THE 2006 REAL WORLD GUIDE TO WORK EXPERIENCE

Listen up!Listen up!Listen up!Listen up!YOUR DEGREE IS

NOTENOUGHGET SOME EXPERIENCE

Sweet Stuff:THE ULTIMATE WORK EXPERIENCE GUIDE

Out of the ZoneGRADS WHO PUSH THE LIMITS

Volunteer or Work?WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?

FREE TO STUDENTS * www.realworldmagazine.com

GET.0510.001.indd 1 21/10/05 6:01:29 pm

© 2005 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. All rights reserved. “PricewaterhouseCoopers” refers to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (a limited liability partnership in the United Kingdom) or, as the contextrequires, other member firms of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, each of which is a separate and independent legal entity.

You’d be surprisedwhat we get up to...

*connectedthinking

You’d probably expect to go through exams when youcome to PwC. What you may not realise is the amount oftraining and development we provide after you’ve qualified.You could specialise in a particular field such as banking,telecoms, consumer products – or agriculture. You couldeven choose to work overseas. Whatever route you take,we take a great deal of pride in the support we’ll provide. In fact, helping our people enhance their skills all the waythrough their career is one of our highest priorities. And that’s not the only surprise you’ll find here.

Another big surprise is that careers at PwC are about much more than simply number-crunching. Whether we’reauditing a company’s financial results, identifying thecommercial risks they face, helping with tax planning orassessing the implications of strategic business decisions –it’s about getting beneath the skin of other organisations*.

So wherever you join us, you’ll be dealing directly withclients right from the start, while working towards aprofessional qualification. And since the challenges we face span virtually every industry sector, the depth andbreadth of experience you’ll gain will equip you for anexciting career in whichever field you choose.

Even more surprising, you don’t need a business or finance degree to join us. Yes, you’ve got to be comfortabledealing with numbers and you must have a strongacademic record. But the subject of your degree is lessimportant than your willingness to contribute and youreagerness to learn.

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

Go on. Surprise yourself.

Graduate Opportunities Nationwide – Autumn 2006

20978-297x210-Get Ahead 17/10/05 9:47 am Page 1

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I N T H I S I S S U E

05 EDITOR’S LETTER

COVER STORY: 06 LISTEN UP! YOUR DEGREE IS NOT ENOUGH.

IF EMPLOYERS SAY YOUR DEGREE WON’T GET YOU A JOB THEN WHAT WILL? NANCY GROVES TALKS TO THE EXPERTS

COMPETITION: 09 COMPETITION COMPETITION

HED CANDY: 10 THE ULTIMATE WORK EXPERIENCE GUIDE

ESSENTIAL ADVICE ON WORK EXPERIENCE: FROM WRITING YOUR CV AND APPLICATION LETTER, MISTAKES TO AVOID, TO FINDING PLACEMENTS WITH THE BBC.

FACTS R US: 16 THE LOWDOWN ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A

PLACEMENT, VOLUNTARY WORK OR OVERSEAS TRAVEL? THEN TURN TO OUR CHART TO GET THE ESSENTIAL FACTS ON WHERE TO START.

GET WISE: 18 GET A JOB YOU LOVE. BEST-SELLING AUTHOR JOHN LEES

PRESENTS EIGHT SIMPLE STEPS TO FINDING YOUR TRUE CALLING.

GET READY: 20 WHAT EMPLOYERS WILL WANT FROM YOU

GET*A*HED BREAKS DOWN THE KEY SKILLS THAT EMPLOYERS ARE LOOKING FOR.

GET GOING: 22 ARE YOU EXPERIENCED?

WORK EXPERIENCE CAN BE THE SHINING HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR CV. BUT HOW DO YOU GET IT? AND MORE TO THE POINT WHAT DO YOU DO ONCE YOU’VE GOT IT? NANCY GROVES GIVES YOU THE RUNDOWN.

REAL LIFE: 26 OUT OF THE ZONE. SO MUCH FOR THE THEORY, NOW

FOR THE PRACTICE... SEVEN GRADS TELL ADELINE IZIREN HOW WORK EXPERIENCE REALLY DID GET THEM A GREAT JOB.

GET.0510.003.indd 3 21/10/05 6:05:10 pm

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

Bright sparksshine here.

FFeeeedd yyoouurr mmiinndd

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.

If you like the sound of what we can do for your career, visit our website for further information at

www.deloitte.co.uk/graduates

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

11761 lb Bright Sparks A4 AD 10/10/05 12:38 pm Page 1

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E D I T O R ’ S L E T T E R

For some of you it might seem like a long way off, to others it’s looming ever closer, but sooner or later you’re going to leave your bubble of university life and pitch yourself

into the outside world. But the big job hunt/what should I do with my life

dilemma won’t be half as tough if you’ve spent some time gaining work experience.

The sad fact is that for the majority of you a degree alone, be it a 2:1 or even a First, won’t guarantee you the job you want. It’s a good starting block, but that’s all it is. Recruiters tell us that the graduates who stand out are the ones with some experience, the ones who know how to sell themselves.

It’s no big deal. The majority of you will already have plenty of experience, whether helping out at your university society or by working part-time to make ends meet. Nor does it always have to be directly relevant to the job, you just have to make it clear how the skills you’ve picked up will make you employable in the career you’ve chosen.

Employers say time and time again that grads are underselling the skills that they already have. But it’s a tough old world and if you don’t promote yourself no one else will.

And don’t forget getting experience is not all about impressing employers – you will want to road test your job choice a little. For there’s nothing more futile than spending months on applications only to get yourself into a job that you hate.

Here at Real World, we’ve aimed to give you all the tools to recognise the skills you already have and to identify the ones that you might be lacking. Use the info you’ve been given and get out there: you’ll learn a lot about yourself.

And one fi nal thing... in keeping with our aim of ensuring that our readers aim high, Real World always welcomes applications for internships from aspiring journalists.

Zoë Roberts – ED

Write to me at zoe@realworldmagazine.com

“IF YOU ENJOY

WHAT YOU DO, YOU’LL

NEVER WORK ANOTHER DAY IN YOUR LIFE.”

Chinese philosopher Confucius (551-479 BC)

WORKIT OUT!

CONTRIBUTORS:

EDITORIAL: 020 7735 2111EDITOR: ZOË ROBERTS ART DIRECTOR: JENNIFER VAN SCHOOR SUB EDITOR: STEVE SMETHURSTSALES: 020 7735 4900HEAD OF SALES: PAUL WADESALES: HARMESH SANSOA, JOSH MARSHALL DISTRIBUTION: JAMES LYNCHMANAGING DIRECTOR: DARIUS NORELL COVER PHOTOGRAPH: GETTY IMAGES CHERRY PUBLISHING 22-26 ALBERT EMBANKMENT, LONDON SE1 7TJ TEL: 020 7735 4900 FAX: 020 7840 0443

WWW.REALWORLDMAGAZINE.COM

GET*A*HED 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.

NANCY GROVES: Real World intern, Bristol graduate Nancy Groves is something of a work-experience pro having done stints at a number of national papers. Going onto brighter and better things as a local reporter in London, Nancy says her moment of revelation came

when she realised she could actually get paid for writing: “from that moment on, I never looked back.”

ADELINE IZIRENTop career journalist Adeline managed to fi t in interviews with our work-experience case studies (page 28) between writing for the nationals, including her weekly Guardian column. Once short-listed as a fi nalist in the Cosmopolitan Women of Achievement

Awards, she takes a lot of stopping. “I wanted to be a journalist from the age of eight, after I saw Angela Rippon read the news, but it wasn’t easy. My teachers didn’t think I would achieve my dream,” recalls Adeline, who had her fi rst newspaper article published in her teens.

GET.0510.005.indd 5 21/10/05 6:08:55 pm

*�*

C O V E R S T O R Y

EnOughoW

ho would think that scrubbing the floors of a pub might play a part in securing your dream job after graduation. But when recruiters at

a top financial-services firm were deciding between two applicants with near-identical academic records recently, it was the student who could talk about his experiences in bar work that eventually got the position.

Picture the scene. You’ve arrived for your evening shift at the student union bar and your manager is nowhere to be seen. The beer barrels need changing, a tray of lager is lying in a sticky mess on the floor and the rugby team, fresh from a day of sporting triumph, is jostling to order a celebratory round of pints.

It’s going to take patience, good people management and a large dose of enthusiasm to get through the evening in one piece.

And these are all the skills that graduate recruiters look for in potential candidates. Employers want to hear about your life experi-ences in the real world, away from the theories of academia. And they expect your university experience to have generated more than a piece of paper. In short your degree is no longer

Employers want a whole lot more on your CV,

such as skills and experience. It might

seem like they are asking the impossible, but read

on, as Nancy Groves explains it’s not what

you do... it’s the way that you do it

LiSTEn up!YOuR dEgREE iS

n To

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“IT’S GOING TO TAKE PATIENCE, GOOD PEOPLE MANAGEMENT AND A LARGE DOSE OF ENTHUSIASM TO GET THROUGH THE EVENING IN ONE PIECE”

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C O V E R S T O R Y

enough. Indeed as one graduate recruiter said in the aptly named career guide, If Only I’d Known, “a degree is no longer a meal ticket to your future – it’s merely a licence to hunt”.

So why has your degree been devalued? Surely once upon a time if you studied hard and got good grades then a degree was your passport to a top job? Well, much of the answer is basic maths. “More graduates than ever before are coming through higher education,” says Sean Russell, director of the careers service at Birmingham University. “If you don’t get involved in other activities and skills development, you risk being left behind.”

More than 60 per cent of university students now leave with a 2:1 and with government policy aiming to get 50 per cent of over-18 year olds in higher education, the graduate job market has never felt more crowded.

Work placements, part-time jobs, student societies, sports teams and volunteering can all teach you things that your studies cannot. But you aren’t going to get that job simply by joining every society going while at uni.

“Some students will come in with a catalogue of societies they are members of, but when you being to probe as to what their responsibilities were, that list begins to crumble,” says Tony Butler, careers director at Oxford University and president of the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS). Building up your CV is less about counting what you’ve done that making what you’ve done count, he says.

“It’s not so much a case of what you do, as what you get out of it,” agrees Sean at Birmingham. “You can learn a lot from what might seem like a fairly mundane job. Fantastic CVs don’t necessarily come from spending your gap year building mud huts in the jungle.”

This means not only learning how to talk about what you’ve worked on, but also how to talk about the results and the part you played in them. In short, you need to learn to market yourself and your experiences.

