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7 things first year students can do to boost their employability

Our student blogger Maeve McDermott read the TARGETjobs Careers Survival Pack and here are her key takeaways. Number 4, get to know us better!

Your first year of university can be overwhelming. Moving to a new city and navigating a newfound independence, whilst mastering the art of referencing and attending lectures can mean that thinking about your future career is pushed to the bottom of your list of priorities. However, it is never too early to think about ways to boost your employability while still enjoying everything else that comes along with university life, and TARGETjobs Careers Survival Pack is full of tips on how to just that. Act now and thank yourself later and you can save yourself from that final year rush.

  1. Plan your path 

Thinking about your career early on can be daunting, so it’s useful to chart your direction and decide which route you are going to take so you have a structure to follow. Will you choose a sector/industry to work and look for employers in that sector? Or will you be more flexible about the role and sector, and instead focus on the employers you like and seek out their opportunities? Either way is perfectly fine, but it’s good to choose one path so you can effectively plan your career as early as possible. 

2. Clubs and societies 

Joining clubs and societies is not only a great way to meet people and have fun, but to gain those vital transferrable skills. Teamwork and problem-solving skills are part and parcel of being a member of any club or society, be it Brazilian Jujitsu or the Vegetarian Society, and it shows that you’re committed and have interests outside of your studies and your social life! Plus, having a role of responsibility through running events in any clubs or societies can demonstrate communication and organisational skills, which are sure to impress future employers – and can enjoyable too!

3. Part-time jobs and volunteering 

Part-time jobs and volunteering opportunities also give you the chance to build on those transferrable skills. Whilst stacking shelves or picking up litter mightn’t be what you want to do long-term, the ability to juggle work and study can demonstrate a strong work ethic to employers and really help you to stand out. There are plenty of rewarding and interesting volunteering opportunities available through Volunteer SU who are always looking for people to offer their time, and part-time work both on and off campus are advertised on MyFuture.

4. Get to know your university’s careers service

Explore what your careers service has to offer. From consultations to employer events to international study tours, your careers service is bursting with resources to help you boost your employability alongside your studies. Visit the QUB Careers website often and follow their social media to keep up to date with opportunities and events. Careers fairs and employer events are a great way to meet and network with employers directly – something that you can never do too early.

5. Develop a good study routine 

Establishing an effective study routine from the get-go can really work in your favour. Even if your first year counts for very little, having impressive first year grades will come in handy if applying for internships/work experience in 2nd year, as employers will only have these grades to base their decisions on. Plus, it’s good to develop those study skills early on in your university career to avoid the final year panic.

6.Look at work experience/internships

Be sure to check springtime deadlines/exam dates as some employers offer insight days, work experience, or internships for first year students. More and more large companies are offering these types of opportunities and having these names on your CV can look really impressive to future employers and can be a great way to decide whether an employer is right for you. After finishing your exams and assignments, what better way to start your long summer break than gaining valuable experience and building up your CV early on in your university career? 

7. Register with TARGETjobs 

Registering with the TARGETjobs website means you’ll get sent details of careers events, work experience and tips to improve your employability. They also run the Undergraduate of the Year Awards with an award exclusively for first year students, so what are you waiting for? TARGETjobs also run events to introduce students to employers, with some exclusively for first year students and some open to all year groups, such as webinars that can help with your employability. Have a look and see what’s on offer at targetjobs.co.uk/events

Doing just a few things per semester to boost your employability doesn’t have to be overly time-consuming. It’s really as simple as joining a club, volunteering for a few hours or attending an employer event and it can really pay off in the long run. Any effort you put in now will really help you in the future, and your final year self will be forever thankful!

Read more advice from TargetJobs here. 

Categories
Advent Calendar advice Career planning Digital publications prospects Publications TargetJobs

Careers Advent Calendar: 5 Digital Careers Publications to Gift Yourself This Christmas

1 TARGETjobs Careers Survival Pack

A short intro for first years on how to boost your employability while enjoying university life.

View online

2 The UK 300 2020/21

Find out which companies are among the UK’s most popular graduate employers and get tips from leaders and rising stars in the industry.

View online

3 GradIreland Guide 2021

Careers advice and jobs for all sectors

View online

4 Prospects Student Career Guide 2020/2021

Apply graduate jobs and schemes, discover internship opportunities, industry insights and more.

5 Prospects: What do graduates do?

Insights and analysis from the UK’s largest higher education survey 

View online

For more useful publications, visit our website

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Advent Calendar advice Interviews TargetJobs

Careers Advent Calendar: Five Tricky Job Interview Questions

Our friends over at TARGETjobs have collated this list of tricky interview questions with tips on how to answer them. Read the full article here.

‘What is your most significant achievement?’

This question is designed to assess your values and attitude as much as your achievements, and employers often want you to talk about your activities outside education. You’re more likely to come across well if you choose to discuss something you’re genuinely proud of, which could be because it involved leading others, overcoming obstacles or persisting in the face of the odds. 

