The UCL Careers Charities & NGO’s themed week is approaching and we have a host of charities and non-for-profit organisations taking over the UCL Careers library on Thursday, 4^th February to answer all of your questions at our networking event. Networking can be an incredibly powerful tool in your job search so it’s important that you do it right. Below are some useful tips to consider before attending the event.

1. Do your research.

There will be a full list of all the organisations that will be attending the Charities & NGO’s Networking Event on the events page of the UCL Careers website, so make sure you do your research about the organisations that are attending. Find out who they are, what they do, any of their recent projects, etc. Not only will this help you build the basis of your conversation, you can impress them with your knowledge of their organisation, and remember: first impressions count.

2. Have a goal/purpose

It’s always a good idea to set some goals before the event to help you stay focused. Think about what you want to find out at the event and the reason you want to attend e.g. finding out more about a particular role, advice on getting into a particular sector. When doing so make sure this information isn’t available on their website, meaning you will come away with some really valuable information!

3. Prepare some questions

The key to be being interesting is to be interested. So ensure that you prepare some good questions ahead of the event. This way you can structure your conversation giving it purpose and flow and avoiding any awkward silences. In the charity and non-for-profit sector your passion is incredibly important so may sure you ask some thoughtful questions that reflect your interest. The networking event will be a rare opportunity to ask questions that you normally wouldn’t get the opportunity to ask so preparation is key.

4. Don’t ask for a job!

Networking is about gathering information – not asking for jobs. This is a classic mistake which people tend to make and does not go down well with employers. Instead you should use this opportunity to discuss ideas and present your skills as people are much more likely to respond to your enthusiasm and understanding. Talk to the professionals about how to find vacancies and how to keep updated with their recruitment opportunities. This may help you to discover unadvertised vacancies as well as getting some tips along the way whilst maintaining professionalism.

The UCL Careers Charities & NGO Networking event will take place from 5.30 – 7.00pm on Thursday 4^th February. For details of how to sign up please visit the following link: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/events/getinto/charitiesandngos

It is a fact that approximately 70% of all graduate jobs are open to any degree discipline. So there is a vast amount of choice when it comes to deciding what to do after your degree.

However, many students choose to enter a profession that utilises the subject knowledge that they gained during their degree. Physicists are no exception to this. In fact, at UCL about a third of undergraduates go on to study physics at masters or PhD level before launching themselves in a job – whether that is in academia or industry.

So if you really love your degree, what are the sectors that will really use your knowledge of Physics?

Here are just 5 of the areas you might consider, to show you the range of possibilities open to you.

Energy

This is a growth sector and it is expected that within the next 10 years, there will be 200,000 people working in ‘Energy & Utilities’. The UK government wants 15% of our energy to come from wind, tidal and solar power by 2020, so developing a workforce to support these areas is a priority. The nuclear industry is massive in the UK (50,000 people) and of course these is also the Oil and Gas sector.  Physicists are needed for research & development roles, design engineering, data analysis roles, sales and trading roles and many more. More information:  https://www.energyinst.org/home

Medicine

Medicine is an ever advancing sector. Physicists play a very important role in developing new technologies and medical procedures. The range is vast and covers the development of medical equipment such as heart valves, artificial limbs or surgical equipment. It includes nuclear medicine for the treatment of cancer and x-ray, NMR and PET scanners. And it includes developing new technologies such as nanobots to target cancer cells or blood-monitoring infrared light. More information:  http://www.ipem.ac.uk

Sport and Games

This area can be broadly split into two. You could be on the design and development engineering side in sports physics. This includes looking at how to improve sports equipment such as the aerodynamics of a racing bike or better cushioning in sports shoes. Or you could be on the IT side,  developing the graphics for more realistic computer games or analysing data during live sports matches. Either way, you would be part of a multi-million pound industry. More information: http://www.uksport.gov.uk/about-us/the-english-institute-of-sport

Education

There is currently a shortage of physics teachers in the UK, which is why you could get a bursary of up to £25,000 from the Department of Education if you decide to train to be a physics teacher. You would need to gain qualified teacher status (QTS) through a range of further study options. You would then decide to teach at secondary school level (11-16 years or 11-18 years), or in further education (16 years+). More information: https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk

Nanotechnology

Whilst not a ‘sector’ in its own right, nanotechnology spans across engineering, medicine, energy, defence and much more. However, as one of the newest areas that physicists enter, it would be poor form not to mention it. Roles within nanotechnology are largely focused on research, development and design engineering. It is an exciting area for anyone who wants to be at the cutting edge of science – enhancing the energy efficiency of windows, designing medical devices, enhancing the efficiency of batteries, designing lighter and stronger sports equipment and much more. The possibilities in nanotechnology are vast and largely unknown at present. More information: https://www.london-nano.com

