Hot Job!

Looking for a local opportunity in PR and marketing? Sussex Past, The Sussex Archaeological Society, are looking to recruit a Marketing and Administration Officer to join their small team in Lewes. They want someone who is conscientious, enthusiastic and passionate about Lewes and its past. Applicants should be experienced administrators and some previous marketing and PR experience is also required. For more information see our website.

Lincoln's Inn Scholarships

Lincoln's Inn is offering a variety of scholarships, bursaries, awards and prizes to candidates of merit to assist them throughout their CPE, BPTC or pupillage years. For 2010-2011 the total value of awards has been increased to £1,342,000. The deadline for BPTC course awards is 6th November 2009, see the Lincoln's Inn website for a full list of scholarships, their closing dates and eligibilities.

Careers in Asia Recruitment Summit

There is a recruitment event for students and graduates who wish to work in the Asia 11-13 December 2009 in London. Applications are welcome from students and graduates with work authorisation for at least one Asian country and fluency in English and at least one other Asian language. The deadline to apply to attend the summit is 9 November 2009, application forms and more information can be found online.

Donate yourself to a charity of your choice with Vodafone World of Difference

Vodafone are offering 500 people the chance to take a two-month paid placement at a UK charity of their choice in 2010. If you're successful, the Vodafone Foundation will pay the charity you choose to work with £2500. You'll receive the balance left after the charity has paid all National Insurance and Tax contributions for your placement.
To apply just decide on the charity, contact them to discuss your placement, and complete the online application form. World of Difference is open to anyone 18 or over,anywhere in the UK and the deadline for applications is 3 November 2009. Apply here.

IBM Mainframe Challenge

Join a fictional on-line game company and, over three increasingly challenging stages, develop mainframe knowledge that translates into real skills for your C.V. Prove your new-found abilities, and you'll have the chance to win a t-shirt, a Zpen (upload your handwritten notes and sketches onto your PC), and the top three winners receive a Sony PlayStation 3. The competition starts 2 November 2009, sign up here.

Career Doctor - Finalists applying for graduate schemes- don’t leave it too late!

The end of the final year may seem a long way off, but many deadlines for applications to graduate training schemes are before the end of the autumn term.

Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions at this time of year:

Q: I’m in my final year, when should I start applying for graduate jobs?

Well, it really depends on the type of career you’re aiming for. If you want to join a large graduate employer on a training scheme, then you need to start now. Employers with early closing dates for jobs starting autumn 2010 include the Civil Service Fast Stream with a deadline of 30 November and the NHS Management Schemes closes on 14 December. Also many advertising agencies and banks have early deadlines. Smaller organisations advertise vacancies on an ad hoc basis throughout the year.


Q: I’d like to get a graduate level job lined up for autumn 2010, but still don’t have a clue what I want to do… can you help?

Yes, you don’t have to know what you want to do to use the Careers and Employability Centre. We can help you to find out how you can best use your skills and interests. 60% of all jobs advertised at graduate level are open to finalists of any degree discipline.

Q: Where do I find out about all these graduate jobs?

Visit GradFair on Wednesday, 4 November in Mandela Hall and LawFair in the Conference Centre, Bramber House on Tuesday 10 November, both from 12 – 3 pm and talk to the employers in person. There are over 50 organisations attending and most have vacancies for finalists and masters students of any disciplines. Do some research on who’s attending and what opportunities they have beforehand.

The Careers and Employability Centre also organises a full programme of events each term – so hear directly from a range of organisations e.g the NHS , about their graduate recruitment programmes.

Q: Can I get a list of other graduate jobs?

Check out the Careers and Employability jobs database for Autumn 2010 jobs. There are good vacancy listings at http://www.prospects.ac.uk/, http://www.milkround.com/ and http://www.get.hobsons.co.uk/.

Here's our list of graduate schemes with early deadlines:

2010 Graduate Schemes With Early Deadlines

View more documents from sussexcdec.

You can also pick up a copy in the Centre!

Q: I’m thinking of teaching – is there a deadline to apply for the Teacher Training Course (PGCE)?

