Looking to the future – Career options?

John KirwanOxford University Careers

Service

Department of MaterialsDepartment of Materials25 January 200525 January 2005

Scope of Talk

Employability?Employability? What careers are open to you?What careers are open to you? How do you arrive at an How do you arrive at an

effective career decision?effective career decision? What do employers look for?What do employers look for? Work experience?Work experience? Resources to help you Resources to help you

Windmills Programme

Employability?

‘‘To be employed is to be To be employed is to be at risk, to be employable at risk, to be employable is to be secure.’is to be secure.’

Employability - LTSN

A set of achievements – skills, A set of achievements – skills, understandings and personal understandings and personal attributes – that make people attributes – that make people more likely to gain employment more likely to gain employment and be successful in their and be successful in their chosen occupations, which chosen occupations, which benefits themselves, the benefits themselves, the workforce, the community & workforce, the community & the economy.the economy.

Not just Not just SKILLS!SKILLS!

Employment ‘capability’ (LTSN)…confidence in ability to:

Take effective & appropriate actionTake effective & appropriate action Explain what they are seeking to achieveExplain what they are seeking to achieve Live & work effectively with othersLive & work effectively with others Continue to learn from their experiences Continue to learn from their experiences

both as individuals and in association with both as individuals and in association with others, in a diverse & changing society.others, in a diverse & changing society.

UUK 2002 Essential to develop:UUK 2002 Essential to develop: 1. Employability attributes1. Employability attributes 2. Self-promotional and career 2. Self-promotional and career

management skillsmanagement skills 3. Willingness to learn and reflect on 3. Willingness to learn and reflect on

learning (CPD)learning (CPD)

Employability –AGR21st Century graduates need to demonstrate to need to demonstrate to

employers that they can hit the employers that they can hit the ground running ground running

should engage in extracurricular should engage in extracurricular activities and obtain work activities and obtain work experience in order to develop experience in order to develop skills that will make them better skills that will make them better prepared for the world of work…prepared for the world of work…

important for them to become important for them to become self-aware and develop the self-aware and develop the confidence to market themselves confidence to market themselves effectively when they come to effectively when they come to apply for jobs’. apply for jobs’.

Questions you may face? Why do you want a career in this area?Why do you want a career in this area?

Which of your achievements/ideas do you Which of your achievements/ideas do you feel most proud of? What was your feel most proud of? What was your contribution?contribution?

What do you see as the most significant What do you see as the most significant personal challenge for you in this career? personal challenge for you in this career? What will you have to learn or develop to be What will you have to learn or develop to be successful?successful?

When have you had to think through a When have you had to think through a complex problem, which involved analysing complex problem, which involved analysing data, developing options and implementing a data, developing options and implementing a solution (outside academic work where solution (outside academic work where possible)?possible)?

Jobs directly related to your degree (AGCAS) Research & Development (R&D)Research & Development (R&D) – –

scientific or engineering investigations scientific or engineering investigations into products or processes, improving into products or processes, improving product specifications/performance product specifications/performance and manufacturingand manufacturing

Production/Process Management-Production/Process Management- organising and scheduling production, organising and scheduling production, controlling process variables.controlling process variables.

Quality AssuranceQuality Assurance – establishing and – establishing and operating systems that ensure quality operating systems that ensure quality standards in products/packaging, etcstandards in products/packaging, etc

Customer SupportCustomer Support – technical advisory – technical advisory work, technical saleswork, technical sales

Destinations of Oxford Material Scientists (FDS/DLHE 1998 -2003 figures)(FDS/DLHE 1998 -2003 figures)

Post-graduate study Post-graduate study 3434 FinanceFinance 2020 IndustryIndustry 1515 ITIT 55 OtherOther1010

   Departmental estimates:Departmental estimates:

