DegreePlus – Page 2 – Queen's Careers and Employability Blog

5 Things You Can Do Right Now to Help Your Future Career

From expert guidance to building your CV, our Careers Consultant Mary McLaughlin explains how to start planning your career at Queen’s – whatever your study stage.

1. Make an appointment with a Careers Consultant

The Careers Consultants are available to meet with you in a one-one appointment to help you navigate the job search for part-time and on-campus jobs as well as potential summer internships and placements related to your area of study. The Consultants are normally located in the Student Guidance Centre and are currently conducting appointments online.
Make an appointment via MyFuture.

2. Log into MyFuture

MyFuture is the University’s online careers management system. In the system you will find on-campus jobs as well as other part-time student jobs, summer internships and placements, and full-time positions for graduates. This is a great place for you to start your search for an on-campus or part-time job as well as to find opportunities to go abroad and events to connect with local employers. You will also use MyFuture to book one-one meetings with Careers Consultants.
Use your student ID to log in.

3. Fit job experience around your studies

Fancy working as a campus tour guide?

As you consider taking on a part-time job or getting involved
in extracurricular activities, it’s important to make sure that you save plenty of your time for studying and all of the reading that many of your classes will require. This is particularly important in the first semester, when you are adjusting to University life and courses. The University policy for on-campus jobs allows for working only 15 hours per week during term-time to allow you enough time to focus on your studies.
Search jobs on campus.

4. Access free online career planning tools and resources

Queen’s Careers website has a wealth of information for those of you searching for a job whether that be part-time, a placement, or
a graduate position. Get tips on where to search for jobs, how to write a great CV and cover letter, and how to prepare for an interviews. Also, the website has information on international opportunities and programming with employers from Belfast and beyond!
Visit the Careers website.

5. Make your extracurricular activities count

Many of you will work part-time jobs, volunteer, or take part in a student society or progamme offered by Careers, Employability and Skills during your time as a student. You can gain accreditation for completing extracurricular work-related learning alongside your degree through DegreePlus. The certification helps you to articulate your development and achievements to others, including potential future employers. You’ll also receive a certificate at graduation.
Discover DegreePlus

For more information or to discover how Queen’s Careers Team can help you plan your future, get in touch.

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