Tag: Career Planning

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Career planning consultations DegreePlus my future on campus jobs

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

Start planning your 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.

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Master's PhD postgraduate

11 Essential Sites to Check Out if you are Considering Postgraduate Study

Not sure if postgraduate study is for you? Attending an information or open day event is a good first step. When it comes to desktop research, there are loads of great sites to help you explore your study options. Here are 11 to save in your favourites. 

  1. Prospects postgraduate search

This search tool lets you explore postgraduate taught courses by subject and location. 

2. Target jobs

Search postgraduate taught courses by job sector including  Law, Engineering and Teaching. 

3. Find a Master’s

Search a database of 22,500 Master’s courses throughout the world. 

4. Postgraduate Search

Search courses, and access advice on funding. 

5. Find a PhD

The world’s largest database of PhD opportunities has over 4,000 PhDs to select from. 

6. Jobs.ac.uk

Search PhDs by subjects including Creative Arts and Design, Computer Sciences and Politics and Government. You can also access student vlogs that offer an insight into life as a PhD student.

7. Gradireland

Want to study in Ireland? Filter by institutions like Trinity and University College Cork to find a postgraduate course that suits you. 

8. Graduate Prospects

Access information on studying abroad in a range of countries including Australia, USA ad China. 

9. The Fullbright Commission

The Fullbright Commission site has all you need to know about postgraduate study in the USA including information about the Fullbright Scholarship.

10. Canada Memorial Foundation

Discover awards for British students or graduates who want to pursue a postgraduate course in Canada.

11. Association of Commonwealth Universities

Access information on scholarships to undertake postgraduate study in low and middle income commonwealth countries including Sri Lanka and South Africa. 

For information on postgraduate study at Queen’s, visit The Graduate School.

Categories
Career planning Leadership

7 Ways to Get Involved with Careers at Queen’s

Peter Moor, BA English graduate lists seven ways to get involved with the Careers Service at Queen’s.

Trips

This has to be the best bit about the careers service – the different trips on offer!  I went on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to New York and Washington D.C as part of the Global Leadership Programme. For just £250, we went away for a week to learn leadership skills and all about the future of work. Each year, around 30 students go on the trip to a different exotic destination so this year it’s Toronto. There are also different trips to the likes of Germany, Brussels and London – all of which give you invaluable experience of what it’s like to work in different places across the world.

CV clinics

To get any form of work placement or graduate job, you’re going to need a mighty fine CV. The careers service offers regular CV clinics to make sure your CV is the very best it can be. These are free and have been so useful for me gaining different work placements. They’ll even have a nosey at your LinkedIn profile, making sure it is up to scratch.

Interview Practice

When you’re going for that graduate job, the likelihood is you’ll be put through your paces with a range of interviews. A good way to gain confidence in this area is to meet with one of the careers consultants to give you some hints and tips! Also, the Student Guidance Centre, where the careers services are based, have a room available if you ever need to do a video interview by webcam.

Careers Fairs

If you have no idea what area you want to go into then the Careers Fairs are perfect. Every few months, you’ll find a fair with representatives from all the big graduate employers. It’s a great opportunity to network with the people that you could one day be employing you! They’re also really good for finding work placement opportunities. A lot of degrees now include a paid year out in industry so these fairs are the best way to find the company you want to spend a year working with.

Social Media

One way to get involved Queen’s Careers service is to follow them on their social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. You’ll find tonnes of useful advice and reminders for any events coming up. As a student, you’ll also have access to their online portal MyFuture to book onto any careers related event.

On-Campus Jobs

On the MyFuture portal, you can find lots of different part time jobs on offer at Queen’s. These range from being a campus tour guide and student ambassador (my job!) to helping with catering on campus. All of these roles are really flexible so if you have exams or assignments due, then you don’t have to do any work if you don’t want to. It’s also a good source of income to top up that student loan.

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international students Leadership

5 Ways Queen’s Careers team can change your life

Shing Him Mak, LLB Law, on how he’s used the Queen’s Careers service.

1.They’ll make sure your CV and Linked in profile are on point

Have you ever struggled to write a CV? Do you know what to put and what not to put in your CV? Do you know what HR managers are looking for in a CV?

Queen’s has a number of experienced career consultants who are always willing to check your CV. At most career fairs, you’ll find them at the booth near the entrance to provide a quick CV check service for you. You can also book a CV check slot online through Queen’s Career website any time.