P-G StudyP-G Study 1/31/3 FinanceFinance 1/31/3 IndustryIndustry 1/31/3

Employers of Oxford Material Scientists British AluminiumBritish Aluminium BAE SystemsBAE Systems CorusCorus Deloitte & ToucheDeloitte & Touche JP MorganJP Morgan John LewisJohn Lewis M&SM&S Rolls RoyceRolls Royce SchrodersSchroders

Actual work roles of recent Oxford Materials graduates Army CadetArmy Cadet Business AnalystBusiness Analyst Materials EngineerMaterials Engineer Market Research ExecutiveMarket Research Executive Media Account ExecutiveMedia Account Executive Production/technical graduate traineeProduction/technical graduate trainee Programmer/software developerProgrammer/software developer Researcher in HEResearcher in HE Trainee Fund ManagerTrainee Fund Manager Trainee AccountantTrainee Accountant Trainee Patent AgentTrainee Patent Agent

Where might your degree be useful?

HE & Research organisationsHE & Research organisations Materials industries Materials industries

(metals,ceramics, composites…)(metals,ceramics, composites…) Engineering industry Engineering industry

(aerospace, automotive, oil..)(aerospace, automotive, oil..) Electronics/telecoms/ITElectronics/telecoms/IT Energy industriesEnergy industries Patent workPatent work Technical journalismTechnical journalism Finance/commerce sectorsFinance/commerce sectors

Careers open to all graduates? 40% of UK graduate vacancies – require 40% of UK graduate vacancies – require

no specific degreeno specific degree AdministrationAdministration AdvertisingAdvertising BroadcastingBroadcasting Computing/ITComputing/IT LibrarianshipLibrarianship MarketingMarketing Production ManagementProduction Management PublishingPublishing PurchasingPurchasing Retail ManagementRetail Management

Effective Career Decisions?

‘Self Awareness’

‘Occupational Awareness’

Decision

ACTION!

‘Self- Awareness’

Abilities & Skills Abilities & Skills ValuesValues InterestsInterests Personality factorsPersonality factors

Going to work or getting a Going to work or getting a buzz?buzz?

Job Satisfaction & motivation (Hertzberg)

Basic Job SatisfactionBasic Job Satisfaction (Satisfy: (Satisfy: ‘Hygiene’ ‘Hygiene’

factorsfactors))

SalarySalary Job securityJob security Working Working

conditionsconditions SupervisionSupervision Policy and Policy and

administrationadministration Interpersonal Interpersonal

relationsrelations

Fuller Job Fuller Job SatisfactionSatisfaction

(Satisfy:(Satisfy: ‘‘Motivators’Motivators’))

Sense of Sense of achievementachievement

RecognitionRecognition ResponsibilityResponsibility Nature of the Nature of the

work & fit to work & fit to aspirationsaspirations

Personal growth Personal growth and advancementand advancement

What needs/motivations do you want to satisfy at work? What’s important to you?What’s important to you?

Salary?Salary? Professional qualifications?Professional qualifications? Career progression?Career progression? Location?Location? Job security?Job security? Work/life balance?Work/life balance? Travel?Travel? Other….Other….

What sort of skills will you be able to offer? Think of your Think of your

achievementsachievements……

SchoolSchoolUniversityUniversityExtra-curricular activitiesExtra-curricular activitiesProjects & placementsProjects & placementsTravelTravelOther work experienceOther work experience

Examples of competencies,skills & attributes required

Problem solvingProblem solving Analytical skills/logical thinkingAnalytical skills/logical thinking Team working skillsTeam working skills Communication – oral and writtenCommunication – oral and written Negotiation/persuasiveness skillsNegotiation/persuasiveness skills Planning and organisationPlanning and organisation Drive and determinationDrive and determination Motivation/interestMotivation/interest Business awarenessBusiness awareness

Importance of transferable skills to employers - AGR 2002 (rank order)

