Welcome back... Welcome to your Employability NewsletterWelcome Back.. Welcome to the College of Social Sciences and International Studies Employability newsletter. The College’s Employability team are here to organise your discipline-specific events, support work placement modules and work with you on SSLCs or via other feedback to provide you with as many opportunities to enhance your employability as we can. We look forward to meeting you at our events! Julia Paci Upcoming Careers Events in the CollegeSpeed Networking for Careers with Politics and IR Alumni Date: Thursday 27th Sept This Speed Networking evening is a fantastic opportunity to speak with Exeter Alumni who have used their Politics and/or IR degree to have successful career. This is your chance to get tips on how you can do the same! You will have the chance to speak with all 4 of our Alumni in 15 minute sessions. There will be a drinks reception provided afterwards, where you will get the chance to speak more freely with our Alumni and gain a real insight in their career paths. Speed Networking for Careers with Arabic and Islamic Studies Alumni Date: Tuesday 9th Oct Wondering what career path to take with an Arabic and Islamic Studies degree? Come and network with our Alumni who have used their degree to help steer them towards a successful career. You will have the chance to speak with the Alumni in rotation. Join us afterwards for a drinks reception, and the opportunity to have an informal discussion with all the Alumni. Refresh Your Maths is back! Refresh Your Maths is an employability skills training session, led by Maths Students, to help brush up your Maths and prepare you for Numerical Reasoning tests. There is a 90 minute session covering basic GCSE-Level topics and a 60 minute session covering practice Numerical Reasoning tests. The sessions are intended to be taken together with the 90 minutes sessions first, although the Numerical Reasoning test sessions can be taken individually. Workshops for the Streatham campus will go live after the 3rd October. Career Planning SupportHow to become a Solicitor Date: Thursday 11th Oct Pursuing a career as a solicitor is a challenging and competitive process. Come along to this session, designed to inform you of all you need to know about how you can become a solicitor. How to become a Barrister Date: Tuesday 16th Oct The barrister's profession can seem a little mysterious. This session is designed to clearly lay out the path to becoming a barrister from understanding Inns of Courts to applying for Pupillage. What can I do with my Sociology and Anthropology degree? Date: Monday 22nd Oct Graduates of Sociology and Anthropology often pursue careers in a variety of sectors. Find out from this workshop how you can utilize the skills from your degree in a career of your choice. Careers Portfolios Want to find out what you can do with your degree? Do you know what you want to do but don't know how to get there? Take a look at the Careers Portfolios for everything you need to know about popular careers with Social Sciences & International Studies students. What's New in the Career Zone?Jones Day Date: Thurs 27th Sept Jones Day "Question Times" are interactive Q&A's and a great opportunity to meet their panel of trainees, associates and partners. Quiz their lawyers about their first-hand experiences of working in their global law firm; training in their distinctive, non-rotational system; drinks and canapés follow. Be More Than Your Degree Date: Mon 1- Fri 5 Oct A Showcase of unmissable opportunities to maximise your potential at The University of Exeter. We will have our own SSIS stand on Friday 5th. Come along and see us to find out about the events, resources and careers support available to SSIS students! No need to book, just turn up! Casual Jobs & Internships Fair Date: Tues 2nd Oct This fair is open to all students looking for work experience whilst they study. It aims to support current students looking for work opportunities in the local area, whilst studying or during vacation periods. A variety of exhibitors will be joining us! Employer Presentation -Association for Project Management 8th Oct 2018 1:30 PM Employer Presentation - An Intro to the Civil Service Fast Stream 10th Oct 2018 3:00 PM The Exeter Award The Exeter Award is an employability award for current undergraduate and taught postgraduate students, to help you make the most of your professional experience. You'll receive training in professional skills, develop workplace experience and learn how to optimise your CVs and application forms. You can sign up any time through My Career Zone. Alumni Focus: What SSIS Students do next...Johnathan Webb Arabic & Middle Eastern Studies, 2014 Current Occupation: What is your current occupation? How has your degree helped you with your career decisions? I am a Generalist Fast Streamer (which means I get to dabble in a bit of everything) in my second year. My first posting was to the Cabinet Office based in Leeds, working on rationalising the government’s property estate. My second role was as a Press Office in the Department for Work and Pensions, communicating and clarifying the government’s policies on Disability and Social Justice issues. This involved liaising with journalists and a lot of Ministerial contact - setting up media events and drafting blogs/articles for them, plus briefing them on media matters. Currently, I am on my secondment to Haringey Council working on urban regeneration in the wake of the 2011 Tottenham riots. This role focuses on a complex blend of finance, commercial and programme/project management skills. My preferred next role is in policy, as so far I have implemented and communicated them, but not actually developed any!
What skills and knowledge did you develop which helped with your career prospects? The ability to write both long complex essays and concise short ones was a very useful skill to practice, no matter what the topic. The assessment centre tests this and you will also use it regularly in your work. Even preparation work for seminars of writing bullet points of key information for Ministers and other senior leaders who don’t have the time to read more than a couple of pages on a subject before having to make a decision. Providing a firm opinion on divisive topics (if both sides of an argument didn’t have merit it often wouldn’t be being debated still!), by pulling together compelling evidence with sound judgement to come to the best conclusion takes a lot of practice. Likewise, the ability to present to an audience of people you aren’t necessarily acquainted with (e.g. in seminars) is something many people find difficult. Public speaking and presenting a case is something everyone can improve upon. What advice would you give to current students who may want to follow in your footsteps? It is worth noting that the majority of successful entrants don’t get in on their first time of applying. This shouldn’t scare you off – in fact as the application process is arguably the toughest of any graduate job the experience will set you in good stead for any others you are applying for, and you really have nothing to lose! If you make it to the Assessment Centre you will receive a personalised 6-8 page report detailing your strengths and areas to improve on which is invaluable for personal development, be it as a Fast Streamer or when applying for roles elsewhere. It is also worth looking at applying to current vacancies on the Civil Service Jobs Portal. We are all measured against the same standardised competencies, and the insight you will gain in virtually any role will also help with future applications. Contact the Email Julia Paci (Employability & Outreach Manager) Becca Drew (Employability & Alumni Administrator)
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