2.They can help you formulate a career plan

Throughout your time at Queens, you may have different thoughts about your future career. Whether you’re applying for an internship, or you want to start up a business, the careers team are here to help. In my experience, Queen’s career consultants are very experienced and professional, and they can answer any career query you might have.

If you are struggling with career options, or any career related matters, book a consultation slot online through the careers website.

3.They have a direct line to major firms 

The employability team organise massive career fairs where almost all of the big firms are represented. Some firms even conduct their interviews on campus. If you want to know more how to get into your dream firm, or want to know more about the firms that can help when it comes to making key career decisions, then I would suggest you go to the fairs and talk to the firms. It is also a great chance to network, which you may find useful when it comes to the dreaded job applications.

4.They can hook you up with key employers

Many employers will have outreach programme where they will visit Queen’s campus and organise workshops for students. The most common workshops I have seen are CV workshops, communication skills workshops and employability skills workshop. If you have spare time, then you should definitely go to one these sessions.

5.They can take you on a life-changing journey

I’d say this may be the best part of Queen’s career service. I took part in the Global Leadership Programme, in which I got an opportunity to travel to the USA for a seven-day leadership training course at a discount price. They run a lot of programmes throughout the year, such as the London Law / Finance Tour, City Scholarship Programme and Brussel Study Tour among others.

It is never too early to plan for your future. And remember, with Queen’s Careers, Employability and Skills team, you are never alone in shaping a better future for yourself.

Categories
Career planning

How to use the careers development services at Queen’s

BSc (Hons) Human Biology student Hannah Badger on how Queen’s careers team can help you find your purpose and follow your passion.

Where can I find it?

The Student Guidance Centre (situated beside Elmwood Hall) houses a number of services to support you throughout your academic journey. This includes the Careers, Employability and Skills team at Queen’s. They’re a team of people united in the goal of helping you find your ideal career, improve your employability and assisting you in gaining the skills employers want.

What is the SGC Hub? 

On the ground floor of the Student Guidance Centre is The Hub. Here you’ll find the student assistants who can show you how to use MyFuture, inform you of skills workshops and fairs and assist with any careers-related queries. Additionally, you can find lots of takeaway resources from CV checklists to sector specific information (from the University and industry). The ground floor of the SGC is an open area and students are welcome to come in to relax or study when presentations aren’t taking place.

Who can I speak to? 

Every student in the University has access to a careers advisor who they can meet for careers-related help and advice. Face-to-face support can come in the form of a CV check or careers consultation. Most students receive this face-to-face support through appointments booked on MyFuture. However, throughout the year, careers advisors go to locations across the University, such as the McClay Library, to offer on-the-spot CV checks. Your subject-specific careers advisor will also send you a newsletter every month informing you of relevant opportunities.

Meeting Employers

A number of large careers fairs are held throughout the year in Whitla Hall, allowing students to interact with employers. These fairs usually have a theme, whether that is work experience or placement, graduate recruitment or global opportunities. The opportunity to speak to employers directly is invaluable. From my own personal experience I’ve discovered companies, got specific details of recruitment processes and found opportunities I didn’t know existed – both in Northern Ireland and further afield.

Smaller careers fairs also run over the course of the semester – usually they’re subject/area specific and held within your school. The companies that attend would like graduates with your specific knowledge and experience. The larger fairs can be a little overwhelming, but the mini-fairs are less daunting.

Gaining Experience and Skills

Development Weeks are another aspect of university life promoted by the CES team. Each year, you’re given three weeks to take part in workshops or skills enhancing experiences that you may not have the chance to take part in while you’ve got scheduled class. There’s an extensive range of programmes and with little difficulty you can find several programmes of interest to you. The majority of activities are also Degree Plus accredited!

Online Access to the Service

The careers service can also be accessed through the Careers, Employability and Skills (CES) website or MyFuture. The CES website is loaded with information from sector relevant careers resources to room bookings for Skype interviews. Additionally, MyFuture can be used to browse upcoming events, sign up for workshops, book careers appointments and apply for jobs.

For those of you on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, CES has their own account which they use to advertise and promote various opportunities throughout the year as they arise.

It’s been a long journey from the start of my degree until now. My final semester. The decision between further education or employment has become very real. It can be difficult to get your head around it all – there are so many options out there – but your careers advisors are there to help.

As a way of a final note, all of the resources, help and guidance you receive is for FREE so why not see what Careers, Employability and Skills can do for you.