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consultations CVs Interviews Job Hunting MyFuture MyFuture App on campus jobs

Five Cool features of MyFuture

Student blogger Dara O’Donnell from our MEDIA programme offers a crash course on MyFuture and her top tips for getting the most from Queen’s careers portal.

MyFuture is your very own online careers portal, which enables employers to advertise specific job opportunities, placements and internships relevant to you throughout your time at Queen’s. This platform promotes vacancies both on and off-campus, as well as advertising positions that are located further afield. This means you have access to life-changing opportunities abroad too. 

The virtual presence and function of MyFuture provides you with invaluable access to work experience, careers advice and systems that can all help pave the way to you landing that dream career in the future. You simply use you Queen’s student ID to log in and get started!

Here are five ways to best utilise the platform:

  1. You can upload and tailor your CV

The first step to landing your dream role through MyFuture is by creating your own profile, adding a charming personal statement, past employment history and any experience and skills that you possess that will make you a promising candidate. Noting the degree you are studying when signing up to the platform will enable the system to specify job opportunities that directly relate to your desired career. This is helpful in saving time scrolling through boundless unsuitable posts you would on regular job-seeking sites! Additionally, you can attach your own personal and professional CV to your profile, providing employers with further insight to your individual history and aspirations. Make sure you proofread your profile and CV or, alternatively utilise a MyFuture shortcut to the VMock CV Checker, located on the website’s main menu page, ensuring there are no silly mistakes that could stand between you and your desired future career. 

2. You can find events relevant to you

MyFuture will help you gain further understanding of different pathways you can take to achieve your individual career goals. This is through providing a constantly updated calendar of different careers fairs and employer events that are taking place on and off- campus, as well as this, providing various links to upcoming careers workshops that you can attend. Being pro-active and attending these events will allow you to explore your options during your studies and may open your eyes to possible opportunities abroad that could enhance your employability skills and ultimately may transform your mindset on your future career journey. 

3. You can practicse your interview skills.

By joining MyFuture you will have already shown a desire to begin your career journey and start finessing your future employability. Why not take this a step further and make use of the information resources and mock video interviews available on MyFuture? There are multiple practise interviews to take, ranging from general interview questions to graphic design and business management interview scenarios. Unlock your potential and learn how to best flex your skills in an interview, giving you a one up on your competition!

4. You can book a Careers Consultation. 

Within MyFuture there is an option to book a one-to-one careers appointment with one of Queen’s own consultants, to help guide you in successfully managing your own future career path. During the pandemic, these meetings are being offered virtually through video call. If you are feeling lost, like many students often do, do not be afraid to ask for advice and guidance when it is free to you! This is an invaluable service offered to us by the University’s Careers Department and should be taken advantage of. 

5. You’ll automatically be kept informed

Regular emails and job alerts will allow you to stay up to date on the opportunities that are available on MyFuture. Make sure to download the MyFuture mobile app so you have it readily accessible at all times to browse potential future careers, whether that be while passing the time on your daily commute or filling the minutes in between classes. 

Lastly, it’s important to stay positive and remain optimistic in working towards your future career goals, especially throughout this unimaginable tough period for everyone. MyFuture is a reassuring platform for students and graduates alike and is here to help us progress and succeed. As a nearing graduate myself, now more than ever, the future seems daunting, however, being equipped with a system such as MyFuture, I feel confident and motivated in taking the steps towards my future career, while being supported by Careers at Queens through access to a system such as MyFuture.

Download the MyFuture app for Apple and search for Queen’s University Belfast

Download the MyFuture app for Andriod and search for Queen’s University Belfast

Categories
Career planning CVs DegreePlus Skills

The Future-Ready Skills to Improve While you are Queen’s

You might already have heard of the Future-Ready Award, Queen’s employability and skills award that recognises extra-curricular activities. It looks great on your CV, but why? 

Well, it shows employers that you have learned much more at university than just what was taught on your degree. 

Future-Ready Skills show recruiters you have the potential to transform organisations and add value early in your career. 

