March 2006

Career adviCe + inspiration + Jobs + Grad news + Your Futurewww.realworld.jobs MARCH 2006 FREE TO STUDENTS

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MEDIA CAREERSTIPS TO HELP YOU GET A JOB

GET CONTROL OF YOUR CAREEROUR NO-STRESS GUIDE

TAKE-OFF TIMEHOW TO HAVE A GREAT GAP YEAR

FIGURE IT OUTWHY ACCOUNTANCY IS TOP CHOICE FOR GRADS

8 WEEKS IN AFRI

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PAGE 13

Lust For LiFeMAKE A CAREER OUT OF YOUR PASSION

REALW.0602.001.indd 1 20/2/06 12:53:52

Bright individuals thrive at Deloitte, which is why you should seriously consider

a career with us if you want to make the most of what’s inside your head.

Our uniquely collaborative way of working will embrace you in a team culture

where your individuality will shine through - you’ll participate in projects that draw

on expertise and experience from across the firm’s key service areas of audit, tax,

consulting and corporate finance, and rub shoulders with some of the brightest

brains in the business. On top of all that, we can promise you first class training,

fantastic clients of every size and persuasion from global brand names to dynamic

entrepreneurial start-ups, and innumerable opportunities to excel.

This year we're looking for more exceptional graduates to join us in Autumn

2006 across all our UK offices in Audit, Tax, Consulting and Corporate

Finance. We're now taking applications for Autumn positions,

so if you want to work at one of the UK's fastest growing

professional services firms, we want to hear from you.

To find out more about the opportunities on offer,

visit our website at www.deloitte.co.uk/graduates

It could be the best move you’ve ever made.

Audit.Tax.Consulting.Corporate Finance.Deloitte & Touche LLP is an equal opportunities employer.

Bright sparks shine here.

Feed your mind

Aldi is not only a leading global retailer but also one of

the largest privately owned companies in the world.

It’s a company where progress depends entirely on merit.

Our people take on responsibility early, rise quickly and are

rewarded well.

Sounds like a dream job? For most graduates it will

remain a dream because the Aldi Area Management

Programme requires something special.

As well as an excellent set of A-level grades or

equivalent and a good degree, we want candidates who

are driven, focused and have a record of achievement

outside academia, who enjoy being part of a team but

have the charisma to lead that team too. And who, despite

having done remarkable things aren’t so sure of themselves

that they can’t learn afresh.

You’ll need all these qualities because the training year

is a test of character. You’ll be expected to do everyone’s

job; from stacking shelves, to ordering stock, to changing

light bulbs.

But the rewards speak for themselves; £38K plus an

Audi A4, rising to £54½K after three years and includes

a pension, private healthcare, life assurance and five weeks’

holiday. Complete the training and as an Area Manager

you’ll be running up to six stores with a level of autonomy,

responsibility and financial reward you

won’t find anywhere else.

There are also opportunities for

Area Managers to spend two years on

secondment in Europe or further afield.

Within five years, there is every chance

of a directorship.

We don’t have any medals at Aldi. But we

do recognise excellence. Need a checkout?

Apply online: www.aldi-stores.co.uk or

send CV and recent photograph, together

with a letter illustrating your leadership

potential, quoting reference SP2EI to:

Aldi Stores Ltd, Area Management

Recruitment, Wellington Road, South

Marston Park, Swindon, Wiltshire SN3 4FN.

Area ManagementProgramme Trainee

38K

+ A u d i A 4

Area Manager in charge of six stores

54½K

+ A u d i A 4

Opportunity for directorship

within 5 years

Y O U ’ L L E A R N I T .

Cover Story8 Lust for life: It’s up to you to decide what you do with

your life and what job you do, the career you choose

will be one of the biggest decisions that you’ll ever

make. Real World talks to three graduates who

followed their passion to find their dream job. z

Upfront: 7 editor’s letter: There is nothing worse than looking

back with regret. Now is your chance to make choices

and choose the direction you want your life to go in. 13 Competition! Win the summer of a lifetime with Real

World and Madventurer. Eight weeks in Africa could

be yours. z

Brainfood:14 take Control of your career. Confused about what

you are doing? Use our flowchart to make sense of

your career plans. z

16 Cv booster: How to get the most out of work

experience, plus we ask graduates: ‘Is university

any good for getting a job?’ 17 i’ll do that job: He’s set up a help line for Muslim

students and founded a youth network, all before he’s

even graduated. What motivates Mohammed

Mondami? Plus Real World travel book giveaway.18 Class of 2006: Someone’s had a job offer. The others

have had big interviews. How is life progresing for our

Class of 2006?

rW featUreS 20 Myths about the media. It’s one of the most popular

career choices for graduates but do you really know

what a job in the industry requires? z

24 on the move. A career in transport and logistics could

end up taking you round the world. Steve Smethurst

investigates the opportunities. 28 take off time. Every year more than 200,000 young

people in the UK take a gap year. Do you want to take

stock before you settle down? Real World talks you

through your options z

36 figure it out: Accountancy and actuarial firms are

among the biggest employers of graduates in the UK

and graduates flock to apply. But what’s the draw? z

in the next iSSUe: y What makes an amazing graduate? Find out as we

announce the winner of our £20 000 Graduate of the

Year 2006 competition.

y Got the urge to sell, sell, sell? Jobs in sales and

marketing.

y the caring profession: We take a look at social work

as a career for graduates.

WWW.REALWORLD.JOBS rW �

MarCh | 2006

Contentson the Cover z

20

28

36

24

REALW.0602.005.indd 5 20/2/06 12:55:05

Choose

carefully,

because

there’s no

going

back to

obscurity.

The ultimate business school

Join one of our graduate development programmes and you'll end up

well respected, well known or possibly even famous.

The deadline for our industrial placements

and our Engineering, Research &

Development and Finance programmes is

on 10th March 2006. To find out more and

apply, visit www.mars.com/ultimategrads

Y our career is the biggest lifestyle choice that you’ll ever make. So why is it that so

many graduates end up falling into their first job with no real planning or decision,

only to wake up two years later and think ‘if only I’d….’

That’s why we are here. Whether you opt for a graduate scheme with a big Blue Chip,

take a gap year or decide to work for a charity, it’s our mission to give you the whole

picture. But make it your choice.

To take the fear out of stepping off the beaten track we’ve talked to three graduates

in our cover feature who have followed their passion, even if it’s meant no job security,

low pay or taking a career that is completely different to their degree subject. Too many

finalists struggle to find information on alternative – read non-blue chip – careers.

If you are thinking about a gap year to help give you some direction then this is the

issue for you. We’ve got a fantastic competition on page 13 – if you fancy winning eight

weeks in Africa then check out the details on the page and head to our website to

register for our e-zine.

On page 28, we’ve talked to five graduates who took a year out after university,

could one of their experiences inspire you to do the same? If you have decided to take

a gap that doesn’t mean your job hunt has to stop. Increasingly employers are

accepting deferred applications.

One industry that has had a tradition of doing that is accountancy. It’s one of the

most popular graduate careers and the big employers are out recruiting in full force this

year. If you’ve a head for numbers then this might be your path to the top.

On the same theme of getting moving, we’ve also taken a look at transport and

logistics. Pick the right employer and you could be in for a very global experience.

Our next issue will be out in April. Look out for the winners of our Graduate of the Year

2006 competition. Someone will be walking away with £10,000!

Zoë, [email protected]

WWW.REALWORLD.JOBS RW �

EDITOR’S LETTER

Photograph: Zen Sekizawa, Getty Images

EDITORIal: 020 ��35 2111EDITOR Zoë Roberts

aRT DIREcTOR Jennifer van Schoor

DESIGNER Yang Ou

Sub EDITORS adrian Dawson,

Steve Smethurst

SalES: 020 ��35 4900 HEaD OF SalES Paul Wade

SalES Josh Marshall, Harmesh Sansoa

DISTRIbuTION: 020 ��35 4900DISTRIbuTION MaNaGER James lynch

aDMIN: 020 ��35 4900MaNaGING DIREcTOR Darius Norell

Real World Magazine22-26 albert Embankment, london SE1 �TJ Tel: advertising 020 ��35 4900 Editorial 020 ��35 2111Fax: 020 �840 0443 www.realworld.jobs

Real World is published in the UK by Cherry Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system without the written permission of the publishers. We cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs or for material lost or damaged in the post.

Choice...

cONTRIbuTORS

SabIHa RaSHID KHaNSabiha is an undergraduate student studying at Goldsmiths college, university of london for a ba in Media and communications. alongside writing for her university magazine Smiths she’s a seriously committed activist and is involved in community issues in her local area. She recently produced a magazine on local issues which, she says gave her a taste of the attention to detail needed in journalism. check out page 1� for her interview with social entrepreneur Mohammed Mamdani.

KaREN HIGGINbOTTOMafter working for business magazines for almost four years Karen took the plunge and went freelance. Now a free spirit she’s been writing about a range of work place issues from the rights of transsexuals in the workplace to the dangers of getting amorous with your work colleagues. Karen has written for a number of publications including The Independent and The Guardian.

REALW.0602.005.indd 7 20/2/06 12:55:26

� RW WWW.REALWORLD.JOBS

COVERSTORY

Your career is the biggest lifestYle choice You will ever make. it determines where You live, what You wear and even how much free time You have. look around campus and You will be forgiven for thinking that all the answers lie aboard the corporate gravY train. but perhaps Yours is the path less trodden, writes Karen Higginbottom.

lust for life make a career out of Your passion

Lena has no regrets about changing her career path and

now works for four clinics. “I’m happy to have taken a risk and I’m

more interested in being happy than being rich,” she reflects. “My

work is really fulfilling and I feel like I’ve done a good day’s work.”

Flexible hours are one of the perks, says Lena. “I work four days a

week and charge £35 for a 45-minute session.”

How to find your careerFiona Christie, a career consultant at Manchester University

Careers Service has seen a lot of students who might not neces-

sarily opt for a conventional or orthodox career path. “Many

students don’t want to join the corporate gravy train and are

thinking of alternative careers.” She advises students to take the

initiative and do some groundwork around the area they’re in-

terested in. “Students have to do research and be prepared to

volunteer and network,” she suggests. “If you want to work as a

tree surgeon, then get some work experience. This is sometimes

a test of how committed you are to that choice.”

Network as much as possible to find out what particular

jobs are like and get an idea of the working environment, she

advises. “In Manchester, there are quite a number of network-

ing organisations around; in the film, music and fashion indus-

tries, for example. You need to be someone who is prepared

to go out of their comfort zone.”

Manchester University runs a Kaleidoscope career fair

on an annual basis, where

ever thought about being an acupuncturist or working

in the film industry? For many final-year students con-

templating their next move after university, these op-

tions may not seem like feasible options. But for those

former graduates that have taken risks with their career

and opted for an unconventional path, there are rewards.

Lena Fong is a 28-year-old acupuncturist who studied

Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh. She graduated in 2000

but was deterred from being a research chemist by her experi-

ence of an industrial placement during her degree. “The first two

years I really enjoyed the course, then I took a year out in industry

and it really changed my perspective,” recalls Lena. “My place-

ment was in the oil industry and I found the isolation difficult to

cope with, as well as the politics.” Coming from a Hong-Kong

Chinese background, Lena was always interested in Chinese

medicine, but the treatment of her mum’s osteoarthritis by acu-

puncture revived that passion. “My mother had some amazing

results when she had acupuncture. She was pain-free for the first

time in her life,” explains Lena. So, in 2001, she entered the Northern

College of Acupuncture in York to begin her four-year training

as an acupuncturist. “My parents were supportive and my friends

were surprised and delighted by it. They thought I was brave to

go down an alternative route,” she adds.

REALW.0602.008.indd 8 20/2/06 12:57:08

y Photograph by Zen Sekizawa

Lust for Life

“ i'm happy to have taken a risk and i'm more interested in being happy than being rich ”

WWW.REALWORLD.JOBS RW �

REALW.0602.008.indd 9 20/2/06 12:57:46

10 RW WWW.REALWORLD.JOBS

COVERSTORY

‘alternative’ employers, such as the North-West

College of Homeopathy get a chance to show

the opportunities available in their fields.

Focus on what you enjoySometimes, a hobby or interest pursued through

university can lead to your eventual career. That

is certainly the case for 27-year-old Adam Phillips,

who left his job as a chartered accountant for

BDO Stoy Hayward to set up his own business as

an events planner. “I organised parties and

events, which helped to pay my way through

Birmingham University.” Armed with a degree

in accounting and finance, Adam applied for

a job at BDO Stoy Hayward on its graduate

scheme. “I got unbelievable training from

them where I was doing auditing for interna-

tional companies.” During his time at BDO

Stoy Hayward, Adam continued to organise

private parties. He decided to leave the se-

curity of his well-paid job in July 2005 to pur-

sue his passion for events organising for

both private and corporate clients. “There

was nothing holding me back and I felt

that now was the time to take risks,” he re-

calls. “It was the right time to leave BDO

before I was on a salary that was too

good to give up. I wanted to see if I could

make a go of my business full-time and

to try and make a living out of putting

on events and organising parties."

“There are no guarantees that I

will make a success of it. All of my

friends have gone down the lawyer/

doctor route. I’m qualified, so if the

worst comes to the worst, two years

down the line at least I can say I’ve

tried it.” Since setting up the busi-

ness last May, Adam has organised

parties for well-known corpora-

tions and celebrities such as BBC

Television, EastEnders and Channel Four productions.

