By Sally Brown, UCL Careers

If you are looking for a career in a place that is likely to be alive longer than you, then Sothebys – the global art business that has been banging its hammer down on collections since 1744, might be one for you to consider. Alongside over 70 categories of art on sale, Sotheby’s are now also branching out into ‘luxury’ items as well, such as fine wine and cars. They are very keen to ensure they are a 21^st century business, so are always looking for fresh talent with new ideas.

Specialisms (e.g. Modern & Post-War British art, Chinese art, European Ceramics) count for only a 3^rd of Sotheby’s business. So they are keen to welcome graduates who have more of a business head as well as a genuine interest in art. Sotheby’s is an auction house after all, so you need to have good commercial acumen in order to be able to win clients from competitors. If your interests lie purely in the academics of art, then perhaps an art gallery or a museum pathway might be more appropriate.

Top tips:

• Get some work experience – any work experience. They want to see evidence of transferable skills so it’s fine to have just been the tea-making, photocopying dogsbody called ‘hey you’, as long as you can explain what you learnt from the experience and how you dealt with different situations.
• Show your enthusiasm for the art world – even if just in a business sense.
• Show your interest in a particular area or department. Be clear about why it interests you.
• Go to an auction! Try to go to the afternoon ones as they are less busy and open to the public; some evening auctions are ticketed only. Don’t worry about keeping completely still with your hands in your pockets– the auctioneer will know that you are not bidding!
• Visit an exhibition and see the items on sale.
• Try the lobster club sandwich in the restaurant for the bargain price of £26.50- we’ve been told it is rather good!

What’s on offer?   

Internships: This three month experience is open to 2^nd years and above. You will be placed in a particular department, so be sure to research your areas of interest before applying – as it asks you on the application form to rank your preferences. They have less placements in the summer – as business is quieter – so competition is fiercer! They receive 800-1500 applications over the year with 80 places available.

• Graduate training programme: Trainees will complete 12 months of rotations across a variety of departments as well as regular lectures, workshops and museum visits with senior executives whilst working on projects with fellow trainees. On completion, selected trainees will be offered permanent positions. Usually around 450 applications are made with about seven places available.
• Floating programme: a group of 12 graduates will work as in-house ‘temps’ and placed in a variety of departments, of varying lengths of time, over one year. For example, if a department has an auction coming up and need an extra pair of hands, you might be asked to spend a few days with them. You will be encouraged to apply for permanent roles as positions become available. You are only eligible to stay in this programme for up to 12 months.

In a couple of weeks time we see the start of UCL Careers Government & Policy Themed Week. You will fine below a run through of the range of events organised to inspire and engage those who are interested in a career within the public sector, as well as those who are yet undecided. This is your chance to meet with organisations in this sector – to hear from and network with a range of guests from recent graduates to senior officials.

The following events are open to students and recent graduates from all degree disciplines and all of the events below are now bookable through your ‘My UCL Careers’ account.

Industry Spotlight Talk: Working in policy – what are my options?
Monday 23^rd October – 13.00-14.00
Interested in discovering more about the Policy sector? Come along to hear Bryony Wills, Career Consultant at UCL Careers, explain more about the career paths open to new graduates. This event includes a Q&A opportunity.

Panel Discussion: Influencing policy
Monday 23^rd October – 17.30-19.30
Hear from representatives of some of the leading shapers
of public policy. This event will include Q&A and a networking opportunity.

Confirmed speakers include Chatham House, Conciliation Resources, UNITE, Office of National Statistics, and New Local Government Network.

Panel Discussion: Careers at the heart of government
Tuesday 24^th October – 18.00-20.00
Hear from speakers working at the heart of government.
Speakers from HM Treasury, Department for Transport, Government Legal Services, Department of Education and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will talk about their careers to date. This event will include Q&A and a networking opportunity.

Workshop: Civil service group exercise
Wednesday 25^th October – 14.15-16.00
If you expect to attend an employer’s assessment centre this year, for either Fast Track Civil Service or any other job or internship, then come along to practice the group exercise with staff from the Civil Service. The session will include feedback on how you have performed. Booking is essential for this workshop as spaces are limited.

Panel Discussion: Careers in the public sector
Thursday 26^th October – 12.30-14.00
Meet representatives from a range of public sector employers about jobs and graduate schemes open to enthusiastic candidates. This event is in the format of a panel and Q&A on their roles. Confirmed speakers include Police Now, Frontline and Regeneration at London Borough of Lambeth.

