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Students’ Union partners with WoW
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Don’t leave your future to chance!
WoW STAR
Find out how to earn yourself a WoW Certificate on page 2
New President explains LSU link on page 3
WORLD OF WORK NEWS REVIEW What is WoW? WoW stands for the “World of Work” and is an approach unique to LJMU. WoW includes work related learning, recording key graduate skills and providing evidence of WoW skills by obtaining the WoW Certificate. It aims to ensure you are equipped with the employability skills you need to stand out from the crowd and fully engage in the world of work
produced by the GDC and LJMU Journalism Graduates
WoW’s star man is now helping future graduates
Get support all the way!
BY Hugh O’Connell
LJMU is taking your employability seriously. Your degree, work related learning, graduate skills and the WoW Certificate will make you a much stronger applicant for graduate jobs – but you must be proactive. No university has stronger links with employers than LJMU and competition in the graduate jobs market is fierce. The Graduate Development Centre Team understand what employers want and how you can stand out from the crowd. Start planning early! Come to the GDC to ask about our programmes and the WoW Certificate. We’ll support you all the way
The help and expertise of the Graduate Development Centre and their flagship WoW Certificate has helped an LJMU graduate secure his ideal job with a multinational company. Chad Cearns graduated with a BSc in Business Information Systems, and now works for pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly. As an IT analyst, he is managing and supporting the systems that keep the company’s manufacturing facilities running smoothly. Chad, from Hastings, says the help of the GDC was crucial to securing the job: “I had started applying for jobs before I got help with my CV and covering letter but I hadn’t heard anything back from a number of companies. “However, as soon as I had sought help from the GDC I had responses coming back, and one of those applications was for Lilly.”
Top companies on WoW Unsure whether to start the WoW Certificate? Listen to what big companies such as Marks & Spencer, Airbus and the Co-op have to say on the impact a WoW Certificate can have in kick-starting your career
hear their views on page 6
WoW in healthy shape says NHS The WoW Star caught up with an NHS employer who has been impressed with WoW’s impact on their LJMU recruits
full story on page 8
Top 10 tips You must be proactive in your search for that first job after university. The WoW Star has listed ten tips to help you on your way
see them on page 5
Winning formula A team of LJMU students have been building and competing with their own race car, making an impressive debut
see back page
2010/11
continued on page 3
STAR MAN: Chad Cearns
WoW ‘ensures better calibre students’ THE WoW Certificate is creating higher calibre graduates, according to Jacqui Humphries, Group People Director at Shop Direct. Speaking exclusively with the WoW Star, Jacqui believes WoW is one of the most innovative schemes available to students as it improves their chances of impressing in the workplace: “As an employer WoW is ensuring that we are getting better calibre students more aware of what’s needed in the workplace,” she said. “It’s an experience that many students across the country would benefit from, as it helps students to go from university in to industry, so it’s very, very valuable.” As students begin their journey into the workplace, they could use all the help and advice they could get. Jacqui believes the best thing students should do is do their research and have a clear direction: “First of all I think you have to be really clear
about where you want your career to be. Employers really sort through why that person wants to work for them. If the candidate doesn’t know about your company it doesn’t give you a feel that it’s where they want to be. “The more candidates prepare themselves the better they will come off, which is another reason why the WoW process is so good because of the interview and feedback that you receive, that’s just simulating the real thing, giving you an idea of where you are.” Despite the recession, Shop Direct has never lost sight of how beneficial graduates can be to their business and continue to look for the best people they can. Jacqui added: “The recession has affected most industries who have had to look at the costs of recruiting, but when going through that turbulence it’s important to get valuable people because they’re the ones that are going to grow the business at the other side.”
SHOP DIRECT: Jacqui Humphries