from the

CAREERS AND EMPLOYABILITY

SERVICE

YOUR

GUIDE TO

EMPLOYABILITY

Welcome to your 2016-17 University of Chichester

Guide to Employability, written by your Careers and

Employability Service.

This guide is full of information and practical tips. It is as relevant to you in your first

year as a fresher, as it is to you in your final year about to graduate. The earlier you

engage, the greatest chance of success in finding your perfect graduate role. Your

guide will help you:

Choose the right employment for you

Develop your skills at the University of Chichester

Find work experience and part-time employment – to network

Investigate postgraduate study

Connect with employers in your chosen sector of work

Make the most of the Careers and Employability Service at your University

We look forward to meeting you in person either at the Careers and Employability

Service for an appointment or during a teaching session in your department. We hope

that you find The University of Chichester Guide to Career Planning useful and look

forward to helping you in whatever way we can.

With best wishes,

Chris Caswell, Head of Careers and Employability Service

Start here … ...to sort out your future

Contents

Whatever stage you’re at in your career planning, the

friendly staff at the Careers and Employability Service

can provide advice, information and support.

Who can you talk to? 1

Where can you find us? 3

How can we help you? 5

Quick guide to TARGETconnect 7

The 3 Steps to successful employment 9

What to do & when to do it... 15

Video Guides 17

CES Moodle 18

Psychometric Assessment 19

The Chichester Experience 20

HEAR 21

Academic and Free Time (volunteering) 22

Internships 23

GraduateOn & Placements 24

Ignition 25

Enterprise 26

What do employers want? 27

Careers Events 29

10 ways to ‘speed date’ with exhibitors at a Fair 31

Network… Network… Network… 33

Quick Tips: CV and Cover Letter 37

Speculative Applications 39

Online Guidance 40

1

Talk to a Careers Consultant

Many people feel overwhelmed by the amount of information that is available on

career and work choices. Save yourself some time by arranging an appointment

through TARGETconnect. Our Careers Consultants can help you identify careers

that might suit you and then plan a route into that career. You can also get your CV

checked and receive interview advice - it’s your choice how you wish to make use of

the Careers Consultant.

Chris Caswell

Head of Service and Careers Consultant Alice Stuart

Careers Consultant

Chris Charles

Careers Consultant

Tina Crowley

Careers Consultant

Dance

Fine Art

Performing Arts

English & Creative

Writing

History

Business School

Psychology

Adventure Education

Social Work and Social

Care

Early Childhood

Postgraduates

Institute of

Education

Media & Film

Institute of Sport

International

Theology

Music

Do not worry if the relevant Consultant does not have a convenient

appointment; any one of them can help you!

Who can you talk to...?

2

In your department through your curriculum Each department has a dedicated Careers Consultant (see left)

In your department one of your academic staff is the nominated

Employability and Enterprise Champion,

Department Champion.

Adventure Education Pete Bunyan

Childhood, Social Work and Social Care Tim Gully

Kish Bhatti-Sinclair

Dance Fiona Wallis

Institute of Education Jon Spence

English and Creative Writing Duncan Salkeld

Fine Art tba

History Mandy Richardson

Music and Media tba

Performing Arts Brian Lobel

Physical Education Melissa Mantle

Postgraduates Sophie Butler

Psychology and Counselling Nik Chmiel

Business School Lyn Batchelor

Sport Development and Management Tanya Goosen

Sport and Exercise Sciences Iain Littlejohn

Theology and Religion Steve Moyise

Also don’t forget:

3

Careers and Employability

Centre:

Rooms 107/108

(Ground Floor)

New Hall

Bishop Otter Campus

Main entrance

Pedestrian entrance

Monday to Thursday:

9am - 5pm

Friday:

9am - 4pm

Office hours

or advice 24/7 via Moodle

Building works

Where can you find us...?

4

Email us: careers@chi.ac.uk

Call us: 01243 816035

Bognor Regis CES Office:

Room 8 - Student Services

(Ground Floor)

LRC

Bognor Regis Campus

Appointment Rooms:

Interview Rooms 1-5

(Ground Floor)

LRC

Bognor Regis Campus

Pedestrian entrance

Main Car Park

We also have shelves with resources in the LRC at Bishop Otter

Campus and at the LRC at Bognor Regis Campus. Help yourself!!

5

Make a start - lots of people don’t know where to begin – we can help you.

Understand yourself – investigate your skills, your motivations and

interests, to help you choose the options that would best suit you.

Explore what opportunities exist for you - internships, GraduateOn,

placements, further study, jobs or just taking time out – locally, nationally or

internationally.

Act and get started - to create your CV and apply for jobs, to maximise

your chances at interview by taking a mock interview or to practice

assessment centre tests.

We can advise on personal issues that may impact upon career choice and

job-hunting through consultation, disclosure of a disability, or how

recruiters may view any disruption in study due to a mental health issue.

