Monthly Archives: November 2012

Careers Advice, CV Tips, CV Writing, Friday Snippet, Graduates, Transferable Skills

Graduates- what you can be doing now for the future!

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Following on from our guest blog on Wednesday which addresses managing your workload at Uni – today I wanted to delve into some areas university students will find useful once you have graduated, as securing that all important first role is more difficult than you think.

When I was at Uni, I was promised that once I graduated with a good degree that I could practically walk into any job – in fact they also fed me with other unrealistic expectations such as large salary levels for starting out and going straight into middle management etc. Having spoken to a number of recent graduates and students recently it would seem that the same expectation levels are still being set by the universities – I can see from their perspective that they need to “sell” the places but it is also unfair to set people up for a big disappointment. Taking positive steps forward I would like to address some things you could be doing now to enhance your chances of securing your first role post graduation:

  1. Take on a part time role – this can be done during holiday times but also as easily done during term time too, I seem to remember a great deal of courses only actually requiring you in the classroom for a few hours a week. Therefore you could structure your timetable to complete your Uni work in the day time and take an evening / weekend / late afternoon job – not only will you enhance your student loan for the all important socials, you will be gaining work experience which you can later rely on for references and to put on your CV. Even jobs you don’t think will be any use to secure a professional role usually are, think about customer facing, time management, cash handling, problem solving, dealing with complaints / conflicts – all good stuff to demonstrate to your potential boss that you haven’t just fallen out of bed and into their office hoping for a professional job.
  2. Voluntary work – Ask your tutors if they know any organisations or have any contacts who would be willing to let you volunteer your services to, ideally you will then gain some experience specific to the role you wish to pursue when you graduate and you may make an impression which could lead on to being offered a contract post-uni.
  3. Use your contacts – ask your parents to put the feelers out within their offices and with their friends to see if they can secure you some work experience they always say; “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know”

It is important to start working on your CV now – start adding pieces of information as it comes to you or as you experience it and ask your tutors to review it for you, make sure you ask for honest feedback and listen to those who can help you most.

Graduates, Planning, Training

How To Manage Your Work Load At Uni – guest blog

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University students have to do a lot of coursework. In your first year, it may seem overwhelming to make the change from A Level student to undergrad. Many students have jobs, a social life and possibly a family to take care of as well. How do you manage to get your work done without completely burning out?

Plan Out Each Day

Make a timetable that you can stick with each day. If you have work right after a lecture, make sure that you plan time for homework after work. If you have breaks during the day, it may be a good idea to get your homework done before you even leave campus for the day. Some days may require you to use your breaks to meet with groups or finish homework for your next lecture or seminar. Whatever you decide to do, you need to make sure that you are using your time wisely.

Get Plenty Of Exercise

Working out will relieve stress, burn nervous energy and clear your mind. When you are stressed, you are going to have a harder time thinking and focusing. Stress also causes you to eat more during the day. The foods that you choose are going to have a lot of fat or sugar in them because your body wants comfort food. Working out will keep your in shape and focused for the majority of your day.

Have A Regular Studying Spot

Dedicate a spot where you will study each day. It can be the library, a desk in your room or the kitchen table at home. What you want to do is establish a routine that you will be able to follow. If you have a routine, you will be able to do the work without thinking about how much time it takes up each day.

Provide Yourself With Distractions

Listening to music while you are writing an essay can make the time go by a little quicker. Music can also get you pumped up for when you have to tackle that large and boring assignment. Try to befriend someone with a pet. Playing with a cat or a dog for even a few minutes can relieve stress and provide for a legitimate break from the steady stream of work.

Take Breaks

Don’t be afraid to take breaks every so often. Each hour should have a five minute break pencilled in for yourself. This will keep you from overloading and giving up on your work for the night. You can even schedule your work in blocks as a way to keep everything manageable.

Uni can be a great experience for many reasons. However, you are going to have a lot of work that you will be expected to do. Time management will be critical to your success in University. Following these tips can make your time much easier to manage.

