Month: June 2023

Categories
Global Opportunities Working Globally in NI

Megan Murray: My Working Globally from NI Internship experience

Megan Murray sitting working on a computer

During my time as an intern at Queen’s University Belfast’s Student Experience Team, I had the incredible opportunity to work alongside a dynamic group of people dedicated to enhancing the university experience for international students. From supporting video production to conducting research and providing feedback, my internship provided me with invaluable insights into the behind-the-scenes efforts that contribute to creating a welcoming and enriching environment for students.

Working with the International Student Group:

One of the highlights of my internship was working closely with the international student group. Together, we collaborated on filming promotional and informational videos aimed at helping international students navigate their journey at Queen’s. It was a rewarding experience to witness first-hand the impact of these videos in providing crucial information, easing the transition, and creating a sense of belonging for students from diverse backgrounds.

Building upon my Research Skills:

Another significant aspect of my internship involved conducting research on other universities to identify potential areas where Queens could further improve its support for international and local students. By exploring innovative practices implemented by other institutions, I aimed to identify valuable insights and recommend new initiatives that could enhance the overall student experience at Queens. This research not only broadened my understanding of the international education landscape but also allowed me to contribute meaningfully to the ongoing development of support systems at Queens.

Contributing to Website Enhancement:

Additionally, I had the opportunity to provide constructive feedback on the “My Queens” webpage—a vital platform for students to access information and resources. By analysing its user interface, content, and functionality, I proposed enhancements to ensure that the website remains user-friendly and serves as a comprehensive hub for students seeking assistance. Collaborating with the Student Experience Team, I contributed ideas to enrich the webpage’s content, making it more inclusive and responsive to the needs of students.

Learning from Student Queries:

Working at the student information point reception desk on Wednesday mornings provided me with a unique perspective on the challenges and concerns that students face. By interacting directly with students and observing how my colleagues handled their queries, I gained insight into effective communication strategies and problem-solving techniques. This experience deepened my appreciation for the importance of providing timely and accurate information to students, fostering a supportive environment for their academic and personal growth.

My internship at Queen’s University Belfast’s Student Experience Team was an enriching and fulfilling experience. Through my involvement in various tasks, I was able to contribute to the enhancement of support services for international students, provide valuable insights, and learn from the experiences of my colleagues and fellow students. Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as an intern and would highly recommend other students like myself to apply for internships within the university and even volunteering opportunities as it has been a very enjoyable experience and I have enjoyed meeting and interacting with new people from many different backgrounds.

Find out more about Working Globally from NI here

Categories
Creative thinking Development Student experience student success

Real World Consultancy Programme

People around a computer thinking

Could you join a student team and tackle a real challenge facing a client or organisation? Hear from the students that did!

Students gained a different type of work experience by providing a consultancy service to real clients and working on a real challenge that those clients face.

They worked in a project team with other students from different disciplines and were facilitated through a Design Thinking process to resolve the client’s problem.

This programme provided students with practical experience for developing these Future-Ready Skills: Interpersonal Skills, Commercial Awareness, Initiative, Innovation and Creativity.

Brian Conway – Mechanical Engineering

“My favourite part of the experience was the multidisciplinary aspect. From an engineering background, I think it was interesting to learn about Finance, Marketing, other people’s courses and how they can bring their knowledge to the course as well”

Xinxin Wang – International, Commercial and Business Law

“I learned creative thinking skills to use my imagination in consulting projects and cooperation skills to persuade people to accept my ideas and I will accept the others also”

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Hannah McConville – Planning, Environment and Development

“The best part of this week has definitely been meeting new people and putting everybody’s ideas together. I’ve also found it very refreshing taking a break from revising and placement and things like that. So yeah, I’ve definitely enjoyed it

Mary McCormick – Biological Sciences

A big one has definitely been able to collaborate with new people to create new, innovative ideas.

Missed this event? Check out other QUB Careers Events here

Categories
Careers programmes Employer Insight Employer Q&A Employers Graduate recruitment

NI Grad Fair – Employer Advice

The NI Grad Fair allowed final year students the opportunity to discover immediate graduate and training opportunities. The Fair provided a platform for employers to share their opportunities for 2023 and connect with a talented and diverse pool of students, and it gave students the chance to speak to representatives from an abundance of local and national employers, all in one place offering graduate opportunities for 2023.

We spoke with some employers at the grad fair about what opportunities they have available and who is their ideal graduate

Áine works for Wilson Nesbitt Solicitors which has established itself as one of Northern Ireland’s top law firms. Their success can be attributed to working with a strong set of principles at our core and a determined focus to get the best result for their clients.

