Career Planning for 2nd Year HCA

Lyn KaneCareers Consultant – HCA

Action Planning: Early Years

Your future starts here:

• Get involved in university life: explore the huge range of activities you can get involved within and outwith the University experience. Take part in the Edinburgh Award to get recognition for things you do outside your degree

• Get experience: your early years are the ideal time to get experience before you get too busy with academic work. Look at part-time work, work experience and volunteering.

• Think ahead: never too soon to think about how you might develop and test career ideas during your studies.

• Still unsure what you want to do? Make use of the Careers Service.

http://www.ed.ac.uk/careers/your-future/year-by-year

What we offer:

• Information – online and in person and regular updates through social media and email.

• Advice and Guidance – 20/45 minute appointments bookable in advance - available in person/phone/Skype.

• Programme of events – career fairs and festivals, employer led presentations, skills sessions, panel events and forums. Online/face-to-face personal development group sessions.

• Access to internships, jobs and opportunities - vacancies database of graduate jobs, internships, placements, vacation work, part-time and seasonal employment. Opportunity to meet prospective employers

Key Messages for 2nd Year HCA:

• What you do over the next few years will really matter and leaving it all until 4th year is too late

• Career Planning is easier than you think – making the most of your time at university will help with the process

• Career Planning doesn’t commit you to anything - you don’t need to know yet what career you want, so try things out

• Having different experiences is never wasted and is an essential part of marketing yourself effectively.

• Employers value HCA degrees but will look at your experience as a whole

What is Career Planning?

• Career planning - process of making and implementing career decisions.

• Not a one-off event – an ongoing process that you use throughout life when making career decisions.

• Learning about this process will stand you in good stead:

• Short-term (making most of time at university)

• Medium-term (graduate labour market)

• Longer-term (reviewing your career path and moving forward)

Career Planning – Why?

Broadens your horizons – new experiences can change your perspective, provide new insights and alter your outlook

Exploring career options – putting yourself in different environments and taking on new roles gives you a chance to explore options and see how you feel in different situations.

Developing your ‘offer’ – new experiences and responsibilities enhance the quality of what you can offer and how you market yourself: CV/LinkedIn/Cover Letters/Applications

Expanding your networks – having different experiences develops your contacts and can broaden your awareness of opportunities.

Increases your funds – if it’s paid work, this is an obvious one. We all need it, to reduce loans, pay for semester-time expenses, fund interests, travel etc.

A possible process

Developed by Law & Watts (1977)

Learning about career paths

3 main ways to learn about Careers:

• Read about occupations and labour market sectors

• Talk to people working in the roles

• Gain experience in different sectors

Generate, research then confirm ideas• Generate ideas:

• Online assessment tools – Prospects Planner, Career Ed and Career Explorer• http://www.ed.ac.uk/careers/your-future/career-planning

• Look at HCA Graduate Destinations • http://www.ed.ac.uk/careers/your-future/options/degree-options/dlhe

• Research ideas: • Read ‘Options with’ Your Subject…’ & ‘A Degree’

• http://www.ed.ac.uk/careers/your-future/options/degree-options• Read Careers Service Occupational Pages:

• http://www.ed.ac.uk/careers/your-future/options/occupations• Attend Employer and Careers Events; test out ideas

• https://mycareerhub.ed.ac.uk/

• Confirm ideas:• Talk through ideas; • Implement job search strategy – market yourself effectively, navigate the market

and compete; • http://www.ed.ac.uk/careers/looking-for-work

HCA Broad options:

Linear Progression (Directly related):

• Academia, Teaching and Education

• Cultural Heritage

Changing emphasis (applying skills elsewhere):

• Media and Culture

• Public Services, Charity and Development

• Legal Services

• Business and Finance

• Information Technology

New direction

• Defined by you and your interests: external interests, retraining or self-

employment

http://www.ed.ac.uk/careers/your-

future/options/degree-

options/dlhe/chss-destinations

Different ways to gain experience:

Gaining Experience

Internships

Work Shadowing

Volunteering(Formal

& Informal)

Part-time Jobs/

Vacation Work or Placements

Extracurricular Activities

Personal Projects/ Business

Competitions

Company Insight

Days/Spring Week/Courses

Developing Skills and Abilities from your University Experience

Mentoring Programme for HCA students• You will get matched with a mentor from your chosen area of work.

• You will find out more about their career journey and experiences and gain a really honest insight into the area that you are looking to work in.

• Meet face-to-face, chat over the phone, Skype or email.

• You will be introduced to your mentor in early November and the official Mentoring Programme runs until May 2020.

• You can expect approx. one hour per month of contact with your mentor and we expect 1 hour of prep/follow up from you.

• The Mentoring Programme is now open and the application deadline is Thursday 24th October at 12 noon (week 6).

• If you are interested in applying, please complete the short application form

Employ.Ed on Campus

• At least 50 internships • Open to 2nd, 3rd and penultimate year UGs• Mostly, full-time 10-12 week internships.• Well paid, £9.31 per hour. • Complete an Edinburgh Award• Optional Summer workshops to help you make the most of your internship• Advertised from 1st February, start date 4th June

• Advertised mid Semester One• 1 week in a global city or 2-5 days in a local company• Meetings, tours, small projects, presentations• Receive full funding• In 2018 – 50 places across both strands• Eligible students will receive an invitation to apply

Insights Programme

http://www.ed.ac.uk/careers/looking-for-work/internships/employed-internships

HCA 2nd Year: Questions to think about?• What led you to study for your degree subject?

• What motivates and enthuses you? What’s your values system?

• What experiences have you already had?

• What did you learn about yourself and your skills from these?

• What are your career areas of interest? What’s on offer?

• Where are the opportunities? How do these employers recruit?

• What sorts of experience are useful to your areas of career interest?

• What skills gaps do you currently have? How do you address them?

• What are my short, medium and long term goals?

Using the Careers Service

Main Library, 3rd floor: 9.15am – 4.45pm (Tuesdays 11am - 7pm)Drop-ins and bookable appointments available daily

MyCareerHub (https://mycareerhub.ed.ac.uk) - ‘Q&A’ function, Appointments, events and opportunities

www.ed.ac.uk/careers - labour market information

Appointments - https://mycareerhub.ed.ac.uk

Careers Drop-in - Thursdays 12-2pm, UG Common Room (31st Oct – 1-2pm).