“I’m glad I discovered the team at Careers

Team, when I did; what a brilliant bunch of

people, so helpful, enthusiastic and

supporting.”

Marketing graduate, 2014

“Very easy to book appointments, clearly displayed.”

Business student, Second Year 2015

How can we help you...?

6

“You'd be surprised how much you don't know about being

employed but the Careers team will help you with everything

you need to know.”

Theology and Philosophy Student, Second Year, 2015

“TARGETconnect has allowed me to consider a multitude

of careers and career options, that I would not have

previously envisioned. I am now looking to apply for a Sky

News internship which I never would have found had it not

been for TARGETconnect.”

English student, Final Year 2015

Who can use the

Careers and Employability Service?

Undergraduates

Postgraduates

All Alumni - until you retire!

Staff

Ways of accessing CES:

TARGETconnect (p5-6)

Moodle (p7-8)

Twitter @chiunicareers

Facebook - University of Chichester Careers

In person - drop in or book an appointment

Phone or email

7

Simply log on with your university username and password:

http://bit.ly/TCstudent

Quick guide to

for current students

You can:

Search the latest part-time and graduate opportunities.

Book an appointment to see one of our friendly Careers

Consultants.

Browse and book your place on a workshop, careers fair or

employer event.

Ask the careers team a quick question.

Set up your personal alerts for the latest jobs and events.

Searching for opportunities

TARGETconnect holds many opportunities from local part-time roles to national

graduate schemes and volunteering opportunities. Select Search & Apply from the

Opportunities/Vacancies drop-down menu and narrow your search using the limiters

on the left hand side.

TIP: if you are looking for local opportunities only, select Opportunity Type from

the bottom of the left hand limiters and select the local job tag. You may select more

than one tag.

To find out more about an opportunity/ vacancy click on the job title to see: the full job

description, the employer profile and application instructions.

My Profile

Before you do anything else, you will need to set up your preferences in My

Profile. This is quick, easy to do and will enable you to receive alerts for

recently posted jobs/events tailored to your interests.

8

Queries

If you have a quick careers-related query or are having problems using

TARGETconnect: fill in a quick Queries form by selecting ‘Ask us a question’ from the

Queries tab on the menu bar. Please give as much detail as possible so that we

can help you efficiently. If you have any feedback on the experience of using

TARGETconnect (good or bad), please use this function to let us know.

Booking an appointment

Select Appointments on the menu bar and then Search & Book. Select the

appointment type (e.g. BOC or BRC) from those listed and select Show

results at the bottom.

TIP: if you are not able to come on to campus you can request any

appointment to be conducted over the telephone when completing the booking

form.

You will then see a list of available appointments. Simply chose the one that best

suits you and select Book now from the right hand side. Select the reason that

best matches what you wish to discuss at your appointment, or give details if none

of the options are applicable to you. Finally select ‘Book this appointment’ from the

bottom of the screen.

This booking will now appear under Appointments - My Appointments. You can

cancel an appointment from here by clicking the appointment title if you can no

longer attend.

Booking an event

To see what events are available select Events from the menu bar. You can either

Search & Book, which takes you to a searchable list, or, if you know what date

the event is being held, you can go to the Events calendar. Once you have found an

event that you would like to book a place on, click on the event title and select ‘Book

now’. Depending on the event, there may be a short booking form to be com-

pleted. Events booked will appear in your My Events area where details of your

place can be viewed or cancelled.

9

Unsure about what you want?

Have an idea, but don’t know how to make it happen?

Here are three steps to help you decide upon and plan your future, these steps

are ordered for someone who is starting from scratch. However they are

interchangeable steps and you should keep going back to each as you learn

more about yourself and what is available.

Act:

Make decisions

Test your choices

Make your applications

Interview and assessments

Update your CV

Explore:

Internships

Volunteering

Job options and opportunities

Further Study

Networking

Understand yourself:

What motivates you?

What are your skills and abilities?

What are your interests?

What is important to you?

Three steps to successful employment

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Any questions? Book an appointment with a Careers Consultant

10

What motivates you?

Your motivations are related to your underlying values and beliefs. They

determine what you want and need from life. Not only do they give you

direction but also they give you the energy to pursue your goals in life.

What are your abilities, skills and qualifications?

Be aware of what you have to offer. Think of all your qualifications and also

the skills you have developed through your studies, your extra-curricular

activities and any work experience, however brief, part-time or basic.

Remember that further study could be an option, and you can always

develop new skills if needed for your chosen employment.

What are your interests?

What really interests you? What makes you give ‘extra’ effort, determination

or commitment?

Think about which interests you wish to pursue through your career and

which are interests that you would like to explore in your own time.

If you wish to use your degree directly in your work, see

www.prospects.ac.uk/Careers ‘advice/what can I do with my degree?’ –

for information on jobs being done by other graduates with your subject. At

university ask your tutors; where did the graduates from last year go? Book

an appointment with a Careers Consultant.

How important are salary, status, location and working hours?

