International Students : October 2012 Events

UCL Careers Service aims to support international students throughout the entire career management process, from understanding the UK graduate labour market to writing CV’s, interviewing and beyond. 

With the Autumn term having started, we offer a series of careers events specifically designed to address the needs of international students considering work or post-graduate study in the UK and overseas.

To book onto any of these sessions, please log in to your My Careers Service account.

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Monday 1^st October 2012, 1-2pm

De-mystifying the UK Job Market

An introduction to finding a job in the UK through a variety of different routes.  We will look at how to find job openings including graduate training schemes, examine other strategic approaches to job-hunting and look at cultural differences in the recruitment process.  We will also provide a term-by-term ‘job-success’ planner so you won’t miss important application deadlines.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the UK job market including the different ways for graduates to access it.
• Provide information on current market using data from previous UCL graduates and an employer’s perspective.
• Form a strategic approach to job hunting in the UK using different approaches such as networking, online tools and speculative applications
• Understand the recruitment cycle in the UK.

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Monday 8^th October 2012, 1-2pm

Working while you study and CV’s for part-time work

This one hour talk offers advice on how to combine earning money with effective studying, the legal requirements for working in the UK, information about the range of jobs that you might be able to do and where to look for part-time jobs.  We’ll then look at how a CV for part-time work should be structured.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the importance of having UK work experience on a CV for finding post study work in a global job market.
• Outline and signpost legal requirements for working part time while studying, including visa and tax issues.
• Explore different types of part-time work in the UK and sources to find jobs.
• Develop an awareness of the structure and content of typical UK CV’s, for part-time work and how to translate previous experiences to a style that future employers will understand.

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Monday 8^th October 2012, 5-6pm

Effective Job Applications

This seminar gives advice on how to effectively communicate your relevant skills to employers and provides key strategies to better stand out through the entire UK application process.  Discover how to build a sound argument that you have what the employer is looking for and learn how best to communicate that argument in your job applications

Learning Outcomes:

• Gain insight into UK employers or educational institution’s perspective and an overview of the application process.
• Understand how best to structure a UK CV and covering letter, and its key components
• Consider how best to explain your experiences in a way UK employers will understand their value and see how they match their job descriptions.
• Understand how best to answer competency (or other) questions on an application form and complete a personal statement.

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Tuesday 9^th October 2012, 1-2pm

Employer presentation – working in China for Mars

This session is presented by Mars representatives to help Chinese students understand the opportunities open to them within the large international organisation of Mars.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the graduate programmes available from Mars
• Gain insights into working for a large multi-national company in China both as a graduate and beyond
• Learn how the Mars recruitment programme works, including tips on completing the application forms and the assessment centre
• Hear real life accounts of working for Mars from a recent graduate

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Monday 15^th October 2012 1-2pm

Writing a UK CV

How can you make sure that your CV impresses an employer?  If you’re applying for jobs in the UK, an excellent CV is critical to your success.  This seminar gives advice on putting together an effective CV and formatting a powerful cover letter for the competitive UK market.  We will give you an insight into what UK employers are looking for, and point out common CV-writing mistakes.

Learning outcomes:

• Develop an awareness of the structure and content of typical UK CV’s, cover / motivation letters and application forms.
• Understand how to translate skills, experience and personal qualities gained through academic and other experiences to a recruiter.
• Explore techniques used in UK application processes, including reading job advertisements, analysing CV’s and tailor CV’s to specific recruiters.
• Articulate positively and convincingly your reasons for applying for specific jobs based in the UK.

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Monday 22^nd October 2012 5-6pm

De-mystifying the UK Job Market

An introduction to finding a job in the UK through a variety of different routes.  We will look at how to find job openings including graduate training schemes, examine other strategic approaches to job-hunting and look at cultural differences in the recruitment process.  We will also provide a term-by-term ‘job-success’ planner so you won’t miss important application deadlines.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the UK job market including the different ways for graduates to access it.
• Provide information on current market using data from previous UCL graduates and an employer’s perspective.
• Form a strategic approach to job hunting in the UK using different approaches such as networking, online tools and speculative applications
• Understand the recruitment cycle in the UK.

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Monday 29^th October 2012 1-2pm

Effective Job Applications

This seminar gives advice on how to effectively communicate your relevant skills to employers and provides key strategies to better stand out through the entire UK application process.  Discover how to build a sound argument that you have what the employer is looking for and learn how best to communicate that argument in your job applications

Learning Outcomes:

• Gain insight into UK employers or educational institution’s perspective and an overview of the application process.
• Understand how best to structure a UK CV and covering letter, and its key components
• Consider how best to explain your experiences in a way UK employers will understand their value and see how they match their job descriptions.
• Understand how best to answer competency (or other) questions on an application form and complete a personal statement.

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For further information please visit: http://bit.ly/SrBODx

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Get into International Careers Week

Dear student,

UCL Careers Service is running a themed week on ‘International Careers’ from the 28th February to 4th March.