“The opportunities were have available are traineeship roles. A three-year training contract where we’ll provide support. We have Paralegal roles which are open to any degree background. The skills we look for in individuals are life skills, working with people, communication skills, an eye for detail, working with others, working on your own initiative and a commercial awareness.”

Baker McKenzie

Next up is Jamie and Ciarán who work for Shoosmiths, a law firm clients choose for excellent service, incisive thinking and above all for our ability to focus on what matters.

“The opportunities we have to offer are paralegal roles, a trainee solicitor opportunities or anything else like that. The skills we look for are commercial awareness, teamwork, adaptability and just showing that you have a real interest in law.”

Ryan Young works for Delap & Waller, who believe that every client should be a repeat client and focus on providing excellent customer service, open communication and responsiveness.

“The opportunities we offer are graduate trainee program for the Chartered Accountancy exams. We look for students with a broad range of skills, people who have maybe an aptitude for Maths and Science, Data Analytics. Many of the non-traditional degrees bring a range of skills that are useful.”

FinTru

Jonathan works for Hill Vellacott, Chartered Accountants who are leading provider of professional services to organisations in the SME sector, our market-leading team of over 40 professionals serves a wide portfolio of clients right across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and the UK.

“We’re recruiting for Mechanical, Electrical, BIM and Sustainability Engineers. We look for someone with a construction background or an understanding of Engineering, a good work ethic, ambition to learn and be a sponge.”

Madison and Megan work for Arthur Cox whose reputation is founded upon proven professional skills, a thorough understanding of their clients’ requirements and practical commercial approach.

“Our training contract applications will open in the summertime and we look for someone who can work well in a team, has good communication skills and some commercial awareness as well.”

Gateley

Caitlin Sweeney works within Lakeland Dairies, a farmer-owned dairy processing co-operative with a heritage of excellence spanning over 100 years. They process over 1.8 Billion litres of farm-produced milk into a wide range of dairy foodservice products, consumer foods and dairy food ingredients which service over 80 countries across the globe. 

“We’re looking for a Systems Solutions Analyst. So a Business Analyst type role or Marketing graduates, Human Resources graduates. When your CVs come through, layout is a very big thing for us. We want to be able to get your key points right there in front of us and a cover letter always helps”

Grant Thorton

Missed this event? Check out upcoming events here

Categories
Graduate success student success Student success stories

Graduate Success: Kate Wilson

Kate Wilson

Kate studied an MSc in Management at Queen’s University Belfast from 2020-21. She is now based in London working as a Senior Marketing Executive at HeadBox, a digital platform for booking meetings and events.

What course did you study at QUB?

I studied for my MSc in Management in 2020-21.

Did you use your careers service at university?

Yes, I had a couple of sessions over Zoom to help with CV prep. I wasn’t too sure how to best present my skills and experience, so I found these really valuable.

How did you find your current role?

I found it via a job site called Otta that specialises in jobs in tech startups.

Why did you decide to work at HeadBox?

I chose the Consultancy Based Report option for my dissertation as I was keen to get hands-on experience with a real company. Throughout this project, I explored techniques for marketing a social enterprise company (Restorify) in Northern Ireland’s start-up sector, which quite naturally led me to explore marketing roles in a start-up company.

I was initially drawn to apply to HeadBox as it sounded like an interesting role in a fast-growing company where I could gain a lot of experience. I particularly liked how the job description encouraged people to apply if they had no previous marketing experience but felt they would be well-suited for the role.

After a number of interviews, I had a good sense that this was a company I wanted to work for. I had experience working in hospitality and organising several events during my undergrad at university. During COVID, I was impressed by businesses that adapted their models overnight such as local companies that

began delivering or hosting online events. HeadBox was using technology to help different venues adapt their space which drew me in further. I really liked everyone I spoke to during the interview process and felt I’d be a good fit.

Since leaving university, how did you get to this point in your career?

I studied Law for my undergrad at Trinity College Dublin, then spent a few years doing a mix of travelling and working in law firms in Belfast and New York. However, I knew I didn’t really want to continue with law as my career. COVID hit while I was working as a paralegal in New York, so I decided to return home to Belfast.

I applied for the MSc in Management at Queen’s as it was a broad degree in which I could explore different areas of business and find out what I was interested in. I really enjoyed all the modules, but particularly marketing, and learned a lot from the Consultancy Based Report. I accepted my job at HeadBox in October 2021 and worked remotely from Belfast for a few months before moving to London, and have been here since.

What is it like working for a start-up company?