S tep forward two graduates from Bristol University’s Class of 2004 who found time between their studies for more strenuous

activity than watching Hollyoaks. Claire, 23, gained a 2:1 in Social Policy and now works as a recruitment consultant. Placed in charge of housing-sector recruitment at her company, she has already doubled her starting salary and now interviews dozens of candidates each week. But only a year ago, she was in the hot seat herself.

“I think the fact that I had a part-time job at high-street retailer Monsoon throughout uni really impressed my interviewer,” says Claire. “It showed that I’m a hard-worker who can keep a lot of balls in the air. I also talked about my time on the Social Policy Society commit-tee, which involved a lot of event management. It was all about promoting and selling, both of which are transferable skills for recruitment.

From her new perspective as a recruiter, Claire believes that these skills are a candidate’s biggest selling tool. “So many people have degrees now that you can’t rely on your 2:1 to get you through. No one wants to know you got your ballet badge at the age of eight but it’s good to mention your other activities.”

W hat he’d done outside his degree was the first thing to come up at interview for Rich, 23, a Modern Languages

graduate who recently secured a training contract with a top City law firm. “The partners opened by asking about my involvement in my student band. I think they were using it as an ice-breaker but I was able to talk about the skills I learned from co-ordinating nine people and their instru-ments,” says Rich. “I also talked about managing a £1,500 budget for sound equipment and lighting when we played at our university ball. If you can quantify your achievements, it sounds better.”

“The knack is being able to make the connection between what you’ve done and what you’re applying to do,” agrees Tony Butler. “Over the past 10 years, employers have become more skilled in articulating what com-petencies they want and their testing processes have become increasingly sophisticated.”

According to Tony, the best aspect of his job is meeting a student who has a really good CV but doesn’t realise it. “You discuss their achievements and see their eyes opening. It’s a great sensation for a careers advisor – someone who suddenly gets it”, he says.

But, counters Sean Russell, “what really breaks my heart is seeing the CV of a final-year student who has good academic results, did a lot at school but has not got involved in anything since they arrived at university.”

Plan ahead and there’ll be no need to break any hearts. Nor will you be struggling for words at interviews. “Get in there. Get involved. Start to work with other people and try to achieve something,” urges Tony. Or as graduate recruiter, Suzie Howard advises in If Only I’d Known. “Bite off more than you can chew, and then chew like mad.”

“WhaT REallY bREakS mY

hEaRT iS SEEing ThE CV Of a final-YEaR

STudEnT WiTh gOOd aCadEmiC

RESulTS buT WhO haS nOT gOT inVOlVEd

WiTh anYThing aT uniVERSiTY”

GET.0510.006.indd 8 21/10/05 6:14:19 pm

SPONSORED BY

2006

OF THEIR TIME AT UNIVERSITY

REALWORLDMAGAZINE.COM

£20,000CASH TO BE WON

THE SEARCH IS ONFOR GRADUATES WHOHAVE MADE THE MOST

FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO

*10*

What do the following have in common? An internship in a City bank, voluntary work with the CAB and selling books door-to-door in America? It’s all work experience and whatever type you go for, it’s a head start in the job market.

1. InsightWhen you try out a specifi c career or type of organisation you will learn the demands of employment. It may put you off, but better now than later!

2. Skills developmentRemember, recruiters have a shopping list of the skills they want, and you can’t get them through academic study alone.

3. Evidence of experienceYou have to stand out from the crowd. And it is far easier to convince a recruiter that you want to be an accountant/PR offi cer if you’ve fi rst-hand experience.

4. A step aheadMany employers use work experience as a fi lter for long-term employment. In large organisations you can even be fast-tracked to interview stage without making another application…

5. ContactsIf you impress your co-workers and managers they are likely to prove an invaluable source of future support.

6. Confi denceThe right experience will make you more confi dent in future interviews or at a selection centre.

7. Money Work experience can be paid, but often isn’t. See it as an investment to help you to beat off the competition for your ideal job (and good long-term salary).

There’s such a range of work experience opportunities there’s a possibility that you’ll end up doing something that you don’t really enjoy. To avoid this, Peter Hawkins author of career guide Building Windmills recommends a seven-step, P.R.O.C.E.S.S.

P...urposeIdentify how important work is to you. Do you live to work – or simply work to live?R...olesWhat kind of work suits you – working with people, ideas or practical things?O...rganisation Think about the size and type of organisation you prefer to work in. Large or small? In industry, the outdoors, or in an offi ce?C...areer motivationThis is the big question. Think hard and try to decide what motivates you most. Is it money? Recognition? Power? Security? Using your skills? Running your own show? A combination of all of these? What do you want from a job?E...nvironmentDo you prefer working alone or as part of a team? In a quiet room or a busy offi ce? Regular or irregular hours? At a computer or out in the fi eld? Motivating and organising or advising and problem-solving?S...ectorTry to pin down the type of sector you would prefer to work in – eg retail and leisure, communications or engineering. Check too for any signs of growth in your preferred sector and where the main openings are to be found.S...killsFinally, ask yourself what key skills and qualifi cations your ideal job will require.

WITH SARAH LONGWELL, CAREERS ADVISER AT KEELE UNIVERSITY

“DON’T KNOCK TEMPING – 55 PER CENT OF GRADS HAVE NEVER USED A FAX MACHINE; AND 71 PER CENT CANNOT DRAFT A SIMPLE BUSINESS LETTER”

TASTE THE EXPERIENCE: IT’S THE SWEET STUFF THAT THE EMPLOYERS JUST LOVE

WHY INVEST IN WORK EXPERIENCE? WHAT SHALL I DO?

Unpaid internships and work experience can be an invaluable way to choose your career. Carolyn Myers, volunteering manager at Oxfam, suggests three key questions to ask yourself when applying.

* Can I afford it? To get the most from the experience, you must concentrate and commit fully to it, and not spread yourself too thinly. In the long run, a few short-term sacrifi ces will pay off.

* What are my goals from the internship? We match the individual to the role and department they are interested in. We are guided in that by the clarity of your hopes or intentions. You must know in advance what you want to gain from the experience.

* What makes me different? When you apply for the internship, think carefully about how you present yourself. ‘I want to make a difference’ won’t be enough. You have to convince the organisation that you have the skills and competencies they seek. We look for evidence of project-management experience, good interpersonal and communications skills, and analytical ability.

UNPAID INTERNSHIPS

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*11*

* There is more to a CV than simply jotting down the right information under the right headings. Each time you apply for a different job or placement, you need to make explicit the SKILLS you have got out of these activities. An effective CV takes it one stage further and selects the RELEVANT SKILLS for that particular career. If you’re not sure which skills you need for a particular job or placement, log onto the employer’s website to build up a picture. Then it is up to you to drop examples of where you’ve picked up these relevant skills in your CV – usually in the ‘work experience’ or ‘interests and activities’ section, and sometimes under ‘education’.

* Remember not to belittle the casual jobs you have done as a student as mundane or irrelevant. Think ‘working as a bar person shows I have the ability to deal with diffi cult customers/ work in a team/ cope under pressure’, not ‘it was only a few hours down the Fox and Goose.’ If you don’t sing your own praises, no one else will!

* Include all types of ‘work experience’ under this heading, ie not just traditional work experience or work-shadowing, but casual jobs, part-time work and voluntary work from sixth-form onwards.

* Give credit to any ‘positions of responsibility’ you have had, such as social-events organiser for a society, or student representative for your course, by listing them under this separate heading. Employers value these roles much as they would do work experience.

* Produce no longer than two sides of A4. Allow more space on your CV when the information is more important. For example, give some indication of the content of your degree but simply state the total number of your GCSEs (eg nine GCSEs, mainly B grades) rather than using up nine lines.

* Tailor your covering letter to the job you are applying for, by explaining, without gushing, why you are interested in the specific job/placement and organisation, and giving three to four reasons why you think you are a suitable candidate.

* Once you have drafted your CV and covering letter, drop in to see a careers adviser for one-to-one feedback.

Are you a media wannabe? Get*A*Hed asks BBC work-placement co-ordinator Kathryn Miller for some insider info

So, Kathryn, how easy is it to get a placement at the BBC?We receive 20,000 applications a year and, on average, the odds of a placement are 18-1. However, the poor standard means that about 50 per cent fail at the initial short-listing process.

How important is it for the applicant to have prior experience in the media? It’s essential they demonstrate some knowledge of the area they apply to.

Do you have a top tip for students wishing to secure a placement in such a competitive environment? * Give strong arguments for applying to

the specifi c placement. Try to include what you might gain from the placement and what you can offer us.

* Don’t just list your experiences, give more detail about them. Tell us what duties were performed, what did you learn, what skills were utilised?

* Read the criteria carefully before applying and ensure you mention how you meet each of the criteria.

* When detailing your interests, remember to state how they will help you in your placement.

Any advice on what not to do? Don’t just write one line!

How important is work experience for grads wanting to work in the media? Essential. There is so much competition that you MUST have work experience to back up the knowledge you’ve gained on your course.

Is work experience at smaller companies a useful alternative?Absolutely. It’s more important to be able to show the skills you’ve gained rather than name dropping where you gained them!

“IT’S MORE IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO SHOW THE SKILLS YOU’VE GAINED RATHER THAN NAME DROPPING WHERE YOU GAINED THEM”

BY JENNIFER CONNELL, CAREERS ADVISER, UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL

CV AND APPLICATION LETTERS

HOW TO IMPRESS EMPLOYERS

GET.0510.010.indd 11 21/10/05 6:20:58 pm

www.realworldmagazine.com

Need to sort out your CV?Get online with Real World for

free copies of our CV clinic, which gives you the essential guide

to building a great CV.

If you’re looking for a great job, start here. Whether you want to browse jobs or search for an employer, location or sector we’ll �nd the job for you.

Straight to your email inbox: the latest jobs tailored to your pro�le, news on the companies that are hiring, along with competitions, and up-to-date careers advice.

Fed up with jobs that don’t suit you? Tailor your job hunt in My Real World. Create your personal pro�le, save jobs ads, and track your applications.

Essential tools and knowledge that will prepare you for the job hunting process. We'll help you identify your strengths and show you how to stand out from the crowd!

The lowdown on the industry sectors you could work in. Find out about current job vacancies, what employers are looking for and which careers match you and your degree.

Looking for the employer of your dreams? Check out the online pro�les for all the info on who they recruit, where they recruit, how you can apply for them.

A new online experience.

GET.0510.012.pdf 5/9/06 14:19:07

*13*

So you’ve got the placement and you’re getting ready for your fi rst day’s work. What’s going to impress your prospective employer? Philippe Rose, brand and communications adviser for recruitment at Shell drops a few hints... 1. Never underestimate the importance of an internshipThe long-term benefi ts of interning are immense. It is the best way to test out a potential career as well as fast track into a top company. Furthermore, it is an opportunity to make valuable career contacts. Even if you don’t end up with a permanent job, it can equip you with excellent, often diffi cult to fi nd, experience as well as earn you a professional reference.

