Helping your life-changing career get off the ground

Transcription

1 Helping your life-changing career get off the ground Find life-changing information at 11/09/ :48

2 Welcome to your future Your opportunity to succeed starts here and preparing you for employment starts as soon as you step onto the campus. At the University of Sunderland, preparing you for employment is at the heart of everything we do. Our aim is clear: to provide you with an outstanding platform for your personal and professional development and in your future career. Ahmed Khalil Associate at BlackRock Private Equity Partners LL.B Law AN Sunderland Futures Brochure Outer.indd 4-6

3 Sophia Ramsey Fashion Designer, Abercrombie & Fitch, Ohio, USA BA (Hons) Fashion Product and Promotion Welcome to Sunderland Futures A programme that focuses on three key areas Development, Opportunities and Recognition that offers you an exciting menu of options and experiences to complement your studies and to increase your employability. If you grasp these opportunities then we re confident you will leave us with a top-class degree, equipped with a unique set of skills that employers look for. Find life-changing information at AN Sunderland Futures 16pp Brochure Inner.indd 3 11/09/ :18

4 An introduction to Development p 6 Eventually your CV will speak for itself. Through careers guidance, placements, mentoring and Masterclasses, we ll develop you and your CV preparing you for interviews and providing invaluable insight into the career paths open to you. Opportunities p 11 Get ahead of the competition. From volunteering and internships to paid projects, placements and student exchanges, we ll encourage you to take advantage of every available opportunity. Recognition p 15 It s all about standing out in the eyes of an employer. All your development, achievements and activities such as volunteering and work experience will make you a well-rounded individual. The Sunderland Professional Award and Higher Education Achievement Report are designed to recognise and promote your success. Our aim is to record all your achievements. Accessing Sunderland Futures Whether you re fresh into your life-changing course or newly graduated, Sunderland Futures has something for you. The programme is designed to be flexible and to allow you the chance to access a variety of elements at different times throughout each year of your time at University. You will work closely with your personal tutor and staff at the Careers and Employability Service, based in The Gateway on City Campus, to devise a plan at the start of your course and continually update it. Although Recognition for all your hard work comes with graduation, chances for Development and Opportunities will be offered throughout. Visit for further information and how to register. 4 Find life-changing information at AN Sunderland Futures 16pp Brochure Inner.indd /09/ :18

5 Development CVs, Interview Skills and Careers Advice and Guidance Grow, advance, progress, expand, improve and mature. The Careers and Employability Service is here to help develop your employability skills and career profile. You can benefit from career skills workshops, CV, application and interview coaching and bespoke careers advice. We ll help and advise you on how to develop your life-changing career. Peter Salmon Director, BBC North (pictured with graduate and BBC employee Nadia Haif see page 9) Masterclasses Be inspired by experts from a range of sectors from business and politics to sport and TV and learn from their experiences and challenges. The University hosts a series of free Masterclasses, designed to complement what you are learning on your course, giving you a much deeper understanding of a variety of career options. You will have the opportunity to hear from and question each speaker to gain an insight into their world of work. 6 Find life-changing information at AN Sunderland Futures 16pp Brochure Inner.indd /09/ :18

6 Mentoring Support your career ambitions with our Professional Mentoring Scheme. It s designed to help you develop the business insight you ll need for future employment. You ll be matched with an experienced Mentor. You can draw on the knowledge and skills from some of the UK s top employers and employees. That s real people with real expertise. You ll benefit from one-to-one mentoring sessions to gain confidence, a clearer purpose and a genuine insight into the world of work. My Mentor Paul Finch was fantastic, an inspiration, he gave me great advice and was very honest about the industry. I picked up new skills and it s made me realise I can cut it in an actual office environment. Dan McGregor, 23, BA (Hons) Illustration and Design mentored by Paul Finch, Pulse Creative Marketing. The placement experience and contacts I made eventually led to me being offered a job at the BBC Nadia Haif After graduation - Production Management Assistant, Sports Documentaries, BBC Salford Now Production Co-ordinator, BT Sport / Sunset and Vine BA (Hons) Sports Journalism Paul Finch Pulse Creative Marketing Placements Get ahead of the competition. Research shows that more than half of all students who undertake a one-year placement get offered a job with their host company on graduation. There are many forms of placements available, including smaller bite-sized projects that will still deliver a huge impact on your professional career. Each of our four faculties can organise placements with some of the country s leading companies and organisations. Dan McGregor BA (Hons) Illustration and Design 8 Find life-changing information at AN Sunderland Futures 16pp Brochure Inner.indd /09/ :18

7 Opportunities Leadership Leading Lights Are you a frontrunner? Would you like to learn the leadership qualities and attributes that many employers look for when recruiting graduates? We ve teamed up with leadership organisation Common Purpose to design our Leading Lights programme it s a free four-day programme to teach core leadership skills. Past contributors have included the BBC, John Lewis, Nissan, British Airways, Nexus, the Police and Fire Services, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Sunderland Football Club. Enterprise at The Enterprise Place If you have a great business idea that you d like to get off the ground, The Enterprise Place is for you. Students and graduates from any discipline looking to set up their own business can apply for membership. It s a one-stop shop bringing together budding entrepreneurs at all stages of their development. You ll gain access to workspace and support from specialist advisors and mentors, attend sessions designed to develop your skills, and there are opportunities for competitive funding. It all adds up to good business sense. 10 Find life-changing information at AN Sunderland Futures 16pp Brochure Inner.indd /09/ :18

