CHOOSING A CAREER

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/

Tim ReedHead of Careers Advisory Service

Introduction

• What is a career?

• What are the options?

• How can the CAS help?

• Where to look for jobs

What is a career?

• not necessarily a linear, planned sequence of events

• Career choice is not an event or occasion

• Career choice is a process

• It is a combination of stages in your life

• It could contain great variety

Why is choosing a career so difficult?

ALL JOBS

which match your goals, needs & values

& require your skills, qualities & qualifications

in the desired location

where there are prospects for the future

What is the ideal job?

What are the options?

• Employment/training

• Employment & study

• Academic study

• Vocational study

• Time out/Travel

Employment option examples

AdvertisingArmed ForcesArts adminBroadcastingCentral & Local Gov’t Computing/ITFinanceFire ServiceGuidance/Counselling Info Management/MuseumsJournalismLawMarketing/Sales Management Consultancy

NHS ManagementPersonnelPoliceProduction ManagementPublic RelationsPublishingPurchasingRetailSelf-employmentSocial WorkTEFLTeachingTourismTransport

Jobs directly related to degreewww.kent.ac.uk/careers/degreein.htm

• Teacher/Lecturer in Further and/or Higher Education in the UK

What subject did they study at university?

                   

Jobs where degree usefulwww.prospects.ac.uk/links/PhilosophyDeg

• Advertising Account Planner

• Barrister

• Civil Service fast streamer

• Health Service Manager

• Investment Analyst

• Newspaper Journalist

• Recruitment Consultant

• Software Engineer

• Solicitor

• Stockbroker

Skills - from Film Studies

• Ability to work under pressure

• Analytical & Problem Solving

• Communication

• Visual & Critical Awareness

• Literacy

• Research

• Technical Skills (?)

Many basic factors affect choice

• Hours

• Perks

• Location

• Image

• Pay

GRADUATE SALARIES 2011 Arcadia – retail management £18,500 - £23,000

Boots - brand/buying/marketing grad scheme £24,000 + £1k welcome!

Barclays Bank - future leaders development programme £36k (+£8k bonus!)

Civil Service - up to £27,000

Explore Learning - education management £21,000

Exxon Mobil - graduate schemes £34,000

FiveTen Group - recruitment £20-£25k

GCHQ - defence research £25,000 (+ benefits)

IBM - range of schemes £27,000 - £32,000

Jaguar Land Rover – purchasing grad scheme £27k

John Lewis - buying/retail management/merchandising graduate schemes £25,000

L’Oreal - management training scheme £28,000

McDonald’s - trainee business manager £18,500-21,500

MI5 - £24,750 + benefits - varies by function!

Motability - £28,500 (+ joining bonus!)

Slaughter & May - training contract £38,000

Waitrose - retail management £25,000

2 alternative starting points

• start from yourself and work out

• start from your opportunities and work back

• Or, combine the two!

How can the CAS help?

• Options Leaflets

• Free careers literature

• Reference files & books

• IT facilities

• Talks & presentations

• Quick Query

• Careers Guidance Interview

Where to look

• Vacancy publications www.kent.ac.uk/careers/jobs/index.htm

• Directories www.prospects.ac.uk

• Employer brochures – eg. Mars @ www.mars.com/global/careers-at-mars/students.aspx

• Specialist publications www.psychapp.co.uk/

• Careers Fairs

CAREERS FAIRS - 2011www.prospects.ac.uk/links/careerfairs

The National Graduate Recruitment Exhibition -Birmingham-28-29/10/2011Options Careers Information and Recruitment Fair -Colchester-31/10/2011Newcastle Business Placement Fair -Newcastle upon Tyne-31/10/2011Northumbria University Careers in Law Fair 2011 -Newcastle upon Tyne-1/11/2011Engineering, Science & IT Graduate Recruitment Fair -Sheffield-1/11/2011Public Sector & Policy Fair -LSE-1/11/2011Business & Finance Graduate Recruitment Fair -Sheffield-2/11/2011JobFair 2011 -Canterbury Christ Church University-2/11/2011Sussex University Science, Engineering and IT Fair -Brighton-2/11/2011Science Employability Fair -De Montfort University, Leicester-3/11/2011University of Brighton Careers Fair -Brighton-3/11/2011Business & Management Fair -LSE-3/11/2011

Careers and Recruitment Fair - Canterbury 3/11/2010

Where to look• Vacancy publications

• Directories

• Employer brochures

• Specialist publications

• Careers Fairs

• Job Centres

• Online sources

Online sources

• Institute of Practitioners in Advertising www.ipa.co.uk/

• Chartered Institute of Marketing www.cim.co.uk

• Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development

www.cipd.co.uk/

• Guardian vacancies www.jobs.guardian.co.uk/

Excellent Websiteswww.kent.ac.uk/careers/sitesmen.htm

• www.prospects.ac.uk

• www.get.hobsons.co.uk/

• www.kent.ac.uk/careers/

• www.kentgrads.org.uk/

Where to look

• Vacancy publications

• Directories

• Employer brochures

• Specialist publications

• Careers Fairs

• Job Centres & LSCs

• Internet

• Newspapers

Job ads in the presswww.kent.ac.uk/careers/sitespub.htm

• Actuaries - Money Management, Observer, Times

• Acupuncture - Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine (m)

• Arts Administration - The Stage, Arts Management Weekly, Guardian (Mon & Sat)

Where to look• Vacancy publications

• Directories

• Employer brochures

• Specialist publications

• Careers Fairs

• Job Centres & LSCs

• Internet

• Newspapers

• Recruitment Agencies

Recruitment Agencieswww.kent.ac.uk/careers/recruit.htm

• FASHION - George Ellis Recruitment

• MUSIC - Handle Recruitment

• ACCOUNTANCY - Hays Accountancy Personnel

• SECRETARIAL - Nice People Employment Bureau

• STOCKBROKING - Citifocus Ltd

Some tips on choosing a career

• take time over your choice

• be realistic

• do the research

• make your own decision

• use the Careers Advisory Service

• start NOW!

Once career choice made

• Research employers/courses

• Apply

• Discuss your ideas if you are uncertain

• Change your job-hunting/application methods if they are not working

Careers Presentationswww.kent.ac.uk/careers/casevents.htm

• CV preparation - 1 Nov 1-2pm KLT5

• Presentation by MATCHTECH - 1 Nov Keynes Atrium

• Presentation by NHS - 2 Nov 1-2pm KLT5

• Presentation by College of Law – 2 Nov 2.30-3.30 KLT5

• CAREERS FAIR - 3 Nov 2-5pm Eliot College

• Journalism Workshop - 4 Nov 9.30am-4.30pm

• Presentation by Teach First – 8 Nov 1pm KLT5

• Aptitude Tests (Bloomberg) – 9 Nov 8.45am-12noon & 2-5pm KSA1

• Presentation by Endsleigh – 10 Nov 12-2pm KLT5

CHOOSING A CAREER

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/

Tim ReedHead of Careers Advisory Service