www.abdn.ac.uk/careers

Careers ServiceUniversity of AberdeenThe Hub (second floor)

Elphinstone RoadAberdeen AB24 3TU

+44 (0)1224 273601 www.abdn.ac.uk/careers

twitter: @AbdnUniCareers

nUnitwitter: @Abdnc.uk.abdn.ac

224 www

+44 (0)1

n AB Aberdeen nston Elphin

econ The Hub (s of AbUniversity o eers Care

twitter: @AbdnUniCareers.abdn.ac.uk/careers+44 (0)1224 273601

Aberdeen AB24 3TUElphinstone Road

The Hub (second floor)University of Aberdeen

viceCareers Ser

Work Experience

Work Experience

Santander Universities SME Internship Programme

The University of Aberdeen Careers Service has established the Santander SME Internship Programmewith funding from Santander UK. The initiative enables small and medium-sized organisations (SMEs)from a wide range of employment sectors and locations, access to the knowledge and skills of Universityof Aberdeen students and recent graduates by offering paid 3-month, full-time internships.

Benefits to you:> The opportunity to complete paid employment in a developing organisation.> The chance to kick-start your career and gain valuable experience.> The opportunity to demonstrate your skills and creativity.> Input to projects and business development.> Enhance your employability, CV and work preparedness.

Key details:> Internships are typically full-time for a 3 month period and usually start in May or June, although this is dependent upon the organisation’s needs.

> Internships carry a minimum salary of £1000 per month.> Applications are normally via a covering letter and CV. You are strongly encouraged to book an appointment with the Careers Service to review your application and ensure it is tailored to the position.

> Approximately 50% of Santander Interns receive a contract extension or a position within the organisation post-internship.

> For full details and to view current opportunities please visit: www.abdn.ac.uk/santanderinternship

Work experience is defined as any work you have undertaken – paid or unpaid – that results in yougaining experience and developing work-related skills. All work experience is valuable, and employers arealways interested to see the range of work experience on a candidate’s CV. Work experience can begained in a variety of ways, for example through a term-time job, a placement or internship, or workingabroad during the summer holidays.

The Careers Service has extensive resources on finding work experience, both on our website, and in ourlibrary where there is both take-away and reference materials. We also source placement opportunities forundergraduate students.

Benefits of work experienceWork experience is a key way of showing future employers that you have developed the essential skillsto be a success in the work place (often called “transferable” or “employability” skills). Some examplesof these skills and attributes are:

Communication skills Team working experience Confidence and independence Organisational skills Problem-solving skills Practical subject knowledgeIT skills Flexibility Imagination and creativity

Work experience also provides an opportunity to develop and achieve Aberdeen Graduate Attributes(www.abdn.ac.uk/graduateattributes). Or in other words, work experience can make the differenceby providing the evidence to allow your application to stand out from the crowd.

What can you gain from work experience?> Obtain an insight into how organisations operate.> Build up a network of contacts within a particular industry.> Demonstrate initiative and determination to break into your chosen career.> Increase your business awareness of your chosen field. > Understand a particular role and organisation – see if you enjoy it!

What do employers gain from offering work experience?> It allows employers to see how capable you are while undertaking real work.> A specific piece of work or project can be completed.> It may form part of an “extended interview” – where you are reviewed throughout the placement with the possibility of a graduate job being offered at the end, meaning you enter your final year of study in the knowledge that you have secured a graduate post.

> For formal placements, where an interview may be offered for a graduate post, the summerplacement/internship forms a key stage in the graduate recruitment process.

Building work experience on your CVStudents are strongly encouraged to develop a portfolio of work experience during their time

at university. In addition to bar/ supermarket type work, volunteering (either in the UK orabroad) is highly regarded by employers. Company insight days can also provide a

useful opportunity to visit an employer’s work place and make valuable contacts.Undertaking a work placement/ internship during the summer before your final

year will also look great on your CV.

How do you find work experience opportunities? Placement opportunities unique to students from the University of Aberdeen are advertised on ourwebsite, which is also continually updated with national and international work experience/ placementopportunities. In addition, the Careers Service coordinates the University’s Aberdeen InternshipProgramme (paid summer placements within the University for third year undergraduates), which isgenerally advertised in the spring term. You can register on our website to receive email updates of newopportunities when they are advertised, ensuring you don’t miss out, or ‘like’ our Facebook page.