Understanding your personal preferences for work/life balance will help you

to know what sort of job you will enjoy, and the environment and culture

where you are most likely to feel comfortable and fulfilled.

Understand yourself

IDEAS:

Take a Psychometric Test with us! See page 15.

See Career Planner at www.prospects.ac.uk and also make use of the TARGET-

jobs Careers Planner https://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-report to enable you to find

out about yourself and to explore your motivations.

11

Make some time to do research

Many people give more time to planning their holidays than they do to

planning their careers. You are more likely to make the right choice if you do

the research. Try to identify all the options open to you then explore in depth

the most promising ones.

Where to start?

Start from what you know (or dream) about. You probably have an idea of

jobs that appeal to you and some that don’t.

You may already know the work sector into which you want to go, or an

organisation for which you would like to work. What jobs do they have

available?

You may know what job you’d like to do. Which organisation offers that job?

What are the challenges to getting that job?

Try an internship

In the summer of your second year or after graduation try an internship. The

university has its own scheme GraduateOn, which provides local internship

opportunities for second and final year students.

Look on TARGETconnect – search on opportunities with an ‘internship’ filter.

Check our Moodle Explore page, have a look at the TARGETjobs internship

guide online or just Google any large employer and find what

internships are offered.

Explore Options

“With the help of the Careers team I beat 100’s of

competitors for this brilliant internship.”

Business student, Rolls Royce 12 month Intern, 2015

12

Other options to consider

Your work future may well not follow the subject you study. We have plenty of

evidence to show that graduates of the University of Chichester enter a wide

range of jobs that are not obviously tied to their chosen subject of study. So

there are hundreds of jobs from which you can choose.

An estimated 40% of graduate jobs are open to graduates of any

discipline* – it is how you sell yourself.

See TARGETjobs and Prospects for more advice and info.

How to find out more

For ideas, have a good look through the jobs shown in the Opportunities

section of TARGETconnect. This is a constantly changing list of at least 600

jobs every month.

Have an appointment with a Careers Consultant to explore options.

Network, network, network . . . all the time, with your tutors, with family,

friends, casual contacts, alumni; ~60% of all jobs are found through network-

ing*, they are the ‘hidden’ job market, the jobs that have not yet even

been advertised.

Scan the newspapers, trade magazines and professional journals to get

ideas and perhaps find an opportunity. The Guardian Top 300 employers

online brochure would be a good place to start.

Use online sources such as www.lovelocaljobs.com that offers a bespoke

job service not just for Sussex and the coastal area but other areas in the

south east and across UK.

Go to other universities’ career fairs. If you ask beforehand via their Careers

Service you are likely to be able to attend.

Try sites like http://www.allaboutcareers.com/careers where they have a

search bar near the bottom where you can put your degree area in and get a

list of skills and jobs which are relevant to you. www.prospects.ac.uk is an-

other site with this information.

*For source information contact the careers department

13

If you are unsure about your choice, or struggling to make a decision then it

may help to:

Clarify your options

Think about what is stopping you from making your decision

Making a decision is all about problem-solving. You make a choice, you weigh

up the positive and negative aspects of a potential choice.

It is your personal decision, no Career Consultant or tutor nor anyone

else can make this decision for you, but they will be useful to discuss and

‘reflect’ about your decision. You can ‘reflect’ with family and friends –

although they may not always be objective.

Test your choices

Once you have some promising options in mind, it’s sensible to test them out.

Ask yourself:

What should I plan to do next?

How can I assess my chances of success?

What can I do to improve my chances of success?

What conclusions do I make?

How quickly must I act, are there timelines for applications?

How do I make an effective application?

Practical steps

Once you have established your final goal, then focus on achieving it. Write a

detailed timetable with: application deadline, likely interview dates, relevant

recruitment and careers fairs and events.

Update your CV

Make sure you tailor your CV to the role, check what is in the job specification

and use buzzwords. Make it look professional.

Act

14

Each Application

Read the job details; identify the key skills and abilities required.

Focus on selection criteria. Employers will look for evidence to illustrate those

criteria at all stages of the recruitment process. Find your evidence; make up

a matrix of skills required and example evidence from your career to date.

Research the employer and the sector.

Talk it through with a Careers Consultant, we are here to help – book through

TARGETconnect.

Prepare for interviews

Preparation is the most decisive factor in interview success.

Do your research on the company and the role. Think about what they are looking for

and list your relevant skills.

Prepare questions which are relevant to the job and the role.

For more information on CVs, Cover Letters, Interviews and Assessment

Centres look at our “Act” Moodle page

Image taken from Acuity Training infographic

15

Get involved

Join clubs and societies.

Volunteer to be a course rep

Register for your HEAR

Gain experience and develop your

skills

Apply for part-time work –

TARGETconnect opportunities.

Apply for voluntary work – visit the

SU database and TARGETconnect opportunities. It's a great way to gain skills, meet people, and make a difference.

