Going public?

This article was written by a graduate we know well - Arnab Datta. Enjoy!

Choosing an industry for your graduate job is difficult and you need to consider many factors. These include deciding whether you wish to work in the private or public sector. Completing work experience will help you make a decision, but it is also worthwhile speaking to people in the career and following current developments in the news.

A recent graduate recruitment survey has revealed that the public sector is actually the most popular sector with students, for the second year in a row. The survey incorporated the views of 25,000 students from more than 100 universities, so can be considered a fairly good indicator of students’ current opinions. This is quite surprising in the context of both the economic situation and the budget cuts, but perhaps show that students want to join careers that are trying to help the UK get back on track.

So, what are the main benefits of working in the public sector? Generally, you may feel that you are contributing more to society. For example, if you are a teacher, work in local government or a doctor, then you may feel that these are more rewarding careers. Also, if you work for a charity, then the aim is not to maximise profit, but rather to maximise efficiency for the organisation and help people more. Historically the public sector has been quite a stable place to work (despite recent events) and some of the employment benefits have been more favourable. In the end, there will be a different working culture to the private sector, since the overarching objectives of government organisations and private sector companies inevitably vary.

Still, you must remember that the private sector includes many opportunities in a wide range of sectors, including engineering, consumer goods, science and retail, which were classed second to fifth place in the same recruitment company’s survey. Interestingly, financial related careers did not seem that popular with the students surveyed, although they offer higher starting salaries and firms are still recruiting staff, despite the difficult economic climate. Perhaps this is a cultural shift, with more people wanting to work in different industries. However, it is likely that students from particular universities are still geared towards careers in the financial arena.

Overall, the decision to work in the public sector should be based on whether you are genuinely interested in that career path and aim to contribute to a particular area of society. Still, working in the private sector is rewarding, as there are many industries available, each with opportunities to develop new skills and progress your career.

Are You A Rising Star?

Now in its third successive year, GRBs Rising Stars, is an extra service exclusively to GRB Members who we can see are academically exceptional finalists looking to launch their career with the UKs best companies. We have contacted you because you are studying at a top institution and would like to give you an opportunity to apply.

You can click here http://www.grb.uk.com/rising-stars-list.0.html to see the list by using the username "rising" and password "stars". We then promote this list to a select portfolio of top blue chip recruiters and contact you when they wish to see your CV.

Interested? To apply, please reply to this email (d.hawes@grb.uk.com) with your latest CV and a short paragraph demonstrating your suitability as a Rising Star with examples of your;

- Achievements (including non-academic)
 - Final Year Project / Dissertation achievements
- Creativity (demonstrable skills in individuality and originality)
- Contribution (including participation and involvement in class and union)
- Personal Qualities (e.g. motivation, commitment and the ability to act as an ambassador)

We look forward to showcasing your profile to recruiters throughout 2012 and secure you employment before you graduate. Don't miss out....

STUDENTS 1 - 0 UNIVERSITIES

Have you noticed how university prospectuses have changed in recent years? These glossy tomes have always tended to show the best side of university life but as competition in the market for students hots up under the new funding regime, there's a growing emphasis on explaining what you can expect for your money stretching from the social scene, quality of teaching, student support services and skills development right through to job prospects.

All of which is certain to raise student expectations. Woe betides the institution that fails to deliver on the promise. A glance at the latest GRB poll of students should serve as a timely reminder to universities that failing to deliver on the promise is all too easy. Asked if they thought their university was overrated or underrated.

A significant 46% of those who voted felt their university was overrated compared to 27% who felt their university was actually underrated. What is particularly interesting is that when the same question was asked a year ago, only 40% claimed their university was overrated. The trend, worryingly, would appear to be going in the wrong direction.

Accepting that opinions might be jaundiced at this time of the year when graduate job prospects, or the lack of them, are uppermost in most students and graduates minds, the level of dissatisfaction should be a cause for concern. One can only wonder how parents would have voted. In a recent OnePoll, 60% of parents said that the prime value of encouraging their offspring to go to university was in helping to improve job prospects.