Unorthodox ways forwardAdam is not the only graduate to follow his passion, according to

Linda Buckham, director of the Career Development and

Employment Centre at Sussex University. “There is an increasing

trend for people to want unorthodox ways forward. From a ca-

reer advice perspective, we want to help people identify their

skills and find out what they are passionate about,” she says.

“More and more people see their degree as a jumping-off point.

Why should mathematicians work in the city? They could go into

charity or social work.”

Careers services need to look at the individual and what their

passions are and what they want be become involved in, says

Linda. “I’ve met a PhD biologist who left science to retrain in an-

tique furniture restoration.” She also believes that there is a strong

rejection of the traditional career path in search of a job that of-

fers creativity and a better lifestyle

among today's students. “The current

generation of students do want some-

thing different; there is a sense that

people are rejecting that career path

they have see their parents undertake,”

she surmises.

Money or satisfaction?Graduates are rarely motivated by mon-

ey when it comes to making a decision

about working for a company, according

to the 2005 Graduate Recruitment Review

by Hobsons. Its survey of more than 16,000

first- to final-year university students re-

vealed that interesting work tasks, training

opportunities and friendly work colleagues

were far more important criteria when

choosing a job than salary.

Money has never been a consideration for

24-year-old Pete Lowden. He wanted to work

in film and TV from a young age but decided

to get a degree in an academic subject first.

While studying for a MA in English Literature at

the University of Edinburgh, Pete landed a high-

ly competitive position as a cameraman for a

TV channel, as part of the Edinburgh Festival. He

graduated in 2004 and moved to London to fur-

ther his experience as a freelance cameraman.

“My contacts as a cameraman for the

Edinburgh Festival led to me being flown to

Budapest to film behind the scenes footage for a

Hallmark production,” recalls Pete.

But work as a freelance cameraman can be a

financial struggle and it's not all glamour, part of his

work involves filming video footage for Asset TV, a

hedge-fund website. “I’m lucky because I get con-

tinued financial support from my dad. He’s very sup-

portive,” he says. Despite that Pete has never consid-

ered more conventional career paths. “This has been

my life-long ambition and I’ve never thought about

corporate options.” .

Sophie Relf, the author of The Right Career Moves Handbook,

recommends that students telephone people in a job they desire

and ask them how they got there. “Ask them to describe a typical

working day and their career history,” she says. “Also, read the

biographies of people you admire and want to be like and find

out how they forged their careers.” And never underestimate the

power of networking, concludes Relf.

Finally, if you can start thinking about life after university as

soon as you can, advises Jessica Jarvis, an advisor for the

Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. “It’s really

worthwhile graduates spending time thinking about what they

want to do and summer holidays are an ideal opportunity to get

relevant work experience or a placement in an area that they

are interested in,” she says. “Find out what graduates are doing a

couple of years ahead of you. Just don’t expect the university to

hand it to you on a plate.” n

Take acTion! Five sTeps To Finding a limiTÚless career1 Get to your careers service. They can often help you consider which careers will suit you. Too many people chose their jobs based on their skills rather than what they are happiest doing. Use the Prospects planner (www.prospects.ac.uk ) to explore careers that would best suit your personality.

2 Head to www.learndirect-advice.co.uk where you will find information, including pay expectations and training advice on more than 700 different careers from art therapist to yoga teacher. 3 Keep an eye open for alternative careers fairs. Check your university

careers service website or the Real World website.

4 Do not think this is a cop-out. The careers service at Southhampton University advises: “Alternative careers aren’t always the easy option – they are personal choices and there may be no clear career path to follow”.5 Search for inspiration. Check www.starttalkingideas.org for advice and inspiration on going it alone. The

website for charity UnLtd (www.unltd.org.uk), which supports social entrepreneurs has a number of exciting

case studies. Perhaps you could get involved in one of these? See page 17 for our interview with student Mohammed Mamdani, who is the charity’s youngest ever trustee.

REALW.0602.008.indd 10 20/2/06 12:59:41

You CAN have your cake and eat it!

I want the right platform to launch my career...I want a professional qualification...I want to earn my value in the market place...I want to be mentored in my job...I want ownership...I want to apply my degree to my job...

www.ktponline.org.uk/graduates Helpline: 0870 190 2829Knowledge Transfer Partnerships A DTI Business Support Solution

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships provide employment and personal

development opportunities for talented graduates. Find out how Knowledge

Transfer Partnerships can offer you a slice of the action.

Looking for an employer that delivers the goods?

Then be one of the 12 graduates to join us in 2006!When it comes to our graduates, we’re very much of the impression that less is more. That’s why we’re recruiting just 12 graduates to joinus in 2006. This may seem a ridiculously small number for such a large company, but it allows us to offer - and deliver - the training, supportand opportunities that individuals require in order to make a difference and become our leaders of the future.

To find out how you can join one of the most rewarding graduate schemes around, visit: www.psacareers.co.ukOpportunities available in Operations Management and Commercial Operations

REALW.0602.011.indd 1 20/2/06 13:24:30

Letter of the month

the numbers don’t add upI’m a maths finalist who finds it practically impossible to balance my work and social life. and I get almost no free time. We’re constantly told by employers and careers advisers that we should develop extra-curricular skills and work experience as well as get a 2:1 or higher. how am I supposed to find the time? help!

Leena Mann, London.

the demands on students today can often seem unmanageable but unfortunately saying, ‘I didn’t have time to develop myself’, will count against you when it comes to finding work. In fact, among the skills, or competencies, that employers look for – time management is high up the list.

Look at www.mindtools.com – a site dedicated to helping people improve their careers skills. It explains that, “at the heart of time management is an important shift in focus: concentrate on results, not on being busy”. the aim is to give you time to focus on your priorities and reduce time wastage.

a useful method is to rustle yourself up a chart, on which you can plan the term. Write in essay deadlines, meetings, lectures, work experience opportunites, skills-building opportunities and application deadlines, so that you can see at a glance what’s coming up and what you must do. It also helps to have a daily chart and divide the day up. Instead of working solidly on one project, cut the day into segments, dedicated to different

actions. ensure social time is included. another time-management favourite

is to ban procrastination and actually start doing what you’re supposed to. this is especially helpful if you follow a chart, as it prevents the tough activities being left until last. If something is really hideous then setting aside half an hour a day to work on it before you really get cracking eases the burden and increases motivation.

Itchy feet, empty pocketsI need a job for about a year to raise money for travelling. I do not wish to work in an environment such as an office or a take-away and am not at present looking to start a career. Working for a charity would be ideal, but not in a voluntary capacity. any ideas?

Maria Johnson, Bristol University

rW: Although many charities are staffed

by volunteers, some do look to employ

people on paid short-term contracts last-

ing less than a year. Check out www.jobs-

incharities.co.uk, and www.charitypeople.

com. Alternatively, you could consider tak-

ing a highly useful TEFL qualification. This

would equip you to teach English as a for-

eign language – both domestically and

when you travel. Check out www.tefl.

com. And even without any medical

qualifications, you may also be able to do

care work in your local area – local job

centres advertise opportunities in this field.

It’s an option that’s both physically and

emotionally demanding. But it can be

rewarding – it will certainly keep you out of

the office. Phot

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Fed up, excited, want to request information, pass on a good job-hunting tip or just have a general whinge? Don’t hesitate to email us at Real World.

[email protected] any emaILs to [email protected] pLease specIfy If you don’t Want us to IncLude your fuLL IdentIty

12 rW WWW.REALWORLD.JOBS

Letters

“ IF SOMETHING IS REALLY HIDEOUS SET ASIDE HALF AN HOUR A DAY TO WORK ON IT. THIS EASES THE BURDEN AND INCREASES MOTIVATION ”

REALW.0602.012.indd 12 20/2/06 13:05:35

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COMPETITION

Real World and Madventurer have come together to provide you with the experience of a lifetime: a five-week rural community project in Kenya + a 21-day East Africa Beach and Bush adventure.

Current projects are based around the rural villages of Ngumo and Ngecho in the stunning area of the Rift Valley, with breathtaking scenery stretching for mile. The work is to help with the renovation of run down village schools and bring to life the learning process.

After five weeks you’ll head off on the Beach and Bush adventure travelling through Kenya. This amazing trip takes you on a journey through some of East Africa’s best game parks and most stunning landscapes.

All you need to do is go to the Real World website which is at www.realworld.jobs and register to receive our regular e-zine.

On 10 May 2006 we’ll email you to let you know who the lucky

winner is. Good luck!(Flights are not included as part of the experience)

RETAIL DETAILSI have a telephone interview for a retail company coming up. How should I be preparing and what do I need to know?

Mark, Cambridge University

RW: Perhaps the most disconcerting as

pect of telephone interviews is that you

are unable to see the interviewer or judge

their reactions. However, the employer is

also unable to see you. Use it to your ad

vantage. Firstly, you should keep any im

portant information by your phone, includ

ing your CV and application form, your

diary and even brief notes on the com

pany itself and the position (but try not

to read the company’s website back to

the employer).

Be sure you can make informed obser

vations about the company and have a

couple of intelligent questions to ask at

the end. Keep a pen and paper handy to

write down any questions that may arise

while on the phone. Avoid potential dis

tractions by asking housemates keep the

music down and turning your mobile off.

There are those who recommend that

you smile throughout the interview “be

cause it makes you sound more enthusias

tic”; that you have a mirror close by to

give the interview a more immediate feel;

or that you speak standing up to get your

blood flowing and improve response time.

You can take or leave these points, but do

answer the phone in a professional manner

and practise responding to interview

questions beforehand. Try recording your

self on tape (perhaps expanding on as

pects of your CV or application form), and

when you do this, watch out for um’s and

er’s, which are extremely noticeable on

the phone. Be enthusiastic and polite, and

if you do need time to consider an answer,

say so: silence on the telephone is much

more obvious than in person.

8 WEEKS IN AFRI

CA

!*WIN* Win the

summer of a Lifetime! 8 Weeks in africa!

“an incredibLe… aWe-inspiring… seLf-enquiring… peopLe-meeting… LentiL-eating… cuLturaLLy astounding… sun-scorched...summer”– Richard King, Mad builder Kenya

Madventurer offers the chance to combine volunteer projects in rural communities with adventurous overland travel. Projects typically include building and teaching but medical, conservation and coaching schemes are also frequently run.

REALW.0602.012.indd 13 20/2/06 13:06:00

NEWS y VIEWS y ADVICE y STRATEGIESBRAINFOOD

TakeControlofYourFuture


Suffering from a mid-term crisis? Perhaps you are struggling with career indecision or maybe you know what you want to do, but don’t know how get into it. Whatever you are doing, you need this – the Real World planner

Phot

ogra

ph:

Cha

rles

Glo

ver

BF

1 Do you know what you want to do when you graduate? YES: to 2, NO: to 3

2 Knowing what you want to do is half the battle. To win through you need to demonstrate your commitment through relevant work experience, a strong CV and a good knowledge of the sector you’re looking to enter. Now, are you going to do a gap year first? YES: to 5, NO: to 6

3 Are you planning a gap year? YES: to 5, NO: to 4

5 Planning is the key to a good gap. Perhaps you’re taking time out to consider your career options and get some work experience. Perhaps you’d just like to gain experience of the wider world. What you don’t want is to waste your free time or for your gap year to appear as an embarrassing void on your CV which you can’t justify in years to come (see page 28 for our feature on taking a gap year). Go to 6

6 Do you feel ready to start applying for jobs? YES: to 7, NO: to 8, NO, I’M NOT A FINALIST: to 9

7 Research the industry you’re targeting: check out your careers service and industry sites (for a list, try www.careersa-z.co.uk). Identify the skills employers are looking for. Do you possess them? Probably the best way to find out if you’ve got the skills (and to get them if you haven’t), is to do work experience. Do you have any work experience? YES: to 11, NO: to 10

START HERE

YES: NO:

4 If you’re graduating with a degree of uncertainty, take heart. There have never been so many resources available to help graduates make an informed choice about their futures. The first and often most difficult part of job seeking is to decide what you want to do. Narrow the options down: make a list of jobs you consider ‘career hell’ and balance that with things that really interest you. Talk to your careers service – take personality questionnaires and find out what previous graduates from your course have done. A careers interest survey could help – try ‘What jobs would suit me’ on www.prospects.ac.uk or for a slightly more light-hearted approach try www.testcafe.com. And seriously consider getting some work experience. It’s the best way to get an idea of your skills. If you’re still struggling, a comprehensive step-by-step guide for those with no idea what they want to do is Choosing Your Career by Sally Longson. Also, take a look at What Color is Your Parachute by career godfather Richard Bolles (www.jobhuntersbible.com).

