Irena Jennings DipCG

Lecturer in Careers & Employability

Kent Business School

Aims for today What does employability mean?

Thinking ahead – how to make a career choice

Explore different types of work experience

Work experience schemes for Year 1 students

How to get a head start (developing your CV)

Typical recruitment processes

Establish where to find work experience

Producing a professional CV

Question

What does employability

mean to you?

Employability – a definition

“Employability is having a

set of skills, knowledge,

understanding and

personal attributes

that make a person more likely to choose and

secure occupations in which they can be

satisfied and successful.”

(Dacre Pool & Sewell, 2007)

Employability (Degree &

grades)

Knowledge

General

skills

Self belief

&

motivation,

confidence

Work

experience

Career

knowledge

Thinking about a career choice

Factors

grades

role & tasks

experience

skills & strengths

values

preferences

location

Types of work experience Sandwich placements / placement year / year in

industry / industrial placement / 12-m internship

Work placements / summer internships /

structured work experience programme

Work shadowing / job shadowing

relevant to career choice

Part-time work / casual job

Volunteering / student society

Getting a head start Set aside regular time for career investment

Update your CV – include your degree

Reflection - any obvious gaps?

(recency of experience, type of work, skills?)

Develop your CV at KBS

roles of responsibility, e.g. course representative

student society; ambassador scheme

volunteering, part-time work,

job-shadowing, internships, insight days …

Employability Points scheme www.kent.ac.uk/employabilitypoints

Unique to University of Kent

Rewards for active engagement

in extra-curricular activities during

your time at Kent

Points awarded according to level

of engagement and relevance

to improving your employability skills (e.g. work placements

up to 100 points, careers workshops up to 20 points and

many others) - see Resources

Ambassador Scheme www.kent.ac.uk/ambassadors

Working with local schools and colleges on ‘a range of

challenging placements and projects’

Need CRB check

Two schemes: voluntary and paid

Representing the university on

Campus Visit Days, Open Days, School and College Open

Days and HE Fairs, Taster days – etc.

Applications by 1 February for Spring term(?)

Volunteering www.kentunion.co.uk/employability

Opportunities at Canterbury

and Medway

Giving up some of your time to benefit others

Could involve any of the following:

At university: running a society, getting involved with

student media, becoming a mentor

In the community: working with disadvantaged people,

helping the environment

From home: research, online mentoring

Union JobShop www.kentunion.co.uk/employability

Run by Kent Union –

helping you find part-time or temporary work

whilst studying

Work on campuses and in local businesses

Over 3000 vacancies last year

Union Societies @ Kent www.kentunion.co.uk/activities/societies

Join up and get involved (over 150)

Fun – and an opportunity to develop business skills

alongside (organising events, managing budgets,

working in teams ...)

Insight days for Year 1 One or two days / or a week (typically in Spring)

Face-to-face experience

Better understanding of the business

Real-work simulations/business games

Useful contacts/tips for applications

Stronger motivation statement for job applications

Typically min. 300 UCAS points/equivalent

(Some 260, e.g. risk assurance, tax)

http://www.unilever.co.uk/careers-jobs/graduates/spring-programme/

Other examples

Small or large? SMEs Top 100

All year round advertised

Less competitive

Typically take on one graduate at a time

Applications with CV & covering letter

Interview

(presentation?)

(Excel exercise/test?)

Some work experience

2:2 no min. UCAS requirements

Early deadlines

Huge competition , especially in London

Big 4 – take on 1000+ each

Online applications

Psychometric tests

First interview (telephone)

Assessment Centres + second interview + psychometric test

Substantial work experience

Min. 2:1 / 320+ UCAS points

Example: Travelport Internship (a world-leading travel commerce platform)

Finance Interns must:

Be working towards a 2:1 or above in a relevant degree

Have a high degree of numeracy skills

Have an excellent working knowledge of Excel

Be able to work independently, with the highest degree of accuracy

Be able to work effectively with colleagues

Be highly organised, with the ability to prioritise workloads

Have excellent written and verbal communication skills

Source: http://kent.prospects.ac.uk (CES database)

Finding work experience

Other resources

• http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2036048

• http://www.aatcomment.org.uk/aat-developing-your-career/work-experience/accounting-work-experience-volunteering

• https://www.facebook.com/UkPracticalWorkExperienceInAccountancyCanaryWharf

• http://www.wikijob.co.uk/ http://www.icaewjobs.com/

Time scale

By summer

2015

• Update CV to include degree

• aim to get some office work experience in

the summer (relevant)

Autumn 2015

(Start Year 2)

• Update CV

• Make applications for internships (larger

organisations, for summer 2016 start)

Spring 2016

(Year 2)

• Attend interviews/assessment centres

• Keep applying (SMEs)

Summer 2016 • Work experience /structured, relevant

Autumn 2017

(Final Year)

