We want to make sure that you have every opportunity to attend events run by UCL Careers. That’s why we have a quiet half-hour, before the advertised start time, should students with disabilities or long-term health conditions wish to visit the fairs before they get very busy.

Please email careers.disability@ucl.ac.uk if you would like to visit the fairs in the quiet half-hour, before the advertised start time.

Note: Where a Fair takes place over two days, there will be different exhibitors present on each day.

Wednesday 2 October 2019
Management Consultancy

Tuesday 8 October 2019
Banking, Finance and Economics (Finance and Economics)

Wednesday 9 October 2019
Banking, Finance and Economics (Investment Banks)

Wednesday 16 October 2019
IT and Technology Fair Day 1

Thursday 17 October 2019
IT and Technology Fair Day 2

Monday 21 October 2019
Engineering & Built Environment

Monday 28 October 2019
Life & Health Sciences Fair (booking required)

Monday 28 October 2019
Law Fair Day 1

Tuesday 29 October 2019
Law Fair Day 2

We are delighted to let you know that this Autumn UCL Careers are launching Career Essentials Group Work, a new series of lunchtime small group sessions. These sessions will give you the opportunity to work with other students on your applications, learn from each other’s experiences, share ideas and receive advice from the trained facilitator. Our new sessions are a sub-branch of our long-running and popular Career Essentials programme, which covers a wide range of career topics. With a maximum of 6 participants at each session, our new group work programme is designed to help you take practical steps to developing your own applications in a supportive environment.

Throughout the Autumn we will be running a fortnightly CV group work session from 13:00 to 13:50 at UCL Careers. In this session, you will gain feedback and tips on how to present your CV. You will also learn how to tailor your CV for the particular role you are interested in applying for and make an impactful first impression with recruiters.

The CV sessions will take place on the following dates:

• Thursday 3^rd October
• Thursday 17^th October
• Thursday 31^st October
• Thursday 14^th November
• Thursday 28^th November
• Thursday 12^th December

Please click on the above dates to access myUCLCareers for more details about the CV sessions, the required preparation work and to book your place. Bookings will open two weeks in advance of the sessions.

Please note:

• Places are limited to 6 participants at each session and therefore booking is essential. Only book if you are able to attend.
• To take part in the sessions you must complete the short preparation tasks and be willing to share and discuss your work with other participants.
• The CV session will focus upon CVs for non-academic purposes, such as job and internship applications.

In the Spring our Career Essentials Group Work programme will be expanded with further practical sessions on making speculative applications and using STAR to showcase strengths and skills on application forms. More details to follow soon.

Remember that you can also access support for UCL Careers by booking in for a 1:1 application advice appointment with us.

UCL Careers are delighted to confirm their programme of workshops and events for the summer term 2019, specifically designed for UCL’s Researcher’s community.

The programme includes workshops led by UCL Careers Consultants, for careers both in academia and beyond, to help researchers identify and develop core competencies, which are vital for competing in the job market, as well as a mix of Employer Forums and Employer Workshops that give the opportunity to hear from professionals in a range of sectors outside of academia, to ask questions, understand the job market and build business networks.

Researchers won’t want to miss the big event of the summer term – the annual full-day ‘Professional Careers Beyond Academia’ Conference. Presented by UCL Populations & Lifelong Health Domain Early Career Network & UCL Careers, supported by UCL Organisational Development, this conference will be held at the Institute of Child Health on 6^th June, focusing on the field of life & health sciences and its related areas, such as UK and Global Public Health, Science Communications, Research & Development, Consultancy, Government Policy and more.

Booking on all events is now open.

For the full programme of events/workshops coming up for researchers this summer and book your place/s, please view the ‘Events Calendar’ on our Researchers page.

Any queries, please contact careers.researchers@ucl.ac.uk

The 18^th February saw Sustainability Fortnight kick off with a panel event exploring careers in the energy sector. Our panellists were:

• Ben Gill, Programme Manager at Azuri Technologies
• Sara Godinho, Senior Consultant at XCO2 and Lecturer at University of Suffolk
• Fiona Hughes, Consultant at Element Energy
• Jean-Paul Gillet, Associate – Business Development at Zenobe Energy
• Charlotte Franzellin, Principal at Renewables Consulting Group,

We heard from each panellist about their career path and the decisions that led them to their current roles – to hear their stories, you can read their biographies and view the event recording.

The speakers had plenty of advice for current students – and what you can do now to shape your own career.