8 The experience really was life-changing. It opened my eyes to the world of work. I knew what I had to do to succeed when I returned to university. James Ghulam Operations Manager, White Lodging Services, Texas I can t praise the internship scheme highly enough and would recommend any graduates in need of advice about employment opportunities to get in touch. BA (Hons) Business and Management Helen Roffe Human Resource Administrator Sunderland Football Club (SAFC) Student Exchanges Enjoy genuine life-changing opportunities with our Student Exchange Scheme. You can study for one or two semesters at one of our exchange partner universities. You ll gain invaluable life experience that will make your CV really shine to prospective employers. We will offer you help, advice and guidance for exchanges throughout Europe, Australia, Canada and Hong Kong. Exchanges really can open up a whole world of opportunity. Internships Graduate internship schemes offer an excellent way to begin your graduate-level career. As an intern, you ll be working for an organisation on a full-time basis for between 3 and 12 months earning a salary. You ll be working on projects under the guidance of a supervisor from the host company, as well as getting support from the University s dedicated Internship Team. Like Helen (above), many interns are later offered a permanent position with their host companies. Opportunities exist for undergraduates to take part in 4 week paid Summer internships across a variety of sectors and disciplines. 12 Find life-changing information at AN Sunderland Futures 16pp Brochure Inner.indd /09/ :18

9 Student and Graduate Jobs, Volunteering and Paid Projects Investing a little free time will give you valuable work-related experience. Volunteering is a great way to enhance your CV, improve your professional strengths and learn a bit about yourself too. Student Ambassador Scheme Many opportunities are available to work with local organisations, charities and community groups, gaining experience that is often essential for careers in education, health and social care. Paid part-time vacation work, graduate vacancies and paid and unpaid project work are all available. You will need to register then search for vacancies advertised on the Opportunities Online section of the Careers and Employability website. Recognition Throughout your time at the University of Sunderland you ll undertake a number of additional activities to sit alongside your academic development. All of these will help to make you a well-rounded individual so you can present yourself in a confident, professional manner to potential employers. To get that first step on the career ladder we will support you to stand out from the crowd. The Sunderland Professional Award and the Higher Education Achievement Report work to your advantage. Acknowledging and recording all your efforts and success, they re essential tools in getting you noticed. Get ahead as a graduate and make your University experience even more life-changing with the Student Ambassador Scheme. As a Student Ambassador you will be a casual worker for the University with a host of events to gain experience, develop invaluable skills, represent the University, meet new people and earn a little money too. Many benefits will be open to you with a promise of flexible hours and lots of opportunities throughout the year that can fit around any course timetable. 14 Find life-changing information at AN Sunderland Futures 16pp Brochure Inner.indd /09/ :19

10 T h e S u n d e r l a n d Professional Award In a crowded graduate jobs market we understand the importance of standing out from the crowd. You need a genuine way to catch the eye of an employer. The Sunderland Professional Award (SuPA) is designed to get you recognised. The Award, open to all undergraduates, will help you make the most of work experience, volunteering and the skills and academic development that you ve been involved in during your time at University. The Award will provide formal recognition of your participation in added-value and skills development activities, providing real evidence for you to use as you progress toward your chosen career. Gain advantage over the competition and register for SuPA now. Higher Education Achievement Report We believe it s better to be seen and heard. The Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) is designed to do just that. It will sit alongside your degree certificate and is a great way to record both your academic and additional achievements whilst studying at Sunderland. It won t replace a CV but HEAR can help you build your CV or application, allow employers to view it online and capture a rich picture of your time at University. It will be issued to all undergraduate students through an online service called GradIntel. To view your HEAR and share it with employers, you ll need to register with GradIntel first. We ll get in touch by to let you know how and when to do this. Once registered, further opportunities will be available to you. Register Now 16 Find life-changing information at AN Sunderland Futures 16pp Brochure Inner.indd /09/ :19

11 And More So, we ve given you the tools to boost your CV, you re primed and ready for your future role, but there s still a wide range of activities on offer at Sunderland that you can get involved with, provided by your Faculty. From working on the University s community Spark TV, Radio and Magazine, to building your own racing car with Formula Student, there are numerous clubs and societies to sign up to from basketball to ballroom. The Mooting and Debating Society offers a chance to practice your legal skills, then there s Blueprint, which provides students with a launch pad for start-up businesses. Planning your Sunderland Future The timeline opposite is a rough guide to the Futures programme to help you decide when you could access some of the elements. These and many other opportunities can give your career a real boost. For a more in-depth version of this timeline go to: AN Sunderland Futures 16pp Brochure Inner.indd 18 11/09/ :19

12 University Career Planning Timeline Development Opportunities Recognition Year One Year Two Year Three Graduation Join Clubs and Societies Apply to be a Student Rep Apply to be a Student Ambassador Apply for Leading Lights Gain Work Experience Complete a Student Exchange Engage with Employers through University Events Explore self employment opportunities with The Enterprise Place Apply for the Blueprint Business Awards Explore Career Options Prepare a CV Sign up for the Professional Mentoring Scheme Complete the Sunderland Professional Award Prepare for Interview Apply for Postgraduate Education Prepare and Apply for Graduate Jobs Apply for Graduate Internship Find life-changing information at 11/09/ :48

13 Start planning your Sunderland future Talk to your personal tutor Visit Careers and Employability Service The Gateway, City Campus Tel or Find life-changing information at AN Sunderland Futures Brochure Outer.indd 1-3