This isn’t an exhaustive list at all, we didn’t even mention the space industry, the environment, defence,  meteorology, or science journalism. But hopefully it has given some food for thought. If you want to discuss your options, come and talk to a careers consultant at UCL Careers. Alternatively, you will find some excellent information on the Institute of Physics website: http://www.iop.org/

Visit Careers Tagged for more information on Physics careers

– Karen Barnard, Director, UCL Careers

Highly sought after by UCL students, graduate schemes have been seen as being the gold medal upon completion of your degree. However only a limited number make it through as competition is tough. On average, there are 85 applications for every single graduate scheme position. 

Myth: a degree will be enough. Employers are now looking for more from students. HSBC noted: “We recruit up to 1,500 graduates on to one of our 70 graduate programmes around the world. For those jobs, globally, we receive around 100,000 applications. As 90% have a 2.2 or a 2.1, it therefore takes something extra to stand out.”

The conversion rate from landing that internship in the company you want to work for to securing a place on their graduate scheme can be as high as 70-80% in some companies! Every company wants the best candidates, so do apply early. Some may fill positions whilst recruitment is still happening. Don’t leave it to the last minute to apply. Also, come and get your application reviewed by one of our specialist application advisors.

Only 7-10% of graduates who enter the workplace do so through a formal graduate scheme, so how do you maximise your chances at success? Preparation is incredibly important. We’ve put together a handy timeline of things to do, whether you’re a first year or a finalist who hasn’t even thought about what you are going to do when you finish.

We’re also open all year round so whether you want to talk about career options, have an application checked or have gained an interview and want to practice, we can help. Our website has a comprehensive amount of information for each step and you can pop-in personally and speak to one of our information team who can help.

And even if a graduate scheme doesn’t float your boat, we can help you find your future in your chosen career path as a vast number of our alumni go on to work within Charities, NGOs, Media, Law and Science sectors.

Good luck!

Are you hot? Like Justin Bieber hot? Then good luck getting a job. Recent UCL research has shown that for certain types of role being terribly good-looking makes you less likely to be hired. At first I was delighted to have a totally plausible reason for all of my past and future employment rejections, and if we can extrapolate from these results, and I believe we surely can, all of my other rejections too.  But then I realised this only applies to men.

So guys, if you think your Bradley-Cooper-esque looks are holding you back, here’s something light as we go into the Christmas break – a tongue-in-cheek Guardian article about how to combat hunk discrimination.

If you’re after more serious interview advice, (male or female, good-looking or not so much) check out UCL Careers’ online interview resources and our careers library resources in Student Central. We also run workshops on interview skills, some with employers, so keep an eye on our events pages. And if you have an interview coming up you can book a practice interview with one of our careers consultants to get tailored advice on how to maximise your chances of success.

S Donaldson, Careers Consultant, UCL Careers

Our Getting into Publishing panel discussion on Tuesday 1st December 2015 provided attendees with fantastic insight into this sector including industry trends and hot topics, typical roles and responsibilities and how to stand out as an applicant. Catch up on key points from this discussion below and read about the panellists in attendance here.

> Panellists extolled the  benefits of gaining work experience in smaller and/or independent publishers where you can get varied hands on experience and insight. There are very limited places on graduate schemes with major trade publishers (for example, only 4 places at HarperCollins) so being open to working in different roles in a wider range of publishing companies is encouraged at the start of your publishing career. Building up wide ranging work experience in different types of publishing companies is a positive. Don’t just go for trade publishing (it is considered by many the most glamourous) but consider other types, such as scientific manuals and journals, academic press or working at literary agents.
> Useful resources recommended for finding out about companies and hot topics in publishing are the Writers and Authors Yearbook, Bookseller (especially the jobs board) and The Society of Young Publishers. A useful event is the Futurebook annual conference.

> Don’t focus too much at this stage on getting a particular role in a particular company – it’s about trying to get a starting role. It’s a lot easier to change jobs within the industry once you’re in and move between imprints within a parent company. Try to be well-rounded and open to different roles at the start. At the very least, you’ll be able to appreciate what each job role does even if you aren’t good at it when you try it yourself – what makes someone good at one area (i.e. production) makes them terrible at another (sales)! agents.

