The Careers Service 2012–13

Your Career. Our Job.

If you’re not a little bit scared, you’re not

paying attentionYou’re about to enter the scary world of full time employment. And, chances are, you’re not

absolutely sure what to expect. Why would you be?

Unless you’ve grown up in a boardroom, things like dealing with corporate politics, working directly with big business clients, having to travel at short notice, having to report to someone,

knowing when to express your opinion and when to keep schtum are unknown quantities to you right now. Rest assured though, at KPMG we get that, and will give you the training,

development and support you need to deal with every aspect of your new working world.

We don’t expect you to know it all from day one – just that you’ll want to. And, actually, our graduates tell us working with us isn’t all that different from being at university.

We just wear nicer clothes.

To find out more go to www.kpmg.co.uk/graduates

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Welcome to the Royal Holloway Annual Careers Programme 2012-2013. This year the Careers Service is launching some exciting initiatives designed to develop our students’ employability through internships, and placements, exposure to employers and skill enhancement.

Our new placements team is collaborating with academic colleagues to build on Royal Holloway’s existing departmental placement programme, opening up even wider opportunities for students to gain crucial work experience across a variety of sectors. We’re also launching a new internships fair in the spring term, alongside our two part-time job fairs (autumn and spring terms), our new Business and IT fair (autumn term) and our popular recruitment agency fair (summer term) where you’ll have plenty of opportunity to meet employers actively recruiting students for internship schemes as well as part-time and permanent jobs.

Royal Holloway Passport, the college award intended to help students develop skills for employment through co-curricular activity, has gone from strength to strength over the last year, with at least 10 new streams of activity coming on board for 2012-13. If you’re currently involved with a club or society, volunteer on campus or get involved in other ways – or if you’d like to – this is an opportunity to ensure that your current experience directly impacts your future. For more information about how to get involved and which activities are included in the scheme, www.rhul.ac.uk/passport on the Royal Holloway website.

Finally, keep an eye open for our new targeted careers weeks. Careers in Finance, International Careers, Creative Careers and Careers in Numbers, Words and the Environment will feature employers, alumni, business cases and networking. We’re also running a Diversity Week, looking at schemes promoting equal opportunities at work, and Me² week, featuring various fantastic opportunities to enhance your skills for employment.

As ever, your future matters to us. We look forward to seeing you at one of our events soon.

Elizabeth Wilkinson Head of College Careers Service

Contents

Welcome 1

First Years and Second Years 2

Finalists 3

Masters students 4

PhD students 5

International students 6

My Careers Service: A Guide for Students 7

Employer Events, Workshops, Fairs and more 8 - 9

Part-time work 10

Placements, Internships & Work Experience; Royal Holloway Passport 11

Who we are and where we are 12

This publication is produced in good faith to support Royal Holloway students in their employment seeking activities, it is not specific legal advice. The Careers Group University of London and Royal Holloway do not accept liability for any advice given here. We urge all students to check contracts of work and seek further detailed advice if they have any concerns.

Whilst every care has been taken in the compilation of this publication the publishers cannot accept responsibility for any inaccuracies or for consequential loss arising from such inaccuracies or for any other loss direct or consequential arising in connection with information in this publication.

The views expressed in articles are those of the authors and their publication does not necessarily imply that such views are shared by the Careers Service.

QR codes are provided for convenience only.

If you require a large print copy of this publication please contact the Careers Service.

Image of graduates on back cover: College Team Teaching Prize awarded to Careers Consultants Andrew Falconer, John Childs and Hilary Moor

First Years and Second Years

Second YearsYou’re midway through your degree by now, and this is a good time to give some more thought to what you’d like to do after you leave. Here are our tips for your second year.

Apply for internships• Employers advertise summer internships as soon as you step back

on campus for the autumn term, and it pays to get your application in early. Pop into the Careers Service to pick up our internship directories and check deadlines.