REALW.0602.014.indd 14 20/2/06 13:08:28


8��Research the industry you’re targeting; check out your careers service, and industry sites (for a list, try www.careersa-z.co.uk). Identify the skills employers in your chosen field are looking for. Try to visit careers fairs too. To get the most out of them find out which employers are attending before you go and have some intelligent questions to ask. Even with a brilliant CV and breathtaking work experience, ultimately everything may rest on the impression you make at interview, so get some practice in – your careers service should be able to set up a mock interview for you. The best way to test yourself for real, improve your CV, and gain valuable contacts is, of course, work experience. Do you have any work experience? YES: to 11, NO: to 10

9��That’s good – time is you your side. Thinking about your career early will save you hassle and headaches later on. You’ve got plenty of time to fix up work experience and properly consider your options. Write down what you want to have on your CV before graduation. You can also develop skills and experiences (perhaps travelling or getting involved in a few student societies) that employers consider valuable. Expanding your horizons could also give you a clearer picture of what you’d like to do next. There is no sure fire way to bag your dream role, but you’re on the right track. If you’re unsure what career area to try, go to 8. For work experience info, go to 10 and if it’s your CV that’s bothering you, try 12.

1� Work experience is highly valued by employers – 25% say it’s almost a

condition of employment. For placement information try www.ncwe.com. Also speak to family, friends and friends-of-friends to find out about their work and any relevant opportunities. Is your CV ready to rock, though? YES: to 13, NO: to 12

0

1�� Great. Now assess how relevant it is to the career you’re looking to pursue.

Have you kept in touch with any one at the company? A letter updating them on your progress and reiterating your interest in their industry will refresh their memory and help to put you in mind when they recruit. Is your CV ready to handle it? YES: to 13, NO: to 12

1� Getting your CV in shape is vital. It should demonstrate you possess

the key skills employers want. Tailor it to specific firms when the time comes. Your careers service will be able to advise you as well as proofreading your drafts. The key thing to remember is to keep it relevant and concise. GO to 13

2

1�� Have you applied for jobs and been unsuccessful?

YES: to 14, NO: to 153

1 ��There’s still plenty of time – don’t get disheartened. If interviews or

assessment anxieties are holding you back, your careers centre can give you interview practice and may even film it for you. The careers advisor will help you work on improving your skills. They can offer guidance on how to improve your performance in assessment and psychometric tests too. Or go online to practise at www.shldirect.com. Always ask for feedback from the companies that you’ve approached so far and find someone who’s working in your chosen profession to look over you CV. It could be the case that it’s an extremely competitive industry. Luck and timing can often play a disproportionate part in a candidate securing a dream job. Be persistent. Look at the viability of applying for work experience in the field that interests you: these can lead to offers of full-time employment.

4

1�� So you know what you want to do, your CV’s sorted and you’ve got

some work experience in the bag. It’s time to take the plunge and start applying. Make sure you know where jobs for your sector are advertised, and don’t forget to check company’s websites direct – many now advertise their own vacancies. For speculative applications, research each organisation thoroughly, remembering to check the company website, if there is one, and target each covering letter carefully. Good luck!

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REALW.0602.014.indd 15 20/2/06 13:09:15


BRAINFOOD BF

VOX POPS

By Sabiha Rashid Khan

ReadyorNot?

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A survey from the Association of Graduate Recruiters reveals employers don’t believe grads are ready for the world of work. What do you think?

Charlotte Brunning, 19, Second year, BSC

Government, LSE, University of London.“Uni gives you the

opportunity to learn

communication and

team-working skills. It will

leave you independent too as it

definitely matures you. But overall, no, it

doesn’t give you transferable skills.”

Vimalen Ungapen, 21, second year, BSC Management, LSE, University of London “Uni will strengthen your social

skills – desirable for all jobs!

But courses need a

balance of practical work

and theory if they are to

prepare you properly. But the

purpose of most degrees is to

enhance knowledge of a specific area,

not to get a job.”

Lena Elhassan, 18, First year, BA Design, Goldsmiths College, University of London“University teaches you mostly how to

socialise… But it does

develop such skills as time

management, which is

useful for the workplace.

Your social and

academic develop-

ment are vital for work.”

Fateha Begum, 20, second year, BA Anthropology, Goldsmiths College, University of London“My course is all theory, but you do

develop organisational and interpersonal

skills – and team work. But these skills need

to be exercised at work. That’s

why it’s important to get a

work experience.”

1 Have a Game Plan. Before you

take the plunge, ask yourself, ‘What

skill areas do I need to boost for the

job I want?’ and ‘What criteria will I be

judged on when I apply?’ Remember,

not all work experience is equal: some

companies might pay more, but others

will give you broader experience. It’s

very important to do some research

before you apply.

2 The Art of Surprise. Make a list of

companies in your sector of

interest and target smaller, off the

beaten-track firms (small firms

make up 99% of UK businesses). Your

careers service can help you with this.

Always ring the company and identify

the right person to contact, then write

clearly about what you want and what

you can offer. Follow it up with a polite

phone-call.

3 The Win-Win Thing. Ideally, offer

suggestions on how you could

improve the company during

your stint. Failing that, think

about small ways you can

help once you’re in. Make a good

impression and you’ll build invaluable

contacts for the future; give off an air of

‘I’m too important for this’ and you’re

wasting everyone’s time.

4 Mix and Match: Combine any

uninspiring/overdraft-busting

summer job with unpaid work

experience in the industry you really

want to work in. Alternatively, combine a

foreign vacation with your vocation.

Check out www.vacationwork.co.uk,

www.councilexchanges.org and www.

bunac.org.uk or www.resortjobs.co.uk.

5 Temporary Relief. If you’ve got

basic typing and clerical skills,

sign up with a temping

agency. Recruitment agencies

(see www.rec.uk.com) can

also place you in a position where you

can learn more skills.

6 It’s Who you Know. Contacts,

however tenuous, are invaluable

when trying to get work

experience at short notice. Use them –

others will. Ask the careers service to put

you in touch with relevant alumni too.

7 Do it for Free. Three-quarters of

employers prefer to recruit

candidates with volunteering

experience, according to a

survey from the national volunteering

charity Timebank. Visit www.timebank.

org.uk for inspiration.

8 Sign Up. With a placement

agency who’ll use their

contacts to get you work-

experience. Have a look at

Talent Ladder (www.

talentladder.com), Fresh Minds (www.

freshminds.co.uk) and the STEP

programme (www.step.org.uk).

9 It’s All Relevant. Whether it’s waiting,

serving in a pub or flipping burgers

on Venice Beach...as long as you

can translate your experiences into

workplace skills, it is time well spent.

10 And Here’s the Rub: work

experience is useless unless

you can articulate its benefits

to employers. Have a look at the Gift of

the Gab careers article at www.

realworldmagazine.com for more.

“ It’s all RelevaNt. whetheR It’s waItINg; seRvINg IN a pub; oR flIppINg buRgeRs oN

veNIce beach. It Is tIme well speNt. ”

workExperienceIt’s the best way to check out a career – and employers love it. So how do you get it?

CV BOOSTER

REALW.0602.014.indd 16 20/2/06 13:09:46


Recruiting on the up! The UK’s biggest graduate recruiters will hire more graduates this year than ever before according to a survey by High Fliers Research. The research found that graduate vacancies among the big blue-chips will rise by almost 11 per cent this year. Almost half the employers featured in The Times’ Top 100 Graduate Employers are increasing their graduate intake from 2005 levels.

Debt-ridden? Students visit the pub less and take more exercise than before, according to an annual survey of student life. The Unite survey found that the average student owes £5,267 – and expects this to rise to £9,692 by the time

they graduate. More than 40% have part-time jobs, while others get by on student loans, parents, overdrafts and credit cards.

So sue me… Oxford Uni’s plans to make students sign a contract that will compel them to attend lectures

may be adopted by others when tuition fees come in later this year. It’s in case

students sue if they felt they didn’t receive

adequate tuition.

Town/gown friction Students bring anti-social behaviour and excessive pressure on housing, according to a report by Universities UK. The study, Studentification, found that while a student population can bring economic and social benefits, it can also mean late-night parties, drunkenness and vandalism. Too cool for school Students think lecturers are stuck-up, disorganised, unpunctual, unfunny, and desperate to be “hip”. A poll of 648 students found many thought academics were “snooty” and had “objectionable facial hair”.

SCO

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LUKE

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EEZIN

GFIRST-TIME AROUND THE WORLD

I’LL DO THAT JOB

Thinking about taking a big

vacation after uni ends?

Real World has five copies

of the Rough Guide’s First-

Time Around the World by

Doug Lansky to give away.

The book covers everything

from budgeting, packing

and avoiding scams to

staying healthy and finding

a job abroad.

At the age of just 18, Mohammed Sadiq Mamdani set up the Muslim Youth Helpline, providing counseling services for young British Muslims. He’s won various accolades, including the Whitbread Young Achievers Award. Now 22, he is studying Arabic and Persian at Oxford.

Where will you go?

What do you pack?

What are the best companies

to help you? Packed with

ideas on where to go and

what to do, including contact

details for over 220 organisa-

tions, this guidebook will make

your planning easier, says

author Nick Vandome. We

have five copies available.

Email zoe@ realworldmagazine.com to request a copy. First come, first served!

PLANNING YOUR GAP YEAR

BOOKGIVE-AWAY!

ReadyorNot?

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What made you set up a helpline?“When volunteering for a mainstream youth helpline called “Youth2Youth” I realised the need to set up a similar counseling service for Muslim youths.” What services does it offer?“It is a confidential helpline for young Muslims, but the service is open to anyone. Because of the absence of these facilities available to the Muslim youth our primary aim is to make sure that our service responds to that particular culture and faith sensitively.”How did you manage while studying?“I took a term out from Oxford to maintain the sustainability of Muslim Youth Helpline. I have made sacrifices but it’s made me very happy. To know you can change someone’s ones life positively is probably the most amazing thing about it.”What’s next?“Well, I no longer help in the Muslim Youth Helpline as I am working on a new project that is called Ansar Youth. I now work with a group of extremely talented boys helping to organise trips, fundraise and generally help to build their self-esteem. It can be hard work at times, but noticing the difference and impact you can have on an individual’s life is deeply inspiring.”

Youth saviour

What does the future hold?“I can’t truly say, but I have rejected several opportunities that were available to me because I’m still in education. What I would like to see is the Muslim Youth Helpline open up more branches locally and on a global scale, as there are many youths out there that are in desperate need for help. I would also like young Muslims and non-Muslims to engage and understand their communities and make a difference together.”Do you recommend volunteering? “You should do what is important and what interests you. You don’t necessarily have to make a definitive choice straight away. You can do something from a while, get a spectrum of experiences. It’s good to start early so you can build contacts and develop your experience.”What do you gain? “You learn so much in volunteering, such as how to run projects and networking. University does not teach you these skills. Education is important but it does not always prepare you for employment. You have to get experience though, it’s so crucial.”

www.ansaryouth.org.uk/ www.myh.org.ukInterview by Sabiha Rashid Khan

barometerREAL WORLD REVIEWS THIS MONTH’S TRENDS...

REALW.0602.014.indd 17 20/2/06 13:11:15

NAME: WiNg YEE LiDEgREE: ENgLish LitERAtuRE uNi: uNivERsitY of EDiNbuRghthe Plan: following a summer placement with charity Cancer Research, Wing wants to find a job which will allow her to give something back to society. Possible options are teaching, social work or working for a charity.

story so far: As with most of our Class of 2006, Wing is buried under a pile of essays and her deadlines. she’s still found time for her youthwork and a couple of applications. “i’ve applied for the Cancer Research graduate scheme,” says Wing. “but at the moment i’ve got loads of work. however, everything is under control!”What’s Next? “i have a telephone interview with the National graduate Development programme at the end of the month and i’ve also arranged a couple of days shadowing some English teachers through my contacts at Refugee Awareness,” says Wing. “but to be honest i’m really counting down to graduation now.”


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NAME: hEAthER MCLARtYDEgREE: bA MEDiA PERfoRMANCE uNi: uNivERsitY of LutoN the Plan: heather is currently looking for jobs with media-production companies, but is also considering pursuing a career as a drama therapist. story so far: “i’m still waiting for production companies to get back to me about going in for work experience,” says heather. Meanwhile, her final-year project is coming on well and she’s working hard, holding a number of workshops at a local school to research how children perceive appearances – hopefully good experience for her ambitions to become a drama therapist. she hasn’t given up on her plans to travel over to the us to work there for a couple of months after graduation but hasn’t yet had any time to research the job market fully. What’s Next? heather really wants to make a start on her us plans, but for the moment it’s a case of work, work and more work before her graduation.

NAME: PAuL RAvEN DEgREE: bsC MANAgERiAL/ADMiNistRAtivE stuDiEs uNi: AstoN uNivERsitYthe Plan: After a sandwich year at LogicaCMg Paul felt store management or operations would be his career of choice. story so far: After a number of interviews with big retail organsiations including tesco and Aldi, Paul reconsidered whether long hours as a store manager will suit his lifestyle aspirations. he’s got through to the telephone-interview phase with energy company E.oN following a series of online tests. “it’s for the corporate strategy scheme which is very

popular,” he says. “Apart from that i’ve got masses of university deadlines looming coming up over the next few weeks.” What’s Next: An application to the graduate scheme at energy supplier Centrica is pending but it’s quite a long process and Paul wants to give it plenty of time. he’s also got a meeting with the head of marketing at LogicaCMg to discuss possible opportunities.