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The above events are on a first come, first served basis so please book early to guarantee a place. Events are bookable through ‘My UCL Careers’.

We look forward to welcoming as many of you as possible for Government  Policy Week. In the meantime, check out resources on Careers Tagged by searching terms such as ‘politics’, ‘government’, ‘lobbying’, ‘civil service’ and so on.

Hi, I’m Anna and I’m one of the Career Consultants working with students at the UCL Institute of Education. I know a lot of you will be coming to the end of your teacher training, and I imagine you’re probably having mixed feelings right now…

On the one hand – PHEW! And a big virtual high-five to you for making it through one of the toughest professional training programmes out there. Whether you took the School Direct Route, a PGCE or have been with Teach First or any other route, I can hazard a guess that you’re emerging out of a year that’s been challenging, eye-opening, rewarding and like a big old emotional rollercoaster ride.

You’re probably looking forward to a well-deserved Summer break – and this should be your top priority (see the first point below) – but there’s probably also part of you that’s already looking ahead to what’s in store from September and wondering how you’re going to make the most of your NQT year.

Well, to help you out, I’ve put together seven top tips to ensure that you don’t just survive but THRIVE in your first year as a fully-fledged new teacher. This isn’t a definitive list but it should give a few pointers over the key things to consider…

1. Rest – You’re probably sick of hearing it by now, but this year IS going to be hard work – maybe even harder than the year you’ve just had, and looking after yourself is going to be absolutely KEY to success. It may sound obvious now, but self-care is often the first thing to go out of the window when the responsibilities mount up. Whatever you do, make sure you schedule in time for non-work activities and whatever relaxes you, whether it’s time with friends or walks in the country. And get as much sleep as you can – we’re far more effective when we’re well-rested so staying up late to catch up on work might be a false-economy.
2. Reach out – You don’t have to do it alone. Don’t be afraid to draw on more experienced colleagues for support and ideas. People love to help so give them the opportunity to feel like a wise old sage with you newbies! This is also an opportunity to network and build relationships with colleagues, so be a familiar face in the staffroom, and be curious about others work (be sure to judge how busy they look and perhaps ask when it would be convenient to talk – you could even offer to buy them a coffee in return!) Remember too that you have access to UCL Careers for up to two years after you graduate, so if you want coaching on anything related to your career, do book in to see one of us via the UCL Careers Graduates
3. Reflect – You will probably be heavily observed during you NQT year, but rather seeing this as a threat, try to see observations as genuine learning opportunities. It can be good to employ a growth mindset – in the same way that you might congratulate a child on their effort rather than their natural achievement, you could appreciate your own attempts to learn and grow rather than berating yourself from not being perfect from the outset.
4. Resilience – You could say this is the most important teaching skill and it links to the point above about not being a perfectionist. In any career, there will be challenges and setbacks – what’s important is how you bounce back and learn from them without being consumed with self-criticism – remember that it’s all part of the journey! One way to develop resilience is through mindfulness practice, which helps to regulate our emotions and stay calm. UCL Student Psychological Services offers a free programme called the 10 Minute Mind where daily mindfulness practices are sent to your inbox or, if you no longer have a UCL log-in, you could try the app Headspace.
5. Responsibility – This one needs to be handled with care – what you DON’T want to do is overstretch yourself in your first year and agree to every opportunity put on the table (new teachers can even be promoted to a head of their subject within the first year or two due to staff shortages!) However, it CAN be good to look for opportunities to take on extra duties that will help you grow in areas of interest (e.g. sports, SEN, drama activities, management) and gain extra skills that could come in handy in the future.
6. Research – Every year, thousands of people become qualified as teachers, and so the internet is full of handy tips about how to prepare for your NQT year, including things like checklists for all the things you need to get done when you start and countless forums like the TES New Teachers You don’t have to reinvent the wheel, so learn from the experiences of others who have been through the NQT year and lived to tell the tale!

 And last but not least…

7. Remember why you’re doing this! I’d imagine it wasn’t JUST for the long holidays, was it? It’s important to keep sight of the bigger picture, so when you’re swamped in marking and feeling overwhelmed, put the pen down, go for a walk and reflect on why you were motivated to become a teacher in the first place and the impact you wanted to make. And above all, remember that it WILL get easier. Teaching may be hard work, but it’s also one of the most rewarding jobs out there, so it will be worth it in the long run.