In the same week, the Office for National Statistics published a report which showed that one in three recent graduates was employed in low skilled jobs. And they are the lucky ones it seems, as one in five was unemployed. Universities cannot be blamed for the depressed state of the jobs market but these depressing figures go some way to explaining why more and more institutions are taking their students' employability more seriously than ever before and need to level the score.

Moving towards a more flexible future

Here's another excellent article by our guest blogger, Arnab Datta. Flexibility is one of the key attributes that companies look for in prospective employees and so learning to adapt to new situations quickly is crucial in your new graduate job. This is especially important in the current climate, but does this signal a temporary cultural shift or will there be a more permanent trend in the future?

Recently, a research agency has discovered that over 50% of companies will desire more flexibility from employees during the next two years. Also, some international companies are focusing particularly towards hiring more flexible workers such as freelancers and remote staff. Therefore, this is something at the forefront of companies’ agendas, since they want to reduce costs and respond to changes in the economic environment. Still, this is bound to have implications on employees and especially graduates who want to make a favourable impression in their new jobs.

So, what exactly does flexibility mean in a practical sense? This essentially implies that employees have more choice over the amount of hours worked, the location and which areas to particularly focus on. This type of discretion from companies may give employees a broader experience of work. For example, travelling overseas to work on projects will introduce you to new cultural experiences and perhaps even create a greater global mindset. Also, being flexible may result in you accepting a more senior role that will improve your project management abilities. This could help develop skills like mentoring team members, which no doubt will help you to rise up the career ladder.

You may think that having more freedom to make decisions in shaping your career has many benefits, but there will also be more responsibility. If you decide to work flexible hours, then you will effectively be ‘on-call’ to answer any queries from senior staff and give advice to junior team members. Although it is rewarding to help others, the demanding nature of such an arrangement will inevitably create more pressure. Also, flexible workers need to carefully manage their own workload in addition to attending the necessary meetings, so the importance of time management and responsibility go hand in hand. In a way the unpredictably of greater flexibility is exactly what introduces further risk into the career path.

Overall, it is important to have some flexibility during your career, but you need to find a balance between managing your own workload and following a structured development programme. Flexible working means you can work the hours that suit you, but remember that you are still part of a team, so you need to participate in the main meetings with others. In the end it comes down to your personality. If you want to gain some new experiences and challenge yourself, then try to be more flexible, and after some time you can see if it is a sustainable way of working in the future.



Taking a softer approach

Our guest blogger, Arnab, has composed another excellent article for all your students and grads out there! Please read on...

In a world where competition for graduate jobs is fierce, you may concentrate completely on your academic qualifications and work experience to secure your ideal career. Still, the importance of soft skills has increased, so you need to develop these skills to be a well rounded individual.

Research by Ethical Skills & Training has discovered that many employers are reluctant to hire new graduates, since they think that graduates lack soft skills. Indeed, these are exactly the core competencies that are tested during interviews and so maybe one of the reasons that candidates miss out on positions. However, at first glance, it is difficult to see how to improve these skills.

So, what exactly are soft skills and is it easy to define them in a particular way? Basically, soft skills encompass the way in which people interact with one another and effectively make up a package deal. The important skills are communication, language, etiquette, enthusiasm and friendliness. These will all help you to make a favourable first impression on employers, thus increasing your chance of success. Utilising soft skills effectively and showing positive body language definitely bodes well with any company. 

During your interview, it is vital to do a few things. When you first meet the interviewer, smile and act in a friendly manner. You will probably be nervous but try to make eye contact and give a firm handshake to give the impression that you are confident. Once the interview has started, speak clearly and not too fast, giving succinct responses to the questions. Also, listen carefully to the questions you are being asked and demonstrate enthusiasm when delivering your answers. Giving the perception of being attentive and genuinely interested will inspire confidence in your ability.

Soft skills are also important when you start a graduate job, since a large proportion of time will be spent interacting with people. This could happen during meetings and while working in teams on certain projects. Also, as you gain more experience, it is likely that you will have to deliver presentations to other parts of your firm or potential clients. Having good communication skills could mean the difference between a sale of a service or not making the deal. Producing a vibrant presentation will have much more of an impact with the target audience, although you need to ensure that the content is of a high quality as well.