Follow us on Social Media

@chiunicareers

University of Chichester Careers

Develop your first CV

check it out with a Careers

Consultant.

Start to think ahead – post-

university

It’s never too soon to start thinking

about what happens afterwards. Have a look online to see what is out there.

Talk to a Careers Consultant if you

need help to get started.

Explore your options

Use the Careers Service to help with

ideas

Use the Prospects or TARGETjobs

career planner

Attend the Recruitment and Careers

Fair in October

Investigate Further Study and

Funding

Talk to your tutors to have a reality

check.

Check out what grants and funding

are available. Consult with the Student Money Advisers.

Organise your summer holiday

Apply for an internship or even two?

Take up a part-time job.

Complete a short course.

Travel: show your skills of initiative,

organising and planning.

Develop your CV

Update your CV and revise using

feedback from a Careers Consultant.

Think Ahead

Be aware of early closing dates in

Final Year for:

Graduate management training

scheme dates - some are only open for application September - mid December of your final year.

1st and 2ndYear – ‘Get Going’

Penultimate Year – ‘Get Ahead’

What to do and when to do it...

16

Get planning

Check out employer opportunities on

TARGETconnect

Follow up and network contacts

Follow us on twitter and sign up for

event alerts on TARGETconnect.

Attend the Recruitment and Careers

Fair, or the Teachers Fair, in October

Set up your LinkedIn profile; join

discussion groups.

Research Opportunities

Register with job boards, watch

Prospects and TARGETjobs and set up regular TARGETconnect opportunity alerts.

Use your peer group/department/

course Facebook group to research for opportunities.

Prepare for Applications and

Interviews

Read the Careers and Employability

service Moodle page(s) for advice on applications, interviews and assessments

Book an appointment with a Careers

Consultant to check through your Application, CV or Covering Letter.

Book to practise your interview skills

with a Careers Consultant.

Apply for Graduate jobs, graduate training schemes or courses and

apply for funding

Carefully check the Applications dates.

Make Speculative Applications

Have a strategy – discuss with a

Careers Consultant.

Register as a graduate on

TARGETconnect to continue to

access the Careers and

Employability Service support

Use your network of alumni

friends through social media.

When you get emailed about

the DLHE survey in November

after graduation, make sure you

complete it. No matter what you

are doing, volunteering ,

working studying etc. we want

to hear from you. This

information is used to produce

statistics for the University

Final Year and (one year) Masters –

‘Get Moving’

Alumni—‘Get It?’

17

http://bit.ly/CESPanopto

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

No idea what you want to do when you graduate?

Quick introduction to TARGETconnect

HEAR

Career Planning: Self Awareness

Commercial Awareness

Quick guide to psychometric tests

Networking (general guidance)

Networking: Information Interviews

Networking using social media

Internships and GraduateOn

Thinking of Applying for Teaching?

Job search using social media

Careers with a Degree in Music

What to do with a degree in Music: interview

What to do with a degree in History: interview

What to do with a degree in English and Creative Writing: interview

What to do with a degree in a Sports subject

Careers Talks: How to get a job in Journalism

Assessment Centres

Prepare a CV - a Chronology CV

Prepare a Skills Based CV

Develop your CV for part-time jobs

Creative CVs

Postgraduate CVs

Prepare a Covering Letter

Interview Skills and Technique

Graduate Schemes and Deadlines

'Speed Dating' with Exhibitors

Application Forms

Personal Statements for Teacher Training

How to apply for Teacher Training

Advice From a recent graduate 2014 Fran

Advice from a recent graduate 2015 Ross

18

Follow us on twitter, where we advertise

opportunities, local events and important deadlines.

@chiunicareers

“My experience with the Careers Service has been

extraordinarily helpful! The work and advice

provided has helped me connect with the

University's community and has taught me a lot

about employment.”

History Student, First Year 2015

Careers and Employability

Service Moodle pages:

There are:

Short videos

Guidance and advice

Useful links

Infographics

Information and ideas

Recommended book lists for the library

Even a salary calculator

All designed to help you understand yourself, explore options for

employability and then act to produce what you need to secure that dream

job when you leave University of Chichester.

http://bit.ly/CESMoodle

19

It is tough to know and understand yourself in order to start making your decisions towards a career.

To help, we offer to take you through a Myers Briggs Type Indicator

(MBTI) assessment.

This is well-established, yet fun, way enables you to confirm to yourself your preferences and tendencies towards work, so helping you in your decision towards what employment you really seek.

Who can take the test?

You do need to be either in your second year or here as a postgraduate to be permitted to take the assessment.

How do I apply?

Book an initial appointment with MBTI Qualified Practitioners, Chris Caswell or Alice Stuart, through TARGETconnect to discuss the process, complete a questionnaire and to arrange for your 90 minute personal debrief.

Link to TARGETconnect: http://bit.ly/TCstudent

Before your first appointment, pay for your MBTI assessment

(at the Online Store).