2. Make the right movesThere are basic things you can do to ensure you make maximum impact, even if you are new to the world of work. Simply treat your internship like you would a full-time job. Always behaving professionally; maintain a positive and enthusiastic attitude; be pleasant and courteous to everyone. You never know who you will meet again.

3. Don’t be a job snobEven seemingly menial tasks can teach you about how an offi ce works. If you do these tasks well and with the right attitude, your seniors will be more inclined to give you bigger responsibilities and more interesting work. You may also want to think about ways in which you can go beyond what is being asked of you.

4. Network. Beyond working with your immediate team there are various ways to gain exposure to as many people as possible. For example, you can arrange informal chats over coffee or lunch with full-time staff members and ask to attend as many industry, client or internal events as possible.

GOT IT! WHAT NEXT?

“I WANTED TO BE A JOURNALIST BUT I HATED IT, AS IT INVOLVED CHASING AROUND AND CALLING PEOPLE WHO DIDN’T WANT TO SPEAK TO ME”

It’s the Year of the Volunteer so here are fi ve good reasons put yourself forward.

1. Employers love it. A survey by online volunteering bureau TimeBank among 200 UK businesses revealed:* 74 per cent of employers would

employ candidates with volunteering experience over one who has none;

* 94 per cent of employers believe that volunteering can add to skills;

* 58 per cent say voluntary work experience can actually be more valuable than experience in paid employment.

2. It can be better than an expensive training course. According to Andrij Slobodian, lifelong learning advisor at learndirect: “Our database provides more than 900,000 courses and job profi les, but many industries require practical experience before they even consider a candidate – that’s why volunteering is such a good option.”

3. It can be good fun. Alan Eagle, charitable trust manager at Abbey, runs the bank’s volunteering programme. He says; “Volunteering not only helps develop skills but provides them with a really positive experience.”

4. It can get your foot in the door. Many jobs are not widely advertised. Liz Davies did a degree in public relations in Leeds and throughout the course spent time doing voluntary work in PR agencies. Her commitment to a company in Leeds meant that when a position came up she was offered it.

5. You can test drive a job. “I wanted to be a journalist,” says Sam Rice, 24, “so I tried work experience on a local paper. But I hated it, as it involved chasing around and calling people who didn’t want to speak to me. I’m just glad that I found that out before I applied for any postgraduate training courses.”

www.yearofthevolunteer.org

VOLUNTEERING:

Channel 4 news presenter Jon Snow volunteered as a VSO teacher in Uganda..

“I had had a very sheltered, privileged upbringing and I’d never been out of England, never been on a plane. And suddenly to be on a plane, to be landing at Entebbe Airport in 90 degrees and 90 degrees of humidity to be met by one tumbledown old priest and carted off into the bush was a pretty startling change from anything I had ever experienced in England.

And in truth, initially I was incredibly homesick. But very, very quickly I became completely absorbed in what I was doing, and realised for the fi rst time in my life that I had something to contribute. Probably not very much. Probably I got more out of it than they did. But I think it changed my life.

In going to Uganda it determined the rest of my life course... Volunteering has become an essential, I would say. It’s the kind of thing which keeps me rooted.”

IT CHANGED MY LIFE:

Phot

ogra

ph: C

hann

el4

New

s

GET.0510.010.indd 13 21/10/05 6:23:26 pm

Turning ideas into reality Who we are

Hewitt Bacon & Woodrow is the UK business of Hewitt Associates, a global human resources outsourcing and consulting firm. We work with many of the top companies and pension funds in the UK on a full range of human resources and pension fund issues.

What are we looking for

We are looking for highly motivated graduates who want to be part of our successful business, many of whom join us via our Summer Internship Programme. You will have a strong academic background, with excellent communication skills and a desire to push yourself and be challenged in everything you do. We are looking for team players who have the drive and ambition to take on early responsibility. You will thrive on deadlines and want to play a key part in shaping the future of our business.

Our graduate requirements

2.1 degree in any discipline Minimum B grade in Maths A level (or equivalent) Minimum B grade in GCSE English Language (or equivalent) Our Internship programme

We have approximately 35 places available on our internship programme in 2006. Placements last for between 8-10 weeks from end June to end August and are available in both our Pensions and Investment Practices.

To apply for an internship at Hewitt you need to be on target to meet our graduate requirements as above. Our on-line application form will be available for internship applications from mid-December and our selection process begins mid February 2006. Preference is given to those students entering into their penultimate year of study.

As an intern you can expect to be involved in the preparation and communication of information and advice from day one. In addition you will attend a mixture of formal training events and local development opportunities.

Looking Ahead - Graduate training and development

Our philosophy is to give our graduates as much responsibility as they can handle at each stage of their career. We will support your development through on the job coaching and mentoring, sponsorship of relevant professional qualifications (we have one of the best professional study packages in the business), and a structured internal training programme. We offer generous financial support and study leave for examinations.

www.hewitt.com/uk

*15*

For many of you, having to fi nd part-time work while you are at uni is going to be the only way to solve your fi nancial woes. But don’t forget that although a tragic necessity, a part-time job can also look great on your CV. Paul Cullinan, director of the National Association of Student Employment Staff (Nases) gives some tips on making it good for you.

* Don’t worry if your part-time job is not related to your long-term job aspirations. You’ll be considered a more rounded individual as consequence of work experience that is not career related. Many employers recognise it will enable you to bring a greater range of skills/experience to their company.

* Universities can offer a lot of help fi nding a job. Your fi rst port of call should be the campus-based, student-employment service (or ‘Job Shop’), which is normally located in the careers service or your students union. Job Shops are also sometimes connected to the welfare service, business enterprise offi ce or can be found within your institution’s personnel department.

* Part-time work doesn’t have to mean mind-numbing menial work. You’ll fi nd your student employment service will provide a diverse range of job opportunities ranging from low/semi-skilled to skilled. Jobs on offer can range from clerical/admin work to marketing and promotional employment, to name just a few.

* Don’t undersell yourself. The rates of pay will range from National Minimum Wage (from October 2005 this will be £4.25 in October 2005 for workers aged 18-21 and £5.05 for workers over 22) through to £8/£10 an hour, the average being £5.50/£6.00 an hour.

* There’s a lot of competition for part-time work, so you must be prepared and treat any recruitment process seriously.

* Don’t get pound signs in your eyes. Your study commitments should always be the fi rst priority so be realistic and make sure you manage your time effectively.

* Look at your time table/study commitments. Most students can work between 10/15 hours per week without it being detrimental to course/study/social life.

* Start by maximising the quality of your CV. If you have little/no previous work experience, then you need to convey you have developed skills from other experiences, for example playing sports, being a member of a club or society. These situations allow you to develop a host of skills such as teamwork, working to deadlines, decision making, working under pressure, communication skills – commonly referred to as ‘transferable skills’.

Getting experience is all very well but how are you going to fi nd time? Francine Kaye author of Time to Live suggest some ways to bring order to your chaos

Have your goal in mindKnow what your desired outcome is before you attempt any task. Knowing this gives you something to aim for and has the added bonus of setting your standards for that particular task.

Repeat what worksThe ultimate success formula is to repeat what works. When you last got the most out of your study hours, how did you do it? Examine what you did to achieve that high level of productivity and just keep repeating what works.

I’ve started so I’ll fi nish...Finish what you start. Give yourself a deadline. You can greatly increase your personal effectiveness if you make deadlines for each of your tasks.

AnticipateThe power of anticipation cannot be underestimated. Before going full steam ahead with a new piece of work spend some thinking time anticipating the challenges that could arise. When is the deadline? How much time will it really take? While you cannot cover all bases, you may be able to avoid a crisis by giving yourself advance warning of what might be ahead. The better you become at this the further ahead you are able to look.

Chunking downYou can’t eat an elephant all in one bite. The same is true with your work. Make sure you chunk down a large task into bite size pieces and don’t be daunted by the size of the whole thing. Make a list of all the different stages and tick them off as you go. Decide how big your ‘bites’ will be and take time to relax after each step. That way you’ll have more energy for the next step.

PART-TIME WORK

“YOU CAN’T EAT AN ELEPHANT ALL IN ONE BITE. THE SAME IS TRUE WITH YOUR WORK. MAKE SURE YOU CHUNK DOWN A LARGE TASK INTO BITE-SIZE PIECES”

TIME

GET.0510.010.indd 15 21/10/05 6:25:48 pm

THE LOWDOWN

*16*

G E T E X P E R I E N C E D

WHAT’S THE DEAL? WHAT DO EMPLOYERS WANT? GET*A*HED ON THE DOWN SIDE... LINKS

BLUE CHIP INTERNSHIPS

INTERNATIONAL WORK EXPERIENCE

CASUAL WORK

VOLUNTARY WORK

ONE-YEAR SANDWICH PLACEMENTS

PLACEMENT AGENCIES

C C

QI I-

ÇÇÇÇÇÇÇ

®Å®

The big companies usually run internship programmes over the summer holidays. They offer the chance of money, business insights and networking opportunities.

They are also seen as a key way to recruit graduates, and as ABN AMRO states, “By the end of it, we want to be in a position to make you an offer for a place on our graduate programme.”

Everything from teaching in developing countries, casual work and travelling, voluntary work or formal internships with one employer.You’ll just need to decide what suits you and your budget.

It might not be the most glam way to spend your spare time, but stacking shelves at Christmas could be more valuable than you think.

That’s because any experience is good experience as long as you make the most of it to practise skills like teamwork and customer service.

Pretty much all employers like to see volunteering experience on CVs. One reason is that many voluntary organisations provide training.

For example: “We’ve a comprehensive training course for many of our volunteers,” says Dan Levene at the Citizens Advice Bureau, which relies on more than 20,000 trained volunteers to run its services.

Sandwich placements form part of your degree course, typically between the second and fi nal years. They mostly paid and are intended to be relevant to your degree and are offered in industry, commerce and the public sector.

Even if a placement is not part of your course, you may be allowed to take a year out if you are keen.

Agencies such as STEP, talentladder and Fledglings fi nd paid placements with employers for penultimate-year students. They aim to match students to placements that will interest them. Some, such as STEP, focus on SMEs. Cymru Prosper Wales places students for 10-week, small-business placements in Wales. Freshminds looks for top grads who have fi nished their course.

Usually, employers will only take penultimate-year students. But relevant degrees are not always necessary. For example, Ernst & Young takes students from any discipline but asks that they should display, “individuality, team-working skills, commercial drive and energy.”