Networking

Every single member of the panel cited the importance of networking, and several mentioned the connections they built by attending events such as this one. University career events bring professionals straight to your doorstep and make it easier than ever to engage with people in the industry. You can always reach out to them for a coffee or a phone call in the future, as many of them are happy to help and to give their advice. And don’t forget LinkedIn! Sara from XCO2, who also lectures at the University of Suffolk, reminded everyone to make sure your profile is up to date and filled out, and to use it to make connections with new contacts, as well as keeping up with old one. She estimated that 75% of her job roles came from ex-colleagues and references, so make sure you keep contact open with your professors and colleagues as you move between organisations. Charlotte, from the Renewables Consulting Group, added how useful your university’s alumni network can be. You can join UCL alumni network and find access to thousands of past students, many of whom are now offering mentorship opportunities.

Keep your goals in mind

“Follow your values”, recommended Ben, from Azuri Technologies. “Create your own mental checklist of what you want and stick to it when you’re job hunting. Keep a shortlist of the companies you’re interested in rather than jobs”. He went on to urge the importance of focusing matching your values to the organisations you’re applying to, and suggested signing up to their job feeds or newsletters, as well as attending their events.  Fiona suggested starting with research into how many types of companies there are in the energy sector, and to look at the Energy Institute and similar organisations – they often have student groups and networking events.

Sara pointed out that “Your first job might not be the one you want, but keep your ideas guiding you. Learn from each role.” She and Fiona both emphasised the importance of keeping an open mind, both about the type of company and the type of role you might be interested in. All of the panellists encouraged the benefits of “portfolio careers” and experimenting – particularly in a field as dynamic and changing as the energy sector.

Focus on your own development

“Soft skills are important”, Charlotte advised – practice your public speaking and writing skills.

Ben offered some pointers on the importance of feedback – “Feedback is golden. Ask your peers for feedback when working on group projects. Don’t take it to heart but try and develop from it.”

As always, don’t forget to tailor your cover letters! Jean-Paul, from Zenobe Energy, acknowledged that having to write them can of course be horrible – so don’t waste your efforts, and make sure they are tailored to the job and the skills.

Stay resilient

“Don’t be let down by rejection”, advised Jean-Paul. He also encouraged students to continue to go to events and to keep talking to people – you never know what will lead to an opportunity. Fiona echoed this: “Don’t take rejection personally, sometimes it’s just about timing.” Sometimes re-applying to an organisation later on might yield a very different outcome.

Want to learn more? You can find event recordings and resources from previous Themed Weeks on our website.

Sustainability is a big deal. It’s one of the most pressing challenges we face today and many of us want to get involved through impactful careers.

The UCL Careers Sustainability Fortnight is designed to give you insights into the roles, rewards and routes into this rapidly developing sector. Here can you develop you understanding of the business issues and global challenges of the sustainability sector, preparing you for career in the field.

Interested in tackling sustainability in NGOs, businesses and governments?

Employers look for graduates who can:

• Analyse real-world situations critically
• Understand international issues in a global world
• Demonstrate ethical leadership
• Work within different social contexts
• Engage with a diverse range of people
• Use resources and budgets wisely

If you have the skills needed to tackle global challenges, you will be well placed to find employment across the sector. Employers are looking for sustainability conscious employees  across the entire organisation – not just in ‘sustainability’ roles. Whether that’s understanding climate risks in an investment portfolio or Modern Day Slavery issues within recruitment roles.

What’s on:

• Panel talks and lectures from sustainability experts and professionals
• Q&A sessions so you can have your questions answered
• Bike sale and maintenance events
• UCL Sustainability tours
• Hot-topic discussions
• Business forums

What you will learn:

• How do organisations define sustainability
• Inform yourself with the chance to challenge business representatives at panel and networking events
• What Corporate Social Responsibility really means
• How to be an Environmental Auditor
• What skills you need to be competitive in the sustainability job market
• The future trends for the energy or construction markets
• How different sectors are moving towards a sustainable future

Sustainability is a realistic, interesting and prosperous career path with has many routes in. With a broad range of roles available, there will be something to suit anyone with an interest in the sector.

Find out for yourself at one of our events!

  See what’s on and book your place today!

We have an exciting week of events coming up to help you better understand this sector and possible routes in – full of opportunities to hear from professionals working in this field about their roles and organisations.

What is International Development?

The sector is about supporting people from economically disadvantaged places around the globe to address a range of issues that includes poverty, human rights violations, education and healthcare. Many organisations not only respond to emergencies but work with developing countries to implement long-term and sustainable solutions.

Introduction to International Development will give you the information you need to get started thinking about a career in this sector.