Yes, if you want to train to teach at Primary School level, you have to apply by 1 December 2009. There is no fixed closing date for secondary applications, although popular subjects, such as English and History do fill up quickly, so apply asap. All applications go through the GTTR (Graduate Teacher Training Registry)

For all teaching courses, it’s important that you get some experience in schools, check out the University’s Student Associates Scheme

Careers & Employability Centre Hours

The Careers & Employability Centre will be CLOSED all day on Weds 4th November (inc evening) as we will all be at GradFair in Mandela Hall, Falmer House! It will be from 12-3pm, with loads of graduate employers to speak to, and careers advisers available for one-to-one advice. Find out more about it, and who's going to be there, online

See you there!!

Japan is Awesome

Love watching Kurosawa or Ozu? Read manga avidly? Obsessed with playing Final Fantasy? There are loads of reasons why you may want to work, study and live in Japan and plenty of opportunities to do so. Here are some of the most established programmes of work experience and study in Japan available to UK graduates.

JET
The Japan Exchange and Teaching programme is likely the most popular way British graduates choose to work in Japan. JET is run by the Japanese government and its embassies, and there are currently over 4,600 graduates taking part of which around 200 are from the UK. Its aim is to promote international understanding and to improve foreign language teaching. The main role is for Assistant Language Teacher where participants are placed in schools teaching English to children aged between 6 and 18.
As JET is so popular places on the programme are quite competitive. It can be beneficial to have some experience teaching children, and the Sussex Plus Schools and Colleges Programme can help with this. Applications close next Tuesday, 27 October though so you’ll need to be quick. It will also be useful to attend the Careers and Employability Centre JET event taking place on 29 October 1-2pm where a previous JET participant will share their experiences of the application process and of their time teaching in Japan. You can book your place on the event here.

Daiwa
Daiwa is a British charity supporting British/ Japanese ties and the Daiwa Foundation Scholarship is a 19 month programme including intensive Japanese language classes, a home stay and a work placement. The maximum age is 35 and you need to demonstrate that the experience would be useful for your career. You don’t need to be a graduate and you must be a beginner to studying the Japanese language. More information and application details can be found here. The deadline for applications for starting next September is 3 December 2009. Daiwa will be in the Careers and Employability Centre on 3 November 2009 1-2pm to talk about the programme and how to apply. Book this event here.

Studying in Japan
There are various scholarships and bursaries available to UK nationals looking to study in Japan. JSPS has several research fellowships and programmes available for science postdocs. MEXT scholarships are for postgraduate research in Japan in a range of subjects. They are funded by the Japanese Government. It is not necessary to have previous ability in the Japanese language but applicants will be expected to study Japanese.

JOB SPOT

Duke of York's Picturehouse are seeking a Relief Duty Manager - they want you to apply by emailing your CV to dukeofyorks@picturehouses.co.uk

Job spotted on Facebook: Friday 23rd October.

Language Careers Fair

The Language Show is being held at Olympia, London 30 October - 1 November 2009. It includes a Languages Careers Fair which will be of interest to anyone who wants to use their language skills in their career. The fair includes seminars and a CV clinic as well as exhibitors recruiting for a variety of roles. For more information and to register for the event go here.

New Resources

We've received a bounty of publications at the Careers and Employability Centre this week. They include the first issue of 2009/10 of Prospects Finalist which includes a useful article on employability as well as profiles of various career areas and guidance on CVs and applications.
Also received this week: TARGETjobs Work Experience which has recruiter advice from 16 sectors on how to get work experience, and TARGETjobs Diversity which contains 'diversity in depth' profiles and advice about the law and dealing with discrimination in the workplace.

All of these publications are available to pick up for free from the Careers and Employability Centre in Falmer House.

Hot Job!

Train to be a journalist with the FT. Each year a few graduates are selected to join the Financial Times' award-winning editorial team. They are looking for recent graduates or postgrads with good academic records and the potential to become senior FT journalists. Applicants must show they can meet the challenge of working for one of the world's top news organisations. That means a strong commitment to serious journalism, a competitive instinct, good academic qualifications and wide interests. For more information see our website.

Hot Job!

Are you due to graduate in 2010, or already graduated? Do you speak English to a native standard and have additional language skills (not required in China)? The British Council are now recruiting up to 2000 English Language Assistants for one year placements across the globe. Positions are paid a local salary and the placements run for the academic year 2010/11. Current students that have already completed at least two years of studies are also welcome to apply. For more information see our website.

Gap Year Fair

If you are thinking about taking a gap year after graduating it might be worth attending the Futurewise Gap Year Fair being held at Brighton & Hove High School, Montpelier Road on Thursday 22nd October 2009 3pm-5.30pm. Exhibitors include STA Travel, Rough Guides and gapadvice.org. A full list of exhibitors and more information on the event can be found here.