Casual work schemes abroad require only that you are over 18, can prove that you are a student, have a valid passport, and have the necessary funds.

Some of the charities operating these schemes have an application process that you will have to go through.

Most companies hire students to work in their busy periods, such as weekends, end-of-season sales and public holidays.

This means that, ultimately, what they really want is a high degree of availability. It might not be fun to give up your spare time, but if you aren’t prepared to, other people will be.

According to the National Centre for Volunteering, “Some organisations are quite demanding and look for volunteers with certain skills, but most give full training and are simply looking for someone with enthusiasm.”

As you will effectively be an employee for a year, fi rms have strict recruitment criteria. “Most important is enthusiasm and a willingness to get stuck in, as we expect the same amount of work from our placement students as we do from our graduate recruits,” says Gary Argent, UK graduate recruitment manager at IT services company LogicaCMG.

Don’t expect them to do all the work for you. You need to treat your application to a placement agency as if it was a formal job application.

All placement agencies are looking for students who will be bright and capable enough to take on a job in industry, and these are the qualities they will look for on your CV.

Everything from teaching in

It might not be the most glam way to spend

Casual work schemes abroad require only that you are over 18, can prove that you are a student, have a valid passport, and have the necessary funds.

operating these schemes have an application process that you will have to go through.

Most companies hire students to work in

for volunteers with certain

GET.0510.016.indd 16 21/10/05 6:27:06 pm

*17*

WHAT’S THE DEAL? WHAT DO EMPLOYERS WANT? GET*A*HED ON THE DOWN SIDE... LINKS

BLUE CHIP INTERNSHIPS

INTERNATIONAL WORK EXPERIENCE

CASUAL WORK

VOLUNTARY WORK

ONE-YEAR SANDWICH PLACEMENTS

PLACEMENT AGENCIES

The fi rst step is to use your careers service. They’ll provide you with advice on who is offering internships – and will help you write your application form.

But it’s up to you to fi nd a placement. The majority of organisations will have detailed information on available schemes on their websites. Be warned, competition is fi erce and you’ll need to apply very early.

The likes of Council Exchanges, BUNAC and Camp America are familiar to many. But some big employers also offer international work placements.

However, competition can be tough. KPMG requires you to be “academically outstanding”, “able to demonstrate a clear interest in a business-related career” and be fl uent in German/French.

Many universities have JobShops that can help you to fi nd casual work. Recruitment is very different to that for a graduate job however, often working on a fi rst-come, fi rst-served basis, so you need to be alert constantly for job adverts and get your application in quickly.

The National Centre for Volunteering is a useful starting point for ideas on how to volunteer in your local community.

Other useful organisations include Timebank, which has a searchable database of projects at home and abroad, and CSV, which places volunteers and provides training.

Your university will provide some help and usually has a designated placement offi cer, but it will mainly be down to you to organise your placement. Ask at your careers service and at your academic department.

Many large recruiters now run sandwich schemes, so if you are interested in a particular company, visit their website to see what they offer.

Once you are in their books, the agency will do all the hard work for you. They create a profi le of you, mainly using your CV but also through interviews, then search through their databases of potential employers to fi nd one that matches your skills and interests.

You will be usually required to attend an interview with the employer. At that stage your success is up to you.

This might sound surprising, but applying for an internship can be more competitive than applying for a graduate job.

So don’t expect the application process to be easy – it can often involve several stages of interviews and aptitude tests and you’ll need put in a great deal of preparation.

The costs can be huge, so you will have to raise money before you leave. While fundraising can be another great thing to put on your CV it can also be very time consuming. As well as company fees and fl ights, there can also be hidden costs, such as your visa or a TEFL course. Make sure you do your maths before you get going.

The work can be boring, and the pay won’t necessarily be high. Unsocial hours can also be a pain

and you’ll often have to be available at short notice.

The key word here is ‘voluntary’, which means you won’t be paid for

the work you do. This can particularly be a problem if you

want to volunteer abroad, as you will fi rst need to raise all the necessary funds.

Competition for sandwich placements can be intense, and you won’t always end up with your fi rst choice of employer. A year is a long time if you discover in your fi rst week that you are not suited to the company or the job.

It will also add extra length to your degree, but remember that employers increasingly use sandwich placements to fi nd future employees.

What the agency thinks suits you might not necessarily be what you think suits you.

Worst-case scenario: they may offer you placements in jobs you wouldn’t enjoy or at fi rms that don’t appeal to you.

Visit individual company sites for information. Research your internship application as you would a real job.

Visit www.realworldmagazine.com for careers advice.

www.bunac.org/ukwww.councilexchanges.org.ukwww.campamerica.co.uk

www.teaching-abroad.co.uk

Also make sure you check your uni careers service.

www.nases.org.uk (National Association of

Student Employers)

www.volunteeringengland.org.ukwww.yearofthevolunteer.orgwww.timebank.org.ukwww.volunteering.org.ukwww.studentvol.org.uKwww.citizensadvice.org.uk

Visit your university careers service website and check individual company sites.

www.step.org.ukwww.talentladder.comwww.freshminds.co.uk

www.cpw.org.ukwww.fl edglings.net

job however, often working on

starting point for ideas on how to volunteer in your local community.

and you’ll often have to be available at short notice.

The key word here is ‘voluntary’, which means you won’t be paid for

the work you do. This can particularly be a problem if you

What the agency thinks suits you might not necessarily be

www.step.org.ukwww.talentladder.comwww.freshminds.co.uk

www.cpw.org.ukwww.fl edglings.net

Visit your university careers service website and

consuming. As well as company fees and fl ights, there can also be hidden Also make sure you check

your uni careers service.

www.nases.org.uk (National Association of

Student Employers)

GET.0510.016.indd 17 21/10/05 6:28:47 pm

*18*

G E T G O I N G

How do people choose the work they do? For many, work chooses them. Careers are often formed by the fi rst job that happens to come along after graduation.

If you add up the years that go into your fi nal qualifi cations, it’s staggering how little atten-tion many people give to the question, ‘What kind of work would really suit me?’

Every year, thousands of graduates aim to work out the puzzle, trying to match lists of job roles to their own inclinations. You may choose to rely on the advice of family or friends, but take care. Too many graduates are trying to nav-igate the 21st-century workplace using career information that is two generations out of date.

Look at the new kinds of jobs that have been created during the past decade alone. Four years ago, a dotcom in London was ad-vertising for a ‘director of cool’. Nice job title, but how would advice from your careers adviser have helped you to get it?

Some careers services might offer you computerised tests – which does sound a little more contemporary. But where the test generates a list of likely occupations, take care.

Your perfect job may not be listed because of the way it is coded. Fields of work are complex and varied. For example, an accountant in the shipping industry will perform a very different job to an accountant working for the National Trust. Job titles are often much too broad. Starting with a list of possibles is fi ne, but make sure you really explore what the jobs are all about.

WHAT DO I DOWITH MY LIFE?

Careers author John Lees shows you how to begin to make sense of

bewildering career choices.

#1 RETHINK YOUR EDUCATION

Look at the subjects you have just studied. What would you like to know more about?

What skills have you developed while studying? Now look at all the topics that you have chosen to read or think about

in your own time.

ow do people choose the work they do? For many, work chooses them. Careers are often formed by the fi rst job that happens to come along after

of job roles to their own inclinations. You may choose to rely on the advice of family or friends, but take care. Too many graduates are trying to nav-igate the 21st-century workplace using career information

#2 TRANSLATE YOUR QUALIFICATIONS

Few recruiters really understand the alphabet soup of qualifi cations, so never assume that an employer will be aware

of what you have studied. Translate what you have done into language an interviewer can relate to. Talk about the relevance of the

subject to the workplace, and the skills you have acquired (especially team-working or communication skills). Don’t undersell your qualifi cation, simply sell it in a

language that a buyer understands.

Look at the new kinds of jobs that have been created during the past decade alone. Four years ago, a dotcom in London was ad-

coded. Fields of work are complex and varied. For example, an accountant in the shipping industry will perform a very different job to an accountant working for the National Trust. Job titles are

#3OBSERVE YOUR WORKING STYLE

The way you work will have a strong infl uence on your likely career. Do you draw your energy from other

people or from private refl ection? How do you operate in a group – what role do you naturally take up? Which skills

do you exercise if you have a free choice? Seek out jobs that provide a good match to

the way you like to work.

GET.0510.018.indd 18 21/10/05 6:29:47 pm

*19*

www.jobyoulove.co.ukCareer strategist John Lees is a regular Real World contributor and best-selling author of How to Get a Job You’ll Love, McGraw-Hill, £12.99.

#4ANALYSE YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE

Many graduates make light of temporary or seasonal jobs, but they provide a huge source of evidence to employers.

Your work experience is also a good testing ground for discovering your likely career. Examine every experience of the work you

have undertaken to date. What has motivated you or excited you? What kind of work

gives you a buzz? #5THINK RESEARCH BEFORE JOB SEARCH

Conduct an audit: what do you actually know about work? How can you fi nd out more? Who can you talk to? Never accept the one-dimensional view of a career given in textbooks, websites or –

even worse – television. Dramas and documentaries all give you an edited view of a job; you need to know what it ‘s

really like from the inside.

#6WORK YOUR CONTACTS

Don’t miss out on key contacts who can introduce you to real people in real jobs. University staff often have business

contacts or can put you in touch with past students. Talk to anyone who can help: parents of your friends, past employers, friends who

are already working. Learn how to conduct informational interviews: short, focused discussions that give you

the inside story on other people’s careers.

#7HAVE A LEARNING AGENDA

Just because you’re entering the fi eld of work doesn’t mean that you will stop learning. Decide what you would like to learn

from the fi rst year in a job. Think broadly – skills, know-how, experience of organisations and work sectors. Decide how you would like your

CV to read in two years’ time. Also, take advantage of any opportunities that come along for short-term or even voluntary work placements.

At this stage, virtually all work experience is useful as long as you don’t get locked in too early. The key is to learn and move on. Short-term

assignments are a great way of fi nding out the pros and cons of a potential career.

#8BEGIN TO TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR CAREER

Many people take ‘fi ll-in’ jobs after qualifying. The danger is that these can quickly lead you to believe they are a good example of what life is like in the working world. ‘Fill-in’ jobs can quickly become permanent posts unless you keep your goals in mind. In your fi rst few years of work you will

quickly discover that there is only one person taking responsibility for your career: you. Learn how to choose well, and how to

move on positively if you don’t.

GET.0510.018.indd 19 21/10/05 6:30:46 pm

WHAT EMPLOYERS WILL WANT FROM YOU...

Employers are forever

complaining that

graduates are

unprepared for the

world of work. So what

exactly are they

looking for?

