What can I do with a degree from SSPSSR?

Careers and Employability Service

Nicola Urquhart Careers Adviserwww.kent.ac.uk/careers/slides.htm

What we will cover

• The graduate labour market

• What do employers want?

• What skills do SSPSSR graduates have?

• What do SSPSSR graduates do:

the jobs they get

their typical employers

the further courses they study

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/slides.htm

The graduate labour market in 2013

• Approximately 30% - 40% of vacancies are open to graduates with a degree from any discipline

• Employers increasingly focusing on professional attributes in addition to transferable skills

• Relevant work experience increasingly important

• Need for students to think earlier about their employability

• Employers are expecting to increase their graduate recruitment by 2.7% in 2013

What do employers want?

Degree awarded at 2.1 or above

Employability skills

Extra-Curricular Activities

Professional attributes

Work Experience

Commercial Awareness

What skills do SSPSSR students have?

• Able to appreciate the diversity and complexity of social

situations

• Sensitivity to the values and interests of others

• Researching, judging and evaluating complex information

• Making reasoned arguments orally (in tutorials and

presentations) and in written work

• Able to develop opinions and new ideas on societal issues

• Able to organise work and meet deadlines

Skills and attributes that graduate recruiters are looking for?

Communication

Report writing

Team working

Leadership

Planning and organisation

Project management

Enterprise

Problem Solving

Reflection

Adaptability

Energy

Drive and resilience

Integrity

Reliability

Enthusiasm/passion

Self awareness

Confidence

Contextual/cultural awareness

Capacity to develop

NumeracyPositive attitude

Business and customer awareness

IT skills

Adaptability

Maturity

What are the options?

• Employment with training

• Employment with study

• Further academic study

• Structured time out

Jobs directly related to subject

Jobs Directly related to your degree

Sociology

•Social Researcher

•Community Development Worker

•Lecturer/Teacher

Criminology

•Police Officer

•Probation Officer

•Social Worker

Jobs Directly related to your degree

Social Policy

•Government Researcher

•International Aid /Development worker

Cultural studies

•Communications Officer

•Media Planner

Health and Social Care

•Health promotion specialist

•Child Protection Officer

Researching Careerswww.prospects.ac.uk

•Overview of the sector

•Job descriptions

•Salary and conditions

•Entry requirements

•Training

•Career development

•Employers and vacancy sources

•Related jobs

Jobs where an SSPSSR degree usefulwww.prospects.ac.uk

• Adult Guidance Worker

• Arts Administrator

• Community Development Worker

• Further Education Lecturer

• Housing Adviser/Manager

• HR Manager

• Police Officer

• Prison Officer

• Probation Officer

• Public Sector Administrator

• School Teacher

• Social Researcher

• Social Worker

• Solicitor

• University Lecturer/Researcher

• Youth Worker

Jobs that are not directly related to your subject

Many employers value the skills you have gained more than the subject

•Communication

•Teamwork

•IT

•Research

•Analysis

•Ability to work under pressure

Graduate Schemes www.kent.ac.uk/careers/graddirectories.htm

• www.prospects.ac.uk

• www.get.hobsons.co.uk

• www.targetjobs.co.uk

• www guardianuk300.com

• www.top100graduateemployers.com

• www.kent.ac.uk/ces/vacancies.html

Graduate Schemes still open• Accenture

• Aldi

• Arcadia

• BAE Systems

• BBC

• Bloomberg

• British Sugar

• Cancer Research UK

• Deliotte

• DIFD

• Diageo

• Ernest & Young

• EU Careers

• IBM

• L’Oreal

• Mars

• McDonalds

• MI5

• National Grid

• Penguin

• TeachFirst

• BBC

Example Graduate scheme (Bloomberg )

• Finance

• IT

• Media

• Sales

Example graduate scheme: DFID

• Engineering

• Finance

• General Management

• IT

• Purchasing

• Research and Development

Postgraduate Study

• Approx. 20% of SSPSSR grads do PG study after graduation

• MA taught – 1 year Sept to June – lectures, June to Sept – dissertation.

• Research MA 1 to 2 years – often part-time

• PhD – 3 years. Nearly always a MA first.

• PGCE (teacher training) 1 year:

• See www.kent.ac.uk/careers/postgradmenu.htm

Postgraduate study

• Not much funding available for MA. Fees are about £5,000. At Kent get £1,000 graduate school scholarship reduction

• Many students work for a year to fund it or do it part-time whilst working

• Consider vocational MA – journalism, publishing, business, HR etc.

• Normally apply middle of final year. No UCAS can apply to as many course as you wish to – 3 or 4 is normal

Study Abroad

• Many postgraduate courses are now taught in English, especially in the Netherlands and Scandinavia

• No course fees in Sweden and about £1,000 in Germany and Denmark

• See www.kent.ac.uk/careers/postgradmenu.htm#PGAbroad

What do SSPSSR graduates do?