> Be aware that you will start from the bottom, despite having a degree. Be humble and be prepared for the coffee making and photocopying, but also be enthusiastic and curious about what is going on more widely in the company. During any work experience strive to make the most of it and have a good attitude, as hiring often happens by referral and a remembrance of an awesome intern when vacancies come up in the company (“We have a editorial assistant job coming up – why don’t we contact X to see if they are still available, they were great!”)

> Build your awareness of which books and publications are linked to which publishers, their body of work, key successes. An industry trend is that many major publishing houses have acquired lots of smaller companies (called imprints).

> Key skills required for publishing roles are relationship management, project management and attention to detail. Relationship management examples were given of sending each bookstore manager a personalised book choice with an individual note, maintaining relationships with authors and with key individuals in different internal departments. A suggestion for building relationship skills is to listen to conversations during any work experience and see how publishing professionals deal with situations / respond to clients. Project management is also an important skill as essentially you will be looking after several projects simultaneously, for example various book launches.

> Nobody mentioned reading when discussing their jobs. Panellists stressed that you have to love reading to do the job but you won’t just be sat reading all day, there are lots of other parts of the role involved which make the reading happen for other people.

> Panel quote: “the written word is our life blood” – applications with any spelling or grammar mistakes will not be considered!

> Social media: look at your own presence and make it appealing (and free of bad English!) but also follow people in the industry and at the companies you’re applying for – learn about them, what they like, what they’re interested in, what they’re reading

> Some key industry changes and hot topics include
– the move to Open Access publications– academic publishers have been ahead of trade with this (and are with more new trends)
– major publishing houses have acquired lots of smaller companies (called imprints)
– e-books and digital are no longer seen as a separate division but is part of standard publishing
– Amazon has totally changed book purchasing but recently Bookouture are an interesting company to watch as a innovative competitor to Amazon
– publishers think of the customer as the end reader and not the bookstore, as buying tends to be much more end-consumer led
– budgets and cost are increasingly important as books will only be published if likely to be successful
– self-publishing is more prevalent but tend to be lower quality publications than those  published by established publishers.

> Two of the panellists now work as freelancers. With freelance work, you have to have an established base of clients and credibility, but your hours are your own. Most people move to freelance editing after building up contacts and a reputation in the industry.

– UCL Careers Media Week Team

As part of our #UCLInspireMe series, Lornette Harley, Press Assistant at Soho Theatre, talks to us about how she got this role and shares some tips for UCL students who want to get into the sector. For more insights from recent graduates working for smaller organisations, search #SMEProfile.

How did you get into your role?
I did a degree in musical theatre and discovered that that side of theatre wasn’t really for me as much as I loved it. After my degree I got into a lot of event planning and managing which then turned into a lot PR work in the music industry and that was how I realised that I love PR. I did about 3 works on music events and PR work and then a friend of mine sent me the vacancy for the role of Press Assistant at Soho Theatre and I thought it was the perfect mixture of all the things I enjoyed doing, so here I am!

What are the best things about working in your role?
The fact that I am always learning something new and constantly meeting and interacting with new people. The people that I work with are also some of the most amazing people I’ve ever worked with. We all sit in one open plan office and the atmosphere is always great. It’s a great role that mixes my love for all things creative with the office work.

What are the biggest challenges you face in your work?
I sometimes think it can be quite difficult to plan my day at work because I never know what’s going to happen when I get there. I’ll have an idea of what I want to get done in a day and then I’ll get a string of emails all marked as high importance and my plan goes flying out of the window. It can be quite difficult to fit in everything that needs to get done.
 
What top tips would you give to a student interested in this type of work?
Get into theatres, see as much as you possibly can, really immerse yourself in all things theatre so that you know what’s going on. Be aware of the press that is around as well; read the papers and magazines, listen to radio shows and watch news programmes. Also, reach out to your local theatre wherever you might be, see if there are any part time front of house roles that you can do alongside your studies if you have time. Get into a theatre and make yourself known, you never know what possibilities for moving up there might be and if you’re already in the theatre you’re in a better position that people applying from outside. Lastly, remember everyone you speak to (the industry is small and you’re very likely to work with people more than once) and be nice to everyone you come across.
 

To find our more about working in PR, visit Careers Tagged

This post originally appeared on the TARGETjobs Bloggers site

We all want to get  that brilliant job, but knowing how to present yourself to employers can be challenging, especially on video. We have chatted to Inspiring Interns about their tips to acing video interviews. Whether you’re a graduate or making a career change, this is the guide for you.