Get*A*Hed breaks

down the basics...

*20*

ONE: ADAPTABILITY AND FLEXIBILITY The world is moving fast and you need to show employers that you can keep up.

They are looking for assurances that you are able to cope with changing circumstances and demands – that you can take on new responsibilities without much notice.

“Flexibility and adaptability are the key skills we look for,” says Emily Chandler, Accenture graduate recruitment sourcing lead. “Our projects are based all over the country and we require people to move around and to be adaptable.” She says the organisation will ask candidates to be able to draw on a situation where the goal posts were moved and they’d had to react quickly to a new situation.

So think about the times when you have demonstrated fl exibility and adaptability – perhaps when coping with the pressures of balancing study, work and your social life.

TWO: THE X-FACTOR Showing self-awareness and being able to articulate and sell your abilities to an employer – not in a boastful way but by giving evidence of what you have done – is a key skill, according to Carl Gilleard, head of the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR).

He says this is the ‘X-factor’ that employers look for. “It’s a cocktail of motivation, enthusiasm, commitment, passion and self-effi cacy,” he says. Self-effi cacy, despite sounding like a disease, is actually an individual’s estimate or personal judgment of his or her own ability to succeed, says Carl.

“In a way it boils down to self-esteem. If you believe in yourself then there’s a higher chance that others might also believe in you.”

THREE: COMMUNICATION SKILLS According to the National Council of Work Experience, 67 per cent of employers believe communication skills are the most important attributes when recruiting for work placements.

The basics of reading, writing and talking are taken as a given. They are looking for the ability to negotiate and pick up nuances in conversation. Empathy (the ability to understand where someone is coming from) is a vital skill as is the ability to infl uence or persuade people either as part of a team or as a leader. Body language is also important - not only your own, but also that of the person you’re talking to.

Linda Graham, graduate programme manager at Marks & Spencer, says employers look for: “someone who can articulate their experiences, and show expressive verbal and non-verbal gestures – such as making eye contact when speaking.” They should also be aware of their own personal strengths and weaknesses, she says.

THREE: COMMUNICATION SKILLS According to the National Council of Work

G E T R E A D Y

GET.0510.020.indd 20 24/10/05 9:34:28 am

MARKET YOURSELF: THE NEXT STEPS

* The majority of organisations are very clear about the competencies they look for, so read their top tips online or call to ask. “Employers realise that you will be applying to lots of fi rms but you must make them believe that the job you really want is their’s,” says Carl Gilleard at the AGR.

* Now you know what skills they are after, the fi rst step is to look at each one and to review whether you have these skills. For each, list at least two examples of how you have demonstrated them.

* You probably have more examples than you realise. Graduates frequently undersell what they’ve done, according to Carl. “When asked ‘Have you had any work experience?’ The wrong answer is ‘Well, I have only worked in the union bar’,” he says. “Do not under value your work experience! It all counts. Successfully pacifying a drunken student who is demanding a last pint, fi ve minutes after closing time, is quite an achievement…”

* Try to quantify what you’ve done. Rather than saying, “I helped out at my local school” break down what you did. “I held hour-long reading sessions with 32 under-sevens every morning.”

* Don’t ramble on. Careers advisers suggest breaking down your answer into three chunks. About 15 per cent of that should be the situation or problem. The majority (about 70 per cent) explaining how you handled the situation; the skills you used; and how you evaluated it (communication, creativity, leadership). The fi nal 15 per cent should explain the outcome of your example.

*21*

FOUR: BUSINESS AWARENESS This is a key gripe for employers: too few graduates have any business or commercial savvy. Even in the not-for-profi t and public sector you’ll need to have an understanding of the environment that your employer operates in.

“Candidates should prepare themselves for the application process by researching the business environment and anticipating some of the commercial questions that may be raised at interview,” says Linda at Marks & Spencer. “For us, a broad awareness of the commercial factors facing retail organisations is also necessary.”

To brush up on this, check online news archives and also read through the company’s own website, especially its press releases.

FIVE: INITIATIVE This is a big one for employers. “We look for graduates who are self starters – they don’t have to wait to be told what to do next, but can weigh up an issue and implement it,” says Linda at M&S. “Companies are looking for graduates who have shown initiative and have done something meaningful during their spare time. This could be joining a society or club at university, taking a gap year out, showing entrepreneurial skills by running their own business, or working while studying and managing to get a good grade.”

This also covers decisiveness and problem-solving skills. Employers are looking for evidence that you can identify options, assess their suitability, decide on the best course of action and carry it out.

“It’s one of the key skills which we look for,” agrees Emily at Accenture. “Particularly people who have looked for ways to improve things: examples candidates give include redesigning a process to make it more effi cient, or redefi ning something to make it different from the status quo.”

SIX: TEAMWORKINGThis is an integral part of almost every job and in many organisations working in small project teams is the norm. You are almost inevitably going to be asked to give examples of times you have been a constructive team member, contributing, in a practical way, to the success of the group, so come prepared.

“Much of our work is done in project teams so it’s important that the candidate is happy in that environment as that will really show us whether they will be successful at Accenture,” says graduate recruitment lead, Emily.

GET.0510.020.indd 21 24/10/05 9:35:37 am

*22*

Looking to score with the hottest graduate recruiters? Well, in the job market – as in many other areas of your life - experience counts for a lot. With the right work placement under your belt, not only will you be keeping potential employers keen, you are also reducing the risk of

performance anxiety when it comes to your fi rst job.“Employers expect new recruits to hit the ground running,” says Scott

Foley of Manchester University’s careers service. “If you’ve already got commercial awareness, an understanding of working in an organisation and the ability to function well in a team, employers won’t have to train you from

scratch in those areas.”Liz Rhodes, director of the National Council for Work Experience

(NCWE) agrees. “Employers want graduates to have some understanding of the world of work and are able to articulate what they have achieved

in past situations.”Work experience, then, is worth its weight in gold. Unfortunately,

this means that fi nding a placement can often feel as competitive as applying for the real deal.

The good news, according to Liz, is that companies are wising up to the benefi ts that students can bring to their

organisation. “There is a real business case for offering work experience and candidates can get a lot done if the

company thinks through what to assign them,” she says. Like all good relationships, it’s a case of give and take.

Employers are open to offers – it’s your job to let them know you’re available.

But don’t forget to make the most of it when you get it. Stuart Hearn head of international

human resources at Sony/ATV Music Publish ing remembers feedback from

two work-experience students in Sony’s press department.

Person A: “It was really dull – I spent most of the time

stuffi ng envelopes and mailing them out to people.”

ARE YOU EXPERIENCED?

THE PLACEMENT PROPlacement Pro arrives with time to spare, giving her the chance to fl ick through the day’s Financial Times in reception as she smoothes down invisible creases in her freshly dry-cleaned suit.

As the HR manager gives her the offi ce tour, she is sure to ask as many questions as possible about the company’s graduate recruitment scheme, noting down her email address and direct line for future queries.

Pro’s biggest worry is how she will squeeze this – her fourth work placement – onto her CV. But for now she’s just excited to get stuck into every job that’s handed her way, even volunteering to stuff all 5,000 envelopes of a company mail-out. With a smile.

Work experience can be the shining highlight of your CV and make the difference between a thumbs up for a job and a big fat rejection.

But how do you get it? And more to the point what do you do once you’ve got it? Nancy Groves gives you the rundown.

G E T W I S E

*22*

ARE YOU ARE YOU EXPERIENCED?ARE YOU EXPERIENCED?ARE YOU EXPERIENCED?EXPERIENCED?

GET.0510.022.indd 22 24/10/05 9:37:24 am

*23*

Person B: “It was fantastic – I learned how press packs are made up, discovered who all the key players are within the music press, and learned all about the company’s music artists.”

The difference between their placements? “Nothing – they both did exactly the same job!” says Stuart, “Putting together and sending out hundreds of press packs about the artists. The difference is the second person paid attention to everything they did and learned from it, no matter how menial it seemed on the surface.”

First base – making your match

* TRUST THE EXPERTS. “Use your university careers service to think about your career direction and determine what kinds of work experience

would be most appropriate,” recommend careers advisers, Christine Blaymire and Ian Boardman at Salford University careers centre.

* DO YOUR RESEARCH. When applying to magazines for placements journalism student Anna, 24, made sure she carefully checked the names and contacts of each of their editorial assistants and she persevered. “I got about one reply for every fi ve letters I sent,” she says, “but once I’d done my fi rst placement, it snowballed from there.” In a year, Anna had completed stints at fi ve different consumer titles.

* GET ONLINE. Visit NCWE at www.work-experience.org for helpful information and links to employer sites. Also useful is www.step.org.uk, which organises project-based work in small- to medium-sized companies for undergraduates.

* PHONE A FRIEND. Don’t be embarrassed to call on personal contacts. Your mate might not want ‘to do what her daddy does’ but that shouldn’t stop you from asking daddy for a work placement. Most universities also have an alumni network bursting with people who are happy to accommodate students.

* EVERYTHING COUNTS. “I’m now starting to tell people that any experience is useful, whether formal, voluntary or even part-time work,” says Liz at NWCE. “All you’ve got to be able to do is refl ect on what you’ve done and be ready to talk about it.”

Second base – making your move

* DO YOUR HOMEWORK. “Make sure you have researched the company and know what it is all about, from the industry it works in, to the internal

company culture,” advises Binita Cooper, recruitment director at L’Oréal. “That way, you can assess your experiences to date and present the most relevant example.”

* GET REAL. “We look to recruit candidates who can bring their real-life experiences to the work environment,” says Binita. “An application will stand out if it can demonstrate

ARE YOU EXPERIENCED?

THE LOSERArriving late and

swearing profusely about his train delay, Loser is nevertheless cutting a dash in distressed denim. The perfect dress code for

Saturday night perhaps, but not so appropriate for a day spent shadowing the legal team in client meetings. Loser has not found time to read the company brochure in advance but he’s sure to pick up protocol as he goes along, right?When asked why he wants to become a lawyer, he answers that he’s in it for the money, of course, jovially punching his supervisor in the arm. At this rate, this boy is not looking like he’ll be losing his L-plates any time soon.

Work experience can be the shining highlight of your CV and make the difference between a thumbs up for a job and a big fat rejection.

But how do you get it? And more to the point what do you do once you’ve got it? Nancy Groves gives you the rundown.

GET.0510.022.indd 23 24/10/05 9:39:15 am

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Who should apply?Applicants should either:• be studying ‘A’ Levels in Mathematics, Physics or related subjects and be applying to University to read Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or similar

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To apply and find out more, contact:Graduate Recruitment & Training ManagerCROWN Packaging UK PLCDownsview RoadWantage Oxon: OX12 9BP

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Brand-Building

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Innovative

Contemporary

crown.pdf 19/10/05 14:30:27

Helping people to have fun is our business. It takes tons of energy.It takes great organisation skills and it sure needs a level head. But above all it takes fantastic people who love making sureeveryone has a great time.