“Who looks outside, dreams; who

looks inside, awakes” CARL JUNG

Discover yourself -

take a Psychometric Assessment

20

The Chichester Experience

Whether you spend your free time on sport, volunteering, part-time

work or in a society it all helps to impress an employer.

Don’t forget that all of what you do in

your free time as a contribution

towards University life could be

recorded on your HEAR and could be

of value to a potential employer;

http://help.chi.ac.uk/students/hear

Enterprise and Self-Employment Academic Experience

Free Time

Internships

GraduateOn Placements

MBTI Psychometric Testing

Ignition

Every experience

is valuable

Societies

UCSU Sports

Skills

FDM207 The Enterprise Module

Qualification

Careers and Employability Service

Appointments

Fairs Volunteering

21

From the moment you arrive and register with the University, your scores and

marks from every piece of credit awarding activity (from essays, placements,

dissertation, examination) will be recorded on an electronic transcript called the

HEAR.

Not only that but also the extra contributions you make to university life can be

recorded. The HEAR is not a replacement for your CV but will complement it.

You can find all the background about the HEAR at http://www.hear.ac.uk/.

So the HEAR will:

Accompany your award certificate

Be the official record of your academic results

Include detailed information about your academic programme

Recognise your wider University learning and skills gained through extra-

curricular achievements such as taking up positions of responsibility within

your course, department or with the UCSU

Showcase individual strengths and experiences to employers

The HEAR will be available to your future employer so register at for your

HEAR as soon as you can and start making it a record of which to be proud

and could help you secure that dream job with a future employer.

Register for your HEAR

http://help.chi.ac.uk/students/hear

“Selection for our graduate management training

programme is much easier now we receive a

HEAR.”

Recruiter, Enterprise Rent-a-Car 2015

22

The way you spend your non-studying time will provide transferable skills for your

longer-term full employment.

Many employers consciously look in a CV for evidence of teamwork, leadership and

taking on responsibility:

As a student you will learn new skills and develop existing skills. These are skills that

employers will appreciate! They include:

Presenting

Creative thinking

Communication: verbally and in writing

Teamwork

Leadership: occasionally you will lead your team

Problem-solving: within an academic context

Planning: you plan how to deliver your essay and answer your

next piece of written work.

Organisation and time management: working on projects, however small or large, will

develop these.

Academic experience

Free time-

Volunteering │UCSU│SU Sports Federation Officer

Volunteering is a great way to:

Enhance your CV - obtain invaluable experience

Get and develop transferable skills

Meet lots of new people, network and have fun

Contribute to the community

23

Benefits

Discover and explore a work sector to see if it is for you

Provides an opportunity to explore many roles within a job market

Develop personal transferable skills

Make contacts in the employment sector. This enables you to start to

network … network ... network... for contacts and advice about the sector

in which you may be interested.

Publicise and market yourself – most job sectors are like ‘families’

where everyone knows everyone else, break-in and join this ‘family’ as

employers get to know your name.

If you do not complete a placement during your course at the university then you

should consider completing an internship in your 2nd or 3rd Year/Summer.

If you want to take up an internship then be bold, be brave and write to the company to ask. A speculative approach can be

very successful, speak with a Careers Consultant about how to go about this approach.

Never take an unpaid internship. Most employers

will/should offer the minimum wage.

Types

National companies – John Lewis, Santander, Stagecoach, Price

Waterhouse and Cooper: all have internship programmes for which have

competition.

Local companies – GraduateOn is our bespoke University scheme (see

right), otherwise try your own approaches. Come and talk with a Careers

Consultant first as we can advise you on your approach. On some

courses at the Business School you have the chance of a full 12-month

internship as part of your course.

International – If you want to work abroad we recommend you research

it thoroughly and speak to a Careers Consultant before applying as

overseas internships can have complex remuneration.

24

“GraduateOn is an excellent opportunity to grasp

experience in a hands on environment, making you

more attractive to future employers and giving a great

deal to talk about in your interview!” 2nd Year History student

“If I hadn't done the work placement I wouldn't have had the confidence that I now have “

Business & Management student

Students studying at the Business School are able to undertake placements and internships as part of their degree course, gaining both academic credit and recognition

whilst gaining valuable work experience.

In addition to the help you receive from the University’s Careers Service the Business School has a dedicated Work Placement Coordinator who can support you in your search

for a course-related placement.

Many of these placements and internships lead to full-time graduate employment, from graduate schemes to experienced hire appointments.

Placements

GraduateOn - Paid Internships

GraduateOn is the internship scheme for University of Chichester graduates and students. If you are a second or final year student and successfully register with GraduateOn, you will be eligible to apply for paid internship opportunities with local employers advertised direct to you through the scheme.

Internship roles should:

Start from June 2017

Be between 4 weeks and 12 months duration

Full or part-time

Include tasks and responsibilities normally

associated with a graduate level role

Pay minimum wage or above. When setting salary

the employers consider pay expectations in that sector, for that role, and the location.