Good luck and have a wonderfully relaxing Summer holiday!

The 2017 Global Citizenship Employability Programme is fast approaching, and we are really looking forward to welcoming students from across UCL to the two week programme!

Here are 3 main things we hope you will gain from the programme, and 3 things you could do before you start on the 30^th May.

Three things you will gain from the programme:

1. Have the opportunity to gain an in depth look at your own values and, strengths and start making plans for the future, supported every step of the way by the team at UCL Careers. It can be human nature to put off making decisions when don’t know where to start: this programme will give you a framework to explore your thoughts on employability.
2. Practice with real life employers, before the “real” thing. Applications, Assessments and Interviews can be scary things however prepared you are. The Employability programme enables you to practice in a safe environment, gaining useful feedback that you can build on.
3. Develop your ideas on Global Citizenship: what does it mean to you and how might this impact your future career decisions.

Three things to do before you start. If you have time, the following areas would be useful before you come on the 30^th May:

1. Check out our Employability Moodle, which is full with loads of information to get you thinking about Global Citizenship.
2. Start thinking about what you would like to get out of the programme.
3. Make sure you have paid your deposit! As places are confirmed on a first come first served basis, you will only be able to attend the programme if you do this before the places run out. You will receive your deposit back if you attend at least 70% of the programme.

In the meantime, if you have any questions please do contact UCL Careers careers@ucl.ac.uk or drop into our offices on the 4^th floor of the Student Central building!

Join us for a series of panel events and workshops taking place during Life and Health Sciences Themed Week, Monday 6^th – Thursday 9^th March 2017.

Our panel contributors, from various professional backgrounds and at different stages of their careers, include a Patent Attorney from J A Kemp, the Global Head of Digital at Cello Health Insight, a Senior Account Manager from Hanover Communications, a Senior Medical Writer, a Project Manager from the Royal Free, the Head of Government Science and Engineering Profession within the Civil Service and an NHS Graduate Management Trainee to name just a few. They will be sharing unique insights into their career journeys and current roles as well as answering your questions during our panel and networking events, below:

Monday 6^th March, 17.30-19.30: Leadership & Governance Panel

Tuesday 7^th March, 17.30-19.30: Communicating Science & Health 

Wednesday 8^th March, 17.30-19.30: Biology & Business

Thursday 9^th March, 17.30-19.30: Non-Academic 

Our workshops will introduce you to various clinical and non-clinical roles within the life and health sciences sector and offer the opportunity to ask questions and delve deeper into what a career within these areas can offer you through an interactive lunchtime session.

Tuesday 7^th March, 12.00 – 13.00: Lunchtime Workshop: Clinical 

Wednesday 8^th March, 12.00 – 13.00: Lunchtime Workshop: Non-Clinical 

Careers within the field of life and health sciences are incredibly diverse and encompass a broad range of specialisms in both clinical and non-clinical areas.

Whether you are looking to apply your skills and expertise ‘behind the scenes’ within research, laboratory-based work or the development of new scientific treatments and medical technology, or directly with patients in a public-facing role, the life and health sciences sector offers a multitude of exciting career options.

Join us to hear more about some of the professional pathways available to you during our ‘Life and Health Sciences Week’, from Monday 6^th March – Thursday 9^th March 2017.

We will be hosting a series of panel events covering themes including leadership and governance, biology and business, communicating health and science and non-academic careers, as well as offering interactive workshops to inspire you to explore the range of employment opportunities within life and health sciences. More information and booking details here – http://www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/events/getinto/lifehealthsciences

In the meantime, check out the top hiring trends in life science for 2017 here: https://social.hays.com/2017/01/05/top-10-life-sciences-hiring-trends-for-2017/

Global Careers Series came to UCL at the end of January with an event focusing on the Middle East.

The Global Careers Series is a collaboration across five University of London colleges, including UCL, King’s, SOAS, Goldsmiths and City University, and is designed to educate and inspire students about working in a number of global regions.

We are now just over halfway through the series, and so far we have learnt about working in China, South East Asia and the Middle East. During the Middle East event we heard from a variety of speakers, including UCL alumni, FactSet (a financial data company), and two UCL academics. This diverse panel offered excellent insights into the benefits and challenges of working in the Middle East whilst answering questions from the student audience.