Right now, we’re recruiting for 2006 and have all sorts ofopportunities including:• Assistant Park Representatives • Bar Team • Lifeguards • Entertainers• Accommodation Team • Reception Team • Children’s Club Representatives

Whichever job you apply for, one thing’s for sure, you’ll be eager toget out there and get the partystarted for our guests.

For the summer experience ofyour life, call 01442 293 236 or visitwww.siblu.com

dive into siblu for some serious summer fun

seasonal opportunities • france, spain and italy

Advantage aims to help you build a career based on your merits.

While many employers increasingly recognise the benefits of recruiting a diverse workforce, some students still face barriers to employment.

Packed with invaluable advice from graduates, experts and employers Advantage gives you the best tools to get you the job you want, whatever you want to do.

Available free from your careers service.

THE REAL WORLD DIVERSITY GUIDE

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G E T W I S E

areas of interest or positions of responsibility outside the candidate’s studies.” Fiona Gaffney, head of European analyst recruitment at Lehman Brothers, agrees: “Candidates for internships need to present real examples that demonstrate their competencies to us.”

* SELL YOURSELF. Individually tailor your CVs and cover letter to your target company. As Fiona says, “the cover letter is very important in telling your story to the hiring organisation.”

* FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS. “Some candidates send me letters on expensive letterhead with stamped addressed envelopes,” says Fiona, “Unfortunately, this is a complete waste of their time and money – our website tells them clearly that we only accept applications online.”

* GET WHAT YOU GIVE. “Make the case out for a) why you want to do a placement and b) what you can offer them,” say Liz Rhodes. Remember that you are looking to forge a reciprocal relationship.

* SHOW WILLING. “Most important to us is enthusiasm and willingness to get stuck in as we expect the same amount of work from our placement students as we do from our graduate recruits,” says Gary Argent, UK graduate recruitment manager at IT services company LogicaCMG. “We also need to really see that you have researched the company and are clear about what we do and that we are right for you. We get a huge number of applications so give yourself the time to apply and give it your best shot.”

Third base – making your mark

* START AS YOU MEAN TO GO ON. That means turning up on time and dressed appropriately. “A student on the same internship as me arrived on the Monday morning in an seriously short mini-

skirt,” recalls BBC recruit, Emily, 23. “Needless to say the skirt made more of an impact than she did.”

* MUG UP. “I’ve had students shadowing me who don’t even know the difference between a solicitor and a barrister,” reveals circuit judge and former criminal barrister, Tony Pitts. If you arrive not knowing the basics, you’re unlikely to learn anything more.

* BE INTERESTED. Says Tony: “There’s nothing more frustrating than someone who doesn’t have any questions to ask even after a long day in court.” The brain-dead cabbage look is defi nitely out.

* LISTEN AND LEARN. “Listen to instructions and take notes,” advises careers adviser Christine Blaymire. “And perform even menial tasks with enthusiasm. You can learn a lot about a company even just stuffi ng envelopes.”

* ASK FOR HELP. “It’s important to hold up your hand if you’ve made a mistake or you’re not sure about something,” recommends careers advisor Scott Foley. “Far better than making a decision that might hurt the business.”

* STUCK AT THE PHOTOCOPIER? “If a student feels that they could take on more responsibility, they should ensure that their manager knows they are willing and capable of doing so,” says Binita at L’Oréal.

* USE YOUR INITIATIVE. “Why not come up with a project of your own,” suggests Fiona Gaffney at Lehman. “For example: ‘I notice that your hiring website doesn’t seem to compare that well with your competitors, I would like to do some research as to how it can be improved.’”

* THERE IS NO ‘I’ IN TEAM. “Interns should aim to enjoy the experience rather than constantly strive to out-do others in their group,” encourages Fiona. “Most companies are looking for team-players, and the internship experience is one in which this competency shows up very clearly.”

* BE ON THE LOOKOUT. “Always keep your eyes open for opportunities that might arise in a different department,” says Christine Blaymire. “Making a good impression in other sections of the company cannot be a bad thing.”

* KEEP AN OPEN MIND. Be willing to try anything within reason. One Salford student was asked to test beds for comfort levels by sleeping in each one for a night and writing a report on them afterwards – work-experience heaven.

Fourth base – making it last

* HOW WAS IT FOR YOU? “Students should ensure that when they leave they have a complete review of their performance and understand their strengths and areas for improvement,” recommends Binita at

L’Oreal. Even if you’re not offered a formal review, be sure to ask your supervisor for some feedback.

* SAY THANK YOU. Music agent Jonathan Laidlaw wrote to thank a student for his hard work while on work experience at the agency. Not writing back meant the student wasn’t asked back.

* KEEP IN TOUCH. “Stay in touch with those who you share a connection with,” advises Fiona at Lehman. “A summer internship is always a potential pipeline to a permanent position.” A recent survey of 66 graduate recruiters by Manchester Careers Service found that 70 per cent of work placements lead to a graduate job offer.

* TRIED AND TESTED. “Work experience is often a case of ‘Try before you buy’ and gives both sides the chance to see what the other has to offer,” says NCWE’s Liz. “From the student’s point of view it helps them make a more informed career choice and for the employer, it becomes a more effi cient and effective way of recruiting.”

“A placement is like a very long interview and at the end – if it’s gone well – we’ll try our best to convert it into a full-time job offer,” agrees Gary at LogicaCMG.

THE SNOOZERSnoozer would rather be watching the live stream of Big Brother than doing work experience at a PR company, but she’s heard that a placement might bag her some freebie beauty products. She can’t believe her luck when set to work on a internet research project – the perfect opportunity to spend the afternoon on MSN Messenger!

She breaks up her day with trips to the drinks machine, thereby reducing the chance of being assigned a task that might actually test her. And when asked if she’s got any ideas for a new product launch, she does an impression of a goldfi sh, while buffi ng her manicured nails.

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F E A T U R E

It’s easy to spend your whole time at uni

focused entirely on getting a good degree

and maintaining a halfway decent social life. But

don’t forget that the world awaits and if

there’s one thing that’s going to help you fi nd a

good job it’s work experience. Paid or unpaid, in the UK or

overseas, there are a huge range of things that

you can do. To get inspired, read on, as

Adeline Iziren talks to seven graduates who

stepped outside their natural habitats

to do something seriously different.

P H O T O G R A P H S B Y D O M E N I C O P U G L I E S E

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Rising star: Caroline Moyle sold cakes to fund an Operation Raleigh trip to Borneo. It paid off – she is now a derivatives analyst with investment bank UBS.

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*What motivated you to launch a magazine? “I was motivated by students at my university who kept asking me about the best places to go in London. After a while people started texting me, ringing me and emailing me. I never had a love for magazines, but then I thought I could put together a lifestyle magazine. I shared my vision with Jay Patrick, an old school friend and he came on board as co-founder.

The fi rst thing I did to get the magazine up and running was to ask my aunt if she could design it, because without a designer there is no magazine. In terms of a business move, we put together a sample magazine, so that we could go to advertisers and say this is how it’s going to look.“

*What did the application for funding involve? “The head offi ce of the Prince’s Trust put me in touch with a regional manager. We went to see her and fi lled out an application form to get a loan. We posted it to head offi ce and this led to a panel interview. At the interview we presented the panel with our business plan, copies of the magazine and a Guardian article which featured a profi le on our business. After two months we received a loan of £4,000 from the Trust.”

*How did you sell the experience on your CV?“I gave examples of my leadership abilities and outlined how my sales role at department store Peter Jones developed my business skills.”

*What do you do? “My role is magazine director. I set up the interviews conducted by journalists, edit the magazine, liaise

GET*A*HED AS AN ENTREPRENEURUntil recently, less than one-in-20 graduates has pursued self-employment in the six months following graduation, but now the number is growing. If you want to run your own business while at university or just after you graduate, get it off to a fl ying start by making the most of the help and advice that is available. You can begin by checking out Make Your Mark www.starttalkingideas.org which will give you all the advice you need on getting inspired and getting started. Also try the National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship – www.ncge.org.uk

WORK EXPERIENCE: Marcus developed sales skills and the ability to deal with people, while working part-time in the audio department of Peter Jones for three years.

Londoner Marcus Miller, 20, has taken time off from his music industry management degree at Buckingham Chilterns University to run a lifestyle and entertainment magazine called What’s Poppin.

with the designers and the printers and chase up advertising payments.

I also sell advertising space in the magazine.I worked on my sales skills by watching some of my older colleagues sell at Peter Jones.”

*Do you enjoy running your own business? “Yes, because it’s establishing me as an entrepreneur and allows me to give other people opportunities. For example, Nicola Smart, one of my journalists did a very good review on a Choice FM event and as a thank-you, the station’s PR person invited her to a celebrity event she was organising.”

*What are you learning?“I’m learning how to manage people, deal with money, market the brand on a tight budget and to believe in myself and my product.”

*Best part?“When the magazine comes out and readers start ringing to say that it looks great.”

*Worst part?“It’s risky. It’s not like I get paid the same amount of money each month. What I get paid depends on how much advertising revenue comes in. With a regular monthly income you can plan your life a bit better.”

*Advice to readers?“If you’ve got a concept just run with it, don’t worry too much about how you’re going to get to where you want to go.”

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WORK EXPERIENCE: Josie spent eight weeks promoting the opening of a new branch of high-street salon, Saks Hair and Beauty, in Wakefi eld, West Yorkshire. Her placement came through

the STEP programme, which gives penultimate year students work experience within a small or medium-sized company that their skills and interests match. Josie saved Saks £5,000, thanks

to the free publicity she attracted to the salon’s launch party. She was paid £170 a week.

Josie Walton, 24, graduated from the University of Leeds with an 2:1 in music last year. She is now a PR and

marketing executive for Fresh Minds, a research and recruitment consultancy.

GET*A*HED WITH STEPSTEP provides more than 1,300 students in their second or penultimate year with project-based work experience in small and medium-sized companies (SMEs). Students are responsible for the projects, which could involve creating marketing strategies, improving production methods or setting up IT systems. STEP currently provides a training allowance in the region of £180 a week. www.step.org.ukIf you want to go it alone then be aware of the following: the majority of SMEs don’t advertise for work experience or placement opportunities so you’ll have to use your research and speculative applications to fi nd out who will take you on. You’ll need to explain what you’ll bring to the business and why you’d like to spend time with them. Some small businesses fear that taking on a work-experience student can be too time consuming so you’ll need to convince them otherwise.