This lunchtime session will give an overview of the areas of work, the types of organisations and different ways to get into the sector.

How do I get into the sector?

Like any sector, there are many different routes in but usually you will need an undergraduate degree for entry-level or volunteer positions. However, many organisations also offer graduate schemes and internships.

Pathways into International Development will give you a chance to hear from professionals in the sector about the paths they took, other possible routes and what is offered by the organisation they work for. You might even learn things that you can include in your future cover letters!

What is it like working in the sector?

So, you’ve done your research about the International Development sector, you have identified some organisations and roles that sound interesting on paper – but what is it really like working in this sector on a day to day basis?

Alumni Perspectives in International Development, will give you a chance to hear from professionals – all of whom started their journey at UCL.

Spotlight on Global Health

This year we have a spotlight event on the area of Global Health.

Careers in Global Health is our final event, aiming to showcase both clinical and non-clinical roles. You will get a chance to hear from professional in this area, the sort of projects you could get involved in and how to progress while still at UCL.

What else is happening during the week?

Keep an eye out on the UCL Careers Twitter page for current jobs and opportunities related to this sector.

I’m a bit nervous about talking with guest speakers

Not to worry, many people find this daunting, so why not attend the upcoming Careers Essentials workshop on Career Essentials: Making the most of Panels and Alumni events. We have even written a blog on this exact topic.

Going to a panel or alumni event will give you the opportunity to meet and hear from a range of speakers. They will be able to provide insight into their industries, and stories from their own careers that might prove to be invaluable when starting your own career.

To get the most out of attending a panel or alumni event, we’ve got a few tips to help you before, during and after the event.

Before

Research the speakers and their organisations. There’s plenty of easy ways to find out about companies and their opportunities, as well as the speakers themselves.

Start with LinkedIn to find out about the speakers and the organisations. On LinkedIn, there’s also a fantastic feature attached to organisations that shows you which alumni from UCL work there. It should prove useful to see which UCL graduates work for the organisation, as well as their roles. You might also be surprised to see the wide range of degree backgrounds that our graduates have within a single organisation!

There’s also Glassdoor, a helpful resource for finding reviews as well as other information such as salaries and even past interview questions.

Lastly, do a search on Google and look through the news to see what has recently been written about the companies in relevant news feeds.

If you’ll be attending an alumni networking event, consider what you wear to event to help you make a great first impression.

During

Take notes during a panel event, whether it’s simply to keep a list of websites or events that speakers recommend, or advice that you’ve found insightful.  This may also assist with asking questions, as you might want to follow up with questions on something that was said during the event.

At an alumni event, try to engage in a conversation with an alum. A simple tip is to ask open questions to begin with such as “How did you start working for …”, as this cannot be answered with a short yes or no, and that will help your conversation start flowing quickly.

For any type of event where you can network, always try to connect with people that you are interested in speaking with. Sometimes the connection will be the start of a longer conversation and potentially lead to future opportunities.

After

Within the first couple of days after the event, reach out to your new connections via LinkedIn or email. If they’re a working professional, remember that their time may be limited so be considerate when asking for advice.

What are your next steps? Is there a new jobs board to sign up to, or a networking event worth signing up for? Aim to have two or three simple actions that you plan on following up and set a simple deadline for each action.

As great as a panel or networking event is, the true value often comes once you capitalise on what you have learnt through the event.

Want to attend an exciting panel or networking event? The UCL Careers Themed Weeks give you the chance to meet professionals in a range of exciting sectors such as Charities & NGOs and International Development.

By Jai Shah – Careers Consultant

(As part of the Media Themed Week)

What is considered ‘broadcasting’?
Film / Radio / Television

What types of careers can I have in broadcasting?
Many of the roles in this industry are freelance or contract-based, with people working on lots of different projects over varying amounts of time. Although often seen as a glamorous sector, the hours are often long and competition for roles are fierce. But many roles offer the chance to be creative, work with people and to use your research skills.

There are many roles, below are just a few of them:

• Director
• Producer
• Film/video editor
• Technical roles such as camera operators, grips and sound crew
• Working with scripts e.g. development producer, script editor, screenwriter, researcher
• Craft roles such as costume, make-up, props and casting
• Broadcast engineer
• Broadcast journalist
• Presenter
• Location manager
• Colourist

However, there are lots of roles that you might also find in other industries such as accountants, commercial lawyers, business strategists and human resources.