Aberdeen University Students’ Association (www.ausa.org.uk) has listings of casual, part time and term-time employment opportunities for students, along with volunteering information.

During the autumn term we host Careers Information Fairs, and throughout the year there are regularemployer visits to campus for employers to discuss career and work experience opportunities withinterested students. Full details of fairs and employer visits are detailed on the “Events” section of ourwebsite.

International work experienceThere are various international working opportunities available, which can look great on your CV. Workingoverseas demonstrates to employers that you are adaptable and able to work in other cultures, possiblyusing other languages. The Careers Service library and website has further information aboutorganisations such as the Saltire Foundation, BUNAC, ERASMUS work placements and internationalvolunteering opportunities.

Ongoing opportunities during the year Consider voluntary work in your chosen field – even two hours a week can provide you with valuableexperience and contacts. The Students’ Association keeps listings of volunteering opportunities.Networking is an invaluable way to gain experience - use your existing contacts (friends, family,colleagues) to find other contacts for advice and possible work experience, or if there is something specificyou are interested in, write and ask if you could “work shadow” for a day to see what the job wouldinvolve. If you are interested in a career with children, consider finding out more about the BP StudentTutoring Scheme, where you work in a school for eight weeks, alongside the class teacher.

Closing datesBe aware that for many formal placement opportunities for penultimate year undergraduate students,applications may need to be submitted prior to Christmas. Generally, many employers will advertisepositions during the spring, with some recruiting into the summer term. Our website allows you to registeryour preferences (e.g. location, type of opportunity you are interested in) and will send you tailored emailupdates with vacancy and closing date information. Alternatively, help yourself to some of ourpublications on work experience (with case studies, advice and further information) which have listingson national closing dates. Our Work Experience web pages include closing dates to “Exclusive toAberdeen” placements.

How to make the most of work experienceWork experience is a key section of your CV, and it is important to record any previous work experience(paid and unpaid) so that you can demonstrate to employers how your previous experiences are relevantto current applications. It might be helpful therefore to keep a regular, personal record of your activitieswhile at work. When making subsequent applications this record will help you with writing up yourresponsibilities and skills development on your CV, and at interview will give you an opportunity todiscuss your specific experience and skills.

What is work experience?

Work experience is defined as any work you have undertaken – paid or unpaid – that results in yougaining experience and developing work-related skills. All work experience is valuable, and employers arealways interested to see the range of work experience on a candidate’s CV. Work experience can begained in a variety of ways, for example through a term-time job, a placement or internship, or workingabroad during the summer holidays.

The Careers Service has extensive resources on finding work experience, both on our website, and in ourlibrary where there is both take-away and reference materials. We also source placement opportunities forundergraduate students.

Benefits of work experienceWork experience is a key way of showing future employers that you have developed the essential skillsto be a success in the work place (often called “transferable” or “employability” skills). Some examplesof these skills and attributes are:

Communication skills Team working experience Confidence and independence Organisational skills Problem-solving skills Practical subject knowledgeIT skills Flexibility Imagination and creativity

Work experience also provides an opportunity to develop and achieve Aberdeen Graduate Attributes(www.abdn.ac.uk/graduateattributes). Or in other words, work experience can make the differenceby providing the evidence to allow your application to stand out from the crowd.

What can you gain from work experience?> Obtain an insight into how organisations operate.> Build up a network of contacts within a particular industry.> Demonstrate initiative and determination to break into your chosen career.> Increase your business awareness of your chosen field. > Understand a particular role and organisation – see if you enjoy it!

What do employers gain from offering work experience?> It allows employers to see how capable you are while undertaking real work.> A specific piece of work or project can be completed.> It may form part of an “extended interview” – where you are reviewed throughout the placement with the possibility of a graduate job being offered at the end, meaning you enter your final year of study in the knowledge that you have secured a graduate post.

> For formal placements, where an interview may be offered for a graduate post, the summerplacement/internship forms a key stage in the graduate recruitment process.

Building work experience on your CVStudents are strongly encouraged to develop a portfolio of work experience during their time

at university. In addition to bar/ supermarket type work, volunteering (either in the UK orabroad) is highly regarded by employers. Company insight days can also provide a

useful opportunity to visit an employer’s work place and make valuable contacts.Undertaking a work placement/ internship during the summer before your final

year will also look great on your CV.

