At the start of the year there was a series of lectures on career planning, CV writing and interviews held by Clare brass.
The lectures intended to better prepare us for future career paths and to aid in planning our next steps after graduating.
Career planning
The first lecture was about ways in which to plan on how to get the correct career for you. Careers fairs are a great way to find internships and placements.
There are also many job search websites and student graduate websites that are easy to navigate and allow you narrow your search for a job that is better suited to your strengths and enjoyments.
What
is important to you is likely to shape your choices when looking for jobs
Social media is a great way to stay connected to professional individuals in the field that you choose to go into.
Twitter and linked in are such examples
It is important to create network, and use contacts whether that be connections through family and friends or through previous work experience
CV writing
Important things to think about when writing a CV include the layout, spelling, whether all the information included is relevant and whether there is an honesty imbalance.
It is also important to make sure that your CV is fit for purpose and reflect the requirements of the job.
The structure of a CV should follow a certain format:
- Personal details
- Academic education and qualifications
- Employment / work experience
- Additional Information
- Referees
There are two types of CV, a skills based CV and an academic CV. A skills based CV is used if you have gaps in your employment history.
All about interviews
Generally once your application for a job has been accepted you are invited to interview.
There may be just one interview but generally there will also be an assessment centre day where other activities will take place such as presentations. There may also be a second interview after the assessment centre day.
There are many types of interview such as:
- Skype interview
- Telephone interview
- Panel interview
- One to one interview
During an interview, interviewees will be looking at whether you meet the skills that the job requires and whether you’re a good fit for the role
Oliver Stoakes Zoology 