I think having direct access to senior-level colleagues such as your COO and CEO is a fantastic experience for anyone at any level. It really embraces the human side of a company that you don’t get at some larger places. The high-energy, fast-paced and forward-thinking environment is exciting and I found it really easy to get used to. The flexibility and desire to succeed in the business is engaging and exciting to be a part of! It will bring out your innovative and creative side and it’s a great opportunity to rise to any challenges.

What advice would you give to students looking to work for a startup?

Think about what industries spark your interest. Is it fintech, sports, fashion? There are lots of cool companies that are disrupting traditional industries and passion goes a long way in start-ups. Once you’re in, get stuck in and learn as

much as you can. I would recommend being proactive, taking online courses and going to networking events. Ask plenty of questions.

With any job, not just a startup, you get out what you put in. Get ready to roll up your sleeves and throw yourself into the role.

What kind of roles do you see available in the startup industry?

The great thing about working in a start-up is the sheer breadth of roles available. At HeadBox we do pretty much everything in-house, which means that the office is a melting pot of product designers, sales executives, accountants, marketers and, of course, event professionals. The diversity of roles rewards so many different university degrees, and gives you the chance to learn from people who may have studied something totally different from you.

Have any questions? Get in touch with Kate here!

Categories
employability Employer Engagement international students postgraduate

Employing International Students: A Guide for Employers

As an employer, tapping into the diverse talent pool of international students can bring numerous advantages to your organization. The recent changes in UK immigration policies have made it easier than ever to hire international graduates, allowing you to benefit from their skills and knowledge. In this blog post, we will explore two key routes for employing international students: the Graduate Route and the Skilled Worker Route. Additionally, we will cover the salary requirements and the process of obtaining a Skilled Worker route license. Let’s dive in!

The Graduate Route

The Graduate Route offers international graduates the opportunity to work or search for employment in the UK for up to two years (or three years for PhD holders). This route presents several benefits for employers:

  1. No sponsorship required: International students can apply for this unsponsored route independently, relieving employers of the sponsorship process and associated costs.
  2. No employer fees: Unlike other immigration routes, the Graduate Route does not require employers to pay any fees.
  3. Trial opportunity: This route allows you to observe and assess the performance of international graduates before committing to sponsorship.
  4. Potential for switching to the Skilled Worker route: If you find a valuable employee during their time on the Graduate Route, they can apply to switch into the Skilled Worker route, providing a seamless transition.

The Skilled Worker Route

The Skilled Worker visa has replaced the previous Tier 2 visa and offers employers even more advantages:

  1. Increased flexibility in skill levels: Employers can now sponsor jobs at or above the minimum skill level of RQF 3, equivalent to A-level qualifications, making a wider range of roles eligible for sponsorship.
  2. No time limit or cooling-off period: There are no restrictions on the length of time an employee can spend under the Skilled Worker route, providing greater control over staffing plans. Moreover, there is no cooling-off period between a person’s Skilled Worker visa and their next visa.
  3. No cap on numbers and no Resident Labour Market Test: The removal of these requirements has significantly reduced the time it takes to sponsor a Skilled Worker, allowing for quicker and smoother recruitment processes.
  4. Lower salary commitment: The lower “new entrant” rate has been extended from three to four years, making it more affordable for employers to hire international graduates.

Salary Requirements

When offering a position to graduates switching to the Skilled Worker route, it’s important to meet specific salary criteria:

  1. New entrant salary: Graduates switching within the UK from the Student route or the Graduate Route are considered new entrants. The salary offered to new entrants must be at least £20,480 per year or at least £10.10 per hour, along with meeting 70% of the “going rate” for the job.

Skilled Worker Route License: To employ international graduates under the Skilled Worker route, you will need to obtain a Skilled Worker route license. Here are some key points to consider:

  1. License application process: You can apply for a Skilled Worker route license online by following the government’s guidance on becoming a sponsor.
  2. License fees: The license fees are £536 for small or charitable sponsors and £1,476 for medium or large sponsors. These fees are one-time payments, although you will need to pay again when the license is up for renewal (typically every four years).
  3. Processing time: The government aims to process most applications within eight weeks. For faster processing, you may opt to pay £500 for a decision within ten working days.

Closing Remarks

Employing international students offers great benefits to employers, fostering diversity and bringing fresh perspectives to the workforce. The Graduate Route and the Skilled Worker Route present excellent opportunities for hiring international graduates, with streamlined processes and reduced costs. By embracing international talent, you can strengthen your organization and contribute to a global workforce.

If you have further questions or need assistance with employing international students, don’t hesitate to reach out to the Careers Department at QUB. We are here to support you in navigating the recruitment process and making the most of the talent available to you.

Find out more here.