NAME: LAWRENCE fREEMAN DEgREE: bA PoLitiCs & soCioLogY uNi: uNivERsitY of ExEtERthe Plan: Lawrence has decided to apply for internships after uni rather than going straight into a full-time job. he’s particularly interested in an internship abroad.story so far: Lawrence has had his first lectures with the student Associates scheme, which is a government-sponsored programme that introduces higher-eduction students to teaching. Later, he has the option of doing two paid placements in schools through the

scheme. “the lectures have been really interesting, about education and teaching techniques,” he says.What’s Next? A number of Lawrence’s friends are considering taking a gap year and going travelling. “it’s something that i would like to do but my priority is setting up internships,” he says.

NAME: ALiCk vARMA DEgREE: bsC MAths & ECoNoMiCs uNi: uNivERsitY of WARWiCk the Plan: having completed an internship at Accenture and run his own business Alick was split between striking out on his own or applying for jobs in management consultancy story so far: Alick has accepted a job offer from

Accenture to work in their strategy department. “they’ve been really great since then,” he says. “there were a number of questions i had about the job, such as the chances of studying for an MbA or travel abroad, and their managers have been really good at calling me back with the answers.” What’s Next? “My workload is really heavy but once that is over i can focus on getting my business together,” says Alick. he will be running interns Experience, which was his networking business for London-based interns, over the summer. “hopefully it will be even bigger this year, we’ve got lots of new ideas and opportunities.”

Classof2006A job offer, some assessment centres and a change of plan...the latest from our six final-year students.

NAME: EMMA bARkER DEgREE: bA PhiLosoPhY uNi: uNivERsitY of YoRkthe Plan: Emma’s keen to get into consultancy or onto a graduate scheme. story so far: Emma has a job! she came out of a gruelling day-long assessment centre with PwC feeling quietly positive and two days later was offered a position with the company. “i think i did well in the partner interview because i relaxed and enjoyed myself,” she says. “some of the questions were really, really tough but i didn’t panic and that was to my advantage.” she’d certainly advise doing plenty of preparation before assessment centres of interviews. “it helps take the fear factor away.”What’s Next? Emma has accepted the offer and has cancelled an assessment day with kPMg. she’ll start either in the summer or october. Now she’s focusing on her degree. “it does feel strange though,” she says. “i have the job but it seems ages until i’ll start.”

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REALW.0602.014.indd 18 20/2/06 13:11:38

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1. Do you really know what it involves?

“A lot of people say ‘I’d like to work in media’

out of thin air simply because it seems at-

tractive and glamorous,” says Glasgow uni-

versity careers adviser Ann McCart. “But

when you actually say, ‘Okay, now tell me

what you know about the media,’ they often

don’t know much about it.”

So what would you want to do? Is it

advertising you’re interested in? Or maybe

journalism? Magazine or newspaper, con-

sumer or business, local or national? What

about TV or radio? Perhaps publishing?

Once you have identified a broad area,

keep narrowing down the part of the indus-

try you like, until you are very specific.

The field is very competitive so you need

to get right down to the nitty gritty and con-

sider your options. Identify the skills you’d

most like to use (are they really media based

skills or more applicable to other things, like

PR?). Get involved at university: the student

paper, radio and TV stations are there for you

to learn from. Apply for work experience.

Both these will help you learn which aspect

of the media suits your skills best.

2. you neeD to know your proDuct. “Read the newspaper, study what it does

and flatter them and be able to say this is

why I’d like to work for you,” says Gary Younge,

correspondent for The Guardian. “Don’t go

into The Guardian saying, ‘So what kind of

stuff do you publish?” This goes for all facets of

media. Make sure you know the product: it’s

no good wanting to work on a local newspa-

per if you don’t read regional news!

Keep up to date with your chosen field,

particularly with what your potential em-

ployer has been up to. Read the industry

magazines too. This will show your commit-

why is MeDia so popular? the Money can be lousy, it’s very coMpetitive yet it regularly tops the charts as the Most popular graDuate Destination. then again, it can be hugely fulfilling anD creative. it’s official: MeDia is in neeD of soMe Myth busting.

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oW

do

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et in

? neWsPaPeRs MagaZines tV&Radio Book PuBLishing

go to: www.nctj.com

“Boozy lunches in Fleet street with the boys.” expect shift work and unsociable hours. alex, a graduate journalist at The Daily Mirror: “i love my job. But a lot of my friends can’t get around the fact that we are at the news desk’s beck and call 24 hours a day. you have your pager and your mobile on 24/7. it does play havoc with your social life.”

go to: www.journalismuk.co.ukwww.journalism.co.uk

“it’s all glamour and freebies.” actually, it’s ultra-competitive and poorly paid. alexandra shulman is editor of Vogue: “i cannot convey how much i did not want to be a journalist. i had seen two poverty-stricken people (my parents) who were both journalists, never earning a great deal of money, never having job security, but always, it has to be said, having a very nice time.”

“Work experience: the bigger the better...”actually it might a waste of time on a big paper if you don’t combine it with other stuff,” says gary younge, of The Guardian. “if you walk into a paper, it’s just like a really messy middle-class living room with lots of people sitting around doing their thing. Mostly you’ll be making tea. you get more responsibilities on a local paper. “

“i need to write masterpieces when i’m on work experience.” a good intern doesn’t necessarily need to write incredible articles, but is eager, keen to do the rubbish jobs, arrives on time and gets on with it. tailor each application to the employer and do your research. once you’re in, ask for small writing assignments and for feedback.

good writing skills and a strong interest in current affairs. gary younge: “We sometimes have graduates saying to us, ‘so what kind of stuff do you publish in the guardian?’ you need to know the product. Read the newspaper, study it, find out the best area for you, then write to the right person and flatter them with your knowledge.”

having a specialist interest, or two, can really help you target an entry route. Be on the ball and ready to come up with ideas and contacts. you won’t get your hand held so you’ll need to have lots of initiative.

as much work experience as possible. “a one-year postgraduate diploma, such as those at Cardiff or City university are good,” says hannah Pool, a commissioning editor at The Guardian. “if not, take a nCtJ (national Council for the training of Journalists) recognised course. they train you up in law and short-hand, which you’ll need for court reporting.”

“Journalism is such a broad church,” argues Rachel newsome, editor of Dazed & Confused. “it’s everything from FT supplements to club reviews to women’s magazines, not to mention web stuff. it’s narrow minded to say there’s only one way in.” some postgraduate courses are excellent, but so is diving straight in at the bottom. offer to write something for free, but carefully consider each publication’s style. opportunities can also arise in sales, marketing and distribution.

get real about the MeDia

REALW.0602.020.indd 20 20/2/06 1:07:34 pm


FEATURE | MEDIA RW

Why is Media so popular? The Money can be lousy, iT’s very coMpeTiTive yeT iT regularly Tops The charTs as The MosT popular graduaTe desTinaTion. Then again, iT can be hugely fulfilling and creaTive. iT’s official: Media is in need of soMe MyTh busTing.

NEWSPAPERS MAGAZINES TV&RADIO BOOK PUBLISHING

ment to your chosen path and employers will

take you seriously, especially when you apply

for work experience. It will also help if you know

the company when you’re scouting for a job.

Find out who is in a position to give the jobs out

at each company: it only takes a phone call.

“I get a few CVs sent to me each month just

because people have seen my name on

the company website. This does not mean I

have any power to hire or fire,” says Mark a

publishing assistant.

3. do as Much Work experience as possible.

But be realistic about it – you won’t be handed

stories on a plate. To make the most of it; apply

early; throw yourself in; show more enthusiasm

than the last intern; watch and learn. Work

experience is a good way to make contacts

and get to know the industry. Getting experi-

ence at a large company is very competitive

but you will get a good overview of the industry

while working there and this may help you tailor

your career plans. The benefits of doing work

experience in a small company are also mani-

fold, and you are much more likely to be given

some responsibility.

“It’s more important to be able to show the

skills you’ve gained rather than name-drop-

ping where you gained them!” says BBC work

placement co-ordinator Kathryn Miller. “Any

work experience is good work experience, in-

dependent production companies are an ex-

cellent place to gain experience and even a

couple of days working as a runner on a small

production put you ahead of the competition

when you’re applying for a full time job after

university.” And since many job opportunities

go unadvertised, work experience gives you

the insider’s edge. If you can prove yourself to

the editor then you could be the first in line

when a junior assistant’s role comes up.

Go to: www.skillset.org

“Broadcasting is elitist: you have to have gone to a redbrick and be an academic achiever.” Not true. “We tend to look for practical skills and evidence of passion more than a first class honours degree,” says Roger Hammett, head of recruitment communications. “The BBC and a lot of the ITV companies are very keen to get a representative sample of society on air, in terms of regional accents and ethnic minorities.”

“It’s impossible to get in...” Okay, it’s not easy, but

because of the explosion of channels and services, including digital services, there are more opportunities, even on the presenting side.

“It’s all designing glossy covers, reading manuscripts and helping writers finish their plots.” Yes, but there is plenty of admin, typing, legal contracts, and liaising with printers. According to insiders, only 10% of the vacancies are for editorial positions in large publishing companies. Other areas to consider include production, marketing and sales.

Go to: www.thebookseller.com

“Publishing is all long lunches and celebrity-packed launch parties.” The salaries are very low, the hours are long

and few publishing applicants realise how stiff the competition is for editorial posts. “You might have to start at the bottom,” says our insider, “but once you’re in it’s even harder to find a second job.”

“Get work experience,”says BBC work placement co-ordinator Kathryn Miller. “This doesn’t necessarily mean that an applicant needs to have already worked in the media, but it is essential that they demonstrate some knowledge of the area that they are applying to.”

“Tenacity more than being especially talented,” says one insider. “You’ll need more than a love of books – a flair for the business side of publishing, an eye for

detail and good inter-personal skills.” If you can’t find work experience then consider working in a bookshop for the summer, learning about the book biz on a grassroots level.

Well-researched speculative letters sent to the right people, then coming in on work experience (or as in a low-level capacity) still works. The BBC has centrally co-ordinated work experience scheme (www.bbc.co.uk/jobs) that offers between 1,000 and 1,500 work placements a year, although sometimes people write to presenters or producers individually – particularly on a local basis.

“A lot of jobs go unadvertised,” explains an insider. “Work experience is invaluable. If you can prove yourself then you could be first in line when a junior assistant’s role comes up. It’s also an excellent way to develop contacts.” Send in your CV to companies on spec. A common route is also to start via secretarial/administrative roles.

geT real abouT The Media

REALW.0602.020.indd 21 20/2/06 1:08:30 pm


FEATURE | MEDIA

4. Do you take a postgraDuate Diploma, or apply Directly for a job on graDuation?

“It’s reassuring to do another year of uni,”

says one journalism postgraduate student.

“But I don’t think it’s all that necessary. I

have friends who’ve gone straight into

their jobs and are doing correspondence

courses or just learning on the job.”

Qualifications are usually less important

than passion, ability and experience.

Postgraduate diplomas can be very

good, as they will often fill gaps in your

knowledge and create a strong network.

But they can be competitive. You need a

good portfolio and should have evidence

of your own determination. It’s not just

about working for your student TV station;

you need to show your dedication. And

that means work experience.

Newspaper journalism is really the only

area where some kind of postgraduate

training is seen as necessary (yet even this

can be a short NCTJ-recognised course).

On-the-job training is often more useful

and beneficial.

5. know what you neeD to Do to get the relevant skills.

Because media is such a broad field, you

have many options, but it’s unlikely that a

potential employer will hire you just be-

cause of the witty eloquence of your CV.

If the necessary expertise isn’t on it, you

won’t get the job.

With media it helps to find out what an

employer needs - where his or her pain is

and offering a solution to take it away. For

a production company, this might mean

you offer to come in and work for free one

day a week; for a magazine editor, this

means taking the time to come up with

some extremely informed ideas as to how

to fill a few pages.

Make use of the skills you have and

learn to market them to their full advan-

tage. Also find out what will make you

stand out when you apply. Having a basic

knowledge of QuarkXpress or InDesign,

some good cuttings

and good internet re-

search skills will put

you in the top per-

centage of entrants

for journalism work ex-

perience. If you’re

looking to go into pub-

lishing, courses in proofreading, editing

and IT skills can be helpful.

6. be unconventional anD make your own opportunities.

Most opportunities are invisible. Don’t sim-

ply rely on sending dozens of CVs off for

jobs in The Guardian’s Monday media

section. Media can be a difficult area to

break into because there are very few

direct entry programmes. Often the few

that there are aren’t even advertised.

Of the few graduate programmes,

such as Pearson for publishing and those

on national newspapers, most are very

competitive. Such schemes are rarely

widely advertised and you will need to

actively seek them out. The sector is typi-

fied by fairly low, suppressed wages and

short-term (daily, weekly, or monthly) con-

tracts. Going through brochures in a ca-

reers library isn’t going to be much use in

your job hunt. It’s about networking.

Well-crafted speculative letters could

also get you work experience, if not a job.

Tailor your letter, as well as your CV, to the

company in question - flatter them by

proving how much you know about their

product. What do you like about it? Or, if

you feel adventurous, how could the

product be improved?

Above all, be prepared to do anything.

There may be labour shortages in various

areas of your chosen field, such as set

craft roles and compliancy in television,

and starting there is a good way in.

7. Don’t take rejection personally.

“Often students aren’t used to it,” explains

Roger Hammett of the BBC. “Suddenly, in

the media, they get rejections and they

see it as a personal slight. You’ve got to

be fairly thick-skinned. You may have to

be turned down by 30 firms, before the

31st gives you an offer.” As one journalist

says, “I know some really successful mag-

azine editors wall-papered their walls with

rejection letters before they got a job.”