What is a video interview?

In today’s ever-changing world, video interviews are becoming more and more common. Depending on which survey you read, at least 60% of companies are now using video interviews at some stage in their hiring process. There are many books for graduates on how to excel in an interview – but what if all you have is a screen? This can actually be to your advantage. This guide will teach you how to excel in your video interview, so that you can land your dream job.

There are two different types of video interviews; Live, and One-way. A ‘live’ interview is when you and your employer talk in real time, as you would in an in-person interview. The benefit of a live interview is that you can build rapport with the interviewer, and gain an immediate sense of the company’s culture. A one-way interview is when you are sent the pre-set questions, and given a time-frame in which to respond with a video recording of yourself answering them. The benefit of a one-way interview is that you have time to think through your answers.

How to prepare for a video interview

When preparing for a video interview, the lighting is essential. You may answer the questions well, but if the interviewer is struggling to make you out you will leave a bad impression. Using lamps in your room, make sure your face is clear and well lit – open up your webcam and check how you look from the cameras perspective.

What you sit in front of when you do the video interview is very important. Your background needs to be clean, neat, and uncluttered. Remover everything you can, so that there is nothing to distract the interviewer from your answers. If you can find a plain white or cream wall, that is best.

How you dress is also important. If you are applying for an internship at a start-up that advertises a fun company culture on their website, don’t wear a suit and tie. If you are applying to a law firm, a suit and tie is best. Here is a link with a list of roles and the best way to dress appropriately to help you get hired.

Rehearsing your answers is the most essential preparation you can do to be recruited. There’s a reason actors rehearse scenes, and sport professionals train for the big race. On the day, when the spot-light is on you and it’s your turn to shine – you need to be prepared. Have a look at this list of general interview questions to practice answering. As well as rehearsing these, brainstorm other questions you could be asked, and practice your answers to those too.

TIP: It is important you sit in the chair you will be interviewed in, in your interview clothes, with the lighting on, looking directly into the camera while you rehearse. Actors rehearse their lines on set so their mind and body learn how to perform together. You need to rehearse your lines on set, so that in the interview you look natural, feel confident, and know exactly what you are going to say.

‘I experienced a video interview when going through the application process to get my job here at Inspiring Interns. I was surprised how well it worked! The interview went really well, and through video I got a very clear idea of Inspiring Interns, the people and the great company culture. A video interview made more sense than a standard interview as it saved a lot of time in travel. I lived in the North of England, so travelling to London would have been very time consuming. My number one tip is treat it exactly like a face-to face-interview; dress to impress, use positive body language and make sure you’re in a quiet environment.‘ – Tyler Milner Marketing Executive

Technology needed for video interviews

To conduct a video interview, you will need a webcam, headphones, and microphone – all of good quality. Most laptops come with these, but not all are good. Test the quality of yours with friends (on a skype call or google hangout). If the image or sound isn’t good enough, it is worth investing in buying a webcam or headphones with a microphone. This link compares the best webcams, and this one compares the best headphone/microphone combinations.

Ideally, be connected to the router physically rather than using Wi-Fi. If you only have access to Wi-Fi, make sure you’re not more than a few meters away from the router to ensure a strong internet connection. We recommend troubleshooting your internet connection so that you can be assured the call won’t disconnect or lag during your interview. If you have a Mac, click here for the steps to troubleshoot. If you are using windows software, click here. Also, make sure no one else will be using the Wi-Fi at the same time as your video interview. To check the speed of your internet, use Ookla Speedtest.

‘Based on seven years’ experience arranging interviews, some of which have been online, we often hear from employers how much they love video interviews. They save them time, while still giving a clear impression of the candidate and a sense that it’s a real interview – as opposed to a phone call.’ – Benedict Hazan, Head of Innovation

Tips and tricks for the interview 

When choosing your outfit, avoid wearing anything white. It can come across as distractingly bright. Body language speaks louder than words – if you say you are confident while slouching and shifting your gaze, the interviewer will not believe you. Posture – sit up straight, shoulders relaxed, and back. Look directly at the webcam (make sure you rehearse this while practicing your answers). Check out this link which shows poses to do before your interview to increase your confidence.

Before the interview, remind yourself how amazing you are. We live in a culture which doesn’t encourage us to feel proud of ourselves – forget about that for the moment. Who cares what society thinks. You are amazing. You’ve achieved things, felt nervous and done them anyway, and produced good work. Be proud of who you are.