How do you find work experience opportunities? Placement opportunities unique to students from the University of Aberdeen are advertised on ourwebsite, which is also continually updated with national and international work experience/ placementopportunities. In addition, the Careers Service coordinates the University’s Aberdeen InternshipProgramme (paid summer placements within the University for third year undergraduates), which isgenerally advertised in the spring term. You can register on our website to receive email updates of newopportunities when they are advertised, ensuring you don’t miss out, or ‘like’ our Facebook page.

Aberdeen University Students’ Association (www.ausa.org.uk) has listings of casual, part time and term-time employment opportunities for students, along with volunteering information.

During the autumn term we host Careers Information Fairs, and throughout the year there are regularemployer visits to campus for employers to discuss career and work experience opportunities withinterested students. Full details of fairs and employer visits are detailed on the “Events” section of ourwebsite.

International work experienceThere are various international working opportunities available, which can look great on your CV. Workingoverseas demonstrates to employers that you are adaptable and able to work in other cultures, possiblyusing other languages. The Careers Service library and website has further information aboutorganisations such as the Saltire Foundation, BUNAC, ERASMUS work placements and internationalvolunteering opportunities.

Ongoing opportunities during the year Consider voluntary work in your chosen field – even two hours a week can provide you with valuableexperience and contacts. The Students’ Association keeps listings of volunteering opportunities.Networking is an invaluable way to gain experience - use your existing contacts (friends, family,colleagues) to find other contacts for advice and possible work experience, or if there is something specificyou are interested in, write and ask if you could “work shadow” for a day to see what the job wouldinvolve. If you are interested in a career with children, consider finding out more about the BP StudentTutoring Scheme, where you work in a school for eight weeks, alongside the class teacher.

Closing datesBe aware that for many formal placement opportunities for penultimate year undergraduate students,applications may need to be submitted prior to Christmas. Generally, many employers will advertisepositions during the spring, with some recruiting into the summer term. Our website allows you to registeryour preferences (e.g. location, type of opportunity you are interested in) and will send you tailored emailupdates with vacancy and closing date information. Alternatively, help yourself to some of ourpublications on work experience (with case studies, advice and further information) which have listingson national closing dates. Our Work Experience web pages include closing dates to “Exclusive toAberdeen” placements.

How to make the most of work experienceWork experience is a key section of your CV, and it is important to record any previous work experience(paid and unpaid) so that you can demonstrate to employers how your previous experiences are relevantto current applications. It might be helpful therefore to keep a regular, personal record of your activitieswhile at work. When making subsequent applications this record will help you with writing up yourresponsibilities and skills development on your CV, and at interview will give you an opportunity todiscuss your specific experience and skills.

What is work experience?

www.abdn.ac.uk/careers

Careers ServiceUniversity of AberdeenThe Hub (second floor)

Elphinstone RoadAberdeen AB24 3TU

+44 (0)1224 273601 www.abdn.ac.uk/careers

twitter: @AbdnUniCareers

nUnitwitter: @Abdnc.uk.abdn.ac

224 www

+44 (0)1

n AB Aberdeen nston Elphin

econ The Hub (s of AbUniversity o eers Care

twitter: @AbdnUniCareers.abdn.ac.uk/careers+44 (0)1224 273601

Aberdeen AB24 3TUElphinstone Road

The Hub (second floor)University of Aberdeen

viceCareers Ser

Work Experience

Work Experience

Santander Universities SME Internship Programme

The University of Aberdeen Careers Service has established the Santander SME Internship Programmewith funding from Santander UK. The initiative enables small and medium-sized organisations (SMEs)from a wide range of employment sectors and locations, access to the knowledge and skills of Universityof Aberdeen students and recent graduates by offering paid 3-month, full-time internships.

Benefits to you:> The opportunity to complete paid employment in a developing organisation.> The chance to kick-start your career and gain valuable experience.> The opportunity to demonstrate your skills and creativity.> Input to projects and business development.> Enhance your employability, CV and work preparedness.

Key details:> Internships are typically full-time for a 3 month period and usually start in May or June, although this is dependent upon the organisation’s needs.

> Internships carry a minimum salary of £1000 per month.> Applications are normally via a covering letter and CV. You are strongly encouraged to book an appointment with the Careers Service to review your application and ensure it is tailored to the position.

> Approximately 50% of Santander Interns receive a contract extension or a position within the organisation post-internship.

> For full details and to view current opportunities please visit: www.abdn.ac.uk/santanderinternship