Stand out from the crowd

Developing your Employability

Lesley Dennison & Stephanie Brockbank

Employability & Placements Unit

Faculty of Business and Law

Why are you at university?

• To improve my job prospects

• You are investing in yourself but how can you do that?

• How can you get a head start?

How can I get a head start?

There are a range of skills, knowledge and attributes that every employer is looking for in new recruits:

Employability skills

Essential building blocks to get your first job and the next whatever your degree or your career choice

What are the Employability skills?

• Positive attitude

• Problem solving/Decision making

• Team working

• Self management

• Communication

• Planning and organising

• Commercial and customer awareness

• Networking

• Numeracy

• IT literacy

CBI/NUS Survey 2010

How can I develop them?

• In my course

• Placements

• Volunteering

• Temporary work

• Work related learning

• Internships

• Student union roles

Who can support me?

• Jobs and Careers www.leedsmet.ac.uk/studenthub/career-advice.htm

Student Hub : Employability resources/Employability skills Prospects @ Employment Team Employability Resource Online (ERol)

• X-stream – Employability tab https://x-stream.leedsmet.ac.uk/

• Employability and Placement Unit www.leedsmet.ac.uk/fbl/placements.htm

• Volunteering www.leedsmet.ac.uk/studenthub/volunteering.htm

After the experience………

• Record the activity

• Reflect on the experience

• What did you learn?

• Build evidence of your developing skills

Sell your employability skills to prospective employers to stand out from the crowd at interview

Your Placement Year – Don’t Miss It!

A fantastic

opportunity for you

Benefits for you?

• Employers prefer graduates with work experience

• You will gain real-life practical work experience

• Think of all the contacts you will make and networking opportunities you will have

• You will perform better in your final year

• You will be paid a salary

• An extra module in your final year already complete

What does the Placement involve?

• 12 months valuable work experience in a business

• The work must be relevant to your course and at a level allowing some responsibility

• Full time employee of the company, retaining student status

• Undertaken in your third year. Can commence any time between June & September

Where have BAAF students been placed?

• Warner Brothers

• Audit Partnership

• NHS

• Redmayne Bentley

• UKAR

• Asda

• Walt Disney

• Marks & Spencer

• GE Capital

• House of Commons

• IBM

• HM Treasury

• Pearson Jones

• Panasonic

• Cummins Engine Company

Numbers taking up the opportunity

Year Students enrolled

Students registered

% students registered

2011/12 255 54 21%

2012/13 146 96 66%

2013/14 92 64 70%

A tough challenge but it is worth it!

• Finance sector crisis

• Supply of placements

• Desire to graduate in 3 years

• Limited mobility of students

Help is available – you will not be alone!

How will we help you?

A dedicated team of staff to help you on your journey Help with: • CVs and Letters • Application Forms • Interviews • Assessment Centres • Psychometric Tests

How will we help you?

• A website advertising 12 month and short term opportunities

• Testimonials from students and employers

• Timetabled support sessions

• Useful resources to help you get a placement

• Knowledge of businesses that have taken our students before

Stand out from the crowd

• http://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/fbl/placements.htm

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aq6y3RO12UQb

Employability and Placement Unit

www.leedsmet.ac.uk/fbl/placements.htm

E-mail: placebiz@leedsmet.ac.uk

Tel: 0113 812 7510