Be proud of the value you can add to a company. Many graduates go into an interview hoping to get the internship, and hoping to get paid well, while feeling on a lower level than the interviewer. Realize that they are interviewing you because of the potential value you can add their company. And they’re not the only ones interviewing – you should be interviewing them as well. Ask questions to find out whether it’s a company you would actually enjoy working for. This will impress them, and give you the information you need to know whether you would want to accept the job or not.

As an internship recruitment agency we love graduates who come in passionate, confident, and asking questions to make sure the job is the right fit for them long-term. Here is Nicole’s success story to show you the internship possibilities that are waiting for you around the corner.

Checklists

Setting up the space:

• Lighting
• Comfortable chair
• Appropriate clothes
• Clean uncluttered background

Equipment checklist:

• Camera
• Headphones and mic
• The program you will be interviewed through (likely to be skype or google hangout)

Preparation:

• Rehearse your answers
• Do the powerful postures
• Remember you are interviewing them too

List of Links

• What to wear
• 10 tips for dressing for the interview
• General interview questions to rehearse
• Best webcams
• Best headphone and microphone combinations
• Power poses
• Nicole’s success story

For more information, contact Catherine from Inspiring Interns at catherine@inspiringinterns.com

The cost of each graduate hire in 2014/15 was £3,396 (excluding law firms) according to the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR) in their 2015 Graduate Recruitment Survey. Law firms are excluded as they tend to skew the figures with an average hire cost of £12,682. This figure includes marketing the vacancies and carrying out the recruitment activities. The high figure is not totally surprising, given that AGR reported 91.8% of their members use assessment centres or group selection methods in their application process. These are expensive activities, due to their intensive nature and the number of assessors required to run the activities. For this reason, only candidates that recruiters are really serious about are invited to attend. So if you do get that invitation email, you can be confident the recruiter very much likes what they know about you so far.

One of the common activities at assessment centres (and one that candidates often most worry about) is the ‘group exercise’. This is essentially a time when a small group of candidates are asked to work together to debate, discuss or plan something. The activity could involve a role play exercise, when each candidate is given a brief and asked to ‘fight their corner’ (for example there could be some funding that has to be spent and each candidate has to argue for why it should be spent in their area). Alternatively, it could be that candidates are asked to debate a work-related or news-related issue from their own, genuine perspective. Or there could be a work-related briefing paper and all candidates are asked to come up with a solution to the issues presented between them.

For all these activities, the candidates will be marked by the observing assessors on the content of what is said as well as team behaviours. Here are 5 top tips on the type of team behaviours that you may wish to exhibit!

• Speak early – if you are nervous, the earlier you can speak up, the better. The longer you leave it to speak, the more you may feel the expectation to say something amazing with your first words. This is a common fear that others have reported to us and it just compounds the nerves! So start by getting everyone to introduce themselves, or by summarising the issue. Anything, as long as you have broken your silence early.
• Be clear and concise – speak clearly and confidently and try to say your points in the most concise way possible. Be assertive but not aggressive. If you start to waffle, you are wasting time and this will not only irritate the other candidates (who may interrupt you) but it may also mean that your assessor knocks points off your score. Start with your main statement / idea and then elaborate as necessary. Even if you do then get interrupted, at least the key idea has been put across.
• Be respectful to the other candidates – yes, you are in competition with them but that does not mean that you need to talk over them or shout them down. It is much better to be seen as a facilitator, that keeps the conversation flowing and on track. If you feel someone is dominating the discussion, try to verbally summarise what they are saying and ask if others have anything they wish to add (adding your own ideas too). If someone is really quiet, try to bring them into the conversation by asking them if they have anything to add. Remembering and using the other candidates’ names is also a plus.
• Use non-verbal communication – show you are actively listening to other candidates through eye contact and nodding (if appropriate!) Use your hands to emphasise important points. Also be aware of how you are sitting. Leaning forward slightly gives the impression of interest in the conversation. Also, arms uncrossed gives an impression that you are open to the ideas that are coming and happy to engage with others.
• Demonstrate your organisational skills – take on the role of time-keeper. Keep the conversation on track and if you feel that time is running out, make sure you ask the group to move onto the next point. Summarise where you think the group has got to, and take brief notes if that helps. Maybe take on the role of summarising to the assessors at the end if that is what is required as well.

If you are looking for more information about assessment centres and group exercises, look at the UCL Careers webpages: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/information/interviews

Good luck!

– Karen Barnard, Director, UCL Careers

Guest blog written by Ruth Bushi, an editor at Save the Student.