Overall, remember that your university study and extra-curricular activities are only part of the total package, so to get your desired job offer, you need to make an impression during the interview. Developing good soft skills will have a major impact on your success. Indeed, in some cases the quality of these skills will be the differentiating factor between yourself and others, both during an interview and also once you have started your graduate job.

Arnab Datta

Most graduates are now aware of the benefits of work experience or internships which provide crucial experience and additional CV fodder. However, there are other schemes which similarly offer graduates and students with opportunities to make contacts, learn about the internal workings of specific industries and to work out if a particular career path is right for them. I am talking about the professional societies that industries have which are targeted at assisting students and graduates in their efforts to make it onto the graduate job ladder.

In the UK at the moment there are over 270 professional societies spanning 34 industry sectors ranging from transport to publishing so there are opportunities for graduates of almost any degree discipline, whether based on humanities or the sciences. The testimonies of various graduates demonstrate the value of these societies and how the experiences have had positive long and short term effects for those who have taken advantage of them. In order to widen her employment network, Samantha Smith, a creative writing and publishing graduate from Kingston University joined the Society of Young Publishers. After taking a while to feel comfortable with the networking environment, Samantha eventually saw how she could maximise the opportunity for employment opportunities “When I got over my initial fears, I had met some very interesting people, to whom I spoke extensively about the different paths I could use to enter the publishing industry. Some of them even encouraged me to send them my CV for potential work experience opportunities.”

Computer Science student at Kingston University, Sam Williams has recently been attending lectures held by the British Computer Society and has also reaped the rewards of the networking possibilities. “Everyone wears nametags so there’s an opportunity to talk to the attendees and make new acquaintances before the actual lecture. Lectures also tend to be quite interactive, involving the audience by encouraging them to ask questions. After the talks, the speakers are quite approachable so attendees can easily walk up to them to learn more.”

The professional societies can be the perfect place for you to make the contacts you need in order to procure your first graduate job. If you approach the lectures and meetings offered with an enthusiasm to meet as many people as possible and to give a strong impression of your passion for that industry then you will enhance your employment prospects an enormous amount. Moreover, professional bodies are also able to offer jobs postings which are not available to those who don’t attend the society meetings and can even offer specialist courses for extra qualifications which also bolster your employability.

Tom, GRB journalist

Supersize Your Internship

For most students and recent grads, the old Catch-22 of  not being considered for a job as you have no relevant experience and not being able to get experience until you get a job is one of the toughest hurdles to face when you first enter the jobs market.

There is, however, one strategy that can help break this vicious circle and give your career a springboard: the internship. Most internships will start from June onwards and at this time of year applications for the good ones are filling up fast, so it's not too early to start searching.

Don’t be surprised if you see many unpaid internships or ones that don’t pay very much. Plus, these jobs often involve most of the menial taks that no one else wants to do at the firm. What you should see this opportunity as is what you can put on your CV - experience in a professional office setting. You could supersize your placement by not only making yourself indispensable but also networking with your supervisors to see if you can extend your summer work into a full- or part-time paid position. Here’s a few tip son how to stand out;

Don't be complacent - There is probably a queue of other people waiting for you to trip up and snatch your job so remember this law of the jungle! Once you have learnt the basics of your job seek extra challenges to prove your worth and impress the boss - far better to take these risks as an intern than fully paid up employee. Just ask, "What can I work on when you're busy and I have nothing specific to do?"

Be friendly to everyone - As an intern you have face to face access to other professionals you wouldn’t normally be able to meet so use the opportunity to say hi over the water cooler or on a coffee break and see what happens! NB.Make a bee line for the HR manager as they will be able to reveal more about their hiring plans.

Ask for references – Politely ask your boss for a written reference before you leave. Remind them about the specific projects you worked on and achievements you have made during your internship. Presenting this at future interviews with other firms shows you are organised and saves them the time chasing your previous employer.

Stay in touch – Don’t waste the relationships you have started and let them dissipate but rather stay in touch with your manager and co-workers via e-mail, LinkedIn, Twitter or other social media.

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