In broad terms (recent destinations)www.kent.ac.uk/careers/fdrbases/destinations.htm

• Employment 68.7%

• Further Study 18.9%

• Not available 6.5%

• Seeking employment 5.9%

SSPSSR Employers

• Criminal Justice system

• Education

• Finance

• Health & Social Work

• Other community, social & personal services

• Property, business & research activities

• Government, Public Administration & Policy

• Retail

• Charities and NGOs

• Others …..

Jobs - CriminologyCriminal Justice Related

Centre for Social Justice-Intern/Researcher

Her Majesty's Court Service-Court Clerk

Kent Police-Crime Reduction Clerk

Kent Police-Police Officer

Kent Police – Communication Officer

Kent Police-Police Officer

Metropolitan Police-Police Officer

Ministry of Justice-Admin. Officer

Northern Trust-Fraud Investigator

Northumbria Police-Administrator

Pitman Solicitors-Receptionist

Surrey Police-Crime Management Unit Officer

Youth Justice Board-Strategy Support Officer 

Health & Welfare

Ealing Hospital NHS Trust-Clinical Audit

Assistant

Kent Social Services-Personal Support Worker

The Leap-Community Worker

National Centre for Young People with Epilepsy-

Residential Support Worker

NHS Princess of Wales Hospital-Admin

Assistant

NHS Professionals-NHS Admin Temp

Surrey Council-Employment Support Officer

Sutton Ramp Events Ltd-Admin & Volunteer Co-

ordinator

Youth Services/East London University-Youth

Worker/MA

Jobs - Social Policy

Administrative

Administrator - Civil Service

Administrative Assistant - Pensions Mgt Inst

Caseworker - House of Commons

 Housing

Customer Services - Swale Housing Assoc

Housing Adviser – Dover District Council

Housing Officer - English Churches

Homeless Officer - Swale Council

Rural Housing Enabler - Sussex Rural CC

Media

Exhibitions Organiser - PR Company

Information Officer - Age Concern

Marketing Assistant - BBC

PR & Marketing Officer - Rolex

Human Resources

Equal Opportunities Officer - Benefits Agency

HR Administrator - Ealing Housing

Association

HR Assistant - NHS

Recruitment Executive – Capita, JP Gray

 

Libraries/Education

Archive Assistant - Birmingham City Library

Development Officer - University of

Greenwich

Library Assistant - Kingston University

NVQ Learning Support Tutor - Mid-Kent

College

Research Assistant - University of Kent

Jobs - Social PolicyManagement

Chalet Manager – Ski World

Committee Services Mgr - Milton Keynes Council

Management trainee - Stagecoach plc

Manageress - Espresso Deli Café Bar

Manager - Six Continents Hotels

Managing Director - Enchanted Sun Ltd

Project Mgt trainee - Swan Housing Assoc

Restaurant Manager - Dominoes Pizza

Trainee Manager - Enterprise Rent A Car

 

Social/Welfare

Care Management Asst - Surrey CC

Care Manager - Cambridge Soc Services

Community Care Worker - All Seasons

Co-ordinator - Cool Catz Parents Group

Crime Management Unit Officer - Surrey Police

Intern/Researcher - Centre for Social Justice

Police Officer (x2) - Kent Police, Met Police

Prison Officer - HM Prison Service (x2)

Revenue & Benefits - Thanet District Council

Social Work Assistant - Kent C.C.

Social Work Trainee - Suffolk County Council

Strategy Support Officer - Youth Justice Board

Support Assistant - St. Martin's Hospital

Victim Liaison Officer - West Kent Mediation

Youth Worker - KCC

Jobs - SociologyEducation/Health/Social/Welfare

Admissions Assistant - Kingston University

Caseworker - Kent Police

Clinical Auditor - Addenbrooks Hospital

Employment Support Officer - Surrey Council

English Teacher – Japan

Language Assistant - British Council

Learning Support Assistant (x2) - The PACE Centre, Parkside Primary School

Paralegal - Jameson & Hill

Personal Adviser (Trainee) - Connexions

Police Officer (x3) - Kent Police, Metropolitan Police, Thames Valley Police

Prison Officer - HM Prison Service

Project Worker - Stonham Housing Association

Residential Support Worker - National Centre for Young People with Epilepsy

Social Worker - East Sussex Social Services

Student Activities Assistant - Canterbury College

Support Worker - Caretech

Courses - CriminologyBSc Mental Health - Canterbury Christ Church University

Counselling Certificate - South Downs College

Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) - BPP Law School

Graduate Diploma in Law - College of Law

Graduate Diploma in Law - College of Law

MA Criminology - Kings College London

MA Criminology - University of Kent

MSc Psychology - University of Hertfordshire

PGCE - Canterbury Christ Church University

PGCE Primary - UWIC Cardiff

PGCE Primary - Roehampton University

Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology - East London University