The week will kick off with an introductory talk providing a summary of the range international careers available, factors which make it more likely to achieve and information on how to find work experience. This will be followed by events focussing on ‘Careers in the EU’ and opportunities to hear a variety of professionals talk about their day-to-day work and routes into their field. The programme concludes with an Employer-led CV/Application form checking session on the Friday.

‘Get into…International Careers’ week programme:

Monday 28 February: 1pm-2pm
An ‘International’ Career: why do you want it and how do you achieve it?

A talk by UCL Careers Adviser, Saiyada Smith, covering topics like: finding ways to work internationally; the types of opportunities on offer and how to utilise your skills and experience when applying for roles.

Tuesday 1 March: 5.15pm-8.00pm
EU Careers Event

The UCL European Institute, UCLU European Society and UCL Careers Service are collaborating to deliver this unique event which will offer students an overview over career options with EU institutions, UK Civil Service, regional representations and relevant private and third-sector organisations.

The evening has two parts: a panel discussion (5.15-6.45pm) followed by a networking session (6.45-8.00pm). Organisations include: European Personnel Selection Office; DG Interpretation and the UK Civil Service European Fast Stream.

Thursday 3rd March: 5pm-6.30pm
International Careers Panel

This event provides you with the opportunity to meet a diverse range of experts to discuss international opportunities in a wide range of sectors. Routes into an international career can be challenging to navigate. Learning from our panel of speakers will hopefully clarify ways in which you can embark on your own International Career.

Speakers include:

• Dan O’Rogger – International Economist, ODI
• Claire Lewis – International Ambassador Programme, Oxfam
• Speaker TBC – International Management, HSBC
• Bay Fang – International Correspondent, Reuters

Friday 4 March: 2-4.30pm
Employer-led CV and Application Form Checking

Recruitment advisers from Herbert Smith (legal roles) and Ernst & Young (consultancy) have offered to check CVs and Applications from 2-4.30 pm on Friday 4th March.

For more information, including how to register for events, go to Get into International Careers Week.

Best wishes,

The Careers Service Team

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Careers In Europe – Event!

The next Careers in Europe event will take place on December 13th & 14th in Brussels, the application deadline is October 24th. These recruitment events are “invitation-only” events, meaning all received applications will be pre-screened by Careers in Europe consultants and then by the participating companies, who decide which candidates they want to see for a real first-round interview at the event. This is why the application deadline is 8 weeks before the event takes place.

Open positions at the event vary from entry-level and graduate-programmes up to more senior positions. Next to pre-scheduled interviews all participating candidates can arrange additional interviews with any of the participating companies, have the possibility to visit company presentations and can participate in workshops and coaching sessions about how to prepare for job interviews or how to improve their CV.

Please check out www.careersineurope.com for further information!

Related Post:

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Are you interested in working in Europe?

University of Sheffield Careers Service have developed this excellent resource which not only provides country specific employer information along with data about the economic outlook.

You can access the resource by visiting: http://www.workingineuropeandasia.com/?u=8306033ea4dcbee910d9b59d14e1cc2e#

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Returning home after graduation? 10 top tips to support your job-hunting!

I was recently involved in a research project funded by the British Council to understand the employment prospects of UK-educated Indian and Chinese students upon their return home.

As part of the research, I met with a number of UCL Alum and below is a summary of their top tips to find a job upon your return home.

1. Maintain and re-establish links with friends, lecturers and colleagues. Establish a presence on business networking websites such as LinkedIn – networking is a very effective way of finding work.
2. Join the UCL Alumni Community and the British Council Alumni Group, this will not only expand your network but you can talk to UCL alumnus, learn from their experiences and source job opportunities.
3. Be realistic in regards to starting salary upon your return home, remember the cost of living will be very different to the UK.
4. Be prepared to sell your rationale for studying in the UK and returning home positively. Recruiters may have negative perceptions attached to leaving your home country to study overseas.
5. Overseas employers may not be familiar with the UK education system and as such they may not know much about UCL, so make sure you include UCL’s world ranking on your CV.
6. If finding a job in the UK/Europe proves too challenging, explore career opportunities in different emerging markets such as the Middle East, Singapore and Africa to gain overseas experience, as most businesses are seeking to trade in these regions.
7. Target multinational organisations or organisations in your home country with multinational joint venture partners.
8. Explore UCL’s International JobOnline  to support your job hunting. This site carries job opportunities from employers who are interested in UK returnees.
9. Expect a degree of ‘reverse culture shock’, give yourself time to adjust.
10. Stay positive, finding a job is a job in itself – so persevere!

For more information or to see a careers adviser before you return home, book in for a Quick Query.

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World Cup Special: It’s Paraguay’s turn!

Adverts for job vacancies based in Paraguay seem to be a rare thing or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that job adverts in English appear to be a rare thing. This isn’t really a surprise when you consider that the official languages of Paraguay are Spanish and Guaraní. I would imagine that anyone skilled in either of these languages would be able to find a great deal more information online than I could. However, here are a handful of websites that might be useful when job hunting in Paraguay:

International JobOnline

Job of Mine

Acciontrabajo Paraguay

Computrabajo Paraguay

Although tracking down job vacancies was difficult, information on voluntary projects is much easier to find so if you are interested in volunteering abroad or perhaps starting a career in development then Paraguay offers a range of opportunities.