More information:

http://bit.ly/GradOnMoodle

www.chi.ac.uk/graduateon

Email: graduateon@chi.ac.uk

Telephone: 01243 812075

25

Fire up your imagination, fire up your business - join the

Ignition 2016 Programme. An exclusive business programme for all University of

Chichester students and graduates.

Students start and run their own business for many reasons:

To earn some extra cash

To gain valuable work experience and show case their skill, knowledge and

talent

To develop a business for when they graduate

PS. There will be doughnuts. Lots of doughnuts. And tea. And coffee.

PPS. If you just want to chat through your business or business idea in confidence with a business mentor, give Fran a call.

Email: TheDec@chi.ac.uk Call Fran on: 01243 793459

Visit: www.chi.ac.uk/ignition

“Winning Ignition has been a great help in the setting up and maintaining of Worthing

Art Studios. The 12-month business support has played a key part in the

ongoing success of our project. We are very grateful for all the support over the

past year.” Linda Bernhard – MA Fine Art

Your Business. Start. Develop. Grow.

26

Here at this University, should you decide to set up your own

business or become self-employed, you have a wealth of support.

Gareth Sear (g.sear@chi.ac.uk) of the Incubation Unit, based on

the Bognor Regis Campus, is available for advice

Go to http://www.chi.ac.uk/businessschool/student-enterprise to find

out more details.

OR…… Consider taking module FDM207 The Enterprise Module

You might want to set up a business, or capitalise on IP developed

during your degree studies, or you may want to work through a one-

off project or event. This option module provides an opportunity for

you to pursue an enterprise aspect of your programme that you

identified through discussions with your department and the module

co-ordinator Dr Lyn Batchelor. This learning opportunity will support

an aspect of your continuous professional development process

(CPD). According to your reasons for taking the module, you agree

your manner of assessment with the co-ordinator, most likely you will

deliver a presentation with a portfolio of evidence.

Interested….? Then make contact with Dr Lyn Batchelor

(L.Batchelor@chi.ac.uk) of the Business School. Lyn works

within several of the University’s departments where opportunities for

graduates either to start up businesses or go into self-employment

are most likely.

Enterprise, set up your own business, be self-employed

"As a new user of the Business Incubation Centre I would like to say how impressed I have been so far. Firstly, the centre has

first class working and meeting facilities that would not be out of place in a large company. Secondly, the business coaching

offers a useful way of gaining perspective for my start up and to have that service included in the costs is exceptional. Lastly,

both Gareth and Fran have been helpful and friendly from day one. I could not have asked for more."

Paul Davis www.lewisdavis.co.uk

27

What are the skills and qualities that

employers seek from all graduates

including those of the University of

Chichester?*

Written Communication

Essays, dissertations, project reports

Being secretary of a society

Articles for university publication(s) or student blog(s)

Publicity material for a voluntary organisation

Fundraising letters for sponsorship

Teamwork

Opting for group project work

Duke of Edinburgh award scheme

Dance troupe/performing quartet/band

Team sports/outdoor pursuits

Leadership

Being in charge of your project group

A Student Voice representative

A year group representative

A Student Union officer

University Officer Training Corps/University Royal Naval Unit

Responsibility for other staff in a part-time job – training them

Demonstrating assertiveness but also negotiation skills

Problem-solving

Creative solutions to coursework

Leisure activities such as chess, logic games, computing, role playing

Overcoming obstacles to achieve ambition

Creating a fundraising scheme for a project Initiative

Suggest changes to course as student rep

Finding relevant work/internship/ placement in sector of interest

Starting own business

Starting a new group/sport or resurrecting an old one

Creating your own website

Coping well with a sudden crisis

Volunteering within the UCSU scheme

Interpersonal Communication

Work experience; bar work, tele-sales, care work

Having a student rep role

Student Union work

Volunteering to deliver presentations

Being a Student Ambassador or a Careers DLHE Survey Assistant

What do employers want?

28

Networking

Attend employer events/fairs ask questions

Make speculative approaches for work experience and advice

Planning and Organisation

Project work

Planning and following a revision timetable

Organising social/sport/charity event

Arrange a travel itinerary – holiday trip

Adaptability and Flexibility

Independent travel

Combining study with family/carer commitments

Working at short notice

Time Management

Manage and prioritize your personal workload of balancing study with part-time work and engagement with student activity

Working in a pressurised environment

Computer Literacy

Fully competent with MSOffice (PowerPoint, EXCEL, Word)

EXCEL excellence, to produce spreadsheets, dashboards, graphs for analysis

SSQL competent

Take a part-time European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) course or qualify for a ECDL

Teach yourself to build a webpage

Commercial Awareness

Keeping up-to-date with business news (the Economist, Financial Times, professional and trade journals)

Finding ways to improve own work environment, savings, improved efficiencies

Work with the University’s Business Incubation Unit

Numeracy

Be Treasurer of a society

Work experience involving significant use of numbers

Read the financial press (tip: follow a particular company)

*For source information contact the Careers Service

29

CAREERS

University of Chichester

Recruitment and Careers Fair

This annual event is not to be missed!!