Courses - Social PolicyCertificate in Counselling - South Kent College

Dip/MA Careers Guidance - Reading

Graduate Diploma in Law - College of Law, London

Legal Secretaries Course - COMSEC

LLM Criminal Justice - Kent (x2)

MA Criminology – Kent, Nottingham

MA Development Studies - Sorbonne, Paris

MA Gender Studies - Leeds

MA Health Studies - Kent (x7)

MA Personnel & Development - Westminster

MA Politics - UEA

MA Social Policy - UEA

MA Social Research Methods - Kent

MA in Social Work - Warwick

MA Training & HR - Warwick

MBA (x2) - Kent, University of Wales (Cardiff)

Courses - SociologyGraduate Diploma in Law - College of Law (x3)

MA Criminology - Middlesex University

MA Criminology - University of Kent

MA Development Studies - Sorbonne, Paris

MA European CLS - University of Kent

MA Gender Studies - University of Leeds

MA International Conflict Analysis - University of Kent

MA International Relations (BS) - University of Kent

MA Propaganda Persuasion & History - University of Kent

MA Social Work - Canterbury Christ Church University (x3)

MA Sociology - University of Kent (x7), Egyptian University, University of Brighton, University of Reading

MSc Development Studies - SOAS

MSc Media & Communication - Goldsmith's College

MSc Medical Sociology - Royal Holloway (x2)

MSc Social Research - University of Kent

MBA (x2) - Swansea Institute, University of Kent

PGCE Citizenship - Newman College, Canterbury Christ Church University

How the Careers and Employability Service can help you.

What we do

• Careers Talks and Workshops

• Careers Library: Employer Directories, Occupational Profiles, Books etc

• Comprehensive Web Pages

• Careers Employability Award (CEM) on Moodle

• Vacancy Database

• Alumni Careers Network

• Annual Careers and Recruitment Fair

• Drop In - Quick Query

• Careers Guidance Interviews

Careers and Employability Service Web Site: www.kent.ac.uk/ces

Careers and Employability Service Web Pages

• I want to work in …. http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/siteach.htm

• What can I do with my degree in … http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/Sociology.htm

• Choosing a Career http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/Choosing/ChoosingCareer.htm

• Interviews (includes assessment centres and psychometric tests etc.) www.kent.ac.uk/careers/applicn.htm

• Example CVs & Covering Letterswww.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv/cvexamples.htm

• Employability Skills http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/sk/skillsmenu.htm

Careers Employability Award

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/moodle.htm

The module takes about 12 hours to complete

But this can be done at your own pace

You do this by completing:

9 quizzes

3 short assignments

1 feedback form

Comments from students who have completed the award.

• “I liked the fact that the assignments relate to how you would fill in answers on a graduate job application step by step and provides examples of how to fill it in.”

• “I really enjoyed the quizzes. They effectively highlighted the gaps in my knowledge, as many of the answers surprised me. I also found the module on creating my own CV very useful, these skills will be invaluable for tailoring my CV to particular jobs.”

• “There is a wealth of information about everything; I especially liked the individual information about specific job types and the advice given about interview skills.”

Attend Careers Talks and Workshops.

• Choosing a Career

• Using Social Media in your Job Hunt

• Environmental Careers

• Forensic Science Careers

• A Career in Sales

• http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/casevents.htm

Vacancy Database

• All vacancies sent to the Careers and Employability Service by employers, whether for graduate jobs, sandwich placements or vacation work/internships are entered on this database which offers:

• Email alerts of new vacancies which may interest you

• Employers notifying vacancies are often specifically targeting Kent graduates, so competition for jobs is lower than on other vacancy sites www.kent.ac.uk/careers/jobs/index.htm

Speak to an adviser:

• Quick query, drop in and speak to an adviser 10.30am -12.30pm and 2.00pm-4pm Monday to Friday.

• E mail careerhelp@kent.ac.uk and an adviser will respond to your query.

• You can also book a longer career guidance appointment over the phone or pop in.

Action points

• Use www.prospects.ac.uk, including Prospects Planner, to research options available

• Use www.kent.ac.uk/ces

• Get relevant work experience

• Think beyond the stereotypes of organisations e.g. NHS, Asda

• Find out how the sectors you are interested in recruits

• Have a back-up plan

• Make use of the Careers and Employability Service

Careers and Employability Service

You can download a copy of this presentation You can download a copy of this presentation at www.kent.ac.uk/careers/slides.htm at www.kent.ac.uk/careers/slides.htm