Internships, placements, work shadowing….when it comes to selecting a career they’re all great ways to ‘try before you buy’. Some UCL PhD programmes contain a mandatory placement period, a few months where students must do something unrelated to their research. These prove invaluable to the students involved, so in this UCL Careers Researchers series of posts we hope to spread the career knowledge by speaking to three PhDs about their placement experiences.

Interview by Shadae Samuels, Placements and Vacancies Officer, UCL Careers.

Image taken from Allan Watt.

Alice Lui is a current PhD student with the London Interdisciplinary Doctoral Training Programme; based in Saul Purton’s lab her PhD project is studying the synthesis of fungible biofuels in cyanobacteria. Alice initially wanted to gain experience in science communications to reach the wider public beyond academia. The placement team brokered a relationship with the Science Museum who offered exclusive roles to PIPS students, one of which was the chance to work at one of their upcoming festivals. This was the perfect opportunity for Alice to gain experience in science communication to a wider audience, she applied and was offered the position after having an interview. She was supervised by the Assistant Content Developer, Pippa Hough.

How did Alice secure her placement with Science Museum?

The placements team was aware that Science Museum were interested in taking on UCL students as interns so we got in touch and informed them of BBSRC/LIDo programme. They were keen to host such students on a placement and offered two exclusive PIPS opportunities, Alice sent her CV and cover letter to Science Museum, and she was then invited to an interview and then offered the position to begin shortly after.

What was The Science Museum looking for in their placement student?

The Science Museum wanted a student who would be able to work to tight deadlines, has excellent research skills, and would be able to handle a lot of changes! Alice’s expertise in synthetic biology and bio-sciences in general really stood out in her application/interview as this would be helpful in translating complicated research papers.

What did Alice do on her placement?

The main focus of Alice’s placement was to research and develop the scientific content for the ‘You Have Been Upgraded’ festival on the topic of human enhancement technologies. Her time was spent mostly on researching the area of human enhancement and synthetic biology. She contacted academics, artists and individuals involved in this area of research and interviewed them about their work and whether they would be interested in being involved in the festival. Alice also researched possible demonstrations that could be shown during the festival.  During the week leading up to the festival, Alice helped with setting up the festival space. During the festival Alice supported the scientists and interacted with the public, she was also responsible for researching possible objects that could feature in the museum.

What did Alice gain from the experience?

The main thing Alice gained from her placement was the confidence to communicate! She improved on her communication skills as she was communicating with people outside the industry and therefore had to learn how to engage a lay audience. This was extremely valuable to her especially if she decides to embark on a career outside of academia. Alice learned the importance of being organised which improved her time management skills.

How did the placement contribute to The Science Museum?

Alice’s ability to think fast on her feet and problem solve on the go really helped the festival run as smoothly as it did. Alice also did general research around contemporary science topics that fed into events and small exhibitions the department produces. Her work on finding an object to represent a case on Ebola was particularly helpful! Overall she proved how valuable it is to have an intern which is something the team has not done before and there are excited to have their next LIDo intern.

Did the placement influence Alice’s career plans?

Although Alice is still uncertain about her future job prospects the placement has made Alice realise how important job satisfaction and your wellbeing is. She is therefore considering different types of opportunities. Alice may consider a role in Science Communication following her PhD as she gained a lot of confidence in communicating with a wider audience.

If you’re a UCL PhD or researcher wondering how to secure work experience or a more permanent post, book an appointment to speak with one of our advisers. And for advertised opportunities check out UCL Talent Bank and JobOnline.

As part of our #UCLInspireMe series, Sophie Neal talks to us about her role at NMPi, an award-winning digital agency in Islington. Sophie graduated from UCL with an MSci in Physics in 2015 and now works as a Performance Marketing Reconciliations Analyst. Here she shares some tips for UCL students who want to get into the sector. For more insights from recent graduates working for smaller organisations, visit https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/ucl-careers/ and search #SMEProfile.

How did you get into your role?

I got talking to someone in the company who recommended it to me. Through email, I asked about any job shadowing or intern positions and was contacted a couple of months later. I had a phone interview and came in to meet my would-be manager and started an internship. A couple of months later I was offered a job!