You’ve got more say in your pay than you think. Save the Student flips the lid on salaries to show you the money – and how to get it.

The good news is that having a degree stacks the salary odds in your favour: graduates go on to earn around 60% more than someone without a degree over the course of their career. While that’s a hefty bonus in the long term, take a look at some fixable factors that influence your pay from day one.

1. The going rate

Graduate salaries can fall anywhere between a measly 12 grand to more than five times that – but where you land on the scale depends on the industry you head for. Careers in technical fields are more likely to bag the bucks, with graduates in IT reporting starting salaries of up to £70,000. Pay in the Arts tends to start (and stay) much lower. Pick a career – or subject – that can work across several industries to keep your options open. Visit, What Do London Graduates Do, to get more inspiration and help inform the decision making process.

2. The route you take

Researching the going rate can give you an idea of the ballpark you’re heading into, and if there are routes or roles which could net you more. Whether you take a side-step or a full detour depends on how much starting pay matters to you. Use your Maths degree to get into accounting and you could be looking at £17k in your first year – use it for banking, and you could get twice that.

3. Demand

The fewer folk qualified to do a job, the better the pay scale – so getting further training, experience or a specialism can be strong bargaining tools for more money. If you want to play the trends, there are in-demand vocations with cash incentives open to most degree subjects – teaching is one, along with Aldi’s retail management grad scheme, which comes with a £42k golden hello.

4. Location

Big cities typically pay more, with London most likely to top the chart. You’ll pay a premium for living there, though, so it’s worth balancing the lure of better starting pay against higher rent and transport before you up-sticks.

5. Knowing how to negotiate

Asking for more cash when you’ve just landed a job might seem hideously impolite – but one of the reasons graduates earn less than they could is that they just don’t ask. Women are even less likely to negotiate (and more likely to earn less over their careers than guys doing the same job), so it’s important to know your worth.

How to negotiate like you mean it:

• Fixating on the money at your first interview won’t give the best impression. Ask once an offer’s on the table.
• Have compelling reasons for wanting more – whether it’s because the salary doesn’t reflect transport costs for the location or you’ve got skills that the company will profit from.
• Be realistic: if the salary on the job ad was ‘up to £16,000’, you’ll be lucky – or ludicrous – to ask for twice that. Know the going rate, though, so you’ve got a sound basis for your pitch.
• List what experience, solutions or qualifications you can bring to the company that other candidates can’t. If you’re super confident, you could ask for a bonus for delivering key job objectives or deadlines.
• If your employer can’t stump up extra cash, they may be able to offer perks instead, from health insurance to travel or extra training.

There’s no shame in asking for what you’re worth – at best you get it, and at worst, you get the salary that was advertised. If you really feel the salary isn’t a fair match for your skills, it’s up to you to decide whether the business is one you can devote yourself to between now and next pay review. Once you get on the career ladder, though, the fastest way to promotions and pay rises is often by moving company – so take the long view.

Why it’s not (just) about the money

It’s unrealistic to think salary isn’t important – but it’s not the only factor in job happiness.

Doing something you enjoy sure makes it easier to go to work every day, while working with like-minded people can get you a giggle along the way.  Meanwhile, your salary will go up time, with your attitude, achievements and experience all helping to boost your pay packet.

Money isn’t the only thing a career can buy you: from training to team nights out, there are tons of ways to make it pay. Make sure you get your dues!

– Ruth Bushi, Editor, Save the Student

Guest blog written by Ruth Bushi, an editor at Save the Student. Featuring the kind of straight-talking advice you won’t get at school, the site has everything you need to know about managing money without the migraines: student finance explained, insider info on careers, plus ways to save and scrimp without the stress.

Careers thoughts can creep up on you in the most unexpected places – I went to see the film Brooklyn over the weekend. It’s a beautifully observed film about emigration from Ireland to the United States in the 1950’s. If you think that’s not relevant to you, think again. The film explores different factors that affect and influence our career decision making:  the main character Eilis looks set  to follow the same career path and way of life of her family and community, however, circumstances  propel her into a completely different environment as an immigrant to Brooklyn in the United States. Here she begins to forge a different  life and career. On a visit to back to Ireland Eilis faces a difficult decision about where she sees her future. My careers thoughts from the film? Taking time to gain a reflective stance on  our career decision making and gaining an understanding  of the  different influences that shape our decisions  will help us create the careers we want. Oh,  and  having courage to explore new ideas and ways of living.

What factors are driving  your career decision making?

– Kate Woods, Careers Consultant, UCL Careers