Hot Job!

The Towner Gallery in Eastbourne are looking for paid part-time Gallery Assistants to provide a welcoming and thought provoking visitor experience.
For further information please see our website.

Spring Graduate Recruitment Exhibition

The Spring National Graduate Recruitment Exhibition is being held at the Barbican in London on 6th and 7th March 2009. There is the opportunity to meet potential employers, see company presentations, get CV advice and psychometric testing. Admission is free and full time students can claim for subsidised transport. For a list of exhibiters and recruiters, details of other locations of the recruitment exhibitions and for further information see the gradjobs website

First Aid Course

AJRB Training are running an Appointed Persons First Aid Course on Saturday 21st March 2009, 10am-4pm, Sussex University, CDEC Seminar Room 2. The course covers what to do in an emergency, First Aid for the wounded or bleeding, Cardio-pulmonary Rescusitation for adults, and more. The cost for students is £39 (full price £59) and includes assessment, manual and basic first aid kit. For more information and to book a place visit the website

Weekend Environmental Volunteer Project

Concordia International is running a weekend project Friday 17th - Sunday 19th April 2009 at the RSPCA, Mallydams Wood in Hastings. The weekend includes badger watching, camp fires and woodland environmental work. It is a residential opportunity and costs £30, you can apply online

One Life Live

One Life Live is at the Olympia in London between 13th and 15th March 2009. Among the exhibitors are international volunteering group Concordia, and other organisations offering gap-year projects, and work experience abroad. Also exhibiting will be various universities and course providers and there is a whole section devoted to volunteering opportunities. There are several seminars on topics like starting your own business and how to take charge of your career. Find out more and book online

Online Jobsearching Part Two: How to look

The first post about looking for jobs online covered where to look for vacancies, this post will cover how to use these sites efficiently.

Many vacancy websites have an option to email you when there are new vacancies fitting your criteria. This can be handy but there is an easier and more orderly method. RSS stands for really simple syndication and is a way to get updates from websites sent strait to a chosen location. A nifty explanation of RSS can be found here. To see if a website has it look out for the orange logo. If you’re reading this on The Message you’ll see the logo on the left under the title.

Before you start subscribing to RSS feeds you’ll need somewhere to read them. Conveniently Sussex has provided all students with a reader in the form of SPLASH. On your SPLASH dashboard select “Add Widget” then “RSS Feed” from the drop-down menu. A feed for the University news will then pop up. If you go to tools in that widget you will be able to edit the URL and title of the feed. Other readers include Newsgator, MyYahoo, and Google Reader.

The main graduate jobs sites all have RSS feeds and they can be tailored to your needs. With The Guardian for example you can select vacancies in a certain area, on a certain salary and even exclude agencies. This means that you’ll be less likely to need to scroll through a number of unsuitable jobs.
Sometimes you subscribe in two clicks from the vacancy site; on the RSS symbol and then on your reader type (if you use a mainstream one). Sometimes you have to go to your reader, set up a feed as detailed above, and copy and paste the URL of the RSS which pops up after you click the symbol. All in all it is a fairly quick process that can yield a huge number of results.

Another useful tool is Twitter. Twitter gives 140 character updates on what people are doing and is also being used by organisations to give news updates. A group that is using Twitter particularly well is Project Brighton which tweets all the local digital jobs at http://twitter.com/brightonjobs. What is brilliant about this is that they have set up RSS feeds from a variety of other sources and tweet the results, saving everyone else a lot of time. Also on Twitter are Wired Sussex Jobs, Publishing Jobs, and SEO jobs and there are bound to be more in different sectors.

You’ll also want to follow CDEC of course as we’ll update on advice and news as well as part time jobs. You can follow many people and organisations on Twitter and, if you really want everything in one place, you can RSS their tweets. Crazy but useful.

Now you have dozens of RSS feeds and Tweets making their way to your reader but a heed this warning. It may be tempting to sit back and wait for the feeds but you still need to actively search as well. You may miss out if you rely solely on notifications. So make sure that your feeds are covering all the sites and all the job categories you would normally seek out, and then spend the time saved looking in more obscure, less mainstream locations.