What qualifications do I need?
For the majority of roles, you don’t need any specific qualifications – just enthusiasm, passion and drive. However, some more technical roles may need a related degree – such as a broadcast engineer. You may need to start building up a portfolio or a showreel for some of the creative roles.

How do I get a graduate job?
There is no ‘one route’ into this industry, and it entirely depends on the type of role you are looking for. Some people find it useful to start off being a ‘runner’ this can be in production, floor, location or post-production. These roles will allow you to work with the professionals in your area of interest, make connections and build up your skill set. As a lot of roles are done through referrals and recommendations, it is useful to know as many people as possible.

Some broadcasting companies offer internships, schemes and work experience such as:

• 4Talent
• Tiger Aspect
• BBC
• ITV
• BAFTA

Why should I come to the panel event on the Wednesday 28^th November?
This will be a chance to hear from professionals in the field talking about their experiences and giving advice about getting into this industry. There will also be time to ask questions and to meet them in person afterwards. Panellists include:

• Film director
• Freelance radio and TV presenter
• Correspondent / investigative journalist for BBC Newsnight
• Trainee Script editor for ITV

What is also interesting, none of them studied film, radio, media or TV at university!

Museums, Arts and Cultural Heritage Themed Week: Meet the Alumni

Want to get an honest insight into working in the Museums, Arts and Cultural Heritage sector? Come to our Alumni Networking Event on Tuesday 13 November, where you can meet UCL alumni from different areas across the sector and ask them about:

• Where and how to look for roles
• Who to contact, and
• What experience is needed

Find out about their experiences since graduating from UCL, including how they successfully transitioned from being a student to having a career in the sector.

There will be a panel discussion, giving you an opportunity to hear from the diverse speakers, followed by a Q&A session, with questions from the audience – so come prepared!

After this, you will have a chance to practice your networking skills; where you can ask more detailed questions to specific panellists in a safe and informal setting. Drinks and nibbles will be provided during the networking!

Chairing the event will be Dr Nina Pearlman (UCL MA Fine Art, 1996), Head of UCL Art Collections. The panel will include:

• Dhikshana Turakhia Pering, Youth Programme Manager at London Transport Museum (MA Museums and Galleries, 2008)
• Lisa Westcott Wilkins, Managing Director at Dig Ventures (MA Archaeology, 2002)
• Eric Brunjes, Chief Executive at Attack Magazine (BA History, 2006)
• Adam Klups, Historic Buildings Advisor at Church of England (BA History of Art with Material Studies, 2011)
• Jonathan Franklin, Librarian at National Gallery in London (MA Library & Information Studies, 1986)

To find out more about each of the speakers, see the short biographies below. Book now for this event happening TONIGHT as part of the Museums, Arts and Cultural Heritage themed week. We look forward to seeing you there!

Speaker biographies
Dr Nina Pearlman (UCL Slade MA Fine Art, 1996) – Head of UCL Collections, UCL Art Museum
Nina is responsible for the sustainable development of the Museum’s art collections, spaces, programmes, partnerships and team to ensure benefit for current and future generations.

Nina is also a contemporary art curator, writer and lecturer and specialises in interdisciplinary collaborations between research & art and public art. She studied fine art, history of art and critical theory, gaining her MA from the Slade and BA from the University of Haifa.

Prior to joining UCL Nina worked independently on curatorial projects, strategic planning and fundraising with artists and institutions drawing on a background in business development in the corporate sector. This, coupled with visiting lecturer contributions across the HE, built up an extensive contemporary art network nationally and internationally. She led the Cultural Heritage pathway for five years on the MA for Arts Policy and Management at Birkbeck College focusing on Museums for the 21st century, and has acted as a selector for the Bartlett School of Architecture’s Research Materialisation award since its inception and is a nominator for Prix Pictet, the global award in photography and sustainability.

Dhikshana Turakhia Pering (UCL MA Museums & Galleries in Education, 2008) – Manager of the Arts Council England funded Young People’s Skills Programme, London Transport Museum
Dhikshana manages the Arts Council England funded Young People’s Skills Programme for 18-25-year-olds at London Transport Museum, focusing on making the cultural and heritage sector accessible and diverse. Dhikshana has 12 years’ experience with the majority of her career spent at the Science Museum, working in learning teams on everything from delivery and development to management and operations. As Trustee of the Museums Association, Dhikshana works actively on sector-wide workforce developments. Her passion lies with actively diversifying the sector, by changing and developing the whole workforce model from recruitment to exit.