Over 700 students attend.

Up to 110 exhibitors attend that include:

local or national employers actively recruiting

charities looking for volunteers

health care recruiters

internship agencies

public sector recruiters e.g.: RN,

Army, RAF

3 University stands

11th October 2016

Student response from previous fairs

“Dear careers people! I just thought that I would let you know that I have a job as a direct result of the Careers

Fair.”

English student, Second Year 2015

“There are many opportunities in many areas, sometimes it is not obvious”.

Event Management student, Third Year 2015

“So many employers available to talk to and get advice about how to increase your chances of becoming a

teacher”.

Psychology student, Third Year 2015

Teaching Fair

Friday 28th October 2016

BRC John Parry Centre

Each year we organise a fair

for students training for an

NQT status.

30

Employer and Alumni Visits. The Careers and Employability Service arranges for

employers to visit, often during lunch period between

your lectures, when you can find out about local

recruitment opportunities.

National Careers Fairs Held at Olympia, London, NEC Birmingham and other cities

during the year but especially in the autumn and in June.

Prospects and other organisations sponsor fairs in other parts

of the country.

Go online and search sites such as:

www.thejobfairs.co.uk and

www.prospects.ac.uk

EVENTS

@chiunicareers

University of Chichester Careers

stay informed about what is happening and where.

Fairs at other universities You are welcome at fairs of other universities, but out

of courtesy do contact the careers department of the

university to book beforehand.

Other local fairs in 2016:

University of Portsmouth, 14th October,

11am-3pm, Portsmouth Guildhall

University of Sussex and Brighton, 2nd November

11am-3pm, Annex Stadium, Falmer, Brighton.

31

Any fair whether it is at Chichester, any other

university or at a national location gives you

the opportunity in a short period of time to

meet many different organisations and

NETWORK.

You are likely to have a conversation for 3-10

minutes so make that short period of time

count! You may wish to discuss with an

exhibitor what their organisation does, what

sort of candidates are they seeking and how/

when to apply by. You have nothing to lose

but a lot to gain!

to ‘speed-date’ with the exhibitors at a Careers Fair

32

4. Be yourself

1. Approach the fair with the appropriate attitude

Think about how you wish to present yourself to exhibitors/recruiters.

Work out your Unique Selling Point (USP) – 3 unique things that an exhibitor will recall

about you after meeting hundreds of students

Have a list of questions in your mind that you want to ask every exhibitor.

3. Make a list

5. Show confidence

6. Introduce yourself

7. Respect the time available

8. Close your discussion appropriately

9. Collect a business card

10. Follow-up

Look at is as fun, no pressure event. You need to accept that you may not find the

very opportunity that suits you but you are going to learn a huge amount about the

graduate job market to help your next steps.

2. Prepare for your speed-dating

List things you find desirable in a work opportunity,

as well as those that are ‘deal-breakers’.

The purpose of the fair is to let you to form an opinion of an area

of work opportunity and determine if that is attractive to you.

Even if you don't feel confident, make an effort to appear

confident to give a good impression. Smile.

...to as many exhibitors at a fair as possible.

don’t overstay your welcome when you have discovered the perfect contact, continue

to discuss with other exhibitors and to allow for other students and the exhibitor to

have a conversation.

if you have a CV to hand over or even a business card that

is a small reminder to the exhibitor after the event.

from every conversation... ’Have you a card…?.’

don’t let this ‘date’ go cold... check your notes and

follow up all connections afterwards.

33

Networking is about making and maintaining contact with people. It is a science

not an art – just like any good experiment it needs careful planning, logic and

preparation. In an ever competitive job market being ‘ahead of the game’,

knowing about that job that is yet to be advertised, or just finding the leads to

set up your own business, is all reliant upon you developing the skill to network.

Just as your networks of friends can lead to all kinds of social activities, so your

network of business contacts can lead to employment opportunities. Networking

is a critical skill to master. It does not come easily to everyone, all of us would

claim a degree of shyness, and so networking can be ‘hard’ to do. Once you get

over your reservations, however, it will become second nature but, like any skill,

‘use it or lose it’.

With technology opening up so many more ways to communicate 24/7 you

cannot afford to sit back and expect your network to look after itself.

Network...

Network...

Network...

Remember to LINK:

Learn – your personal goals and your style of networking. Make a strategic plan,

identify what and with whom you should network.

Invest – time and energy to build networks, across the spectrum of technology

and physical methods (coffee meetings, conferences, visits etc.)

Nurture – your networks by constant offers of support and interest shown to

your contacts on a systematic and regular basis

Keep – your presence either online, by telephone or face-to-face with your

contacts to maintain continuous contact.

34

You have been networking all of your life, to a greater or lesser

degree, it just may not seem so. The question is how to turn this

innate skill you have to best advantage in the search for

employment opportunities?