• Attend Royal Holloway’s first Internship Fair! 30 January 2013

• Our Application Advisers will give you feedback on your applications and help you prepare for internship interviews. Book a 15 minute ‘quick query’ session in the Careers Service.

Attend company presentations• The best way to find out what you’d like to do for a job is to

hear from people who are already doing it. Check out our online programme for details of employers who are here to talk to you.

• We have themed careers weeks covering a myriad of sectors – from business and finance to environmental work, creative, media and international.

Set up some work experience• Come in and see a Careers Consultant to talk about your options

and decide on a plan of action for the summer.

First YearsJob-hunting probably seems like a long way off right now – but even at this early stage we’ve still got a few tips that’ll improve your job prospects.

Build your skills • A good degree by itself doesn’t guarantee you a good job.

Employers also look for skills such as teamwork, decision-making and problem-solving.

• The best applicants for jobs are graduates who’ve got involved with additional activities such as student societies, sports teams, volunteering and part-time work.

• You can be awarded the Royal Holloway Passport as a result of your co-curricular activities.

Attend our employer presentations• Our autumn and spring programme is packed with visits from

employers who can tell you all about their jobs and companies. It’s a great way to find out about possible careers.

Get some work experience during your holidays• Employers love work experience, and anything from bar work to a

structured internship counts.

“The Careers Service offers lots of support and advice whether you are looking for a part-time job, or trying to secure an internship or a graduate-level job. The Careers Consultants helped me make an informed decision about what I could do after graduation, whereas different workshops and plenty of resources available improved my confidence during the application process, from writing the application to succeeding at interviews and assessment centres. The Careers Service also organises job fairs and very informative employer talks that are great networking opportunities.”

Olga Turek, Management 2013

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“The Careers Service have established links with many top companies and the employer talks which they organise really help you to understand what graduate opportunities are out there. In addition, they have an impressive range of resources, which helped me to pass the

psychometric testing and assessment centre phases of my application to work for Ernst & Young. The practice interview I had with a Careers Consultant enabled me to prepare

for the more challenging questions that were asked of me during the real thing!”

Jack Smale, BA Human Geography 2012

Finalists

Attend careers fairs• The London Graduate Recruitment Fair from The Careers Group

and TARGETjobs.co.uk is on 16 October in central London. It’s the biggest graduate recruitment fair in the UK.

• The Royal Holloway Business & IT fair is on Wednesday 24 October in the Picture Gallery. Visiting employers are keen to speak to you about possible employment.

• We also run a recruitment agency fair in the summer term. Keep an eye on our website and Facebook page for details and dates nearer the time.

Graduate Internships• The London Step Graduate Internship Programme offers paid

internships in small businesses for graduates.

• Many sectors – including IT, Media, Pharmaceuticals, Insurance and Marketing.

www.rhul.ac.uk/careers/jobs

It’s your final year, so what can you do to prepare for life after university?

Come and see us• To help you figure out your next steps, we run drop-in sessions

with Careers Consultants throughout the year. Come and talk to us about your future.

• Our workshops will show you how to polish your CV, write great job applications, and interview successfully for jobs.

Apply for graduate training schemes• The autumn term is a busy time for graduate recruitment. Drop

into the careers centre to pick up information about hundreds of graduate scheme vacancies.

• Keep an eye on application deadlines; some are as early as October.

Meet employers on campus • Our careers programme is packed with employers visiting Royal

Holloway to talk to you about working for them.

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Masters students

Apply early for jobs• If you’re thinking of applying for a graduate training scheme,

vacancies open from September. Drop into the Careers Service early for a vacancy prospectus, or check out the links on the careers website.

• The London Step Graduate Internship Programme offers paid internships in small businesses for graduates. Many sectors – including IT, Media, Pharmaceuticals, Insurance and Marketing

Events• Our varied programme of careers events is designed to help you

meet employers, decide what you’d like to do and apply and interview for jobs successfully. See the full programme at www.rhul.ac.uk/careers.