What does a typical day in your job involve?

My days can vary quite a lot depending on the time of the month and year. I always make sure to check my emails first thing when I come in – if anything has happened overnight I will be immediately alerted and we often receive messages from clients as a growing number are based internationally. Tasks for the day can then include preparing reports that are due to go out, checking and recording any payments that have come in, building new or updating existing accounts or chasing payment issues.

What skills are important in this role?

Being proactive is important as it’s easy for work to mount up quickly. Problem-solving skills can also come in handy.

What are the best things about working in your role?

There are lots of things I love about my role. I love the fact that at times I have the ability to work fairly autonomously but my team still comes together to talk, compare, collaborate and share tips and ideas. I also love the variation of work I have within my role – I never get the chance to get bored.

What are the biggest challenges you face in your work?

I’ve always been quite shy – especially around people I don’t know very well – so personally, one of the biggest challenges for me is if I have to contact new clients or network contacts. When I first started, I felt a little out of my depth with simple things such as excel. Being a physics graduate I had plenty of experience using it but for very different purposes, so it’s something I had to quickly adapt to.

What top tips would you give to a student interested in this type of work?

If it’s something you’re interested in, do your research, take your time to gain a good understanding of the industry and apply.

To see current opportunities at NMPi, visit http://nmpilondon.com/careers

From a Geography Degree to the Forensic Team at KPMG

I read BSc Geography at UCL and graduated in June 2014. Like many people, before university I didn’t really know what I wanted to study let alone what career path I wanted to follow. But now I find myself five months into a graduate scheme with one of the Big Four financial services firms, training to be a forensic accountant.

Why did I apply to KPMG?

A difficulty I had was thinking that because I read Geography I couldn’t go into the world of finance. This is definitely not the case!

I’ve always had an interest in business, the finance sector, law and politics, but never really knew if that’s what I wanted to go into after university. I did a bit of research around lots of graduate schemes, and the forensic accounting graduate scheme at KPMG jumped out at me. This was the perfect opportunity to go into a field that traversed finance and law, work at a big firm, and get a well-recognised qualification to boot! For me, KPMG ticked all the boxes as a first job, providing a strong platform from which to launch from academia into the world of work.

What was the application process like?

The application process, like many graduate schemes, involved several stages of forms, tests and interviews. The key at the start of the process is to make sure you’re well practiced for the online tests and that you have a full grasp of the competencies KPMG look for in a candidate before your phone interview. The final two stages involve what KPMG call an ‘immersive assessment centre’ and then a final interview with a Partner from the department you are applying to.

What does my job involve?

For the next three years I will immerse myself in a variety of projects whilst studying for my ACA accountancy qualification alongside. As a forensic accountant, I get to be involved in a wide range of interesting and challenging projects, from fraud investigations and suspicions of money laundering to giving advice about regulatory compliance and the intellectual property rights of companies. It may sound cliché but the job really is different most days, as you never know what you might uncover or what the next project will involve.

What is life like at KPMG?

Similar to a lot of graduate schemes with big firms, there are a lot of people joining at the same time in the same position as you. I see this as a massive positive, as it means you’ve got plenty of people to talk to, learn with, and a strong group of friends to go through the ups and downs with.

The great thing about KPMG that seems to set it apart from other firms some of my friends work at is the community culture. The flat structure means that you really can talk to anyone, no matter their management level, and people make time to talk to you and help.

Finally, there are the obvious perks of working at a big company, such as a great social life, sports teams, extra training opportunities, volunteering, and lifestyle extras in addition to your salary. I’ve really enjoyed my time so far in this fast-paced but warm atmosphere.

Are there any downsides?

The main downside to my job is having to juggle work and studying. It can be difficult when you’re on an important project with lots to do, but when the work day finishes you have to go home and revise for your exams coming up in the next few days. Having said this, these situations are few and far between. KPMG are also very good at giving graduates time off from work for dedicated study. Moreover for me, the value of this qualification and the fact that it is fully paid for by KPMG outweigh a few long days of work followed by revision.

What advice can I give for people wanting to join KPMG?

