Working with students
In personal tutorials or meetings with students you supervise or teach, issues may arise that relate to career planning. You may see students who are worried about having no idea what to do after graduation and no idea of where to start. Others may have clear ideas but are unsure how to get where they want to be or have no idea how to write an application or how to prepare for an interview or assessment centre. Some students may feel they need some work experience or help with expressing the experience they have gained effectively. They may want help with deciding where or what to study further. Some students may be unhappy with the University or feel they have chosen the wrong course.
Professional specialist staff in the Careers and Employment Centre can help with a wide range of issues related to work and learning and someone is always available to see a student who is in any sort of crisis.
Ways you can help:
Let students know where we are based
Be conversant with the full range of our services so you can refer with confidence to a particular service.
Dispel misconceptions of how we work and what we have to offer (often gleaned from past negative experiences of careers advice). Assure students that we have access to a wide range of information, not just the typical graduate careers or employers, including self-employment or starting a business. We regularly visit employers and observe interviews and selection centres with real candidates. As we are responsible for collecting and coding our graduate destinations we have a unique perspective on what our graduates are doing 6 months after graduation, and subsequently an insight into the local and national labour market.
Inform students of the benefits of accessing the Careers & Employment Centre for free impartial, confidential, advice and guidance from day one in the University up to 3 years after graduation
Explain that drop-in sessions can get very busy. Students are seen on a first come first served basis so it is better to arrive earlier rather than later in the session
Be aware that many of the large graduate employers have early closing dates. Vacancies open from September and often close shortly after Christmas.
Advise students to check their emails from us regularly. We send a regular email newsletter about workshops, events, employers on campus and closing dates. If you want to be included on the email list contact us at: careers@brookes.ac.uk
Encourage students to record their experience and skills on My PDP and to continually add to and develop a dynamic CV.
Encourage students to make time and seek help, if necessary, to understand what is involved in making a successful application for a postgraduate course or job. Employers report that up 80% of first applications from undergraduates are rejected because of not reading the questions, not targeting the criteria asked for, spelling and grammatical mistakes. A lack of understanding of the complexity of the process almost certainly results in failure and can lead quite quickly to a drop in self-esteem. The preparation and practice we provide is up to date and accurate, and students who access our services are more likely to be successful (we have evidence of this!).
Encourage them. Always keep in mind that the students who need our services the most are less likely to self refer.
If your students are likely to face psychometric tests, encourage them to attend our psychometric testing sessions. These are increasingly used by employers as part of the selection process. Professional Careers staff are British Psychological Society qualified and are able to administer and feedback results of tests. Knowing what to expect can take away the fear of the unknown and help students perform better in the ‘real’ ones.
A significant part of our work is employer relations. We work with all client groups to ensure we provide the best possible level of service within our resources. We keep employers up to date with new courses at the University and market Brookes graduates to them. Let us know of any employers or sectors you would like us to contact or if you want to us to organise any events on campus for you. Contact: careers@brookes.ac.uk
Audit your courses to ensure there are opportunities for students to develop the skills that employers are looking for. Click here to the Enhancing Graduate Employability Project that provides an audit instrument that can be customised.
Relate assessment and learning to the world of work so students can better understand that what they are learning is relevant for their life after Brookes. We recommend you keep saying it!