• Don’t miss our Business and IT Fair on Wednesday 24 October, where you’ll meet a variety of employers keen to speak to you about graduate opportunities.

www.rhul.ac.uk/careers/jobs

If you’re on a one-year masters programme, your biggest challenge will be balancing the demands of your course with planning your future career. Our advice is to get started as early as possible in the academic year.

Come and see us• Come and talk to a Careers Consultant at the start of the academic

year. We can help you think about what you’d like to do when you finish your course. If you already know what you want to do, we’ll point you towards the right opportunities.

• Bear in mind that employers won’t know what you’re learning on your masters course, and that it’s up to you to identify (and sell) the skills and knowledge you’ve gained from the programme. Careers Consultants can help you to do this.

“The Careers Service has helped to give me drive and direction when searching and applying for jobs. Department and course- specific workshops have helped me to realise how my postgraduate degree enhances my employability and events with employers have been invaluable in helping me understand the different application processes with different companies. Careers Consultants have been really helpful and were crucial in helping me prepare for the move into full time work.”

Ben Bayley, MA History student 2012

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PhD students

Events• The PhD Careers Café sessions are continuing this year. These

informal sessions explore career planning, careers in academia, public and commercial sectors.

• Keep up-to-date with relevant career development news and events by following the Royal Holloway PhD Careers Café on Facebook.

• Each term we will run teamwork, networking and CV workshops exclusively for PhD students. The rest of the PhD careers programme this year is less focused on research skills and more on outcomes – helping people to identify the job they want and then get hired.

• We run a varied programme of careers events throughout the year including themed employer weeks in the autumn.

• Take a look at our full programme of events at www.rhul.ac.uk/careers

As your PhD progresses, you’ll be thinking about your future career. Graduates with a PhD are highly employable both inside and outside academia.

Come and see us• We’re here to discuss your career options and you can talk to

a Careers Consultant at any stage of your PhD. Just book an appointment to start exploring your next steps.

• Get feedback on your CV, cover letters and applications. We can offer you advice on applications for academic and non-academic roles.

• If you have an interview coming up we can help you practice and prepare with a mock interview session.

“As a PhD student I find the specialist support from the Careers Service invaluable.”

Priya Davda, current PhD student in Dept. of Criminology & Sociology

Facebook.com/rhulphdcareers

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International Students

The recruitment yearMost of the large international corporations run only one recruitment period per year. These normally take place in the autumn term with deadlines before Christmas. If you are a finalist or postgraduate student you need to apply during this period. The recruitment time for internships is similar but some will also recruit in the spring term. For current visa regulations please refer to www.ukcisa.org.uk

In the UK there is no longer a culture of campus recruitment. Employers will attend the campus but would expect you to apply online. Attending employer presentations and workshops on campus can improve your application.

Our international student Careers Consultant, Andrew Falconer, runs a specialist programme of events aimed at non-EU students.

This includes

• International Careers Week

• UK immigration talks.

• International employer web-chats and presentations.

• One to one careers coaching.

• International Futures webinars.

• Extensive online resources – from handouts to podcasts.

• Specialist international student careers website.

• International JobOnline vacancies website.

Working while you studyMost non-EU students are eligible to work 20 hours per week during term time, and full time during vacations. It is inadvisable to work longer than these hours because it may affect any immigration applications later on (and they do check!).

You will also need to apply for a National Insurance number. This number is the one you need to pay tax.

Students at Royal Holloway need to telephone the Jobcentre Plus National Insurance number allocation service on 0845 6000643 to arrange an interview. These take place in Woking (trains go via Weybridge from Egham). They will tell you what documents to bring with you before you attend.

You may start work before receiving your National Insurance number but you will be expected to apply for a National Insurance number as soon as possible. You can find out more by attending one of the “Working in the UK” workshops run by the Careers Service.