Next up in the series we will be focusing on North America, and students from UCL are invited to attend this event being held at City University. This promises to be a lively event, with two panel discussions, a keynote speech and a raffle to win a $2,500 mobility grant to participate in Global Experiences’ US program! If you’re interested, please register to attend here [Eventbrite].

To end the series, we will be heading to Goldsmiths University to hear all about working in Western Europe and we look forward to hearing from a variety of speakers there.

For more information about the series, please see Global Careers Series [website].

UCL Careers Summer Internship Scheme

We will be advertising paid summer internship opportunities exclusively available for UCL students and graduates to intern at London-based Small – Medium Enterprises (SME).

“I didn’t have any defined expectations, but I really didn’t expect to have such a wonderful time. I was/ am so happy to go in to work every day because I really loved the company atmosphere, and really respected and got on well with my co-workers. I feel like I wasn’t treated like an intern or the youngest member of the team (which I was), but was given responsibilities and respected on an equal footing. I learned a lot of things that I had no real comprehension of before the internship. I genuinely feel like I was helping out as well.”
Vesa Popova – UCL BASc Arts and Sciences – graduating 2018

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In association with Santander Universities, we are providing subsidised funding for internships, paid at the London Living Wage, across our summer scheme.

The subsidized funding will support the training allowance for UCL students or recent graduates to work as interns with small-medium-sized businesses for 6 or 8 weeks full-time during the 2017 summer vacation period (June – September).

Internships will be available in a range of sectors including:

• Consultancy
• IT/tech
• Engineering
• Arts/Culture
• Life Sciences/Health
• Finance
• Social Sciences/Media

Applicant Eligibility

You will need to be eligible to work in the UK full-time during the internship. If you are on a visa, your visa must cover the full duration of the internship.

Please note: UCL Tier 4 Postgraduate (Taught and Research) students are not permitted to work in excess of 20 hours per week for the full duration of their degree programme. This includes the summer vacation period. UCL is unable to issue a visa for the Summer Internship Programme therefore UCL Tier 4 Postgraduate students are not eligible for this scheme.

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure they are eligible for the scheme and comply with UCL sponsorship duties and visa regulations before submitting an application. It is the responsibility of the business to check their intern’s eligibility to work in the UK taking into account the above regulations.

The Timeline

• Internships will be advertised on the UCL Talent Bank website from mid-February to Friday 31st March.
• You will need to submit your CV, and a tailored cover letter online for each application you make.
• Follow us on social media to hear about each role as it goes live Twitter and Facebook search: UCL Careers
• Each employer will receive a shortlist of the best applications for their role. They will then invite UCL students and graduates to interview.
• Prospective interns should know if they have a place on the scheme by mid-May, so please bear this in mind when making vacation plans.
• Once the employer has made an internship offer and you have accepted that offer, UCL Careers will send both you the intern, and the employer, an agreement letter each to fill in and return to UCL Careers.
• Funding for the internship will not be released to the organisation until we have these completed letters returned.
• Internships will commence as follows:
• 6 weeks starting 12th June and ending 21st July 2017
• 8 weeks starting 12th June and ending 4th August 2017
• 6 week starting 10th July and ending 18th August 2017
• 8 weeks starting 10th July and ending 1st September 2017

Get involved and get that internship!

• Prepare: Keep an eye out for our CV and cover letter writing workshops at the end of February, as advertised on our Careers Essentials webpage: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/events/essentials
• Perfect: When you know which internships you want to apply for, you might want to book in for an Applications Appointment to make sure your application documents are competitive with other applicants’.
• Apply: Register on our UCL Talent Bank website with an up-to-date CV.

NOTE FOR THOSE WHO ARE ALREADY IN CONTACT WITH A COMPANY ABOUT AN INTERNSHIP:

If you are already in contact with a small-medium-sized company who is hoping to offer a summer internship to you, which would benefit from some financial assistance, please encourage them to contact us by sending an email to Laura: l.radford@ucl.ac.uk

The proposal form we will ask all companies to complete about their vacancy will ask the question of whether they already have a student or graduate in mind to hire. If the company and the internship proposed meet our criteria, the internship will be reserved funding without having to be advertised.