Next Time: Online applications

Hot Job!

The university is offering 26 Junior Research Associate bursaries for the summer vacation of 2009, worth up to £1,800 each. The aim is to give students the opportunity to participate in original research and get a taste of life as a researcher.
For more information please visit our website.

Windsor Fellowship Programme

Windsor Fellowship offers development opportunities undergraduates from Black and Asian Minority Ethnic Communities. The Leadership Programme Wales involves six residential skills training seminars, a residential outdoor Personal Enhancement Programme (PEP), 2 paid internships with the Welsh Assembly Government (across Wales) and the undertaking of at least two hours voluntary work per week.

To be eligible you must be: A first year undergraduate of a three year degree or second year undergraduate of a four year degree course; from a Black, Asian or minority ethnic community; have a commitment to Wales (although you need not be a Welsh resident). To apply visit the Windsor Fellowship website, deadline is 13th March 2009

Free TV Summer Course

The Network is a scheme offering a comprehensive introduction to careers in TV through masterclasses, workshops and talks. It takes place between 27th and 30th August 2009 and has contributers from BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and five.

With the exception of travel to and from Edinburgh everything else is free including accommodation and food. Applications can be made online and the closing date for entries is 17th April 2009

Journalism Bursaries

The Scott Trust is offering bursaries of at least £5000 to study print, web or broadcast journalism. The purpose of the awards is to assist students who face financial difficulties in studying for the qualifications required to work in the media. Applicants should be a graduate, permanent UK resident and ideally have already undertaken some journalism work whether paid or unpaid. To apply go to the Scott Trust website, the deadline is 2nd March 2009

Online Jobsearching Part One: Where to look

When looking for a job, as with looking for anything, it is always a good idea to search in a range of places. Some vacancies may only be advertised in one or two locations so it is important to keep your net wide.

Good starting places are the general graduate job websites like Get Hobsons
Prospects and Milkround. These are designed specifically for the graduate job seeker so the types of jobs are likely to be of an appropriate level. Also excellent are the vacancy pages at the Guardian.

CDEC’s own jobs database is also effective. Because our employment team select which jobs to add, the focus is on career areas that Sussex Graduates are interested in and qualified to do. Plus we look in a variety of locations for the juciest jobs.

But if the job you are looking for is more unusual, specialized or rare you’ll want to explore sector specific websites. CDEC’s Careers Information pages link to such sites. Some of the best are www.gradcracker.com/ for Engineering vacancies, www.lgjobs.com/ for local government, and www.environmentjob.co.uk/ for environment.
It is also worth thinking creatively. If you are interested in working in the press office for a charity, a suitable job could appear on the charity’s own website, a vacancy website for charities and not-for-profit, or a site for PR and media vacancies.

Part two of Online Jobsearching will cover how to use these sites effectively, and part three will deal with making online applications.

Finding the right job in a recession - Top Tip # 5

5. Networking - or making contacts.

Networking. The very idea sends shudders down my spine. For anyone even vaguely introverted or shy it can feel like the worst nightmare. Events I go to for work often have informal networking sessions tagged on to lunchtime, where you are supposed to talk to people you don’t know. This is mainly a cue for me to pile my plate high with food and avoid eye contact for an hour. Or find someone I vaguely know and stick with them. Then someone they vaguely know comes along and we start talking about work stuff. Before you know it, I guess I’m sort of networking.

And that’s the thing. Networking doesn’t have to be about glad-handing your way around a party or event in order to worm your way into a job. It’s about talking to people you know (or vaguely know) about what you do, or want to do. It’s conversation with a purpose. And that purpose could be exploring ideas, finding out what a particular job is like, just getting some advice. It could be with your friends, family, tutors, others on your course. Or people you have met through leisure, voluntary work or part-time jobs, previous employers. Or talking to someone at a careers fair or presentation. Networking is not just for middle class over-achievers with pushy parents either, although they are out there and have had it their own way for a long time. You’ll find you know more people than you think. If you’re on Facebook there’s a whole new network for you, too. I’m going to blog about social networking later, but it adds a whole new dimension, with its own etiquette and potential faux pas to avoid.