I think the key for any hopeful applicant is to throw yourself into the application. Learn as much as you can about KPMG, the kinds of services offered (not just those by the stream you are applying to!), and what skills you have that would make you a strong fit. It doesn’t matter what you studied at university – as long as you get a good degree result and have an inquisitive mind, you’ll do well in the application process.

Even if you’re not sure about KPMG or the world of finance, I would just recommend having a quick look at who KPMG are and what they do. It opened my eyes and now a couple of years down the line here I am!

As part of our #UCLInspireMe series, Shirley Wang, Finance and Corporate Development Executive at LoopMe, talks to us about how she got this role and shares some tips for UCL students.  For more insights from recent graduates working for smaller organisations, search #SMEProfile. 

What did you study?

I finished my undergraduate from University of Liverpool then continued my postgraduate study in UCL Msc Management.

How did you get into your role?

I was referred by a manager I used to work with when I was doing my internship in Shanghai. After several rounds of interview, I started the 3-months internship with LoopMe and got a chance to finally join the company after the internship.

What excites you/ what was your biggest success within your role?

Joining a growing company is very exciting as everyday I have chances to take more responsibilities. The culture of the company is very open which allows me to learn a lot from the more experienced staffs in the company as well. I feel like I contribute to the company but meanwhile I also grow with the company.

What are the most/more challenging aspect of your role?

This is my first formal job after graduation, of course there are some challenges there. Firstly, there are differences between what I have learnt from University and the practice at work. How to apply the knowledge into work would be one of the challenges. I also need to remind myself I am no longer a student in the University but an employee now, so I need to take responsibilities and do my best to contribute to the success of the company. LoopMe is a very international company; language barriers and culture difference are another problem I need to deal with. But all the challenges helped me to finalize the switch from a student to an employee and I have also received a lot of help within the company to help me to overcome those challenges.

What top tips would you pass on to a student interested in this type of work?

Be open to all challenges and difficulties and always keep learning and become a better one.

About LoopMe:

LoopMe is the world’s largest mobile video platform, reaching over 1.25 billion consumers worldwide via integration with programmatic ad exchanges and direct publishers.

LoopMe has global offices in New York, London, San Francisco, Beijing, Dubai, Dnepropetrovsk, Berlin and Paris and specialises in:
Full-Screen Mobile Video Advertising, Mobile Marketing, Rich Media, Social Preference Targeting, Mobile Video, Social Endorsement Targeting, Artificial Intelligence, Demand-Side-Platform, Real-Time-Bidding, HTML5, Machine Learning, Big Data

Follow in Shirley’s footsteps:

Apply for the Tech Account Executive graduate internship with LoopMe, currently open on UCL Talent Bank: http://bit.ly/1Skoy38 deadline: 12 noon Wednesday 16^th March 2016.

#UCLInspireMe

As part of our #UCLInspireMe series, Joseph Newton, Co-Founder at Safe & Sound, talks to us about startups and shares some tips for UCL students who want to get into entrepreneurship. For more insights from recent graduates working for smaller organisations, search #SMEProfile.

How did you get into your role?

I first became interested in starting a company just before I moved to UCL to do my PhD in Biochemical Engineering. Once at UCL, I quickly realised that there were a lot of opportunities here to help me achieve this goal. My department allowed me to study MBA Electives at London Business School, which gave me a great foundation in business. In the first year of my doctorate, a group of friends and I entered Engineering YES (Young Entrepreneurs Scheme) and won a few prizes (including winning our heat). This was the first time that I seriously considered entrepreneurship as a career.

A year later, after being approached by Jordan (Co-Founder) with a business idea, we entered and won the UCL Advances’ Idea Accelerator; an 8 week accelerator programme designed to help students bring their ideas to life. Having obtained funding through a UCL Bright Ideas Award, we have since been working to turn the business plan into reality, Safe & Sound Festival Services.

Safe & Sound Festival Services is a luggage transportation service for festival goers (from cities to festival sites). Through our service, we are aiming to reduce carbon emissions at festivals by (1) encouraging the use of public transport, and (2) by reducing waste left at the festival site (we offer a return luggage service). http://www.sasfestivalservices.com/
What are the best things about working in your role?