Sally writes for Richmond, the American Uni in London. Richmond’s specialist courses range from their international relations masters to their unique art history degree program. Richmond offer low student numbers and a great student experience.

Guy Fawkes, News, No, Observations, Project Management Communications, Project Management Lessons Learned

Bonfires and Fireworks

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Happy Guy Fawkes to you all – not breaking with tradition I would like to tie in today’s blog to the theme of bonfire night.

Remember remember the fifth of November

Gunpowder, treason and plot.

I see no reason why gunpowder, treason

Should ever be forgot…

A poem brought about after Guy Fawkes was put on trial in 1606 for treason having been caught in the cellars of the Houses of Parliament with several dozen barrels of gunpowder and subsequently found guilty, which saw him hung, drawn and quartered. The poem was served as a reminder to the next generations regarding treason and the tradition has evolved with time, to include rather fantastic firework displays etc.

A powerful and emotive story which despite its age has certainly played a huge part in our lives over the years – if only we could be as effective in the workplace for lessons learned. Time and time again I have worked with project managers to programme directors who tell me stories of woe from managing pieces of work which would have greatly benefitted from the lessons learned log. This document has been either ignored / not completed or hidden away like it is a bad thing because it highlights where we went wrong. Of course it also highlights the good too but attitude seems to be that if we pretend the bad bits weren’t there now we’ve completed a project then it didn’t happen – then low and behold, history repeats itself.

Now I am not suggesting we have a bonfire and burn all the confidential waste every time we learn something but surely we are at a point where it makes sense to drag out and dust down the lessons learned log for projects similar in complexity etc. each time a new project is being scoped and particularly when it is being planned.

Here’s a poem which you could adapt for your project team:

Remember remember the project of last September

Stakeholders lost all respect,

I see no reason why lessons learned should be tossed

Or ever not be kept…

Blatantly I was never meant to be a poet but you get the idea – maybe adopting something in the office which reminds all to revisit times passed to better understand how to do things more efficiently moving forward could save a lot of time, money and energy.

Careers Advice, guest blogger, Interviews

Tricks On How To Look Confident

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Not too many people are aware of how they present themselves when going on a job interview. They either look disorganized or nervous and this is something that will immediately put an end to any prospects of your getting hired. Remember that job interviews could make or break your career, so if you want to stay ahead of the race, consider these tips to make you look confident during the interview.

1. Mind your body language. Don’t ever slouch or do any unnecessary movement during the interview. This will only hint signs that you are nervous. Instead, maintain a straight and confident posture that will impress your would-be employers. Sit straight during the duration of the interview and maintain eye contact to your would-be employers. You’ll leave an impression that you’re really ready for the job.

2. Prepare Your Mind. Think positive. Condition your mind for the better and you will feel relaxed. If you keep your thoughts on the negative side, chances are, everything will definitely go wrong. You will only feel bad during the interview and might even end up losing your confidence. Think that you’ll get hired! Claim success for yourself and you will end up just like that.

3. Look Good and you will Feel Good. Choose to wear clothes that will magnify your image as a professional and knowledgeable individual. With the right attire, it feels like you can answer all the questions they’ll throw on you.

4. Smile.  Smile is what it takes to make the difference between a nervous applicant and a confident interviewee. It breaks the ice and makes you feel comfortable and more ready to face them.

5. Relax. Rest your back on your chair. Keep your feet firmly planted on the ground. Fasten your hands while resting them either on your lap, on the table, or desk during the interview. If you really feel nervous, take a deep breath and count from one to five. During the interview, answer straight to the point. It’s OK to add a little detail—a sentence or two would do—but don’t make it too long to make you look like you’re lecturing.

Most importantly, don’t ever let the thought of getting rejected get inside your head. Remember, you’re being asked for an interview because you’ve been shortlisted. You are already a potential candidate. So give your best and go get your share of success!

About the Author –  This article is a contribution by Manilyn Moreno on behalf of Better Caterer, a catering software company. Currently, she works for the company as the Online Marketing and Content Manager.