Lastly, if you know of an organisations who you feel would be interested in participating in this scheme, please direct them to further information for employers here: http://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/careers-employer-engagement/2017/01/09/ucl-careers-summer-internships-scheme/

Are you following The Great Grad Job Hunt channel on YouTube? It’s a great project which aims to help students and graduates discuss job-hunting and will create an online series that documents the real-life experiences of students and graduates looking for work.

Tania, a post graduate from UCL, on understanding e-trays, how they work and where to find them – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOJb4BrNpTo

In this video Tania, a UCL graduate, talks about how you can practice e-tray exercises before an interview or assessment centre and the online tools available for this.
You might be interested to know that UCL Careers has access to Assessment Day, the online resource mentioned here, which provides a practice e-tray activity as well as verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, inductive reasoning, logical reasoning and diagrammatic reasoning tests. To register ans access the subscription-based test materials on the Assessment Day website for free, all you will need is your UCL email address. Recent Graduates should read the information about “Email for Life” on the Alumni Relations website for details on accessing your UCL email account after graduation.

You can also find other resources to practice assessment centres and psychometric tests by logging into Careers Tagged: http://www.careerstagged.co.uk, and follow The Great Grad Job Hunt Here  where they’ll be covering CV tips, interview preparation and much more.

As part of Charities and NGOs themed week, we have asked one of the London-based charities attending the Link-Up event to introduce themselves to you in advance.

Muneezay Jaffery tells us about her charity Green Shoots Foundation and the internship opportunities available to UCL students. (The photo shows two interns in the Green Shoots Office in Lavender Hill.)

Please tell us about your charity
Green Shoots Foundation is a small charity set up in 2010, by Jean-Marc Debricon, who aimed to make use of his finance and banking background for more worthwhile and long-term projects. In the past seven years, our small team has established three main programs in seven countries. Our work pertains to skills training, be it medical for HIV treatment in Myanmar, Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan or agriculture skills in Cambodia and the Philippines. We also facilitate educational loans for social entrepreneurship in India.

Green Shoots started out with a microfinance focus but very quickly developed into adopting a skills-based approach. We believe investing in people and, then making loans, improves livelihood opportunities and brings about sustainable transformations. For example, our work in Cambodia for the past three years has focused on updating and bringing sustainable agriculture skills to government run schools in rural areas. Now, as we transition to the next stage, we are taking an enterprise approach and will focus on the cultivation of agri-business ideas. In all our countries of operation we work with trusted local partners rolling out projects on the ground.

What activities have previous UCL interns been involved in whilst volunteering at Green Shoots and what can an intern expect when they first start?
UCL interns have been instrumental in helping us with fundraising in the UK. This can involve everything from managing the database of trusts and foundations, to writing grant applications and researching new opportunities. With a recent intern, we have diversified our fundraising strategy to include the approach of “twining” with local schools. This has proven to be successful as we approach local primary schools to buddy up with schools in Cambodia, exchange letters and photographs but also fundraise with us throughout the year.

How have interns developed their employability whilst they have been working with you?
By working in fundraising candidates, especially those interested in Global Development or charity sector careers, learn the basics of grant writing- what makes a good application and how to structure proposals. Transferable skills such as time keeping, being organised, and writing formal correspondence are also ways interns have developed their employability. Our office environment is quite friendly and laidback. As we share it with another charity, interns are able to participate in team meetings and contribute towards day-to-day running. Whilst at Green Shoots they also get the opportunity to attend relevant training events, panel discussions and make use of networking opportunities.

What advice would you give to UCL students and graduates who may be looking to set up a charity or similar organisation?
Although it might seem out-dated, when it comes to setting up a charity or deciding on a project, thinking in terms of Theory of Change and working backwards is a good way to start. By this I mean, knowing the impact you want to make and then figuring out how to go about it.  This approach also helps tremendously with decision making for activities, setting realistic and achievable goals and constantly thinking about how to measure and report them.

Being transparent and accountable towards the individuals we work with and to donors we raise funds from should be the first rule for being involved in the charity sector and I always find fundraising is a good way to understand that relationship.

Find out more:
http://www.greenshootsfoundation.org/

The Green Shoots Foundation will have a stand at the Charities and NGOs Link Up event this Thursday alongside other organisations including Oxfam, The Children’s Trust, The Challenge, Ark Teacher Training, CharityWorks, Unlocked Graduates, UCL VSU, Sustrans, UCL Amnesty International Society

*Sign up to attend this event via your My UCL Careers account