotiations. COST: £10 plus VAT Log onto: https://make-‐your-‐ask.thinkific.com/courses/mastering-‐negotiation-‐the-‐art-‐of-‐masking-‐your-‐ask.
“Negotiation skills are cited by a 2016 World Economic Forum report as one of 10 necessary and ‘in demand’ skills needed in the future global economy.” #InvestInYOUInvestInHER #DiscoverYourPotential #18Before18
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