In tough times you need to use all the tools you’ve got. The Guardian recently said that finding a job was more skill than luck and suggested milking your friends and family for contacts, amongst other things. If that’s too full on, just start talking to them. At least, let people know what your ideas are, so if they do have any relevant information/contacts they can let you know. There’s also some really good advice on networking at direct.gov. Apparently, only 40% of vacancies are advertised, so the rest are going by word-of-mouth or networking. Some sectors (like media and charities/international development) are notorious for this. For some of us, networking is never going to be easy. But sometimes, you’ve just got to put down the sandwiches and speak.

Ocean Careers Event

Ocean Careers 09 is a recruitment and careers event for those interested in the ocean technology, marine science and offshore industries. It takes place from 31st March to 2nd April 2009 at the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton. More information can be found at www.oceancareers.org.uk

Procter & Gamble Easter Challenge

Procter & Gamble is running a three day immersion seminar this April in their offices near London. You can participate in a real business case and see what it is like to work at P&G. If successful you could be offered a permanent position for one of the April or October intakes. More information can be found here and the deadline for applications is 8th March 2009

PricewaterhouseCoopers Open Evening

PricewaterhouseCoopers are holding an open evening at their Gatwick office on 10th March 2009 at 18:00. The event will help you find out about what PWC do, major challenges, future developments and, more importantly, career opportunities and you can talk informally with staff and recruiters.

Book online at: www.pwc.com/uk/careers Go to the Student Careers homepage, click on 'Meet Us', and search for 'Events & Skills Session'. Click on 'PwC Presentations', 'All Universities' and then '10th March 2009'

Law Event for First Year Students

Pure Potential are running an insight afternoon for first year undergraduates who are interested in a career in City law where there will be the opportunity to meet lawyers and graduate recruiters at leading firms. The event takes place on Tuesday 31st March 2009 at London School of Economics 3pm - 6pm. The event is free of charge and travel expenses may be covered. The event is ONLY open to students from state schools. Apply for a place by Friday 6th March 2009 by clicking here. If you have any questions regarding this event please contact Sibyl at Pure Potential at sibyl@purepotential.org

IDM Marketing Summer School

IDM's Graduate Fast Track week is taking place from 28th June to 3rd July 2009. This unique programme is the perfect springboard for breaking into the marketing industry. It's free to attend and includes introductions to potential employers. Applications are invited from 2009 graduates of all degree disciplines. The closing date is 23rd March 2009. Find out more and apply online

National Pupillage Fair

The TARGET National Pupillage Fair will be taking place on Saturday 14th March 2009, 10:30 am - 3:00 pm at Lincoln's Inn, London. Students will have the opportunity to speak to chambers and gain an insight into life at the Bar. Over 60 chambers and Bar Vocational Course providers will be exhibiting and there will be a programme of talks on specialist areas of practice. Pre-register online at targetpupillagefair.co.uk

Study Abroad Scholarships

If you wish to further your studies in North America or Australia there are several awards and bursaries available to help with the costs.

The BUNAC Educational Scholarship Trust (BEST) Scholarships and Travel Awards are open to UK passport holders who are currently or, have been within the last five years inclusive, in full-time tertiary education at a UK university or college and who are planning to undertake postgraduate study in either the USA or Canada. A typical award is in the region of $5000-$10,000. The closing date for applications is Friday 13th March 2009. More details on both these and the travel awards can be found online

The Lindemann Fellowship gives a grant of $30,000 for 2 or 3 post -doctoral students to undertake scientific research in the USA for one year. The deadline is 25th February 2009 and further information and application forms can be found here

Australian Bicentennial Scholarships and Fellowships are for British postgraduate students or academic staff members and are tenable in 2009-10. Grants are available for research in Australia for 3 months. Closing date is 30th March 2009. Further details and application forms can be found online

The Fulbright Commission offer a variety of awards and bursaries to UK citizens wishing to study in the USA. Applications close on 31st May 2009 except for some special awards. Information on award categories and application information can be found here

Hot Job!