PricewaterhouseCoopers Insight Days

Insight days are an opportunity for students to find out more about what it's like to work for PwC and how to apply for the remaining graduate vacancies. Case studies will test and develop team-working skills, business acumen and how you react to a high-pressure environment. There'll also be the opportunity to talk to some of their recent joiners. There are several in the South East over the next couple of months, the closest to Brighton being in PwC's Gatwick office on 6th November 2009. More information and registration can be found online

I Want to Work in ... Advertising

The Advertising Industry
It may not really be quite as glamourous as Mad Men but the contemporary advertising industry can provide interesting and rewarding careers for graduates from all disciplines. Our links for advertising include job profiles, career information and employers, and are a good starting point for learning about careers in the industry.
There have recently been many changes to the way that advertising works, mainly due to the increased value in internet advertising compared with in other media. There are advertising jobs being recruited for now that didn’t even exist two years ago and areas of digital media advertising are growing rapidly. Social media planning is such a role, it includes client reputation management on web discussion forums, blogging, tweeting and working on Facebook and Bebo. Search marketing is another growth area with many agencies offering services like search engine optimisation (SEO). There are many digital media agencies in Brighton and Hove that have recruited for these kinds of positions. Check out our Researching Employers and Working in Sussex web pages for more.

Who Works in Advertising?
Although there is a variety of roles within the industry there are many shared skills and characteristics amongst those who are successful. The IPA have a useful section on their website about how to find out whether or not you are suited to advertising here. This includes information on their copy test for aspiring copy writers, and the diagonal thinking assessment which tests your ability to think in both linear and lateral ways. This blend of the creative and analytical is valued by various types of agency and the test has been designed to encourage applicants to the industry from a wider range of academic backgrounds. Skills and aptitudes being more important than subjects studied at degree.

Getting Work Experience
As advertising is highly competitive to get into, work experience will be especially useful. There are a number of paid schemes with graduate employers as well as the possibility of organising your own experience. Pick up the booklet Getting Work Experience in Advertising and Marketing from the Careers and Employability Centre and have a look at the IPA’s work experience section.

Graduate Schemes
Good sources of vacancies for graduate jobs in advertising include the Media Guardian on Mondays. We have copies in Careers and Employability Centre and you can also search for vacancies online. The IPA list many jobs and have details of graduate schemes and closing dates here. Many graduates working in advertising recommend the AdGrads blog, it has up to date information on schemes and deadlines. You may have to act fast as many graduate schemes have early deadlines with several closing before the end of October.
It is also recommended that you use social media in your job search. Following graduates working in roles that interest you on twitter, joining relevant groups on facebook and subscribing to industry blogs will help demonstrate your proficiency in social media as well as exposing you to more vacancies and opportunities.

Remember that our careers advisers are available every afternoon to help with job applications, finding work experience and general careers advice. You can book a same day appointment by calling us on 01273 678429.

JOB SPOT

ASDA Hollingbury are looking for temporary staff, you need to call in for an application form - go check it out!

Job spotted: Tuesday 13th October.

Ultimate Adventure Blog Competition

i-to-i lifechanging travel are running a competition to win trips to Tanzania, Costa Rica or Thailand , plus flights and a rucksack full of goodies from Nomad travel worth over £200. The Ultimate Blog for the Ultimate Adventure involves students signing up to Campfire, a social network for those interested in travelling. All you need to do is write a blog detailing what you'd do on your ultimate trip, if money and time were not an issue, and the other travellers on Campfire vote for the winner. You can see some of the blogs that have already been written on Campfire and find out more about the competition here. The deadline is 30th October 2009.

Upcoming Careers Fairs

Although the highlight of the season's numerous careers fairs will undoubtedly be our own GradFair on Wednesday 4th November 2009 there are many others that may be worth attending. These fairs all have graduate employers, careers advice and presentations. Check out our events listing for sessions that may help you prepare to get the most out of the fairs like Looking for a Graduate Job next week.

• The Guardian London Graduate Fair from The Careers Group takes place at the Business Design Centre, Islington, N1 on Tuesday 20th October 2009 from 12pm to 6pm. The fair is free to attend and a full exhibitor list and registration can be found here.
  