And remember that nepo-

tism works. Build contacts

while on work experience

and make friends with peo-

ple who might be able to

give you a job at some junc-

ture, be they the friend of an

aunt or the friend of a friend

of a cousin twice removed…

Being able to network is just as impor-

tant as having the right experience: with-

out either of them you won’t find a job in

the media industry. You should be quite

ruthless with any contacts, however tenu-

ous or distant. Also try informational inter-

viewing and university alumni networks

available at your careers service. Stay in

touch with the managers you work under

by sending the occasional email.

8. accept that there is no establisheD route in.

“It used to be that you started on your lo-

cal paper,” says Gary Younge. “Do your

time there, move onto an evening news

and then a national. It doesn’t really hap-

pen like that anymore.”

This is what causes trouble for most

graduates trying to get into the media in-

dustry. “You need to know how competi-

tive it is and go in with you eyes open,”

says this insider, “and give it 100 per cent,

because that’s the level you’ll have to

compete at.” Media is not a field where

the employers come to you; you have to

make yourself irresistible to them.

“Tenacity is more important than being

especially talented,” says one publishing

insider. “You’ll need more than a love of

books. We look for a flair for the business

side of publishing, an eye for detail and

good inter-personal skills.”

While this may be a harsh reality for

graduates, it does provide an almost open

field once you’re in the industry. As re-

cently as 20 years ago, if you began life as

a print reporter, you didn’t end up in tele-

vision or PR as you can do now. The indus-

try is fluid and always changing, and as a

graduate entering the field, your options

are numerous. n

RW

“go in with your eyes open. give it 100 per cent because that’s the level you’ll have to compete at. meDia is not a fielD where employers come to you; you have to make yourself irresistible to them.”

REALW.0602.020.indd 22 20/2/06 1:25:51 pm

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REALW.0602.023.indd 1 20/2/06 13:48:51


Careers in transport

and logistiCs may not top

the polls when

it Comes to sought-

after graduate Careers

but steve smethurst finds

the seCtor Can offer a

global Career with

plenty of exCitement.

first the good news. It’s an exciting industry. It’s challeng-

ing. Fast-moving. Vital to the economy. And it’s reason-

ably well paid. The graduate programmes too, tend to

be thorough and aim to fast-track you to senior man-

agement positions.

Nikki Hoople, spokeswoman for the sector skills council, Skills

for Logistics, is a particular evangelist. “Any industry that success-

fully picks up the challenge of bringing fresh tomatoes from

Kenya to your plate in January, or gets newspapers from their

print site in London to your front-door mat – anywhere in the

country – within around four hours, has got to be an exciting

industry,” she says.

Unfortunately, and this is the bad news, transport/logistics has

something of an image problem. “It is often misunderstood,” con-

cedes Nikki. “Inadvertently, it has become one of UK industry’s

best-kept secrets and this is something that needs to change to

on the move

REALW.0602.024indd.indd 24 20/2/06 1:05:09 pm

WWW.REALWORLD.JOBS RW 25WWW.REALWORLD.JOBS RW 25

FEATURE | TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS | CASE STUDIES RW

Careers in transport

and logistiCs may not top

the polls when

it Comes to sought-

after graduate Careers

but steve smethurst finds

the seCtor Can offer a

global Career with

plenty of exCitement.

DAkShA hIRANI, 24JOb: bRANCh mANAGER, ENTERPRISE-RENT-A-CAR, WATERLOO OFFICEDEGREE: 2:2, RETAIL mANAGEmENT, UNIvERSITy OF ThE ARTS, LONDONWhy Enterprise? I went to a recruitment fair and there was an Enterprise-Rent-A-Car stand. It just kind of jumped out at me. I’d never thought of it before then.

best thing? When I come into work, I know I’m going to have a laugh. The fun factor in our office is amazing. It makes the day go quicker.

Worst thing? my only really daunting challenge was the congestion charge. but we came up with a plan. you learn to work with it, rather than against it.

Advice: Get in there as quickly as possible. it’s such a fast-moving business and jobs go like hot cakes. And try to enjoy yourself once you’re in. It’s fun and it’s fast.

It was Easter in her final year and Daksha still hadn’t got round to giving a job much serious thought. but she went with a friend along to a recruitment fair. “I just took some of my Cvs along, and thought I’d pick up a couple of application forms. I had no idea what I was heading towards,” says Daksha.

It turned out that she was heading towards the Enterprise stand. “They asked me if I liked meeting people, if I liked a challenge… the more they talked about it, the more it sounded like my personality in a job.”

Daksha says that her role with Enterprise involves pretty much everything she did in her degree – such as hR, logistics, business management and finance. And she recalls that on her first day as a management trainee she glanced at the clock, after what seemed like 10 minutes, and four hours had gone by. “To be able to not look at your watch all day and for the days to fly by is great in any job.”

Now manager in the busy Waterloo office, the days still speed along. “I enjoy my role because everyone’s really motivated and focused. At some places the attitude is that ‘it’s just a job’, but here your promotion is in your hands; you’re in charge of your own career. Every day is different. you have challenges to meet every single day and you have to overcome them.”

encourage people to consider a career in the industry.” Logistics –

essentially the business of getting things from A to B – is the UK’s fifth

biggest industry, employing 1.75 million people across 65,000 busi-

nesses. It accounts for six per cent of all employment – and that’s

before you take into account the crossover with transport.

Dorothea Carvalho, director of professional development at

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), is another who

recommends graduates to consider it as a career option. “If you’re

coming in at a graduate level, you’re never going to be bored. It’s

very fast-moving and very exciting. And in transport, a lot of peo-

ple have a real passion for it. I’d certainly recommend people to

consider it and do a bit more research.”

Many big recruiters draw, naturally, on the pool of 600 or so lo-

gistics graduates or the 250 who take transport planning degrees.

However, most also take into account the modular nature of de-

grees and look at business studies and business administration

graduates too, given that these courses usually have a logistics/

transport element. Non-business degrees will also be considered,

because “fit” is often given a higher weighting than degree.

Christian Salvesen, for example, recruits approximately 10 gradu-

ates into its two-year graduate programme each year. The compa-

ny will look at all degrees – however, it does ask for a 2:1 minimum.

Shelley Garner, training and development co-ordinator, says the

company isn’t looking for pure academic ability. “We’re after a ma-

turity of outlook, leadership, independence and common sense.”

At DHL Exel Supply Chain, HR manager Joanne Highe explains

that their graduate recruits (37 in 2006) will be given opportunities

very early on and will be encouraged throughout the graduate

programme to network and meet different people. “The opportu-

nities are infinite, but you do have to make them happen. With

initiative and drive people can shape their career in whichever

direction they wish,” she says.

FEATURE | TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS | CASE STUDIES


on the move

y Photographs by Ed miller



FEATURE | TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS | CASE STUDIESRW

However, there are certain drawbacks to a career in

logistics and transport. “The two big ones are relocation

and shift-work,” says Highe. “Like other employers, we need

graduates to be flexible in terms of hours and location. For

their first 18 months, they could work anywhere within the

UK. It’s the same with their hours – they could be asked to

work early, late or night shifts – and on rotation.”

Nick Streatfield, people development director at

Geodis, takes an even stronger stance – “It’s a job that

can’t be done by half – it is demanding and it requires 100

per cent commitment. It’s not something you should go

into unless you’re fully committed to it,” he says. “Graduates

need to ask themselves – do I have the people skills, the

determination, am I ready for the long haul?”

“It is a tough industry,” concedes Sarah Sudbury, group

resourcing and development co-ordinator at Wincanton,

which takes on approximately 20 graduates each year.

“It demands commitment, but it is also very rewarding.”

Graduates typically enter the industry on a salary of

£20,000 to £25,000 in their first year, and at Wincanton

they are given a coach, a buddy from an earlier grad

scheme, performance reviews every month and quarter-

ly reviews when all graduates get together as a group

and talk about their experiences and plans for the future.

Wincanton also offers a management development pro-

gramme, spread over 18 months, which is accredited by

the Institute of Leadership & Management.

CILT’s Carvalho says that it’s easy to see if you’re cut

out for the logistics/transport sector. “The ability to use

technology is absolutely vital. And you really have to

be numerate – if you find figures daunting it’s probably

not an area you should consider. But, if you are bright, lit-

erate and can think on your feet you will get a job, even

if you don’t have the right

work experience. There

are huge opportunities

out there.” n

ZENObIA RAjkOTWALA, 25jOb: GRAdUATE TRAINEE, ThE MAERSk COMPANy LTddEGREES: 2:2, INdUSTRIAL ECONOMICS, UNIvERSITy OF WARWICk; MA INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, UNIvERSITy OF NOTTINGhAM

Why Maersk? I was looking for jobs online when I saw Maersk. I grew up in denmark and I was really impressed with what they were offering.

best thing? I would really suffer in a monotonous job and here you never know what the day is going to throw at you.

Worst thing? Probably being based in Felixstowe for a time. but that was because I couldn’t drive and public transport in Suffolk isn’t the best. but once I passed my driving test things got much better.

Advice: you don’t need a huge amount of shipping knowledge before you enter this profession, just enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. If big money is a major motivator for you, then forget it. but there are some fantastic aspects – how many graduate schemes will guarantee expatriation within two years?

despite having an economics degree, Zenobia worked out quite early that banking wasn’t for her. “An internship at hSbC ruled it out. It just didn’t excite me. The money would have been great, but it’s not a big motivating factor for me. If you hate your job, money can only take you so far.”

Zenobia wanted challenge, variety and to meet lots of people – but had no idea who she wanted to work for, or even in which sector. Fortunately, a chance sighting of the Maersk website proved to offer an ideal opportunity. The danish shipping chain’s graduate programme even offers several rotations. “It was perfect,” she says. her rotations have included a stint in Felixstowe, trying to save money on supply chains for big retailers; in the commercial department tendering for new business; and then a bit of “nitty gritty” in operations – making sure containers were on time and on the quay. “It gave me a good grounding in what makes goods go from A to b,” she says. “We all go into shops such as Woolworths, but you never realise the effort involved in getting the goods there.” She is currently right at the heart of things, working in Canary Wharf on the integration of Maersk and P&O.

Next for Zenobia is to apply for a two-year expatriation as part of Maersk’s international graduate programme, and she has 90 countries to choose from. but is it all too good to be true? “Almost,” she says. “It can be quite scary. you’re given a lot of independence early – and you’re expected to deliver.”

“�I�would�really�suffer�In�a�monotonous�job�but�here�at�maersk�you�never�know�what�the�day�Is�goIng�to�throw�at�you.”

www.careersinlogistics.co.uk

www.skillsforlogistics.org

www.ciltuk.org.uk

www.goskills.org


First for graduate recruitment

Training:■ You will be given every encouragement todevelop your career, both by formal training andinvolvement in a wide variety of clientassignments■ You will be encouraged to develop your skillsthat best suit your particular talents andambitions■ Development of technical, consulting andmanagement skills, backed by an extensivetraining programme■ You will work toward qualifying as a Fellow ofthe Institute or Faculty of Actuaries; regularstudy leave with tuition and materials is paidfor by the company.

Responsibilities include:■ Developing financial projections for acompany or product line■ Designing and developing benefit strategies

■ Assessing and designing managementsystems, claims processes and actuarialprocedures.■ Resolving client queries and helping tomaintain client relationships.

Requirements/qualifications:■ 3 high A level grades (including grade B inmathematics)■ Minimum of a 2.1 honours degree, preferablymathematics or scientific discipline■ Commitment toward attaining a professionalqualification■ Excellent interpersonal skills■ Ability to function professionally andproactively in a team environment.

Actuarial AnalystExcellent benefits, London basedWorking within a multi-disciplinary team, you will learn the fundamentals of actuarial consultingas you will work in a team with experienced consultants to support major clients in all aspects ofactuarial consulting, including financial modelling acquisitions and market surveys. You willundergo an extensive training programme in order to gain valuable problem-solving skills that areneeded to become an effective actuarial consultant. Vacancies are within the areas of employeebenefit services, life and general insurance.

Towers Perrin is a global professional servicesfirm that helps organisations around the worldoptimise performance through effective people,risk and financial management. The firmprovides innovative solutions to client issues inthe areas of human resource strategy, designand management; actuarial and managementconsulting to the financial services industry;and reinsurance intermediary services.

Apply online at:www.towersperrin.com

RealWorldAd.qxp 20/02/2006 17:50 Page 1

REALW.0602.027.indd 1 20/2/06 18:03:17


TAKEOFFTIME

EvEry yEar morE than 200,000 young pEoplE in thE uK taKE a gap yEar. rEal World talKs you through your options.

Start planning. Preparation is key. Talk to your careers service, and anyone you know who took a year out before plunging into the job market. Check out specialist websites such as www.gapyear.com and www.yearout-group.org. There are many gap-year books on offer, some better than others, head down to your local book store for a browse or read the reviews on Amazon.co.uk to check out which one might be best for you. Also, consider gaining a language or a vocational qualification such as Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL).