• Start final year; applying for graduate jobs

starting in Autumn 2018

Your professional accountancy CV

CV & covering letter CV Covering letter

List of achievements

and qualifications

Details (facts, dates, grades)

Clear chronological order to

show time scale [in reverse]

Written communication:

articulate succinctly

Showing relevant

information at a glance

Making links between your CV and the job

Giving explanations, reasons, interpretations

Drawing together experiences and achievements (from different areas of your CV)

Written communication: articulate coherently

Showing your interest in the organisation/the job

Main structure Name and contact details

[Profile – optional]

Education and Qualifications

Work Experience

Additional Skills

Interests and Achievements

References [optional]

24

Contact details - example

CURRICULUM VITAE

Name: Martin Baker

Address: 23 Park Road

Canterbury

CT5 8MA

Tel: 01227 876210

Mob: 07712 345678

Email: mazbaz@gmail.com

D.o.B.: 2 May 1992

Nationality: British

Martin Baker 23 Park Road,

Canterbury, Kent CT5 8MA 07712 345678

martin.baker@gmail.com

25

Profile – an example

I am a highly motivated, dynamic and reliable

individual who is looking for a summer internship to

develop my skills further. I am diligent and am a

multi-tasker and get on well with other people. I am

looking for a challenging and interesting position with

a reputable firm.

Note: Example of how NOT to present yourself!

What are accountancy employers looking for?

Communication and interpersonal skills

Organisational and time management skills

IT proficiency, especially Excel

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

Numeric skills

Leadership capability

Team working skills

Self-motivation

Taking initiative

Adapting your profile to the role An example:

First year Accounting & Finance student with strong

numeric and analytical skills as well as proven team

working and communication skills from volunteering

experience. Seeking summer internship to gain

experience towards long-term career in accountancy.

Work Experience section Date (month/year), job title, employer, town/country

State tasks, achievements, skills applied

Be succinct; use bullet points; make it relevant, using action verbs and appropriate business language

7/2012 – 9/2012 Bar Assistant

The Red Lion, Canterbury

Responsible for taking customers’ orders and delivering prompt service

Took cash and card payments, developing strong mental arithmetic when checking sums and change

Communicated with wide range of customers, worked in small team of three and developed good interpersonal skills

Worked well under pressure during peak opening times

29

Accounting Experience Jul – Aug 2015 Accounts Assistant

Carter & Co., Ramsgate, Kent

Responsible for processing clients’ sales and purchase invoices, petty cash transactions and credit card reconciliations

Prepared spreadsheets with up-to-date information for quarterly HMRC Sales returns, using Excel

Worked in small team of four and learnt to work well under pressure and meeting deadlines; developed good attention to detail and time management skills

Dealt effectively with telephone enquiries from clients, improving customer communication skills

Additional Skills IT skills: advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel;

highly competent in using databases, PowerPoint

and Word; achieved ECDL (European Computer

Driving Licence);

Attended Excel for Business training course at

University of Kent, Nov. 2013

Languages: Spanish (intermediate); [include IELTS

score if English is not your native language or

similar]

Other: Driving licence since May 2014

31

Interests and Achievements Why interests and achievements?

Organise into subject areas

Emphasise team or group activities (sports, music, student societies, interest groups etc.); include responsibilities and contributions

Travel - cultural insights; flexibility/adaptability; planning; improvement of language skills

Avoid one word interests: music, football, tennis, travel [make it meaningful]

Avoid reading, socialising, meeting new people

Alternative headings: Additional Information,

Interests and Responsibilities (as you wish)

32

References Taken up towards the end of the recruitment process

Normally two references (your academic adviser and

someone from your last work experience)

Keep full contact details (as often taken up in writing)

Make this space work for you:

use simple statement to fill up space, e.g. References

available on request. [but not essential]

If ¼ page left, insert referees (name and job title) and

their full contact details (address, email and telephone)

33

Resources Careers and Employability Service www.kent.ac.uk/ces

KBS: http://blogs.kent.ac.uk/kbs-employability

Accountancy and Finance Careers Information:

www.prospects.ac.uk > types of jobs for detailed information for finance/accounting

www.insidecareers.co.uk (incl. Chartered Accountancy, Tax, Banking & Investments)

www.targetjobs.co.uk/finance & http://targetjobs.co.uk/work-experience

Professional Bodies:

ACCA www.accaglobal.com

Association of International Accountants www.aiaworldwide.com

Chartered Institute of Management Accountants www.cimaglobal.com

Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ACA qualification)

http://careers.icaew.com/ (Institute of Chartered Accountants in Scotland

www.icas.org.uk; Chartered Accountants Ireland www.charteredaccountants.ie)

The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy www.cipfa.org

[Search for DX_BCEA; the self-enrol]

CES: ww.kent.ac.uk/ces

http://kent.prospects.ac.uk/index.html

Irena Jennings: i.jennings@kent.ac.uk

www.facebook.com/groups/kbsjourney

@KBSJourney