‘What motivates you?’

You are particularly likely to be asked about your motivation in a strengths-based interview, which focuses on what you enjoy doing and what you do well. This is an approach that graduate recruiters are increasingly using alongside or instead of competency-based questions.

Your answer should draw on an example from your extracurricular activities, work experience or studies that suggests you would be strongly motivated by the job you are applying for.

‘Give an example of a time when you showed initiative.’

If an interviewer asks you to describe a situation in which you showed initiative, avoid giving an example of an idea you had but never put into action. It’s much better to talk about a time when you not only came up with a solution to a problem but also acted on it. 

‘What is your biggest weakness?’

The problem with this question is that you’re being asked about your shortcomings, when your instinct, in an interview situation, is to keep your flaws as well hidden as possible. What you need to do is to frame your answer to as to give it a positive spin.

Strengths and weaknesses can be different sides of the same coin, so another way to approach this question is to think about how you overcome the potential downside of your greatest strength. For example, if you’re a natural teamworker, is it difficult for you to cope with conflict or assume leadership abilities? How do you cope with this?

‘Are you innovative?’

Graduates are sometime asked to give an example of when they were innovative, ‘thought outside the box’ or used creative thinking to solve a problem. Many graduates are concerned that their examples are just not innovative enough, but the interviewer won’t expect you to have given the prime minister tips on handling Brexit! Instead, talk about times when an idea from you had a positive impact: for example, if you came up with a fundraising idea for charity or found a way to save time on an assignment.

For more resources to help you build your business and organisational skills, visit our website

Categories
Awards Black Heritage Equality First Generation Future CFO LGBTQ+ Management TargetJobs Undergraduate of the Year Young Activist

Could you be Crowned Undergraduate of the Year?

Q: ‘I don’t think I have a chance of winning – what’s the point in applying?’

A: As one previous finalist said: ‘If not you, then who?’ 

Each year we hear from winners who said they entered on a whim and were amazed to go on to the next stage and ultimately attend the final. We don’t look for a specific amount or type of achievements. The award partners are most interested in hearing about how your experiences have influenced you personally, and why you consider something to be an achievement to you. Each stage of the process is great practice for job applications, and around half of the finalists go on to work with companies they met at the awards! What do you have to lose?

Q: ‘The entry process is too long – why should I stick with it?’

A: We understand that two hours can sound like a lot; however you can always save your progress and break the application down into manageable chunks. We recommend filling in your initial details and looking at the questions – at this point you can then log out and write up your answers, before submitting them when you are ready. You are next invited to take part in some online tests, which you can do on a morning or afternoon that suits you.  

Q: ‘How do I answer the questions set by the award partner?’

A: Make sure you read the questions properly and start off by making a plan to note down your initial thoughts and ideas of what to include. Make sure you use the word count wisely and try and draw on your experience to help you answer the questions. We also recommend getting someone (a friend, housemate, colleague or parent) to proof-read your answers and offer their opinion as they can help to tweak things and might remind you of something else to include.  

Q: ‘I’m nervous about the psychometric testing.’ 

A: Before each test, you have the opportunity to practise and learn how it will work. There are also websites that let you practise different types of psychometric tests for free. You can always ask friends and peers for advice as they may have experienced testing as part of a job application. Check out the TARGETjobs advice on psychometric testing too: https://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/psychometric-tests . 

Q: ‘Will my university studies suffer if I spend time on this instead?’ 

A: Whatever year of study you are in, we want you to prioritise your university work. However, there will be times when you need a break from coursework and revision! Speaking to past finalists and winners, we learned that they used the evenings and weekends to work on their award applications, having spent most of the week attending lectures and completing university work. It’s a good idea to keep a schedule to keep track of all your commitments, and you can plan ahead to book in time for writing your answers and completing the online tests.

Q: ‘I’m not available on the day of the Awards Ceremony Final in 2021.’ 

A: If you can’t join us on 30 April, you could still win the award. If you impress at an assessment centre you may be offered a role, even though you’re unable to attend as a finalist! 

Q: ‘What does ‘the right to work in the UK after graduation’ mean?’ 

A; Due to the prizes offered by each of the award partners, we cannot accept applications to some of the awards if you do not have the right to work in the UK after graduation. This means if you are on a Tier 4 visa then you unfortunately cannot apply to the awards that list this as a requirement. When considering whether you are eligible to apply, please take your current situation into account, rather than what may or may not happen in the future. If you are an EU citizen or have a British passport, then you can apply to all of our awards. If in doubt, contact us and ask.  

Any other questions? Contact the team at undergraduateoftheyear@targetjobs.com

About the awards:

There are 9 different categories this year, each sponsored by an award partner (such as HSBC or L’Oreal) who provides prizes for the winner in the shape of internships, shadowing opportunities and other experiences. Many previous winners and finalists ‘applied on a whim’ and never imagined they would make it to the final. 

Join the previous winners for an online webinar on 14 January at 2pm to hear their experiences.

Register for the webinar

Check criteria and apply