*Did you enjoy it? “Absolutely. It was great hands-on experience and because I worked alone, I had the freedom to use my initiative and come up with ideas.”

*What did you learn?“So much. I learned how to manage my time while juggling a lot of tasks, dealing with the press and persuading them to publicise an event.”

*Best part?“Having around 100 people pour in for the salon’s launch party, including Sissy from Big Brother. This made me feel that I had done a good job. I felt particularly proud of this achievement because I was given just £300 to promote the new salon – half of that went to Sissy and the other half went on buying drinks for the party.”

*Worst part?“The slight feeling of solitude. There wasn’t anyone around with a knowledge of PR to brainstorm with or bounce ideas off. “

*Advice to readers?“I would defi nitely recommend STEP. It’s competitive, so make sure you fi nd a placement that matches your skills, that way you’ll have a better chance.”

*What was your motivation for doing STEP?“To get some decent work experience before starting on the hard graft of my fi nal-year dissertation. When I started my degree I envisaged playing the fl ute in an orchestra after graduating, but then I decided to do something business related that would encompass marketing and PR.”

*What did the application process involve?“I handed my CV to the careers service at university and they passed it on to STEP.”

*What did you do?“After doing some research on certain restaurants, shops and bars, I left fl yers in selected ones and then handed out fl yers to ‘career women’ in the main shopping area.

I also organised a launch night. It was around the time of the fourth Big Brother series, so I invited Sissy, one of the show’s housemates to it. When she accepted, I sent press releases to local newspapers and radio. The launch event was publicised locally and also nationally in Heat magazine.”

*How did you sell your experience of STEP on your CV?“I summarised my achievements which included developing leadership skills and saving Saks £5,000.”

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F E A T U R E

*What was your motivation? “A friend of mine had done an expedition with Raleigh and his stories were so amazing, I decided to give it a go.”

*What did the application process involve? “It involved applying online at Raleigh.org.uk. Then I went on an adventure weekend to Gloucestershire, where I slept on the floor in a big marquee with other people interested in going off to Borneo.”

*What did you do? “The expedition comprised three phases: the environmental phase, the community phase and the adventure phase. During the environmental phase we worked to help cut a trail through the jungle in Borneo, the community phase involved building a suspension bridge for natives we lived with in the middle of nowhere and during the adventure phase we put together our own hammocks, which we then slept on.”

*How did you sell the experience on your CV?“I simply mentioned the three months I spent doing charity work with Raleigh International. The inter-viewers at UBS were really interested in hearing about my experiences.”

*Did you enjoy it?“I loved it. It was something so different. I got a

GET*A*HED WITH RALEIGH INTERNATIONALRaleigh International is a youth development charity for 17-25 year olds. The charity aims to inspire people from all backgrounds and nationalities to discover their true potential by working together on challenging projects around the world. Each year, 500 young people from the UK volunteer on a Raleigh expedition. The volunteers are typically gap-year students, undergraduates or young people taking a career break. Around 100 volunteers are young people drawn from Raleigh’s youth at risk programme. Several hundred more are from countries Raleigh works with around the world. www.raleigh.org.uk

WORK EXPERIENCE: Caroline dipped into her savings and sold cakes she made to raise £3,000 to go on a three-month expedition to Borneo with Raleigh International in 2003. In Borneo, she met someone whose friend is a recruiter for investment bank UBS and after an interview with the company she landed her current position.

Caroline Moyle, 24, graduated from the University of Exeter with a 2:1 in business and accounting in 2002. She is now working as a derivatives analyst for UBS.

chance to help people in a less-developed country and experience a different culture.”

*What did you learn? “How to work in a team is one of the big things I learned and is very relevant to the job I’m doing now. For example, building a bridge was one of the many projects that required team work. We all performed different tasks to make the bridge a reality.”

*Best part?“The whole experience. I got to do something worth-while and rewarding. I also met so many people on the expedition that I still keep in touch with.”

*Worst part?“Probably the initial fear of living in a jungle, where you hear all sorts of really strange noises from animals at night. We were all taken right out of our comfort zones, but I’m convinced that it turned us all into stronger people.”

*Advice to readers?“If you’re looking to travel, I would urge you to think about doing more than just the backpacker route, try to challenge and develop yourself instead. Although it’s true that you’re living in a primitive environment for a long period of time, you are living in very friendly communities.”

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F E A T U R E

*What was your motivation?“I wanted exposure to a different culture, even though I had the fears of my family about me going away to deal with.”

*What did the application process involve?“The process began with introductory meetings, where we had a chance to fi nd out about AIESEC and its four international placement types – technical, management, development and educational.

Once I’d decided on a placement, I had to fi ll in an application form. Successful applicants then go to an assessment centre based at their university and only those who meet the assessment criteria are offered a placement. The introductory meetings take place in October and November each year.”

*What did you do? “I was working in Columbia for the Costa Atlantica Project, a foundation that aims to develop the com-munication skills of primary children, so that they learn more quickly. They are also taught to respect each other. There were two aspects to my work: visiting schools and interacting with the children and writing proposals for international funding on behalf of the foundation.”

*How did you sell the experience on your CV? “I mentioned that the AIESEC experience developed

GET*A*HED WITH AIESECAIESEC gives students a chance to acquire a set of marketable and transferable skills, while working abroad for a good cause. It offers placements in 86 countries and each one lasts two to 18 months. If you successfully apply to go on AIESEC’s work abroad programme you will be required to pay an administration fee of £200.www.aiesec.org.uk

WORK EXPERIENCE: James spent eight weeks in Columbia, working in the offi ce of a foundation which supports primary-school age children from deprived backgrounds. He

found this opportunity through AIESEC, an international student society.

James Eder, 22, graduated from the University of Birmingham in the summer of 2005 with a 2:2 in business commerce. He now co-owns and runs

studentbeans.com, an online directory service offering students discounts on everything from cinema tickets to prescription glasses.

my business skills and exposed me to people from different cultures.”

*Did you enjoy it? “Yes. I enjoyed the friendliness of the people, the sound of Latin music on buses, in shops and in the streets. The streets of Columbia have a constant carnival atmosphere.”

*What did you learn?“That you need to make things happen and put your-self out there to get great experiences. I also learned more about development and that I’m resourceful.”

*Best part?“The social life. We were taken around by the local people who knew the best places to go.”

*Worst part?“Being stopped by a Columbian police offi cer. My fear came largely from the fact that I didn’t understand what was going on. Luckily, my friend Dan under-stands Spanish and it turned out that the policeman was just doing security checks.”

*Advice to readers?“An international placement helps you to stand out from your peer group, so my advice is to do one before or after you graduate.”

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Ref: g2b3-05

When it comes to kick-starting an incredible career, experience counts. With exciting placements and job opportunities in the East Midlands, graddtobusiness could help you beat the competition to a very bright future. Visit our website or call our advisors on 0870 850 2585.

You’ve got what it takes. So prove it.

*3 5*

F E A T U R E

*What was your motivation?“Boredom and the fact that I didn’t want to be the type of person who was just a taker.”

*What did the application process involve? “I always submitted a CV and because I was working with children, I had to fi ll in a disclosure form (police check) every time I began a volunteering project. I ended up fi lling in a total of 12 disclosure forms.”

*What did you do? “I did numerous projects. They included mentoring teenagers in schools, teaching children to read, work-ing as a guidance counsellor on creative projects for Camp America and helping primary school children understand the different aspects of science through workshops at the Life Science Centre in Newcastle.”

*How did you sell these experiences on your CV? “I sold my volunteering experiences by stressing that they enhanced my transferable skills, such as time man-agement. I was juggling a part-time job with uni and vol-unteering. The fact that I volunteered went down well with potential employers because it shows that you are willing to give up your own time without personal gain.”

*Did you enjoy it? “It was very enjoyable because the teachers I worked with were generally very helpful and encouraging.

GET*A*HED WITH VOLUNTEERINGYou can fi nd out about volunteering opportunities through a number of organisations including TimeBank www.timebank.org.uk your student union or do-it www.doit.org.uk . Working for free as a volunteer might not seem too appealing if you’re drowning in debt, but you’ll be doing yourself a huge favour if you spend at least some of your time at university volunteering. Why? Well, almost two thirds of the UK’s top employers prefer to recruit candidates with volunteering experience, according to research by Reed. And 58 per cent of the companies surveyed say that voluntary work experience can actually be more valuable than experience gained in paid employment.

WORK EXPERIENCE: Jule undertook a variety of projects including helping children develop their reading skills at schools in and around Newcastle. She found out about many of these

volunteering opportunities through TimeBank, a national campaign organisation which encourages people to volunteer in their local community.

Jule Wilson, 25, recently graduated from the University of Newcastle with 2:1 combined-arts degree in education,

fi lm studies and English. She is now a trainee reporter for the Newport Advertiser in Shropshire.

And TimeBank was very good at matching you to the right volunteering opportunity.”

*What did you learn? “I learned a lot about myself. For example, that I’m a very nice person because you need a lot of patience to be a volunteer. I also learned that I have a lot more energy when I’m working and that volunteering can help you become more employable in most fi elds.”

*Best part?“Being appreciated for being myself and for giving up my time.”

*Worst part?“I no longer have the free time to volunteer.”

*Advice to readers“When I fi rst started university I was very quiet and thin-skinned, which made people say that I wasn’t cut out for a career in journalism.

Now, thanks to volunteering, I realise that I do have skills to offer, which has given me so much more confi dence. I’d tell people to give volunteering a go. If there’s something you have a vague interest in, see if there are any volunteering opportunities that feed into that interest.

Besides, it’s true what people say, volunteering does give you a lot more than you end up giving.”

GET.0510.026.indd 35 24/10/05 10:33:07 am

www.nationwide.co.uk/graduate

Want something more?

Proud to be different

VOTED THE UKʼS BEST LARGE EMPLOYER

2005

This year-long placement gives the opportunity to gain real insight into working at Nationwide. You can gain valuable work experience, and do a real job, with real challenges and real responsibility, enabling you to develop skills that you can use within your degree studies and beyond. See what we’re about and apply online at

20169 Industrial A4 ad.indd 1 14/10/05 3:38:48 pm

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F E A T U R E

*What was your motivation for doing an internship?“I wanted to get an insight into business and see if it suited me. I also wanted to boost my job prospects.”

*What did the application process involve?“I applied online for the internship and attached my CV. I also did an online personality test, problem solving test and an hour long maths and English test. I went on to have two interviews, and then waited three weeks before Procter & Gamble decided to offer me an internship.”