The best thing about running a startup is the freedom to operate; I see a direct result of the actions that we take (whether it’s good or bad!), and every day I learn something new. I know that a lot of people find entrepreneurship to be a lonely path, however working with Jordan makes everything we do a lot more entertaining. We also support each other and complement each other’s skill sets.
What are the biggest challenges you face in your work?

The biggest challenge is undoubtedly managing to balance my PhD and running a startup. Another big challenge is establishing clear procedures and policies for situations that we haven’t come across before. Also, building credibility as a startup and fostering relationships in a slow-moving industry is a challenge that we are currently facing.
What top tips would you give to a student interested in this type of work?

UCL Advances is a great place to start if you’re interested in starting a company. You can read as much as you want, but the best experience is through action. My top tip? Get a contract signed for everything you do!
Are there currently any opportunities for UCL students with Safe & Sound?

Safe & Sound is currently looking for an intern to join us this summer to help with marketing, sales and managing operations. Our website can be found here:

We are looking for an intern to work with us as part in the UCL Advances summer internship scheme this year.

Safe & Sound is looking for UCL undergraduates (or recent graduates) to join their vibrant startup this summer for an 8-12 week internship. Students should be prepared to get involved in all areas of the business, however should be particularly interested in marketing and sales, operations, the live music/festival industry, logistics and events management. Pay is £250 pw tax-free. Please apply with CV and cover letter to info@sasfestivalservices.com .

Or visit: http://jobonline.thecareersgroup.co.uk/ucl/student/DisplayVacancy.aspx?id=e9241ac1-4ac1-46ba-abed-eb8ac084e808

As part of our #UCLInspireMe series, Durgha Ramji, Project Manager at Inme, talks to us about how she got this role and shares some tips for UCL students who want to pursue opportunities abroad. For more insights from recent graduates working for smaller organisations, search #SMEProfile.

Durgha Ramji (25) is Inme’s very own ambitious young person from the UK. Durgha spent her first year at UCL before transferring to the University of London Institute in Paris. Durgha has interned at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Sharekh Youth Forum in the Palestinian Territories and the Next Billion Online project powered by Google in Bangalore, India. She now heads Inme’s engagement with the outward student mobility strategy of UK HE Institutions.

Go International with UCL

I remember my time at UCL as being an opportunity to interact with people from all over the world. My friends circle had never been so diverse. There were  also lots of opportunities to learn about projects which can support a student gain international experiences through volunteering or placements. These experiences are critical in todays globalised world as employers are looking for graduates with the ability to work in multiple cultural contexts.

While at UCL I applied to The British Council’s Study India Programme (SIP) and after graduating I spent a year in Bangalore as part of Google’s Next Billion Online project (NBO). These experiences really inspired me to pursue opportunities in India. When it came to deciding whether I accept my offer of a graduate job in London or continue exploring career development opportunities in India – having had the SIP and NBO experience made the decision easy for me – it was always going to be India.

From my previous exposure to the cultural, economic and youth led start up environment I knew the responsibility, initiative and skills I would develop by leaving the UK would be invaluable and attractive to employers back at home once I returned.

Returning to a world of opportunities in India

Selected as delegate for the World Conference on Youth in Sri Lanka, I knew I would also visit friends in India and so bought along my business plan for a student leadership programme I had submitted to the Lloyds Bank Start Up Fund. I’d got through the application round and had my phone interview in a tent on the banks of the River Ganga while working as a facilitator on an Inme rafting programme in Rishikesh.

Unfortunately I didn’t pass this stage of the Llyod’s application but I’d also shared the business plan with Inme who took up the offer and decided to explore the opportunity to internationalise their  offering of leadership programmes to international students.

And so I decided not to take my flight home and I’ve been working in India since.

Global Entrepreneurial Minds at Inme Learning Pvt Ltd

As part of my role, I am heading the entire project cycle of designing, selling, implementing, evaluating and improving an international product. I am responsible for ensuring the success of the project, anticipating and following through on opportunities and working with different departments to ensure my objectives are met.