ResearchResearch, the UK's leading publisher of news and funding information for researchers and policymakers, have an entry level opportunity available which offers recent graduates a valuable introduction to the publishing industry. The position is based in Hoxton, London.
For more details and how to apply please see our website.

Finding the right job in a recession - Top Tip # 4

4. Focus on quality not quantity - expect online applications to face extra scrutiny; prepare good quality applications in an increasingly competitive market


Don’t let them smell your fear! Or lack of preparation. It’s tempting to fire off loads of applications, largely saying the same thing. But this scattergun approach will rarely succeed. You should tailor your applications to each of the employers you are applying to. This is a bit of a careers service mantra, but it makes sense. It doesn’t mean you can’t re-use stuff you have already written on different applications. But you may need to re-package it. Just look at each job ad individually, think about what they are looking for and give it to them!

Sounds simple. Here are some things you can do to make sure you get it right first time:

• Spend as much time as you can on each application. It will show through to the employer


• Do your research. Find out about the employer. Use its website, or Vault.com (available on campus only). Check online newspapers like the Guardian to see if they are in the news at all or what’s going on in the sector


• Read the job ad. Some employers are very clear about what they are looking for (listing core competencies, qualities etc.). For others you will have to look for key words in the text


• Make sure everything you write is focussed on the job ad. Use your experience (work, volunteering, education, sports/hobbies) to show how you fit what they are looking for


• Don’t make any spelling mistakes! It’s the quickest way to the reject pile. If you are using spellcheck, make sure it is on UK English rather than US if you are applying for a UK job


• Get someone to read it first. Careers advisers are available in CDEC from 12-4pm every weekday (and 5-7pm on Wednesdays). Book on the day by calling 01273 678429 from 10am. If you can’t make it in, or have moved away after graduation, use our careers advice online system (if you are eligible)

This is all about getting an interview, it won’t get you the job. So remember, you’ll have to back up everything you say in person, if all goes well.

Keep an eye out for upcoming CDEC events. We’ve got a skills briefing and CV Clinic coming shortly. Plus Deloitte will be here on Thursday 12th February to look at the use of competencies in graduate recruitment.

Tourism Careers Fair

Tourism Futures is holding a career's fair on the 11th February at the
Ramada Jarvis in Brighton from 12 until 6pm, entry is free. Exhibitors include Visitbrighton, Ramada Jarvis and the Tourism Futures project. More information can be obtained by emailing Claire Mitchell

Gap Year Fair

Expanding Horizons are holding a gap year fair at Roedean School, Brighton on Tuesday 10th February 12 - 4pm. Entry is free and a list of exhibitors can be found online

Postgraduate open days at Sussex

There are two open days coming up for those interested in postgraduate study at the University of Sussex. The Management and Finance open day is on Wednesday 11th March, and the International Security day takes place on Wednesday 18th March.

TARGETchances Spring Events

TARGETchances regional law for ethnic minorities
11th March 2009 in Birmingham. This event is open to ethnic minority students who are in any year of study of a law or non-law degree.

TARGETchances law for students with disabilities
19 March 2009 in London. This event is open students with a disability who are in any year of study of a law or non-law degree.

For both events travel expenses are reimbursed and refreshments provided. More information about all TARGETchances events taking place in the coming months can be found on their website

Wired Sussex Digital Media Jobs and Skills Fair

The Wired Sussex Digital Media Jobs and Skills Fair takes place on the 26th of February 2009 at the Corn Exchange in Brighton. Doors open at noon & the event runs until 8pm. Companies and course providers will be on hand for you to talk to throughout the day on their stands. Additionally there is one-to-one career advice available and several useful presentations to attend. More information can be found here

New Art Theory 2009 - critical writing competition

Submissions are now being sought for New Art Theory 2009. New Art Theory is a yearly competition to recognise the best emerging new writing talent in the visual arts.

It is open to all final year undergraduates, current postgraduates and recent graduates of no more than 3 years from of any BA, MA or equivalent international course, provided the submission is on the subject of art. The winner of this selection will receive a £500 grant to aid the pursuit of their work. Further information and submission details can be found here