Think CV. Don’t approach a gap year as time ‘off’ – it’s time out from the job market, and too valuable an opportunity to waste. Employers love gap years: in Time Well Spent, a report published by volunteering charity Community Service Volunteers and the Association of Graduate Recruiters, every company that responded agreed “a constructive gap year helps prepare young people for the workplace”. But gap years are now so common that taking one big holiday won’t be seen as particularly impressive.

Plan your re-entry strategy. Before you go, you’ll need to think about how your gap plans affect job applications. Without preparation, you might find your gap year doubling in length of its own accord. Finding an internet connection to e-mail your job application isn’t going to be an easy in the jungle. If you want to apply for graduate recruitment schemes, research important dates (application deadlines, interviews, ass-essment days) before you go, and try to fit your plans around them.


REALW.0602.028.indd 28 20/2/06 12:54:24 pm

TAKEOFFTIME

PHOTOGRAPHS BY Y

ANG OU

EvERY YEAR mORE THAN 200,000 YOUNG PEOPlE iN THE UK TAKE A GAP YEAR. REAl WORld TAlKS YOU THROUGH YOUR OPTiONS.

Money. If you are skint, think about a working gap year. Check organisations such as BUNAC (www.bunac.org.uk) Temping or gaining office work will also raise funds. It’s also worth seeing if you can get a grant. “There are millions of pounds out there available from local funds and charities,” says Tom Griffiths, founder of gapyear.com (see www.gapyear.com for advice on this).

Be independent. Getting across the world to exotic locations may be a con-siderable outlay, but once you’re out there, as an independent traveller, things will be considerably less expensive.

Don’t dismiss the UK. Very few students plan to spend their spend their gap years volunteering in the UK but while heading abroad can be great experi-ence, don’t discount home. What it los-es in tropical fascination, volunteering in the UK more than makes up for in its flex-ibility and its heavyweight presence on your CV. Check Community Service Volunteers (www.csv.org.uk), Millennium Volunteers (www.mv-online.gov.uk) British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (www.btcv.org.uk) and www.do-it.org.uk. Also consider work experience.

Teaching abroad. The most popular and well-developed area of the struc-tured gap sector is teaching English, though opportunities to teach other subjects are growing rapidly. Some or-ganisers require applicants to have a TEFL certificate, but many provide train-ing of their own, and some pay local wages. CIEE (www.councilexchanges.org.uk), Teaching & Projects Abroad, i-to-i, VSO (www.vso.org.uk) and a host of others all operate schemes in a mas-sive variety of countries. See www.tefl.net for details of courses.

The ConservaTionisTDavid Bell, 22, graduated from Newcastle University in 2005 with a degree in zoology. He is now working for Aardvark McLeod, which offers tailor-made fly-fishing holidays. He plans to build on his experiences to develop a career in conservation.

Gap Year experience: David spent two weeks as one of the first volunteers at the alladale estate in Scotland. it is owned by paul Lister, who hopes to bring back wolves, lynx, bears and wild boar by creating a safari-style game reserve. David took part in a range of conservation activities including helping to collect and collate data about the local fauna and wildlife. The project is run through Worldwide experience. He then went on to spend a month in nairobi on a training course for safari guides run by an organisation called ecotraining. What was your motivation? i’d taken a gap year before uni and worked on safari in Zambia with Gap activity. The experience inspired me to change my degree from Mechanical engineering to Zoology. When i saw an article on what paul Lister was doing i wrote to see if there was a position available for a volunteer.

What skills did you learn? in Scotland it was great to be able to relate what i’d learnt at university to real life. i saw how you would go about starting to develop a game reserve. On the training course in africa the training ranged from tracking to approaching dangerous game on foot. Best part: Scotland was a real wilderness experience and the surroundings were amazing, as was the accommodation, which was set in a wooden lodge. Through both the projects i got a good understanding about how a game reserve works, which is vital if i want to pursue a conservation career.

Worst part: The rain in Scotland! Sometimes we had to cancel outside activities such as collecting data. Did it improve your employability? Yes. if you want to go into conservation you are more likely to be taken seriously if you’ve done volunteer work, than if you just have a degree in it. Both the experiences look good on my cV. it also helps you find out what you’d like to do. a number of people on the safari course were considering doing it as a career and had realised it wasn’t quite what they’d expected.

advice to students considering a gap year? Try to keep busy. Use your time: don’t just sit around. Get experience in anything that you want to do now – it’s harder when you have a career.

WWW.REALWORLD.JOBS rW 29

FeaTUre | Gap Year | CASE STUDIES rW

REALW.0602.028.indd 29 20/2/06 12:55:53 pm

12-month Work Authorisation obtained through BUNAC

Chance to take virtually any job, anywhere in Canada

Choose a BUNAC flight or make your own arrangements

Support services of BUNAC in the UK & SWAP in Canada

BUNAC’s Work Canada programme offers graduates the chance to spend three to twelvemonths on a working holiday in Canada.

020 7251 3472 www.bunac.orgContact: Richard Wright, BUNAC, 16 Bowling Green Lane, London, EC1R 0QH • E-mail: [email protected]

work & travel incanadaTM

REALW.0602.030.indd 1 20/2/06 13:34:16

The Traveller Hannah Simmons, 24, graduated from the University of Swansea with a degree in statistics. She now works as a statistician for insurance company Alliance Cornhill.

Gap Year experience: Hannah travelled the world on a seven-month solo trip. Her destinations included Japan, australia, new Zealand and the USa. By working during a pre-uni gap year and carefully saving her money she was able to fully fund the trip herself. What was your motivation? “i really didn’t know what i wanted to do as a career after university and having spent my gap year before uni working in a bank i wanted to take a year out. i planned it carefully throughout university – i didn’t want to miss anything!”Did you gain any skills? “Loads of confidence and independence. i really learnt about getting on with people. Sometimes during education you don’t really meet people who are so different to yourself but this soon changed when i was travelling.” Did it increase your employability? “it didn’t do it any harm and it was something good to talk about when i was in interviews.Best bit? “all of it! i think you tend to remember the places by the people you meet and that’s what i enjoyed most.” Worst bit? “Sometimes arriving alone in a strange country could be daunting. But it was nothing a good night’s sleep couldn’t cure.” advice for students considering a gap year? “i found sites such as www.gapyear.com really useful to arrange to meet up with people. plan your trip. i’d also consider doing voluntary work.”

“volunteer! you will get so much more out of your time ”

The volunTeerCatherine Dawes, 22, graduated in English and Philosophy from the University of York. She is now studying for a post-graduate qualification at the London College of Communication.

Gap Year experience: Through i-to-i, catherine spent eight weeks on a community development project in Bolivia, and eight weeks in Lima, peru, as a translator for www.manuela.org.pe. in between projects she travelled through South america. The project in La paz, Bolivia cost £1,295 for 8 weeks, including accomodation. The project in Lima, peru cost £1,595 for eight weeks, including food and accommodation. catherine funded her travels by working for seven months in media sales. What was your motivation? “Because i was going on my own i decided to travel with an organisation rather than arrange it myself. There was a huge range of projects on offer.” What skills did you learn? “My Spanish improved, as did my confidence. Being out there on your own means you have to get used to talking to complete strangers. i learnt how to take the initiative and get involved in situations. You also have to get used to working with people who are very different to you.”Best part: “i had so many amazing once-in-a-lifetime experiences, such as swimming with dolphins in an amazon river.”Worst part: “i’d originally meant to work on a newspaper in Lima and it was disappointing when that fell through.” Did it improve your employability? “Yes, it improved my Spanish and the projects i worked on always come up in interviews. i’ve also got more direction. While i was away i met a travel writer. When i got back to the UK i arranged work experience, which really confirmed that i wanted to go into feature writing.” advice to students considering a gap year? “it’s worth volunteering or doing work while you are away, you will get so more out of your time.”



REALW.0602.028.indd 31 20/2/06 12:56:59 pm

Be more than a tourist! Combining working or volunteeringwith your travels can add a whole new dimension to youroverseas adventure. With nearly 45 years of experience in the field of work and travel programmes, BUNAC provides you with the opportunity, choices and support to make yourwork or volunteer experience as worthwhile and successfulas possible.

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THE INTERNATIONAL ACADEMYBecome a ski, snowboard or diving instructor

The International Academy provides opportunities for people to pursue their sporting interests and perform them to a professional level. So, if you’re looking for a

worthwhile and valuable gap year experience, the International Academy offer instructor training courses in skiing, snowboarding and scuba diving that culminate in professional, worldwide recognised qualifications. Courses range from 5 to 12 weeks in duration and take place in some of the world’s finest destinations including the Canadian Rockies, the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range in the USA and the Southern Alps of New Zealand. New Scuba Diving courses will also be available in the crystal clear waters of the Red Sea, the Caribbean and the Maldives. The courses are open to people of all standards and start dates vary throughout the year.

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Full time volunteering with CSV gives people the opportunity to learn new skills, improve job prospects and most importantly help others.

You could be providing support to people with physical or learning difficulties, or mental health issues. You could be helping older people, the homeless or people in the youth justice system.

Full time volunteers live away from home and are provided with food, accommodation and a weekly allowance. You don’t need any previous experience or qualifications – just commitment. A full time placement can last for between 4 and 12 months.

It’s such a fulfilling experience and abrilliant way to try something out . . . It’ssuch a supportive environment andorganisation to be part of. The jobsatisfaction is great too. Seeing a childyou work with change is amazing.Rachell Beddow, current CSV volunteer

CSV creates opportunities for people to take an active part in the life oftheir community.CSV is a registered charity no. 291222.

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Wesser & PartnerWesser & Partner are pioneers in charity fundraising and raise funds on behalf of St John Ambulance by recruiting supporters from members of the public who commit to making an annual donation.

The Job RoleOur fundraisers talk directly to individuals, informing them of both local & national projects undertaken by St John Ambulance for which the charity needs continuous financial assistance, and trying to recruit them as supporters. Our fundraisers work & live in teams of about 5 and in numerous locations across the UK.

All you need to be, is confident, persuasive and have a great personality!

The RewardsFundraisers are paid an hourly rate plus bonuses so your pay depends on your results. On average a good fundraiser earns £1500 per month. Put simply – The harder you work, The more you earn!Wesser & Partner will also provide free accommodation and use of a team car.

Gap year & vacation work

To discover more about Wesser & Partner and the unique opportunities available to you, please visit us at:

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SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICSFor further information please contact

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DemonstrateCommitmentMSc Accounting and FinanceEmployers value evidence of commitment to your chosen career. The MSc Accounting and Finance will demonstrate your commitment and give you the opportunity to extend and deepen your knowledge of financialmanagement and accounting.

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REALW.0602.032.indd 1 20/2/06 18:25:47

The TeacherJames Bonsor, 24, graduated in maths from Trinity College Cambridge in 2002. He is an associate consultant for PWC Strategy Group.

Gap Year experience: James spent a year teaching english in china with the council on international educational exchange. at the time, he earned around £200-£300 per month, including accommodation. What was your motivation? i’m half-chinese and i have always wanted to go to china to learn about the culture and improve my Mandarin. Because i didn’t have a big bankroll i needed to do something that would be self-sustaining. What skills did you learn? You develop a range of skills, particularly organisation, presentation and communication. i became fluent in Mandarin and also developed an understanding of the culture.Best part: Living in a different place and having exposure to a very different lifestyle and society. Working there meant i was more integrated than i would have been had i just travelled around. Worst part: i was out at the time of the SarS outbreak. For six weeks i only left my building once. Did it improve your employability? it did. For a start, living abroad for a year makes you much more mature and responsible. i also learnt good organisation and presentation skills, plus how to interact and coach people.advice to students considering a gap year? Be careful not to waste your time. if you do take a year out it’s an amazing opportunity and you should really think about how you can get the most out of it. Don’t look back and say “i wish i’d done that”.

“Working is a great Way to find out What you like to do”The WorkerGemma Finikin, graduated from the University of Hull in 2003 with a degree in English and communications. She is director of the London office of Breakfast Network, a networking events organisation.

Gap Year experience Gemma spent a year in new York on a working placement arranged by the Mountbatten internship programme. The programme offers graduates year long internships and costs £1,995. interns are paid $448 (£256) every two weeks and accommodation is provided. Most placements are office based and entry level Gemma worked with a small rapidly growing company Breakfast network. at the end of the year the company hired her. What was your motivation? i wanted to do something that would give me some life experience and set me apart from other graduates. What skills did you learn? My job ranged from administrative tasks, like setting up the networking events, to bringing in new business and clients. i learnt how to manage my time and motivate myself. Best part: The job was fantastic as was the chance to get to know new York. i’m still good friends with many other interns on the programme. Worst part: There was so much that i wanted to do and i couldn’t fit it in!Did it improve your employability? absolutely. i learnt how to communicate with people on all levels and developed my confidence advice to students considering a gap year? it’s great to travel but do something worthwhile. Working can be a great way to find out what you would like to do and will set you apart from other graduates.



REALW.0602.028.indd 33 20/2/06 12:57:32 pm

Being the best takes passion. It takes focus. And it takes a single-minded determination to excel in everything you do. That determination has seen us awarded General Insurer of the Year at the British Insurance Awards for two years running. It’s also fuelling an exciting future – and now we need the brightest and mostambitious graduates in the UK to be part of it. Yes, you’ll get all the support you needto build an outstanding career. Personalised training and development for example,giving you a broad mix of technical, commercial and leadership skills.