• The Autumn Graduate Fair, supported by The Independent takes place at the Royal Horticultural Halls, Westminster on Wednesday 28th October 2009 from 10.30am to 4.30pm. Entry is free and further information can be found here.
  
• The Diversity Careers Show 2009, takes place on Friday 20th November 2009, 11.00am to 5.30pm Grand Connaught Rooms, London. It is brought to you by LGBT publishers Square Peg Media in association with Stonewall and is open to LGBT students, graduates and their friends. More information and registration can be found here.

Career Doctor - Looking for Part-time Work

Where do I look for part time work?
The Careers and Employability Centre advertises part time jobs at www.sussex.ac.uk/careers/jobs, or call in and see us in Falmer House. There are other sources of jobs too, e.g. the local newspaper, The Argus, has a jobs supplement every Thursday. Local shops and restaurants often put signs in their windows when they’re recruiting.

Will you place me in a job?
We’re not an employment agency so don’t place students but we do all we can to give you access to part time work. We will also help you with your applications and interview preparation.

Won’t working part time interfere with my studies?
We recommend that you don’t commit yourself to more than 15 hours a week if you’re a full time undergraduate.

What kind of job will I find?
As Brighton is a tourist city there are lots of jobs in hotels and restaurants but there are others too. At the moment there are a range of jobs on our website, ranging from Interpreters to Playleaders.

What can I earn?
The UK has two minimum wage levels for workers over 18. This is £4.83 an hour if you’re aged 18 to 21 and £5.80 if you’re 22 and over. All the jobs advertised through us will offer at least £5.80 and many pay more.

I’m an international student. Am I allowed to work?
Most students from outside the EU will have been given the right to work up to 20 hours a week during term and full time during vacation. If you’re not sure, call in to see us for advice or visit
www.sussex.ac.uk/careers/faq_international.php

Do I have to pay tax and national insurance?
Unfortunately students aren’t exempt! But you can earn a generous allowance before you start to make contributions. For more details please visit: www.sussex.ac.uk/careers/tax_ni or call in.

Are there any jobs on campus?
The University’s policy is to recruit students into part time jobs wherever possible. These jobs are very popular so if you see one on our website, apply early! We often advertise for administration staff, catering assistants and student helpers.

I haven’t got any work experience. How am I going to get a job?
Have you done any voluntary work, been travelling or taken part in school/college groups? All will have given you valuable skills which employers will be interested in. We will help you to think about these skills and highlight them in applications. You can also document your experience through Sussex Plus.

Will I need a CV to apply for jobs?
Usually, yes. Employers may ask you to email a CV and a letter. It’s worth putting in time and effort as applications for part time jobs can be competitive. If you haven’t got a CV, or if yours is out of date, come and get some help from a careers adviser. Information staff are also available every day from 10am.

JOB SPOT

There is a new Vans shop opening on Cranbourne Street, near Churchill Square. They have a sign up for staff. Go check it out!

Job spotted: Saturday 10th October.

JOB SPOT

Office, the shoe shop on Cranbourne Street near Churchill Square are looking for part-time staff. Go check it out!

Job spotted: Saturday 10th October.

Oxford Institute of Legal Practice Open Day

OXILP are holding a law open day on Saturday 17th October 2009 from 1pm to 4pm at Oxford Brookes University. The open day includes advice on careers in law and talks by current students as well as details of the LPC course. For more information on the programme email kmackrory@brookes.ac.uk

JOB SPOT

More Bar & Restaurant on Trafalgar Street are looking for experienced bar and waiting staff - go check it out!

Job spotted: Tuesday 6th October

EmployAbility Barclays Wealth Opportunities

In partnership with EmployAbility, Barclays Wealth is presenting disabled students, who are interested in learning more about private banking, an opportunity to gain experience and insight into working in this specialist area. Opportunities are available for the Graduate Programme, Summer Internship and Spring Programme (for first year students). The closing date for the graduate programme is 16th October 2009, and for the internships the closing date is 14th November 2009.

National Graduate Recruitment Exhibitions

Over 150 leading graduate employers will be at the National Graduate Recruitment Exhibition 9th & 10th October 2009 at Olympia, London. The exhibition also includes CV consultations and presentations, assessment centre hints and tips, careers advice and interview clinics, and the chance to try your hand at trading with the 7city trading pit.

Opening times are Friday 11am - 5pm, Saturday 11am - 4pm and there is also a fair in Birmingham at the end of the month. Get more information and register for fast track entry here