What employers want: Cognitive/intellectual skills 

What the Future-Ready Award can equip you with: 

Problem solving skills.  The ability to analyse issues, identify barriers and offer/implement potential solutions. This may involve prioritising tasks, coping with complexity, setting achievable goals and taking action.  It may also involve innovation at relevant points. 

Applying subject knowledge and understanding: potentially from the degree pathway. 

What employers want: Professional attributes/attitudes 

What the Future-Ready award can equip you with: 

Communication skills: the ability to communicate effectively in a range of professional contexts (both orally and in writing). 

Teamwork: the ability to work with others in a team, to communicate, influence, negotiate, demonstrating adaptability/flexibility, creativity, initiative, leadership and decision-making. 

Interpersonal skills:  includes ability to engage with and motivate others, sensitivity, global and cultural awareness, moral and ethical awareness and the ability to adjust behaviour accordingly. 

Leadership skills: leading other individuals or groups through a set of complex decisions as part of goal achievement within projects or significant and challenging activities.   

What employers want: Technical skills 

What the Future-Ready Award can equip you with: 

The ability to utilise modern technology: associated with work place or work-related activity.  

Information technology skills: includes ability to learn, apply and exploit relevant IT programmes. 

What employers want: Business and organisational skills 

What the Future-Ready Award can equip you with: 

Business operational skills/ Commercial awareness: understanding of relevant commercial, marketing, management and/or financial processes/principles. Awareness of differences in organisational cultures and practices. 

Business communication skills:  Written, verbal and/or online. 

What employers want: Language Skills and Cultural Awareness

 

What the Future-Ready Award can equip you with: 

Proficiency in foreign languages: developed through courses or overseas experiences.

Cultural awareness/intelligence: and the ability to implement this in a variety of multicultural contexts. 

Discover more about the Future-Ready Award

Categories
CVs Interviews Job Hunting

8 Common interview questions decoded

Queen’s Careers experts explain what an employer really wants to know when the ask these common interview questions.

Q: Tell me about yourself 

What they mean:

Talk me through your CV and tell me how your experiences relate to this particular job. 

What they don’t mean:

Tell me your life history, hobbies and interests and take 20 minutes to do so.

Q: What do you know about the company?

What they mean:

Are you up to date with what our company is currently doing, our main successes and where we plan to go in the future. Prove you want to work here.

What they don’t mean:
Please recite the first page of our website like everyone else and show you have done no original research.


Q: What skills do you have for this job? 

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What they mean:

Give me a summary of your top three skills and make sure you’ve taken them from the Essential Criteria. Prove you know the job. 

What they don’t mean:
List me over 20 skills and make sure 90% will not relate directly to the job. 

Q: What is your main strength?

What they mean:

Pick something from the Essential Criteria that you believe to be most relevant to the position and give me an example of how you have used it. Prove you can match your skill to the job.

What they don’t mean: 

Tell me something totally unrelated to the job and don’t explain it. Or tell me the heaviest weight you can lift in the gym.

Q: What is your main weakness? 

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What they mean:

Tell me about something work related you struggle with and how you have been taking steps to overcome this. Show me you are proactive and looking  to progress. Prove you have self-awareness 

What they don’t mean:

Tell me something critical to the job that you can’t do or that you have no weaknesses. Or tell me about a health condition you have. 

Q: Can you give me an example of a time when….

What they mean:

Talk me through a practical, relevant example that will show me you have experience in this area. Tell me the Situation and set the scene, explain the Task, detail Action and what YOU

did then tell me the Result (STAR). Prove you can transfer your previous experience to this job.

What they don’t mean:

Please spend 20 minuthteesmrawmobrlikngto find it. about a story and with as much

excess and unnecessary information as possible so that I forget the question.

Q: Why should we hire you? 

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What they mean:

Give me a summary of your key skills and how they fit this position. Prove your suitability and your passion.

What they don’t mean:

Give me an arrogant answer that will negate anything good you have previously said. 

Q: Do you have any questions?

What they mean:

Ask me something original and Do you have any questions? relevant that shows you are serious

about wanting to work here. Prove you can use your initiative.

What they don’t mean:

Tell me I answered them all in the interview without saying what you had planned to ask.

For more top tips on interviews and graduate job hunting, download GradGuide2020 via the GradFest2020 site.