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Reasons to visit your Careers Service
Queen Mary’s graduate Zara Rabinowicz discovers that there is more to her careers service than she’d previously thought.
F
or too long, the careers service as been unfairly labelled as
bank of high-tech computers all connected to the internet. Sink
stuffy and staid, with students using alternate sources to find their jobs, little knowing the huge resource they are
into an oversized comfy leather sofa and you can scan through the latest magazines and newspapers for anything relevant.
squandering. Gone are the ugly chairs and useless files, today
Printing is free if you fancy banging out some CVs, or perhaps you
careers offices are bright user-friendly places. Enter the Queen Mary Careers Office and you are greeted by
might go to one of the regular CV clinics held there to update your profile. In fact, there are tons of reasons why you should visit
a friendly receptionist, offered free coffee and presented with a
your careers service as soon as possible:
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Yes, this is the 21st century and times have changed. Many careers offices are now online as well. Manchester University is a prime example with a renovated website showcasing up to 20,000 jobs at any one point, including coveted TV internships. Yet one student there still says, “I don’t bother going to my careers service because I am not a graduate.” All the more reason to go now, whether it is to bolster your CV, or just get some paid summer work! The vacancies span the country – so if you are a student who lives elsewhere you will still be able to find a job in your residential area. You can subscribe to email bulletins or even get updates by text.
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To Solve Career Confusion
Your perception of what makes you happy may have changed, or the degree subject you are studying may not be as fulfilling as previously hoped. Through the careers service get advice on changing direction, and how to start this task by applying for new training and qualifications. You can explore new market sectors through voluntary work, and the Careers department will give you tips on how to express to future employers how your previous training is of benefit to your new line of work.
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To Get Placements
It cannot be stressed highly enough how valuable work experience is in the professional field – and who better than the careers service contact-wise to find what you are looking for? They can help with covering letters, applications, or even make a personal recommendation to people they know – it’s the kind of service you would not get from a recruitment or temping agency. They are looking out for your interests remember – it is not a profit-making venture, so they want the best for you. The careers office has access to all the alumni records, so could put you in touch with a fellow graduate who has succeeded in their field.
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For Free CV sessions
You’ll be able to find advice on putting your CV together and learn how to tailor it to each application. Far better that the careers advisers point out how rubbish your CV is than the employers! The same goes for application letters and forms…
To boost Interview skills
Nervous about getting into the job market? The careers services hold regular interview-skills open days as well as a variety of psychometric testing – the type you might be surprised with at work. Rather than pay expensive prices to practise them online, take them for free at the careers office, with detailed feedback of your results offered! You can also book yourself in for mock interviews, or just study interview technique in their numerous books.
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One-to-One Career Planning
Arrange a one-to-one session. This service can offer you awareness of what is available, and help you to start thinking about how you can develop a structured plan to reach your goals. Nowadays, goals are not ends in themselves and the need to constantly re-skill yourself and look for opportunities through networking and other means is very important. The benefits of a clear career plan are that you know where you want to go, how you can get there and who can help you to do this. The careers service aims to do just this.
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For Employer Presentations
“In addition to organising local employer talks and recruitment fairs your careers service will be able to tell you about all the events happening nationally, including specialised fairs such as working for the media or working abroad,” says Laura Dean, career development tutor at Leeds Metropolitan University.
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Not just for Students
Alumni are often welcome to use this resource as well, with the majority of universities having a five-year window where you are still able to enjoy the same student benefits as the current crop of wouldbe graduates. So use the facilities to get trained up on computers or enhance your resume with extra skills – all partaken at your old university. The nostalgia itself should be enough to get you coming back!
Photographs: iStockphoto
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