Useful sites:

International Futures www.careers.lon.ac.uk/international

International Job Online www.careers.lon.ac.uk/ijo

UK Council for International Student Affairs www.ukcisa.org.uk

Tax and National Insurance www.direct.gov.uk

Andrew Falconer, International Student Careers Adviser Andrew.falconer@rhul.ac.uk

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A Guide for StudentsOnline version accessible via www.bit.ly/mycareersservice (including a video tutorial).

Logging in• Visit www.bit.ly/mycareersservicelogin or click on the

“My Careers Service” button on the Students section of the Careers Service site (www.rhul.ac.uk/careers/students).

Figure 1 – My Careers Service link from homepage

• Your username is your college email address. N.B. It must be in the format acbd123@live.rhul.ac.uk (i.e. your Royal Holloway username followed by @live.rhul.ac.uk).

• Your password will have been sent to you when your account was automatically generated. By default, this will not be the same as your Royal Holloway password (it can however be changed as desired). If you cannot find/have forgotten your password then use “Reset Password” to send a new one to your college email address. If you experience any problems then please email careers@rhul.ac.uk for further advice.

Booking Events• All events run or hosted by RHUL Careers Service are advertised on

www.rhul.ac.uk/careers/events

My Careers Service

• When registration for each event opens, you can log in to My Careers Service and use the Calendar to see details of bookable events.

Figure 3 – Viewing Events Calendar

• Double-click on an event to view further details and confirm your place by clicking on ‘Register For Event’.

Your Profile• Click on ‘My Account’ to check your personal profile and amend

as necessary. Make sure you enable ‘JobAlerts’ in order to receive regular email updates from employers advertising their latest job vacancies. Add ‘Skills’ and ‘Job Industry Preferences’ to tailor these to your career interests.

Finding Jobs• Use ‘JobOnline’ (http://rhul.thecareersgroup.co.uk) to view

over 1,000 live vacancies ranging from internships and placements to part-time positions and full-time graduate roles.

Figure 2 – Events page on main website

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Employer EventsWorkshops, Fairs and more

Our autumn and spring programmes include a variety of employer presentations, skills sessions, fairs, themed careers weeks, and alumni events.

Stay up-to-date and find full details on ‘My Careers Service’ at www.rhul.ac.uk/careers

Meet employers at major events:• Part-time Job Fairs

3rd October, 2012 16th January, 2013 12-2.30pm in the Students’ Union

• Business and IT Fair 24 October, 2012 11-3pm in the Picture Gallery

• Internships Fair 30 January, 2013

Workshops take place regularly to help you:• Using social media for job hunting

• CVs; Applications; Interviews

• Assessment centres

• Finding internships and work experience

• Writing a personal statement for postgraduate study

• Making the most of the fair

• What to do if you don’t know what to do

• PhD Careers Cafe sessions

• UK Immigration

Register for events at: www.rhul.ac.uk/careers/events

Themed Careers Weeks

• Careers in Finance Week: 22-26 October

• Look out for sessions on investment banking, risk and insurance, accountancy, corporate law, financial regulation and ‘The Battle of the Big 4’.

• International Week: 5-9 November

• A series of events for international students and those wanting to work abroad

• Numbers, Words and Environment Week: 19-23 November

• Events for those students wishing to use their mathematical or communication skills as part of their future careers.

• Not For Profit Week: 26-30 November

• Teaching, Armed Forces, Civil Service, Social Work, Public Affairs and much more.

• Diversity Week: 26-30 November

• Overcoming equality and diversity issues; events for those facing barriers to work.

• Me²: 15-19 January

• A week full of opportunities to develop your employability including leadership, commercial awareness, presentations, blogging, practice interviews, assessment centres.

• Creative Careers Week: 4-8 March

• Workshops and networking with employers and alumni from creative and media industries – from publishing and performing arts to PR and production. Find out what you need to succeed!