To find out more information and details on how to apply please go to

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Applications are welcomed from both students in their final year and recent graduates.

Create the future.

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Untitled-1 1 20/2/06 14:21:59

CIPFA (Chartered Institute of Public Finance andAccountancy) is one of the leading professional accountancybodies in the UK and the only one that specialises in thepublic services. With public services now accounting fornearly half of the global economy, this really is a sectorthat will give you excellent career prospects.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF STUDYINGWITH CIPFA?

Gaining a CCAB (Consultative Committee of AccountantBodies) accountancy qualification like CIPFA, will opendoors for you and give you the opportunity to reach thevery top in management. Graduates from any disciplinecan apply. Those from accountancy, business or financedegrees are often exempt from certain parts of the course.The course will develop your skills in business andmanagement as well as accounting, knowledge that isapplicable to all economic sectors.

WHO ARE THE EMPLOYERS?

There are many public sector employers currently lookingto recruit graduates to study for the CIPFA qualification,such as Audit Commission, NHS, London Boroughs andthe Metropolitan Police. Thanks to its unique combinationof technical and financial management skills, the CIPFAqualification is equally valued in the private sector.For example firms such as such as Baker Tilley, KPMG,and Pricewaterhouse Coopers have staff with CPFA status.

WHERE CAN I GET FURTHERINFORMATION?

To see a full list of employers currently taking on traineesvisit; www.cipfa.org.uk/eandt/current/vacancies.cfmor call one of our Education Advisers on 020 7543 5846or e-mail [email protected]

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FEATURE | ACCOUNTANCY | OVERVIEW RW

When Terry Jones of Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) recently arranged to talk to a group of undergraduates on careers in accounting, he was met with a roomful of yawns. “They all assumed it’s a really

boring job,” he recalls. “But the variety and responsibility involved in accounting has improved dramatically in recent years.”

Sarah Churchman, director of student recruitment at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), agrees. “In fact, the increasing regulation, post-Enron, which we all thought would be bad news for the profession, has actually created enormous opportunities. There is now greater clarity about the two channels of service we offer – audit and non-audit work. This means graduates can opt to go into straight accountancy services or more advisory services.”

Hence the preference of some of the big accountancy firms for the label “professional services” when describing what they do. The breadth of work available means it doesn’t matter what your degree subject is, says Sarah. “We have graduates with degrees in languages, science and business studies. The range is big because the important thing is not your discipline but your passion to work in this industry.” Most of the biggest firms will specify that they require a predicted 2:1 although a number of today’s accountants will accept a 2:2.

What is it like?The potential financial rewards may play a big part in explaining the popularity of tax and accountancy, a newly qualified accountant with one of the major firms could expect to earn about £35,000 per year, more if based in London. But it’s not easy money. The main comment echoed by all trainees and ex trainees is “it’s hard work”.

From day one there is pressure to deliver the goods and come up with creative solutions. Like all employers of accountants, PWC is looking for motivated people who are genuinely interest-ed in business and therefore have some commercial awareness. So if you’re interested, start reading the business pages. “In addi-tion, we want strong team players rather than sole traders – because of the size of our clients – as well as good relationship builders because you’ll be working both with clients and lots of members of our staff,” she says. “You’ll also need to be commit-ted to studying because the professional qualification involves passing institute exams that are probably the toughest you’ve ever done, irrespective of whether you’ve studied accountancy at university. The support is very much there for you, but it does involve hard work.”

Contrary to popular opinion, however, you don’t have to be highly numerate. “It’s more important to have strong analytical skills,” she explains.

Sarah Shillingford, graduate recruitment partner at Deloitte, advises wannabe accountants to do as much preparation as possible before applying. “Many graduates don’t even do spell-

checks on their application forms and others apply without any real understanding of the job or sector. We don’t try to trip people up in interviews because we see the aim as an opportunity for them to demonstrate their interest and experience, but we would expect people to have thought through some examples of their skills and to have done some investigation into the job they’ve applied for and the industry.”

Who is hiring?Increasing numbers of organisations in anything from broadcast-ing and fashion to football and retail are now hiring accountants. Other – in fact, most – accountants are employed in public prac-tice, where the profession is dominated by four multinational firms. The Big Four, as they are known, are PwC, Deloitte & Touche, Ernst & Young and KPMG.

Meanwhile, accountants working in the public sector or in local and national government, who are commonly known as “financial managers”, are responsible for the administration and use of public money.

Many employers offer training to graduates, which will involve gaining a qualification with one of the key professional account-ancy bodies. The good news is that these employers often have a structured programme, combining the practical experience required with opportunities to study for the examinations. Some companies offer excellent packages to cover the cost of study-ing, including tuition fees and paid study leave.

How do I qualify? Trine Moreira, business relationship manager at Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), says that graduates should gain some understanding of the different professional quali-fications on offer, particularly since employers tend to favour certain qualifications over others. “Each one has a different focus,” she says. “Ours is very broad and enables graduates to work in any sector.”

Other examples include the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) qualification, which is aimed at people who know they want to work in the public sector, and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) qualification aimed at people who want to be management ac-countants, where practitioners analyse the performance of a business to advise on how it can develop. Meanwhile, actuaries can do the qualification provided by the Institute of Actuaries in England and Wales or the Faculty of Actuaries in Scotland.

“Once you qualify, the world is your oyster,” says Ruth Stokes, head of recruitment operations at KPMG. “At KPMG, for example, you can stay within the firm, where popular opportunities include international assignments or a secondment to a client, or you can move into a business career.”

Indeed, a large proportion of CEOs in the FTSE100 companies started out as accountants.

REALW.0602.036.indd 37 20/2/06 1:00:02 pm

GET THE FACTS.DISCOVER THEOPPORTUNITIES.

JUST WHAT IS THE ACAAND WHERE EXACTLYCANIT TAKE YOU?

The ACA is the business qualification for people who want exceptional rewards, careerchoice and the challenges that come from working at the highest levels of business. With the prestige of the ACA qualification behind you, your reputation will precede you.

As an ACA qualified chartered accountant, you’ll embark – on a career of limitless possibilities. It will give you the ability to work with pretty much any employer, of any sizeand in any sector you choose – in business, commerce, the public sector or even at the head of your own venture.

So, where exactly can it take you? Well, where exactly do you want to go?

With over 3,000 young people entering ACA training contracts every year, with theintention of qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, the only certainty we can provide isthat the qualification is your passport to unlimited career opportunities in the businessworld.

To get all the facts about the ACA and discover more about the opportunities available, visit www.icaew.co.uk/careers or e-mail [email protected]

ACATHEBUSINESS QUALIFICATION

0062 ICAEW Ad 14/9/05 10:57 am Page 1


For more on ICAS>> p.47

FEATURE | ACCOUNTANCY | CASE STUDY RW

“�You�need�to�be�confident.�After�All,�A�big�pArt�of�mY�role�is��to�understAnd�how�the�client’s�business�works.”

JAmES COOpER, 23DEgREE: DIgITAl bUSINESS AND E-COmmERCE (1ST) NOTTINghAm UNIvERSITYChARTERED bODY: INSTITUTE OF ChARTERED ACCOUNTANTS OF SCOTlAND (ICAS)EmplOYER: ERNST & YOUNgIf you like meeting and working with different people, and enjoy investigating, there’s a good chance you’ll like accounting, believes James Cooper, 23, a trainee accountant at Ernst & Young. “The most pleasing thing about my job is exposure to clients,” he says. “Right from the word “go”, I was chucked in at the deep end meeting clients on a daily basis, where it’s my role to gather information from them to help prepare for an audit.”

It requires confidence, says James. “You need to be able to introduce yourself and get people to talk you through the most relevant things to help you do your job. After all, a big part of my role is to understand how the client’s business works.”

Equally satisfying, he says, is the opportunity to work in a variety of teams. “Each client is assigned a different team, which is refreshing. It means you need to be friendly and easy going, as well as ready for a challenge because they’ll always be some people who you don’t work quite so easily with as others.”

James did his degree in digital business and e-commerce at Nottingham University. between his second and third years, he decided to apply for an internship at Ernst & Young. “We were exposed to the big accountancy firms in our course, so I didn’t really think about banks and other businesses.”

he was immediately surprised by the level of responsibility he was given in such a short space of time. “So I was pleased when they offered me a job upon graduation.”

having graduated in 2004, James joined Ernst & Young that summer. “As soon as I started, I studied the Chartered Accountants qualification, which is offered by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland,” he recalls. “Then, after a set of exams, I was placed in the workplace with some regular training in between. Another eight months later, I was back to college for a solid three months, ending with another set of exams and it was after that when I really felt I was starting to make a difference to the company. I’d learned the technical knowledge and was able to really apply it in my everyday work.’

REALW.0602.036.indd 39 20/2/06 1:00:59 pm


For more on Institute of Actuaries>> p.47



STEphANIE pIllINg, 23DEgREE: MAThS AND STATISTICS (1ST) UNIvERSITY OF YORkChARTERED BODY: INSTITUTE OF ACTUARIESEMplOYER: hEWITT“Although it might sound geeky, I wanted a career where I could use maths every day, but not be stuck in an office all the time,” says Stephanie. She also wanted a job where she could continue to study for a recognised qualification and where she’d have a lot of client contact. Becoming an actuary provided the solution.

While Stephanie gained a first in maths and statistics from the University of York in 2005, it’s not obligatory to have a mathematical background, insists the Institute of Actuaries in England and Wales. Actuaries have degrees in anything from Spanish to geography, but the one thing they do have in common is an interest in maths, simply because the job involves providing commercial, finance and prudential advice on the management of assets and liabilities.

“I made my decision to become an actuary in my final year at university, as a result of talking to companies at careers fairs about the different departments in financial firms,” says Stephanie.

The next step was to apply to companies. “I approached my careers centre and got a booklet listing every single actuarial company. I decided I

liked the idea of pensions because the consultancy side of the work was greater. I knew I wanted to stay in

the north of England too, so I chose the companies that fitted the bill, looked at their websites and applied to what seemed to me to be the best of them.”

Stephanie’s first reply was from hewitt and after a day at an assessment centre, she was offered a job. “I joined the company in September 2005 and got sent on numerous training courses to get up to speed with the technology that the company uses as standard,” she says. “Then we started with some basic calculations and as we grew in confidence, we were given more complicated work, such as doing valuations for pension schemes and preparing bulletins for clients around new legislation in the world of pensions.”

Now that newer graduates have joined hewitt, Stephanie’s work has moved up a notch to involve checking the work, rather than doing it, and once she’s qualified as a fellow with the Institute of Actuaries she’ll move up to become the scrutiniser. her long-term aim is to be out there meeting clients in a consultancy role.

“��I�wanted�a�career�where�I�could�use�maths�everyday,�but�not�be�stuck�In�an�offIce�all�the�tIme.”

REALW.0602.036.indd 41 20/2/06 1:01:49 pm

http://careers.bloomberg.com

AR

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OU

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ETER

MI

NED

? IF YOU AREWE WANT YOUIf you are looking for a challenging career with training opportunities at one of the world’s leading financial companies, look no further.

We’re Bloomberg and we’re looking for you.

Find out more about the diverse opportunities we have to offer you at careers.bloomberg.com

©2006 Bloomberg L.P. All rights reserved. 17065305 0106EOE/M/F/V/D

17065305 HR_determined.indd 1 2/15/06 2:04:10 PM


For more on ACCA >> p.47


JAmEs PRiTChARd, 26dEgREE: ECONOmiCs (2:1), UNivERsiTY OF hUll, mAsTERs iN ECONOmiCs ANd FiNANCE, UNivERsiTY OF YORkChARTEREd BOdY: ACCA (ThE AssOCiATiON OF ChARTEREd CERTiFiEd ACCOUNTANTs)EmPlOYER: CENTRiCAFor someone who still hadn’t decided on a career when he graduated, James Pritchard couldn’t believe it when he was announced the 2005 Trainee Accountant of the Year by the industry magazine, Pass.

“They told me i had a broad range of experience and that i was very good both technically and commercially,” says James. indeed, he is testament to the fact that accounting is no longer just about bean counting. “i’m doing my training with Centrica and my current role involves

working for our downstream business British gas, where i support their marketing, propositions and retention development. so

when they are trying to develop new products, win new customers or retain old ones, it’s my job to provide the financial support for that. it’s

really stimulating.”having gained a 2.1 in economics from the

University of hull in 2001, James did a summer internship with hsBC in commercial and corporate

banking. “That made me realise i wanted to work for a large organisation, but to help me work out exactly

what role, i decided to do a masters in economics and finance at the University of York.”

it was there that he concluded accountancy is a good entry into business, that it is challenging and varied and provides excellent opportunities to work internationally.

James’ next step was to pick out a handful of companies he liked the sound of from the Times Top 100 Graduate Recruiters. ‘i wanted to work in energy and managed to get onto Centrica’s scheme,’ he says.

Usually, trainees at Centrica do three 12-month placements. “But i did about five or six shorter ones,” says James, who joined the firm in september 2002. “Now, i’ve moved into a more challenging roles than the previous ones and it’s my first step towards a commercial role, which is what i’d like to do.”

Qualifying with ACCA is hard work, admits James, who is about to finish the three-year training period. “it’s a big commitment because you study around your working hours, which means giving up lots of weekends and taking lots of exams. But it’s well worth it because it opens so many doors,” he says.