I have found inspiring mentors in the senior Inme team who themselves come from diverse backgrounds and have extensive experience in pioneering visionary ideas and products in India. The senior team are experts in using adventure based learning, behavioural science and attitudinal and mindset training to build leadership skills.

With Inme – I believe I have discovered the most conducive environment to build my own leadership capabilities!

Skills focus

Through working with the senior Inme team my steepest learning curves has been in the following key areas:

Adaptive challenges – As a start up project making mistakes enable us to gain insights, understand our target group and adapt the product to what works best for them. I know that having the bigger picture and an overall plan is necessary but I must be ready to adapt to the context and situation.

Anticipating opportunities – When attending my first SOAS Alumni event in New Delhi I took along my programme brochure in anticipation of sharing it with fellow alumni.  In a chance meeting with a representative of the British Council we discovered a potential collaboration opportunity. Investing my time, energy, creativity, relationship building efforts and trust in multiple options and opportunities is important – I know some will fail, but some will pan out extraordinarily!

Taking risks – Taking risks with a combination of trusting my intuition and reasoning (add to this a dash of serendipity!) will leading to rewarding results for myself and Inme.

Appreciating diversity – There are many different ways, processes and methods of achieving the desired result.

Living the Generaton UK – India experience

Today, I find myself living the Generation UK – India experience – and with the project I am heading – The Global Leader Inme – I really want to inspire fellow UCL students to take the same leap I have of being at the vanguard of ambitious young people ready to work with India and innovative and exciting Indian Companies to build ties between the UK and India which go beyond simple economics.

Inme are UCL Skills4Work supporters and are delivering a workshop with Deloitte on Career Drive and Motivation on Monday 16th November 2015 at 5pm.

As part of our #UCLInspireMe series, Laura Davies, UCL Alumnus (BSc Human Science, 2013 and MSc Technology Entrepreneurship, 2014) and Operations Officer at BaseStone, talks to us about how she got this role and shares some tips for UCL students who want to get into the sector.

How did you get into your role?

I’m Laura, I am the Operations Officer at BaseStone. BaseStone is a tool for architects and engineers to capture and communicate data more effectively. It connects people and data in construction, reducing costs and mistakes on projects.

I found out about the role through a mentor of mine. She knew the founder of the company and knew that they were looking for someone to help them grow the business. The majority of the team was made up of software developers so they were hiring for new employees on the business side.

I chose this career because of the opportunities for growth. There was a huge amount of potential for me to develop my own skill set, confidence and abilities in so many areas. I think I recognised that the business was at a really interesting point – the technology was in demand by the industry and there were many customers in the pipeline.  But there was a need for all of the pieces of the puzzle around the technology to be put in place – I wanted to be the person to do that! It was an exciting challenge and I knew that this would give me a breadth of experience like no other.

What are the best things about working in your role?

I think working with the a team that care so much about what they do is my favourite part of the job. Everyone is so passionate about our mission – bringing change to the construction industry. We work very closely together so it really helps that we all get on!

The work is also interesting. What we are doing is quite ground-breaking – we’re disrupting an ancienct industry. It’s really interesting to be part of the change. I get to go out on construction sites to visit our users. So I have been on Crossrail sites, seeing London’s future infrastructure being built which is pretty cool too.

As part of my role, I work with a huge range of people – from graduate engineers to important industry figures. It’s great to have that diversity

Biggest success in your role?

I am really proud of the community we have built around what we are doing. As the industry is quite old fashioned, we’ve developed our own community of disruptors. We hold events to champion disruption and discuss the future of the built environment. The last event had over 120 attendees and caused a real stir in the industry.

What are the biggest challenges you face in your work?

The biggest challenge is having to hit the ground running with things you’ve never done before. But technology is a really supportive industry – there are mentors, events, free courses and many meetup groups that you can get advice from.

It’s a challenge but it pushes you to realise your full potential. It provides an excellent springboard for your career.

What top tips would you pass on to a student interested in this type of work?

Developing your network is the single most important thing. As I mentioned, the world of startups and technology is friendly and supportive. People will generally be happy to have a coffee or call with you if you reach out to them. So don’t be afraid to ask!