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Employer EventsWorkshops, Fairs and more

Central London Events

• London Graduate Recruitment Fairs 16 Oct, 20 Mar, 19-20 Jun

• Marketing, Advertising & PR 30 Oct 2012

• The Postgraduate Study & MBA Fair 23 Jan 2013

• Exploring Graduate Entry into Medicine 7 Feb 2013

• Getting Into International Development 12 Mar 2013

• The City Course September 2013

Check online for up to date information and event details: http://www.careers.lon.ac.uk

The information contained in this brochure is correct at the time of publication but is subject to change as part of our policy of continuous enhancement of careers events and services.

If you require any special assistance (including induction loops or large print materials) please contact the Careers Service to discuss arrangements.

Events and workshops may be recorded and/or photographed for publicity

purposes. Please notify a member of staff if you prefer not to be included.

With a Management Training Programme as successful as ours, it’s easy to start getting ahead of yourself.

Enterprise Management Training Programme

If you’re planning on writing your own success story, you should take a leaf out of our book. After all, we have a global turnover of more than $12 billion, plus 3,400 people in the UK and Ireland alone.

Our Management Training Programme is just as impressive. For a start, you’ll be able to take advantage of extra fast progression and a super speedy route to management with an organisation that loves to promote from within. The fact is, if you work hard at Enterprise, you could be managing your own branch a little less than two years after you join.

Quick? Certainly. Possible? Definitely. Our training and support are second to none, and you’ll be working alongside like-minded people in the branch, each one of whom will want to meet targets just as much as you – it really is teamwork at its finest. And while the challenges can be tough, we believe in having fun too. Because when you feel good, you learn more and progress faster.

Start getting ahead of yourself by visiting www.enterprisealive.co.uk/royalholloway or call 0870 850 1232.

Business and IT Fair24th October

11am – 3pmPicture Gallery

Part-time Work

Local work• Egham and Englefield Green are both packed with small

businesses. Dropping in to a local restaurant or shop with a CV is a great way to find a part-time job.

• Local venues such as Ascot and Windsor (horse racing), Windsor Castle, Legoland and Thorpe Park (theme parks) often require seasonal part-time staff. Check their websites for details.

• More unusual alternatives include street fundraising or working as an extra for TV and film productions.

• We also advertise local jobs: check www.rhul.ac.uk/careers for more details and keep an eye on our Facebook page. For a wider selection try looking at London, Staines and Windsor as well as Egham.

• For those living in London, there are many part-time opportunities advertised on JobOnline. You can also register for work with our Temp Agency.

www.rhul.ac.uk/careers/jobs

The Egham area is part of a business hub that has built up around Heathrow and the M25, and local businesses include law firms, accountants, management consultants, IT and utilities companies and numerous restaurants and shops. Here are some ideas to get you started finding a part-time job.

Recruitment on campus• The first part-time job fair is in the Students’ Union on Wednesday

3 October. You’ll meet plenty of employers recruiting for students throughout the year – get to know them early. The second job fair is on Wednesday 16 January 2013.

• Some recruitment agencies recruit for seasonal and part-time jobs. You’ll find some of these at the part-time job fair and at our recruitment agency fair in the summer term.

• You’ll also find part-time work on campus at the SU, the library and all the campus cafés. Check the college and SU websites or drop in to enquire about possible vacancies.

Don’t miss the Part-time Job Fairs:

Wednesday 3 October 2012

Wednesday 16 January 2013

SU Hall 12 – 2.30pm

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Placements, Internships and Work Experience

Any of these could provide leads for work experience.

• Applying speculatively to organisations you’re interested in – even if they’re not advertising - can also generate opportunities. We can advise you on how to go about doing this.

• Recruitment agencies are a great source of temporary work. Don’t miss our recruitment agency fair in the summer term – check website for details.

• You’ll need a CV when you apply for jobs, so come and see us to have your CV checked.

Local and seasonal work• Events such as Wimbledon or Ascot are excellent sources of

temporary casual work. We advertise these on our website, but you can also apply to them directly.