Where do you start?

Begin with the people you do know

Friends and family

Teachers

Members of any groups to which you have belonged

Colleagues in any jobs you have worked alongside.

People you don’t know personally

Friends of friends

Tutors – and any ex-students they recommend to you

Other members of your clubs and societies

Alumni of the University of Chichester

35

Online - social media

LinkedIn is the now ‘must use’ piece of social media for any aspiring

graduate professional. Through LinkedIn you can make contacts, join

discussion groups, and find out about specific organisations and areas of

employment. Facebook has its place for initial contact of people, but LinkedIn

brings the gravitas of the professional world as well as a degree of trust and

credibility of contacts.

twitter offers a variety of groups and exposure for you to express a view, to

‘follow’ or to be ‘followed’. If you blog then a following of your blog is another

form of networking.

Through your alumni connection with the University you have an instant

connection with several thousand of other alumni of the University of

Chichester. Use it.

For every person you meet,

you should try and get two

more contacts.

36

Get a foot in the door

As you search for a permanent role, a temporary job, or perhaps some

volunteering work, will give you a foot into the ‘sector’ so that you begin

to appreciate and get to know the contacts within that sector. You will

gain valuable information, knowledge and intelligence on how the sector

works and the levers to that job or those contracts you may seek (if you

are to be self-employed).

This approach is particularly successful to begin a career in the arts, in

dance, performing arts, music, media or advertising, marketing or some

of the paid roles in charities and events management.

Unadvertised Jobs

It is assessed that 70-80% of jobs are not on the visible job market*.

Often they are offered to people already in touch with the organisation.

For the small employer (the SME), it is cost effective to recruit from well-

qualified and motivated people who have targeted their company. For those

going into the music, media and performing industry sectors this is

particularly relevant.

Manage your network

By taking a scientific approach to networking you will remain focused

and able to value the connections you make. Keep a record of your

contacts. Follow them up from time to time to let them know you are

actively in the market place seeking work. Always ensure you thank your

contacts for any help they have given, it costs little but pays huge

dividends to be courteous and grateful.

*For source information contact the careers department

37

Quick Tips on CVs

and Cover Letters

Why the organisation?

Why the opportunity?

Why me? 1 page

3 paragraphs

Go to our Moodle pages and watch our videos on Chronology CV’s and

Preparing Covering Letters

http://bit.ly/CareersMoodle http://bit.ly/CESPanopto

15%

15%

70%

“Don't rewrite your CV”

“Provide quality evidence of your qualities”

“Research the company/organisation”

“Relevant and brief”

“Always send one!”

38

“Good use of white space”

Want feedback on a current CV or Covering Letter? Book an appointment with a Careers Consultant!

http://bit.ly/TARGETstudent

Example CV

Pick up a hard copy in

the Careers Centre. 2 PAGES MAX

“Concise”

“Bespoke”

“Punchy”

“Bullets of achievement”

39

Even if you have no contact within a particular organisation you can still

develop leads; find people through LinkedIn or professional associations

linked to your area of interest.

Use the press for information – where was the latest review of a

performance? Who was awarded the latest contract? What was the latest

senior appointment?

Talk to either a department tutor or a Careers Consultant for other

suggestions in your chosen area of interest.

Always phone the organisation before you write. It’s tough; many

companies now do not put telephone numbers on their websites. You

have to be persistent and find someone to talk with, so that you can then

find a name to write to with your speculative letter

As with a Covering Letter use the 3 x WHYs. In Paragraph 1 state clearly

‘why’ that company what is the job that interests you. Follow up in

Paragraph 2 with ‘why’ that job is so attractive and your reason for

applying for the post, before you put the bulk of your effort (i.e. about 75%)

into ‘why’ you are suitable.

For more help watch the networking presentations from our video list:

http://bit.ly/CESPanopto

Speculative Applications

“What would life be if we had no courage

to attempt anything?” VINCENT VAN GOGH

40

There is a huge wealth of free resources available on sites such as Prospects

and TARGETjobs.

These sites are designed to help you find jobs, get the jobs and even help with

deciding on a career path.

Some examples of what these sites can provide:

Work experience/volunteering suggestions

Tailored job suggestions

Job sector information

Careers Planners

What can you do with your degree?

Careers events

Careers advice

Interview help

Optional email alerts

Tailored course suggestions

Related articles

Assessment Centre help

Link: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/

Link: http://targetjobs.co.uk

Disclaimer: We have not checked all resources on these sites and can not vouch for the

quality or helpfulness of tools and articles, other than those mentioned in this brochure. Use

these as a quick resource alongside Career Consultant Appointments.

Find out more

Contact: 01243 816035

Email: careers@chi.ac.uk

TARGETconnect: http://bit.ly/TCstudent

Moodle: http://bit.ly/CESMoodle

Twitter: @chiunicareers https://twitter.com/ChiUniCareers

Please recycle after use