I would recommend getting some experience in a startup before you jump right into one. I did the UCL Advances Summer Internship Programme in my second year of university. You get a paid internship for 8 weeks in a small company – I couldn’t recommend it highly enough.

You can also develop yourself and build your skill set. I did the CodeFirst:Girls coding course which gave me coding skills that I still use today. There are many free courses like this in London, for both men and women to develop skills in tech. UCL Advances also do many events and workshops.

Good luck!

To find our more about working in a startup, either come in an speak to a Careers Consultant or visit UCL Advances.

Alan Ying, MSc Technology Entrepreneurship 2009 alumnus, tells us why doing a Masters at UCL helped his career as an Senior IT Consultant at FDM Group.

“Growing up in the ‘dot com bubble’ and witnessing the growing potential of the digital world, committing to an IT career was a no-brainer since my childhood.

I obtained my bachelor degree in Computer Science back in 2008, then moved on to extend my IT knowledge from a business perspective by doing a Master’s in Technology Entrepreneurship at UCL in 2009.  I chose this course because I wanted to broaden my understanding within the field of IT and I was particularly interested in the process from an idea to a product on the shelf.  The location of the University was perfect, especially as a business course, UCL attracts a fantastic mix of candidates from across the globe, and the all-important business and social events were right on our doorsteps! The course focused on the fundamental concepts of how to survive as a start-up.  We had in-depth discussions on business cases and analysed the reasons of success as well as the mistakes we shouldn’t make.  As well as learning a great deal on the course, the part I enjoyed the most was the combination of networking and industry insight at the Thursday night events. This involved a guest presentation with entrepreneurs and business aficionados, where they shared their experience and talked us through their ups and downs during their journey to success.  I’d also like to stress that the inspirational lead lecturer, Dr Chapman made the course ever so exciting and I much appreciate the time and effort he invested in my class.

I completed my Masters at a difficult time for the economy: for those who are young enough to remember, neither of these two years were ideal for employment, due to the economy meltdown and the bankruptcy of numerous leading financial firms. It was the most challenging time for job hunters in decades! FDM Group was one of the few IT consultancy firms that was still growing during the recession and they were looking for candidates who were bilingual and who held a computer-related degree; it was a perfect match. UCL have a fantastic network that was demonstrated by the career fairs that they organised. The ones that I attended opened my eyes to the possibility and opportunities out there and helped refine my career path after graduation

My 10-week training started immediately after I made it through the interview stages and was accepted onto the Graduate Programme. I was glad to be joining a company with top-notch training facilities, a global network and a market-driven strategy that suited client demands.

Upon completing my training in the Academy I obtained a professional IT qualification that became a game changer in terms of my future career: the ISTQB certificate for Software Testing. FDM Group arranged interviews for me with clients within the banking industry and after a successful interview with HSBC I was placed on site. My first assignment was to cover for a Senior Test Analyst on maternity leave!

No matter how technically talented you are, your first experience in a professional IT environment, especially in one of the biggest banks in the world, is never going to be easy. The amount of industrial and internal terminologies and abbreviations used on a daily basis is comparable to a whole new language; in my early days I kept a mini booklet in my pocket where I wrote down all the new ‘words’ I learnt every day and revised them at night. My FDM Trainer was absolutely spot on when he told me that IT is never a nine-to-five job. After only a few weeks on site I had earned the trust of the HSBC management and was given an opportunity to look after a small project on my own; this really helped my career development and further enhanced my skill-set, helping me to become a better IT Consultant for years to follow.

The second placement I took up through FDM Group was at BGL Group. They were the company behind CompareTheMarket.com and also provided services to create web-based insurance solutions to their co-operate partners and clients. I was brought on board to support the national QA team to protect the intense timelines across numerous projects.

I am now an E2E Test Manager of Barclays Mobile Banking Applications and have been working on various Barclays mobile projects since I was placed at Barclays 4 years ago. My chief responsibility is to amaze our customers by allowing them to experience next-generation digital mobile solutions provided by the Barclays IT Team. No two days are the same at the office and new challenges arise every day. It is important to keep up to date with the latest digital trends, embrace them and integrate them into your own knowledge in order to provide informed and sophisticated advice to customers and clients.