Voluntary work• Employers genuinely value the experience students gain from

voluntary work. Get involved while you’re at college, and don’t forget to put your experience on your CV!

www.rhul.ac.uk/careers/jobs

Your future employer will want to see a wide variety of work experience on your CV, and we advertise hundreds of vacancies through www.rhul.ac.uk/careers. Here’s a guide to what’s on offer.

Placements• Some departments offer placement experiences related to your

academic studies or vocational interests.

• It may be possible to take a gap year during your degree to undertake a sandwich placement experience. Ask your department for information.

Internships• Internships are work placement schemes offered primarily to

penultimate year students by large companies.

• They’re advertised in the autumn and spring terms and typically run during the summer vacation for between four and twelve weeks.

• The Careers Service can check your CV and application form and give you a practice interview to help you prepare for the real thing.

Temporary work• Check out your local Job Centre, library, shop windows and press.

Do you want to gain recognition for the contribution you make to the College and the community outside of your studies?

Do you want to develop the transferable skills that employers are looking for and learn how to sell yourself in a competitive job market?The Royal Holloway Passport award allows you to collect points for a range of non-academic activities on offer at the College including:

• Volunteering through Community Action • Being an elected committee member of a Students’ Union society

• Providing Educational Support • Taking part in careers workshops …and much more!

How do I get involved?For a list of activities offering Passport points and full details of the scheme visit the Passport web pages at www.rhul.ac.uk/passport or call in to the Careers Service. There is no need to register as your points will be collected automatically for each activity you complete.

“Graduate employers like FDM are always impressed with students who take the initiative to attend events and workshops that will help increase their employability skills.”

Graduate Recruiter, FDM

“My placement is possibly the best thing I have ever done over any summer holiday. A thoroughly

rewarding and enjoyable experience which has opened doors for me in every direction. The future is genuinely

looking bright. I recommend this to all!”

Latisha Sharma. Media Arts 2013

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Where to find us

Royal Holloway Careers Service Horton Building, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX

How to contact usTel: (01784) 443073 careers@rhul.ac.uk www.rhul.ac.uk/careers/

Opening TimesInformation Library: Monday – Friday 10am–5pm

Quick queries: Monday – Thursday 11am–12 noon and 2pm–4pm

Careers research and disability appointments can also be arranged by email: j.back@rhul.ac.uk

We are open throughout college vacations – please refer to our web site for vacation opening times

Who are we?

Head of Service: Elizabeth Wilkinson Deputy Head of Service: Andrew Falconer Careers Consultants: Anne Delauzun, Simon Mantell, Ed McLean Application Advisers: Francesca Ainsworth, Dominic Wright Head of Operations and Employer Engagement: Rose Hackett Placements Officer: Gurminder Kang Employer Engagement Officer: Heather Woodruff Information Manager: Janette Back Careers Assistant: Olga Turek

The information contained in this brochure is correct at the time of publication but is subject to change as part of our policy of continuous enhancement of careers events and services.If you require any special assistance (including induction loops or large print materials) please contact the Careers Service to discuss arrangements. Events and workshops may be recorded and/or photographed for publicity purposes. Please notify a member of staff if you prefer not to be included.

Also find us on...

Facebook.com/rhulcareers Facebook.com/rhulphdcareers (access them from www.rhul.ac.uk/careers)

Follow us on twitter at: @rhulcareers

Careers Service Website

Visit for instant information and advice

when searching and applying for Jobs

Find & apply for jobs

The Careers Service website has

a wide range of resources to give

you the best chance of securing

the employment which is right for

you. It is the perfect starting point

when looking for full-time jobs,

internships and part-time jobs, as

well as deciding on what to do

after your degree.

Careers Service Website

Visit for instant information and advice

when searching and applying for Jobs

CVs & Covering Letters

Networking

Psychometric Tests

Fairs

Applications

Interviews

Assessment Centres

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What can I do with...?Students >> Employers >> Staff

>> Alumni >>

Find out more and visit:www.rhul.ac.uk/careers

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