*How did you sell your previous work experience on your CV?“I included my work experience in a bank and as a sailing instructor on a beach in Italy. I highlighted what I got out of these experiences and gave examples of my strengths.”

*What did you do during your internship?“I led various projects working with Tesco management on beauty products produced by Procter & Gamble. One of the projects involved providing Tesco’s shop-fl oor beauty staff with the necessary information to help boost sales of Olay products.”

GET*A*HED WITH AN INTERNSHIPProcter & Gamble recruits between 80 and 100 students a year for its internship programme. For more information visit www.pgcareers.comIn multinationals, most internships are paid positions (up to £500 a week) and last between 10-12 weeks from the summer. Internships lead to permanent jobs for around 50 per cent of students and those lucky enough to get on to these schemes can work in a variety of areas including engineering, sales, HR, IT, marketing and fi nance. The deadline to apply for internships is the spring, though early applications are strongly advised. Internships are mainly aimed at second- or penultimate-year students.

WORK EXPERIENCE: Lucy spent two months working on Procter & Gamble’s intern scheme.

Lucy Webb, 23, graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a degree in economics and

geography in 2004. She is now an account manager with Procter & Gamble.

*Did you enjoy your internship?“Yes, I did and that is why I’m with the company now. The internship gave me a very good idea of what it would be like to be employed by Procter & Gamble full-time.”

*What did you learn?“I gained a lot of insight into the business world and I learned the importance of a team working together to achieve results. I also got a chance to learn new ways of doing things and was able to come up with solutions.”

*Best part?“Seeing the results from my projects.”

*Worst part?“Not spending my summer travelling. But I have no regrets. I really enjoyed the internship programme and, to be honest, I probably wouldn’t have the job I’m doing now without it.”

*Advice to readers?“Defi nitely do an internship, even if you would rather go travelling. It will take the pressure off your last year, if you get a job out of the experience.”

GET.0510.026.indd 37 24/10/05 10:35:08 am

Recipe for successNicola Swann has pledged 180 minutes a week to the

Give a Billion Minutes campaign.

She spends three hours doing something she loves – helping a local charity for young people improving

their skills through a range of activities, from arts and football to crafts and cooking.

What’s more, her passion has helped Nicola get her dream job.

Try volunteering, you can have your cake and eat it.Get started at www.yearofthevolunteer.org or call 08000 839 839 or text VOL and your name to 80010

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F E A T U R E

*What was your motivation?“I wanted to experience traditional African culture and meet new people. I had already been to Kenya, but I found it very westernised.”

*What did the application process involve?“Towards the end of my fi rst year I saw a fl yer and a couple of posters on Madventurer at uni, so I went along to a presentation the company gave and at the end of it, I put my contact details down on a form. Shortly, after that I received an information pack and three months later I was in Ghana. I raised more than £2,000 to go on the trip by doing a sponsored bungee jump off the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle.”

*What did you do?“I taught geography at a primary school and worked in a team to build an orphanage in Shia, the village where we lived. Local carpenters and craftsmen taught us the required skills and supervised our work.”

The work was really hard physically because of the tropical heat, but it was good getting to know the local builders, who led the project.

If not for the project, the community would not have had the money or manpower to carry out the building work. I felt a massive sense of satisfaction when we fi nished the project. The villagers were pleased too and sacrifi ced a goat to make us a big thank you dinner.”

GET*A*HED WITH MADVENTURERMadventurer offers development projects in Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Peru, Tonga, Thailand and Sri Lanka involving teaching, building schools or clinics, work in conservation or on Tsunami development projects. Volunteers pay for the expedition and the fl ights. Costs range upwards from £750 for a two-week expedition, not including fl ights. www.madventurer.com

WORK EXPERIENCE: John helped to build an orphanage during a fi ve-week Madventurer project in Ghana.

John Steele, 25, graduated from the University of Newcastle with a 2:1 geography degree in 2003. Later that year, he began a masters in environmental

engineering. In September (2005), he joined Arup, on its graduate engineering programme, after a spell with Madventurer, as an overseas operations manager.

*How did you sell the experience on your CV?“I stressed how it improved my teamwork skills, ability to make decisions and to adapt to a new environment.”

*Did you enjoy it?“It was absolutely amazing. Five weeks just wasn’t long enough and it was a real wrench to leave. Of all the countries I’ve visited, Ghana is my favourite. The people in Shia were special and helpful. I would like to go back there again one day.”

*What did you learn?“I learned how to organise myself, to manage my own money, food shop for a big group on a tight budget and also small bits of the local ewe language.”

*Best part?“Being part of a team of volunteers was really good. I’m still in contact with many of the UK-based volunteers. We sometimes go out for drinks and have a reunion every year.”

*Worst part?“I got malaria, which was a bit annoying, especially as I was only there for fi ve weeks.”

*Advice to readers?“With projects like these you get to work hard, play hard and do something worthwhile for communities.”

GET.0510.026.indd 39 24/10/05 10:37:50 am

Achallengingcareer starts

at thedeep end...

*Ranked No.1 FMCG in ‘The Times Top 100 Graduate Empoyers’

At Procter & Gamble,the No1* Consumer Goods

Company, we aim high.We challenge you to do the same.

We are looking for people who are ready to face diversechallenges and get a real buzz from overcoming them to achieve great results.

For those who are passionate about innovating and resolute about winning and improvingthe lives of consumers worldwide. Ready for your challenge? Then we are ready for you.

We will give you the best training, mentoring and support to help you succeed.

P&G 190w x 140h 21/10/05 3:37 pm Page 1

YES, FOR THE FIRST 5 YEARS OF MY CAREER,THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS I’LL ASKIN MEETINGS WILL BE “MILK AND SUGARWITH THAT SIR?” AND THE MOST CREATIVECHOICES I’LL MAKE WILL BE RICH TEA ORHOBNOBS, UNTIL FINALLY THE STEAM FROMTHE COFFEE ENGULFS MY MIND AND MY EYESMIST OVER FOREVER.

NO, I’D RATHER JOIN ENTERPRISE, SO I CANRUN MY OWN BUSINESS WITHIN TWOYEARS, SO IT’S ME WHO’S SETTING UP THEMEETINGS, AND ME WHO’S SHARING MYIDEAS AND PUTTING THEM INTO PRACTICE.

Will most industry-leading companies really make the most of your talent? Years at university only to become an expert in photocopying.Hanging round the boss’s desk waiting for instructions. And a pay rise. Better join the Enterprise Management Training Scheme to makesure that’s not you. We’re an international car rental company with a multi-billion pound turnover, that teaches you to run your ownsection of the business in as little as two years. You’ll learn about everything from sales, marketing and customer service to operationsand finance, so you can make crucial business decisions and reap the rewards. You could be promoted twice in one year. Earn in twoyears what could take you five elsewhere. We’re here to make the most of your potential, not let it wither and die. To apply visitwww.enterprisealive.com/ga or call 0870 850 1232.

R

Come alive

We

are

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ploy

er

GET.0510.040.indd 1 24/10/05 16:31:51

BUNAC’s Summer Camp USA programme offers you the chance to work with kids on camp.

Pay less upfront - earn more at camp with BUNAC

Return flight, food and accommodation included

Personal placement, support and expert advice

020 7251 3472 www.bunac.orgGail Aston, BUNAC, 16 Bowling Green Lane, London, EC1R OQH E-mail: camps@bunac.org.uk

®

summer campjobs in the USA

If you are available from June to August, aged between 19-35, like kids and

ideally have a skill or sport to teach, visit the BUNAC website for more info and

to reserve your place at the next interview session in your local area.

TM

GET.0510.041.indd 1 24/10/05 11:03:43

recruitmentsolutions

Short term placements for students(2 weeks - 6 months, full time & part time)

12 month industrial placements

Career positions for graduates

Apply online – www.trust4business.co.uk or post your CV to:-Pendle Enterprise Trust LtdPendle Business Centre, Commercial RoadNelson, Lancs BB9 9BT

t 01282 698001/698004 e cv@trust4business.co.ukf 01282 611634 w www.trust4business.co.uk

Our experienced team willmatch your skills,attributes & careeraspirations to vacanciesas they become availableand contact you to discussthe opportunity and it’ssuitability for you.

Pendle Enterprise Trust provides:-

in companies from virtually allsectors of industry and business.

pendle trustenterprise

www.psacareers.co.uk

Do you have

the drive?In today’s competitive job market, having a degree isn’talways enough. If you want to stay ahead of the field, thenread on……

The PSA Peugeot Citroën Industrial Placement Schemeoffers you valuable industry experience and challengingopportunities in an exciting and rewarding environment.Through a variety of placements and projects in yourchosen function you will be encouraged to develop theprofessional and personal skills needed to excel in themodern business world.

You can be certain that whichever department youradventure begins in, you are guaranteed real responsibility,real issues and a real role, from day one.

As you would expect from one of the world’s mostsuccessful companies, we offer an enticing benefitspackage, including a competitive salary of c. £16,000.

For more information of the functions we offer and to apply,visit our website.

Closing date: 13th November 2005

Worried about work experience?

Confused about your career?

Stressed out about standing out?

peugeot.pdf 24/10/05 15:23:04

GET.0510.042.indd 1 24/10/05 15:25:27

To help us maintain our position as a world class

company, we recruit to 10 different areas, varying from

Engineering to Commercial and Supplies Management

to RD&T to name but a few. To take the company

forward successfully, we need people who have drive,

enthusiasm, ideas, commitment, flexibility, imagination

and resilience. In return we offer an individual training

plan with opportunities to learn, develop, gain

experience and make your mark.

All applications are on-line. To find out more about

how Corus can meet your aspirations, and to register

your interest in an undergraduate placement, please

visit our website. We look forward to hearing from you.

www.corusgroupcareers.com

Corus expertise and metal helped develop the Eden Project,

the Millennium Stadium and Nasa space shuttles.

For more information about a career with Corus, call our recruitment hotline – 01926 488025

Not without You

CMD 8213 UnderGrad Ad(B). 18/10/05 5:01 PM Page 1

Feel itThe strength of

our commitment

For an inside view of life at Shell, just come on board.

Shell internships are a win-win opportunity: you

develop your skills and discover what we offer as an

employer, while we get the chance to see if you’ve got

what it takes to be part of Shell.

Provided you’re in your final two years of study,

you could join us for eight weeks or more – in your

home country or perhaps overseas. You’ll experience

live projects, face real business challenges and get

valuable feedback from managers.

As you’ll be assessed entirely on how well you

perform during your internship, you could even

secure an offer to join us full-time when you

graduate – without the need for a further

interview.

Please visit our website for full details and an

online application form.

Shell is an Equal Opportunity Employer

www.shell.com/careers

INTERNSHIPS AT SHELL