Throughout the years there were a few occasions where FDM Group clients wanted me to become their full time employee but I always ended up politely declining. Even now I appreciate how FDM provides professional training, adapts to the market needs and has an internal and external community with global reach – the exact same reasons I chose FDM Group in the first place.”

For more information, please visit www.fdmgroup.com or for further information about Technology Consultant Careers visit, Careers Tagged.

James Finch, Physics 2014 graduate, attended the Global Citizenship Employability Programme last summer and he tells us why it was so helpful

Graduating from Physics I wanted to pursuit a Technology career in the city. In previous summers I had obtained relevant work experience through internships but hadn’t converted them into full time positions. I knew that applications opened in late summer and lasted till around the New Year and my aim was to work hard applying over this time period.

The first step I took to prepare was to participate in the Global Citizenship Employability Programme. This covered many areas of the application process:

> Application forms

> CVs

> Cover Letters

> Psychometric tests

> Assessment centres

> Interviews

> Job hunt planning

Furthermore through the course you are introduced to the many other services that UCL Careers offers, such as the Alumni programme, 1-1 sessions, careers fairs and workshops. Through the Alumni programme I was able to obtain contacts within the industry/organisations that I was applying for, which was invaluable as you really get to understand what it is like to work for these companies and in these careers. Finally and most importantly I was introduced to the great team at UCL Careers and found the consultants very helpful in getting advice.

Applying what I had learned from the Employability programme, I started making progress with my applications, securing interviews with firms I really wanted to work for. I found it extremely beneficial to practise for interviews with the consultants, it helped build confidence and I received useful tips on how to improve. I always felt that the consultants came well prepared with relevant information about the types of questions that might be asked and about how the interview process would be carried out.

All this soon resulted in securing a job as a Technology Analyst at an Investment Bank. Much hard work was required on my part but the advice and support I received through the careers service really made it easier, with all the tips and hints along the way, that are difficult to pick by yourself. Even if you are very confident, there is no harm in reaching out to these guys, you will definitely learn something new that will benefit you in your job hunt. Good luck!

If you’d like to find our more about the Global Citizenship Employability Programme, visit: www.ucl.ac.uk/global-citizenship/employability

Alec Lozanoski, graduate from Institute of Child Health (2013),  shares his experience of UCL Careers GradClub and how he changed his view from a sceptic to an advocate.

How did you find out about GradClub?

Throughout completing my MSc at UCL, I received countless emails from the UCL careers service. As I was also the Course Student Representative, and had my sights set on a PhD, ergo I immediately disregarded these

What motivated you to use the service?

After graduating, jobs in my related field were few and far between. I started a voluntary lab. assistant place in heart valve cell research to build my CV and experience. As a graduate, I still received plenty of emails, after being in a career rut since undergrad; I thought this would be my best and last shot and have nothing to lose.

How you find the service and what did you gain

At first I was utterly sceptical, as I knew I was doing everything I possibly could for my career but didn’t have any luck, so I convinced myself that it would be a waste of my time, and taking up a slot for someone that could benefit. I thought that I would give it a shot, and if the service was poor or not reaching any targets, that I would call it off.

As I suspected, I was in fact doing everything right. However, at my half hour weekly meetings with Katie, my CV got a complete restructure to resemble a science template, and then began some working on networking, and interpreting feedback on this, followed by some mock interviews, which turns out I desperately needed.

Next steps for you?

I will maintain the CV as its current structure, adding this new job and relevant training to it. I will be tailoring it to a Science-work placement/industry job targeting CV, rather than PhD.

Would you recommend GradClub?

 I cannot suggest GradClub highly enough, the earlier you start the better it would be for you. You would be surprised at some aspects that you will be pulled up on, it always helps having 3^rd person input, particularly one who may not be as well informed in your current career plans and help you to open-up and see a wider picture.

I only wish that GradClub was available indefinitely!

To find our more about how UCL Careers GradClub can help you Find your Future, visit: www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/gradclub