1.1. Motivation & enthusiasmMotivation & enthusiasm

2.2. Team workingTeam working

3.3. Oral communicationOral communication

4.4. Flexibility & adaptabilityFlexibility & adaptability

5.5. Initiative/pro-activityInitiative/pro-activity

Skill shortfalls – AGR 2002

Interpersonal skillsInterpersonal skills Initiative/proactivityInitiative/proactivity managing own developmentmanaging own development Business awarenessBusiness awareness Oral communicationOral communication Problem solvingProblem solving

‘Occupational Awareness’ What’s out there?What’s out there? Careers Services - InformationCareers Services - Information Careers Directories – ProspectsCareers Directories – Prospects WebsitesWebsites Vacancy bulletinsVacancy bulletins Contacts/NetworkingContacts/Networking Work experience/work Work experience/work

shadowingshadowing

Work Experience?

Valued by employersValued by employers Builds CVBuilds CV Develops transferable skillsDevelops transferable skills Check out occupations & employersCheck out occupations & employers

When?When? VacationsVacations

Work shadowingWork shadowing VisitsVisits PlacementsPlacements

Finding Work experience vacancies Advertisements/guidesAdvertisements/guides WebWeb

Careers ServiceCareers ServiceProspectsProspects

Networking Networking Speculative approachesSpeculative approaches

Career Decisions

Careful assessment – NOT risk freeCareful assessment – NOT risk free

1. Identify key factors of importance to 1. Identify key factors of importance to you in your careeryou in your career

2. Consider various occupations in 2. Consider various occupations in light of key factors. Check “fit” – light of key factors. Check “fit” – expectations v actual requirementsexpectations v actual requirements

3. Evaluate key issues arising +-3. Evaluate key issues arising +-

4. Decide upon “Best fit” option & 4. Decide upon “Best fit” option & accept any compromisesaccept any compromises

Job Search - what do you need to research? Yourself – transferable skills, Yourself – transferable skills,

etcetc The Sector – trends, issuesThe Sector – trends, issues The Organisation – “health”, The Organisation – “health”,

prospects, trainingprospects, training Job requirements Job requirements –”selection –”selection

criteria”criteria” Selection process – Who? Selection process – Who?

What’s involved?What’s involved?

The Selection Process

VacancyAnalysis

jobrequirements

Job description & ”Selection criteria”

Advertise?Shortlist

viaSelection criteria

Assessments

Appointment Decision

Selection criteria

Analysis of ‘ideal’ candidateAnalysis of ‘ideal’ candidate Essential & desirable attributesEssential & desirable attributes

QualificationsQualifications SkillsSkills KnowledgeKnowledge ExperienceExperience

What’s your degree of “fit” ?What’s your degree of “fit” ? Where is the evidence?Where is the evidence?

Careers Service - what we can do for you… encourage and help students and

contract research staff to make well- informed decisions about their careers…

deliver high quality Careers Education, Information and Guidance to promote the development of effective career management skills.

Not just for new graduates!!!

Careers Service Resources I WebsiteWebsite

Register on-line - FreeRegister on-line - Free Job & Work experienceJob & Work experience

Term Programme – events/talksTerm Programme – events/talks Improving applicationsImproving applications Interview preparationInterview preparation Handling assessment centresHandling assessment centres Postgraduate studyPostgraduate study Aptitude testsAptitude tests

Careers Service Resources II Information Room – Tactics Sheets, Information Room – Tactics Sheets,

Careers Directories, student Careers Directories, student feedback filesfeedback files

Careers Advisers – 1:1 discussions Careers Advisers – 1:1 discussions & quick query ‘Duty Adviser’ & quick query ‘Duty Adviser’ sessionssessions

Computerised Careers guidance – Computerised Careers guidance – Prospects PlannerProspects Planner

Work Experience SectionWork Experience Section Postgraduate study sectionPostgraduate study section Work overseas sectionWork overseas section

Useful Websites

www.careers.ox.ac.ukwww.careers.ox.ac.uk

www.prospects.ac.ukwww.prospects.ac.uk

www.targetedGRAD.comwww.targetedGRAD.com