Welcome to the SSIS Employability Newsletter No Images? Click here Welcome to your Employability NewsletterWhy attend an employability event? I’ve recently had some fantastic feedback about the activities organised for College of Social Sciences by the Employability team so I thought I would share with you how transformative these experiences can be. For students who are seeking opportunities to work in sectors that they have no connections to, meeting alumni and employers on campus is the only way to explore what it’s really like in those professions. You meet interesting and inspiring people who can show you there is a path from Exeter to whatever your career goals might be. Politics students on the Penryn campus and I had great fun earlier in November meeting Politics alumni at a speed networking event, including Labour and Co-operative MP for Plymouth Sutton & Devonport Luke Pollard. Luke’s varied career and insights into working in Westminster were both entertaining and insightful; so much so that the event overran and we were asked to pack up and leave by the porters! Exeter Law student Ferzana Yesmine, who obtained an internship at the Cabinet Office in Government Communications, wrote and told me: (Photo Luke Pollard, Julia Paci and a bunch of Penryn Politics students) "As a young person from East London with no family connection or network in places like Westminster let alone in Whitehall where I worked, I wouldn't have even dared to apply had it not been for Julia's constant endeavour to bring in Government barristers from London to instill confidence in us that we can apply to places like Cabinet Office too.” Read more here. So, if you haven’t yet joined us for one of our events (all available on My Career Zone), why not give it a go and see if you can also gain some of the connections and confidence to take the next step on your own career paths. Julia Paci Upcoming Careers Events in the CollegeTeacher Recruitment Fair 2017 Date: Tues 5th December 2017 | Time: 12pm - 2pm | Venue: St Luke's Campus, Barring Court Is Teaching for Me? Date: Thursday 16th November 2017 Thinking about a career in Education? Come along to our panel where PGCE alumni will discuss their teaching careers and what it's really like to be a teacher. The PGCE team will also be there to answer questions about applying for a PGCE in Exeter. How to Apply to Law Grad School Date: Wednesday 22nd November 2017 Interested in Law Grad School? In this workshop, you will learn about the different types of postgraduate study opportunities available to law students, including international opportunities, and the best techniques for your application. Employer Presentation: Teaching at The British School in Kuwait Date: Thurs 23rd Nov 2017 Mr Paul Shropshire, the Principal of the British School of Kuwait (BSK), will be giving a presentation on the opportunities for NQTs and those considering teaching at British-system schools overseas, particularly in the Middle East. Careers in Governmental Research Date: Thursday 23rd November 2017 This informal Q&A event will be a fantastic opportunity to speak with a number of recent Exeter Alumni working in Governmental Research, and to find out more about the day to day of their roles. Q&A with Recent Politics and IR Postgraduate Alumni Panel Date: Thu 23rd Nov 2017 This informal Q&A will be a fantastic opportunity to speak with recent Politics Postgrad Alumni, and get their tips on how you can use your Politics or IR Masters degree to have a successful career. Drinks & nibbles will be provided. This event is for final year undergraduate and postgraduate students. Applying to Law Firms - planning your strategy Date: Thursday 7th December 2017 Join Alison Peyton from Aspiring Solicitors in a workshop focusing on planning your strategy for applying to law firms, including how to develop your commercial awareness, how to confidently navigate the application process, and tips to help you succeed. Refresh Your Maths! (Numerical Reasoning Test in Test Conditions)Date: 27 Nov 2017 | Time: 1:30 - 2:30 | Venue: Forum Exploration Lab 1 This session is designed to allow you to practice the Numerical Reasoning Test in test conditions. We advise you attend the practice workshop before this session. Student SectionCareers 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? The Careers Portfolios are a fantastic online resource with everything you need to know about popular careers with Social Sciences & International Studies students, including careers in the Public Sector, Social Research, the Third Sector and more! Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) Dates: 13th - 19th November Global Entrepeneurship Week (GEW) is an international celebration of the innovators and job creators who launch startups that bring ideas to life, drive economic growth and expand human welfare. Take a look at the events and workshops that we are hosting here at the University during GEW through the link below. ExeLaw Talks: Renewable Energy and the Sharing EconomyDate: Thursday 16th November 2017 Join Exeter Student Law Review for this November's ExeLaw Talks where environmental and corporate law collide. Exeter's own Dr. Severine Saintier will present, "Renewable Energy and the Sharing Economy: New Challenges for Contracting or Back to the Future?". An Introduction to Trowers & Hamlins Date: Weds 29th Nov 2017 Come along for coffee to learn more about what you can expect from a training contract with Trowers & Hamlins. Please contact Julia Paci at ssis-employability@exeter.ac.uk by 21st November to reserve a place, and she will arrange a meeting time before walking to the office. What's New in the Career ZoneLaw Careers Fair 2017 - Sponsored by Michelmores Date: Weds 15th November 2017 | Time: 1pm - 4pm | Venue: The Great Hall Employer Presentation - KPMG: Brexit Roadshow Date: Thursday 16th November 2017 Brexit? One word and one hot topic, but how is it actually affecting students and the multitude of industries in the UK? Join KPMG and their Brexperts on campus as they debunk the myths surrounding Brexit and what it could mean for your future career. Employer Skills Session - Training and Practising at a Regional Law Firm - Thomson Snell & PassmoreDate: Thurs 16th Nov 2017 This session will cover some practical hints and tips in deciding whether a training contract and career at a regional law firm is right for you, including what to expect during the training contract and at a regional firm post qualification. Employer Showcase: The BLP Dome – University of ExeterDate: Tuesday 21st November 2017 You want a career in Law right? Come along to the dome to have all your questions answered. Drop-in to speak with Partners, Associates and current trainees, or book a commercial awareness session or a 1-2-1 session for CV or application advice. Alumni Focus: What SSIS Students do next...Alex Cisneros Current Occupation: Barrister, No5 Chambers, London Tell us about what you are doing now. I am a Pupil Barrister at No5 Chambers in London. I specialise in Public Law and Human Rights. My working week is extremely varied. Public law looks at the interaction between citizens and the state and is therefore by definition, extremely diverse. My aim is to continue to develop a practice in this area and to carve out an area of expertise in due course. As a Barrister, I use the knowledge from my Law LLB every day. As a public law barrister specifically, I am often asked quite abstract questions about the law. The academic grounding that three years of studying law gave me is useful for this. The added exposure to the law through mooting and extra curricular opportunities has also stood me in good stead in practice. How did your career path develop whilst at University? While I was at university, I threw myself into Mooting. I was the Master of the Moots in my second year and spent a lot of time pretending to be in the Court of Appeal. It was great fun! I have found that my experience of mooting has been invaluable both in applying for the Bar but also in actual tribunals. I attended the law fair while at university. It was a little disheartening to be surrounded by so many solicitors when all I wanted to do was to try on a wig and gown. It was however a good opportunity to chat through the realities (and expense) of training to be a barrister. If I can give any advice at all, it would be to use these opportunities as a way of learning aboutdifferent areas of practice and to find out about opportunities for mini-pupillages. It is not merely a chance to restock your pencil case. What advice would you give to current students who may want to follow in your footsteps? Before launching into a career at the Bar, I would consider very carefully what your motivations are for wanting this career. There are far easier pursuits if your ambition is to affect change or to earn lots of money. After I graduated I moved to New Delhi to work for a human rights charity. When I returned to London, I undertook the BPTC part-time with the assistance of a scholarship from Middle Temple. While on the BPTC I worked as a researcher for Baroness Scotland QC in the House of Lords.The Bar is a hard profession to get into and an equally hard career to maintain, but if you speak to most barristers, they will tell you that they love what they do. Although I am still extremely junior at the Bar, I have loved every moment so far (even the regular long hours). The flexibility, autonomy and intellectual challenges that the Bar offers are unparalleled. A final piece of advice is that you shouldn’t compare yourself to other people. You may have to take a different route to others to get to the same place but that is ok. You will likely be a more resilient person for overcoming something that others haven’t had to. Contact the Email Julia Paci (Employability & Outreach Manager) Tom Skitt (Employability & Alumni Support Officer) |