KENT EMPLOYABILITY NEWSLETTER MARCH 2013
USING YOUR SUMMER WISELY
TAILOR YOUR CV FOR THE GLOBAL JOBS MARKET
Spring is here and so is our Spring Term Employability Newsletter.
When applying for jobs or placements abroad, do be aware that the style of applications may differ from that used in the UK. In France, Belgium and Germany it’s common to include a passport-sized photograph in the top right-hand corner of your CV, whereas in the UK and the USA, photographs are not commonplace. In France, CVs should be no more than two pages long. Include the dates and levels of your qualifications, giving the equivalent in the French education system if possible. You should include your reading, writing and oral levels in French.
Can you believe it – it’s less than four months until the start of the summer vacation! Are you trying to decide between earning money during the summer vacation, improving your career prospects or seeing the world? Why not do all three! If you're looking for a way to bump up your CV, you could always look into doing work experience abroad. This will not only help you develop a whole range of skills, but will give you something extra when applying to graduate recruiters. Casual jobs in retail, catering and tourism will be more significant when you do them abroad, giving evidence of your initiative, self-reliance,
adaptability and cultural awareness. These jobs can also help you to get experience that is directly relevant to your chosen career. If you want to go into teaching, for example, working at children’s summer camps or in language schools will give a real insight into understanding and motivating groups of children. If earning money is not a priority, you can also gain excellent experience through volunteering. Conservation, archaeology, development, healthcare and community work are all areas where you can get experience for a couple of weeks or for an entire summer vacation.
KENT HOSTS INTERNATIONAL EMPLOYABILITY EVENT
In Germany, a CV (called lebenslauf) is used more than application forms, and it’s common to sign your CV at the bottom. You also need a one page covering letter, copies of all qualifications from school onwards, evidence of any work experience you have, including certificates and references from universities and previous employers. In the USA a CV is known as a résumé and is short and concise: usually one page long. Résumés should have a few lines at the beginning on your aims and the skills you can offer. Give a summary of your experience and qualifications, list educational institutions attended and qualifications achieved (with associated dates). See the Careers and Employability Service CVs and covering letters page for more information, and the working abroad pages have countryspecific resources.
Kent’s award winning Employability Points Scheme was one of the exciting initiatives discussed at an international employability event, hosted by Kent in February 2013. The Careers and Employability Service, Kent Innovation and Enterprise, the Graduate School and Human Resources ran workshops during the week (organised by International Development) for 17 European universities. There were discussions on how higher education institutions can best support students in developing skills that will enhance their employability. Events such as the ‘Would you Employ You?’ conference, which will be held in May 2013, and the regular opportunities for students to meet alumni organised by the School of European Culture and Languages were heralded by participants as examples of best practice.
Most of the universities that took part in the event are Kent’s partners under the Erasmus programme, which gives students the opportunity to enhance their mobility by studying or working abroad. If you would like further information about Erasmus, please email erasmus@kent.ac.uk
+44 (0)1227 823164
www.kent.ac.uk/employability
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