“��All�the�study�is�A�big�commitment�becAuse�you�study�After�your�working�hours.�but�it’s�worth�it�becAuse�it�opens�so�mAny�doors.”

REALW.0602.036.indd 43 20/2/06 1:02:22 pm

Without the NAO’s audits and reports intopublic spending, real news stories would be a bit thinner on the ground. Every day, we’rementioned in newspapers and on TV about allkinds of stories connected to public spending.Because that’s what we do: ensure that around£800bn a year is spent wisely.

If the range and scale of our work surprisesyou, so will the opportunities. We’re one of the few public sector organisations to offergraduates ICAEW Accountancy training, with a three-year professional trainingprogramme that’s built around annualblock release periods.

We aim to reflect the diversity of the public we serve.

When you get here, you’ll realise just howsupportive the culture is. So much so, that by theend of your training, you’re quite likely to haveseen an entire audit through to completion. Your starting salary will be £23,369, and benefitsinclude a final salary pension scheme and freelife assurance. Moreover, our London office hasa subsidised staff restaurant and a gym. From August 2006, we’ll be offering the chanceto work and train in Newcastle.

Find out more atwww.nao.org.uk/graduates

No NAO. No news.


For more on CIMA>> p.47


MEENA ANANdAlINghAM, 27dEgREE: PhYsIOlOgY ANd PhARMACOlOgY (2:1) UClChARTEREd BOdY: CIMA (ChARTEREd INsTITUTE OF MANAgEMENT ACCOUNTANTs)EMPlOYER: CITIgROUPIt was when Meena was in the final year of her degree course that she decided on a career in accounting. “I found I preferred the mathematical analysis, which we were increasingly focusing on in the course, to the scientific lab work,” admits Meena, who graduated in 2001.

Next, she decided that the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) qualification would suit her needs best. “With management accountancy, the skills you learn really focus on advisory work and looking to the future. I liked the idea of that,” she explains.

having set her heart on working for Citigroup – because of the work/study balance that the company is renowned for – she was thrilled to find out she’d got in and she began her accounting career in October 2001. “The assessment process was quite rigorous,” she recalls. “It was a full day, with three sets of interviews, group discussions and calculations and tests throughout the day. But it was very fair.”

Meena was particularly pleased to discover that the lessons she learned from the foundation level of her CIMA qualification were transferable from day one. “It was really satisfying to be able to use what I was learning in college in my day-to-day work,” she says. “In fact, I’m still applying what I learn for the qualification every day.”

so far studying while working has been well balanced for her. “We get the relevant time off to attend courses and take the exams and some of the courses are even run in-house now. With tutors coming here, it makes attending classes a lot easier.”

Meena has worked in a variety of challenging roles in her career to date, and is currently looking after the primary business within the fixed income department. “A team of three of us are working together,” she says.

she particularly enjoys the management side of her job, which has kicked in during the last year. she also points to the satisfaction of developing her skills and always having support on hand. she is looking forward to qualifying with CIMA and moving into even more challenging work.

“��We�get�the�relevant�time�off�to�attend�courses�and�take�the�exams.�some��of�the�courses��are�even�run��in-house�noW”

REALW.0602.036.indd 45 20/2/06 1:02:54 pm

m

Accountants & business advisers

PKF (UK) LLP is registered to carry on audit work by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. PKF (UK) LLP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority for investment business activities.

REALW.0602.046.indd 1 20/2/06 13:43:39


FEATURE | ACCOUNTANCY | PROFESSIONAL BODIES & INSTITUTES RW

MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTANCY

Graduates interested in becoming management accountants will usually take a Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) qualification.

Management accountancy is a far cry from ‘bean counting’, claims the organisation. Indeed, management accountants look to the future (rather than the past, as in auditing accounts and tax returns). They can analyse the performance of a business and advise on how it can develop.

Like most accounting qualifications, CIMA training is a combination of exams and practical experience. It usually takes graduates around three years.

Although most CIMA students have a degree in accounting and finance, any degree subject is acceptable.

CHARTERED ACCOUNTANCY

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland trains accountants across the UK not just in Scotland. It was the world’s first professional body of accountants, receiving its Royal Charter in 1854. “The Chartered Accountant (CA) qualification is recognised internationally as one of the most prestigious you can have. That’s largely due to the fact that it’s not easy to get,” says Anne Farquharson, marketing manager at ICAS. “We have a very tough education syllabus with structured work experience and there is lots of competition for training positions.”

Don’t confuse ICAS with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales is the largest professional accountancy body in Europe, with over 125,000 members. Its qualification, which is achieved over three years, is the Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA). The exams are also seen as extremely tough.

There are approximately 2200 ICAEW training offices throughout England and Wales. Firms typically look for 22-24 UCAS points and a 2:1 or 1st in any degree discipline.

“ MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTANTs lOOk TO THE fUTURE (RATHER THAN THE pAsT, As iN AUDiTiNG ACCOUNTs). THEY CAN ANAlYsE THE pERfORMANCE Of A bUsiNEss AND ADvisE ON DEvElOpMENT”

sTAMp Of AppROvAl

flEXiblE QUAlifiCATiON

The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) claims to be the largest and fastest-growing international accountancy body, with 320,000 students and members in 160 countries. So if you’re an aspiring globetrotter, this may be the qualification for you.

This accounting qualification offers great flexibility as students only have to decide what type of accountant they want to be after the 9th of 14 exams.

Graduates take an average of three years to gain the qualification and they work in the corporate sector, public services, private practice and the not-for-profit sector.

Students come from all degree backgrounds and may be exempt from certain exams – if, for example, they have a degree in law or management. Strong analytical and interpersonal skills are more important than being brilliant at maths because today’s best accountants need to be able to turn financial information into business information and then communicate it back to the business to act on.

ACTUARiAl iNsTiTUTEs

Actuaries provide commercial, financial and prudential advice on the management of assets and liabilities – most especially where long-term management and planning are critical factors.

Although most actuaries come from a mathematical background, the profession welcomes other degree disciplines too.

Once employed by a firm, you can start studying for the qualifications required to become a member of the Institute of Actuaries in England and Wales or the Faculty of Actuaries in Scotland. There’s no fixed time, but most people take about five or six years to train.

You’ll need to be a good communicator with a strong mathematical ability, as well as someone who can think logically and see the bigger picture.

www.actuaries.org.uk

www.icas.org.uk www.icaew.co.uk

www.accaglobal.com

www.cimaglobal.com

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www.actuaries.org.uk

The highlights ofThe highlights

success as an actuary

Actuaries are some of the brightest people inbusiness today, with the intellectual ability todevelop a meaningful picture of the future basedon past and present information.

Your mathematical expertise, statisticalknowledge and problem-solving skills canhelp financial institutions and governmentsevaluate the long-term financial implicationsof their decisions. In the process, you will

enjoy a wide variety of career opportunities andimmense work satisfaction in what is a well

respected and very well paid profession.Although maths, statistics, engineering, science

and economics degrees are favourite, any graduatewith strong numerical skills can qualify as an actuary.

The full study programme usually takes betweenthree and six years, at the end of which you will haveachieved an internationally recognised and covetedqualification.

Thereafter, your future really is up to you, with lots ofprospects at managerial and board level in both privateand public sector organisations, in the UK or indeedaround the world.

If you want to find out more about achievingoutstanding success as an actuary, visit our website,email [email protected] or contact The ActuarialProfession at Napier House, 4 Worcester Street, OxfordOX1 2AW or call 01865 268228.

The period following graduation from an undergraduatedegree is one of the most crucial in your life – decisions takenat this point will alter your career path and irrevocably changeyour life. Whatever your first degree, from anthropology to zoology, aDurham Business School Masters degree can help you gaina competitive edge in an over-crowded job market.Durham Business School offers the following masters pro-grammes, aimed at recent graduates looking to move intobusiness, economics, finance and management.You’ll also obtain a qualification from one of the UK’s leadingacademic universities and top ranked business schools.

MA Programmes� MA Management (full-time and distance learning)� MA Financial Management� MA Human Resource Management� MA Marketing� MA Enterprise ManagementDurham Business School’s Masters programmes offer youan exciting opportunity to study in one of the most beauti-ful cities in Europe and be taught and guided by staff withup-to-date theoretical and practical knowledge of keyareas of business and management. "I found the MA Management to be a highly informative andengaging course that opened my eyes to the world of busi-ness. It provided ample opportunity to further my key skillsand provided an excellent platform when applying for grad-uate recruitment schemes. The staff at the BusinessSchool were both well-versed in their fields and thorough-ly approachable, which made for highly enjoyable tutorialsand seminars, and I would thoroughly recommend aDurham Masters." Andrés Sanchez - MA Management

For further information on MA Programmes contact:Tel: + 44 (0) 191 334 5539 Email:[email protected] visit www.durham.ac.uk/dbs

MSc Programmes� MSc Corporate and International Finance� MSc Finance� MSc Finance and Investment� MSc Economics and Finance� MSc International Banking and Finance� MSc International Money, Finance and InvestmentTeaching in the Department of Economics and Financewas rated as excellent with the award of 24/24 in the2001QAA Subject Review. Research in the Departmenthas been recognised as of international excellence with theaward of 5A in the HEFCE Research Assessment Exercise"Studying an MSc in beautiful Durham is like doing a 'WallStreet' degree in 'Hyde Park', We have virtual tradingfacilities - Stock-Trak; a superb guest speaker programme;and the opportunity to study with some of the highestquality graduates from all over the world. Much of theknowledge and skills I have gained at Durham will be anessential part of my professional life."Sheldon Ma - MSc Finance and InvestmentFor further information on MSc Programmes contact:Tel: + 44 (0) 191 334 5134Email: [email protected] visit www.durham.ac.uk/dbs

makers of business leaders

Durham Business School is committed to embracing diversity

Durham’s Masters will help your career reach new heights

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BOURNEMOUTH UNIVERSITY

master your future

The Business School at Bournemouth

University has an enviable reputation

for professionally accredited

programmes with consistently high

graduate recruitment rates.

Great Location – Excellent Teaching –

Brilliant Careers

● MSc Accounting & Management● MSc Corporate Governance (with

Graduate Status of ICSA)● MSc Finance & Law● MA Financial Services● MA Managing Financial Strategy● MA Taxation● ACCA

Programmes are available on a

part-time, full-time, or distance

learning basis. Please contact the

recruitment office to discuss your

individual needs on 01202 967225 or

email [email protected]

With a professional degree from the Business School

For the full list of related Business & Managementprogrammes, log on to www.courses.bournemouth.ac.uk

Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire

DSG international is Europe’s leading electrical retailer and a FTSE 100 company with businesses in 14 countries.

We are proud of our Finance Graduate Programme, which offers you an exciting opportunity to work in partnership with the business to promote the growth of our market leading brands. We are CIMA accredited, offering top quality on-the-job training which will count towards that vital CIMA qualification.

To succeed you will need to be a motivated individual who can lead our business into the future. You should expect a minimum of a 2:1, preferably have a strong maths A-level, initiative, and the confidence to liaise comfortably with senior management. A second European language and a desire to work in different European locations in the future would be of particular interest to us.

We can offer you an exciting and challenging international career with opportunities on a scale few others can match, as well as a competitive benefits package, which includes broad commercial exposure, excellent support, world-class training and development, flexible working, pension, bonus and share schemes.

Please forward your CV to [email protected] and tell us what makes you stand out, and how you can contribute to the continued success of our talented Finance team. Closing date for applications Friday 31 March 2006.

Finance GraduateProgramme

www.nationwide.co.uk/graduate

Want a management development programme that doesn’t just churn out identikit managers? A programme that instead is designed to help you become everything you can be? One where your contribution is valued and you’re positively encouraged to make a difference? One that doesn’t involve instruction in tea-making? See what we’re about, and apply, at

Want something more?

Proud to be different

VOTED THE UKʼS BEST LARGE EMPLOYER

2005

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© 2006 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. All rights reserved. “PricewaterhouseCoopers” refers to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (a limited liability partnership in the United Kingdom) or, as the context requires, other member firms of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, each of which is a separate and independent legal entity.

You’d be surprised what we get up to…

Few people realise just how much we get up to atPricewaterhouseCoopers. Take the 100 or so of our people for instance, who form the cast and crew of our annual charitypantomime. It’s proved a great way for them to meet peoplefrom across the firm, up and down the country, but it can alsobe demanding on their time. Luckily, as part of a supportiveteam, they’ve been able to strike the right work-life balance.Just one of the many surprises you’ll discover here.

Another big surprise is that careers at PwC are about muchmore than simply number-crunching. Whether we’re auditing a company’s financial results, identifying the commercial risksthey face or helping with tax planning, it’s all about gettingbeneath the skin of other organisations.

So, wherever you join us, you’ll be dealing directly with clients from the start, while working towards a professionalqualification. And since the challenges we face span virtuallyevery industry sector, the depth and breadth of experienceyou’ll gain will set you up for an exciting career.

Even more surprising, you don’t need a business or financedegree to join us. Yes, you’ve got to be comfortable withnumbers and you must have a strong academic record. But the subject of your degree is less important than yourwillingness to contribute and your eagerness to learn.

Find out more at www.pwc.com/uk/careers/

Go on, surprise yourself.

Graduate Opportunities Nationwide – Autumn 2006

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March 2006

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