Internships with Fundación Paraguaya.

This social enterprise works on innovative plans to reduce poverty and unemployment. They run three key programs focussing on microcredit, education for entrepreneurship and a Self-Sustainable Organic Farm School.

http://www.fundacionparaguaya.org.py/

Internships with Para La Tierra

These internships are aimed specifically at current biology students and recently qualified young scientists looking for some field work experience to help them gain employment after university.

http://www.paralatierra.org/

Other organisations with projects based in Paraguay include:

The Peace Corps (for US citizens) – http://www.peacecorps.gov/

Save the Children – http://www.savethechildren.net/alliance/

Kiva (microfinance enterprise) – http://www.kiva.org/fellows/

Paraguay Facts

The Paraguay national football team has reached the second round of the World

Cup three times (1986, 1998 and 2002) but has never progressed any further.

…..and for those of you who could do with a break from the football…did you know that Paraguay is the world’s third largest exporter of soybeans.

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World Cup Special: What can I do in Uruguay?

So, Uruguay eh? I have to be honest my 12 years in HE Careers hasn’t exposed me to anything relevant and a scan of likely sources reveals why. Prospects.ac.uk doesn’t even have an entry for Uruguay, and a search on The Careers Group’s International Job Online reveals a big fat nothing too. Either there aren’t any graduate jobs in Uruguay, or the usual suspects in the UK don’t know about them! Turning to Wikipedia it tells me that “The economy is largely based on agriculture (making up 10% of GDP and the most substantial export) and the state sector. According to Transparency International, Uruguay is rated as the least corrupt country in Latin America (along with Chile), with its political and labor conditions being among the freest on the continent.” So far so good.

A quick google search throws up plenty of search engine and recruitment websites with a lot of TESOL opportunities. Some of these look excellent and, if that’s your thing, have a quick look at this to get a general idea (though I’m afraid I can’t personally vouch for this TESOL provider over any others).

By the by, I was quite intrigued by an ad for “Livescouting for Sport Events in Uruguay” which seems to be a (very) freelance position attending sporting events and gathering data. Not a huge amount of support around it but if you’re a massive sports fan planning to be in Uruguay anyway, it might just be your thing.

Don’t know why I left my own organisation’s website, Careers Tagged till last but it yielded the best collection of websites for jobhunting in Uruguay so far, so I think my advice would be to head there and punch “Uruguay” into the search box. Still mainly 3^rd parties and lots of volunteering or gap year experiences though, all of which makes me think we need some fresh input. If you’re reading this and know that I’ve missed a trick or two, and can point me in the direction of some more varied vacancies or detailed labour market information, then do leave me a comment. I promise to blog about it if you do.

Phil Howe

Employer Services & Events Manager

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Careers in Asia Recruitment Summit

You might be interested in the following recruitment event being held in London on 19th June 2010 – 20th June 2010 from 09:00 – 17:00.

The Careers in Asia Recruitment Summits allow you to network and interview with leading companies looking to recruit high calibre graduates and professionals across a variety of functions for their operations in Asia. With a single application, you can gain access to this exclusive global network of employers in one venue over two days.

Attendance is by invitation only, so apply now to be considered.

The event features:

- Pre-scheduled interviews with leading companies from across China, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Pakistan, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Korea, Thailand China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
- Exclusive access to company executives to arrange ‘on-the-spot’ interviews
- Company presentations and career workshops.
- A unique opportunity to network with other graduates and professionals from around the world.
- An excellent chance of receiving a job offer.

For more information log onto the Careers in Asia website.

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China UK Entrepreneurship Challenge!

The China UK Entrepreneurship Challenge aims to encourage new business ventures between China and the United Kingdom and is intended to simulate the real-world process of entrepreneurs soliciting start-up funds from early-stage investors and venture capital firms.

The competition is divided into two challenge tracks: Innovative Business track (for existing businesses) and Tomorrow’s Leaders track (for students).

Teams will be selected to participate in this competition for more than £10,000 in prizes, together with an investment opportunity of £250,000 for the international Winners.

• Do you have an idea for a business venture involving the UK and China?
• Do you want a slice of £10,000 in cash?
• Do you want expert advice and comments on your business idea?
• Do you want to build your international network of contacts?

Then join the China UK Entrepreneurship Challenge!
Deadline for idea submission 12 March 2010.

China UK Entrepreneurship Challenge is a joint collaboration between CIDA-UK, University College London, University of York, Lancaster University, Queen’s University Belfast, Chongqing Association for Science and Technology, Tianjing TEDA science park.

For more information visit: http://www.chinaukchallenge.com/

Key Dates:

Idea Assessment – 12 March 2010

Semi-Finals – April 2010

National Finals – June 2010

International Grand Final – September 2010

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