Lisa Westcott Wilkins BA MA MCIfA FRSA (UCL MA Archaeology, 2002) – Co-founder and Managing Director, DigVentures
As co-founder and Managing Director at DigVentures, Lisa has found the perfect place to combine archaeology with over twenty years of professional experience in communications, finance and journalism, including several years as Editor of Current Archaeology magazine. With a Master’s degree in Archaeology from UCL and a prestigious Clore Fellowship under her belt, she now focuses her energy wrangling field archaeologists and harnessing brilliant creative sector innovations for DV. She is an international speaker on crowdfunding for the creative and cultural sectors and leads on the consultancy aspect of DV’s work. She is responsible for the Americanisms, absurdly strong site coffee and early morning DV dance parties.

Eric Brünjes (UCL BA History, 2006) – Chief Executive, Attack Magazine and Music Producer
Eric Brünjes, aka ‘Brvnjes’, is a music producer and entrepreneur based in London.
As a music producer, he has produced for artists such as Fetty Wap, Feli Fame, Talib Kweli, Mobb Deep, The Recipe and Meridian Dan.
As a sound designer and composer, he has composed for Adidas, Puma, M&M’s, Schuh and Honda. In 2018, he recorded the backing arrangements for Ariana Grande’s live show.

He also runs Attack Magazine which is dedicated to dance music lifestyle and production. Attack released the book ‘The Secrets of Dance Music Production’ in 2016. Attack is publishing several other titles in 2019. Eric is based in London where he lives with his wife and young family.

Jonathan Franklin (UCL MA Library & Information Studies, 1986) – Librarian, National Gallery in London
Jonathan Franklin read classics, then took a Master’s in Library and Information Studies at UCL. He worked at the British Architectural Library and the National Portrait Gallery, before moving to Ottawa, Canada, in 1996, where he managed the Library and Archives of the National Gallery of Canada. Since 2014 he has been the Librarian of the National Gallery in London. He has been professionally active in the Art Libraries Society of UK & Ireland, the Art Libraries Society of North America, and the Art Libraries Section Standing Committee of the International Federation of Library Associations.

Guest blog from Andy Norman, Research Analyst at Centre for Progressive Policy

A job in policy analysis in a think tank can offer something special to those who are lucky enough to follow this career path: the chance to improve the lives of people up and down the country. Yet while it is always important to keep this ultimate goal in mind, the role of a policy analyst can be a few steps removed from the impact you are striving for. So if you want to see the direct impact on people’s lives on a daily basis that is often found in charity work or front-line services, then perhaps policy analysis is not for you. But what this job does offer you is an opportunity to make genuine improvements at a systemic level.

The day to day role of a policy analyst in a think tank is varied. Much of the job involves researching a specific topic – for example, healthcare or education – identifying problems and coming up with innovative policy solutions. One day you could be pouring over government datasets to extract key insights, the next you could be leading a focus group seeking the opinions of members of the public.

Coming up with practical, evidence-based policy solutions to some of society’s most complex problems, however, is really only half the job. The best think tanks work hard to ensure that their recommendations are actually implemented. A policy solution can be fantastic on paper, but if it never leaves the pages of a report then its impact will always be zero. That’s why a big part of what think tanks do is to work with policymakers throughout the process of researching and writing a report to make sure that the ultimate policy recommendations have a good chance of being effectively implemented.

Unfortunately, think tank policy analyst vacancies are extremely limited and so competition is tough. A tried and tested route into the industry is via an internship, usually paid the living wage. But think tanks often receive hundreds of applications from eager graduates for their internships so learning how to stand out from the crowd is key. Proving that your analysis skills are top notch is of course important. But showing that you are able to think innovatively to find new solutions to stubborn problems is crucial. But, in the end, what think tanks want to see from their applicants is a belief in and commitment to the kind of societal and economic change they are working towards.

While the work of think tanks can seem complex and confusing from the outside, the essence of what we do is actually very simple. Ultimately, those that work in think tanks analyse how the world is today, imagine how they want it to be in the future and devise policy solutions to provide a bridge between the two.

Interested in a career that makes a difference? Government & Policy week is your chance to hear from those working at the heart of government; people who influence policy; and leaders in the public sector.

What’s happening?

Monday 22 October 13:00 – 14:00: Intro to Policy: what are my options?

Monday 22 October 18:00 – 20:00: Careers in the Heart of Government

Tuesday 23 October 18:00 – 20:00: Influencing Policy

Wednesday 24 October 12:00 – 14:00: Civil Service Workshop

Thursday 25 October 18:00 – 20:00: Careers that make a difference 

To find out more, visit the Government & Policy Themed Week page on our website and register to attend these events via myUCLCareers.