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Working on resilience: What would the Victorians do?

By UCL Careers, on 15 March 2019

Black and white photo of Victorians in front of a brick house. Three rows with six young men at the back, three women and bearded man in the middle and three children at the front.

Written by Recruitment and Selection Advisor, Susanne Stoddart.

For many employers, resilience springs to mind not only as an invaluable soft skill but also as a skill that is underdeveloped in graduate workers. Indeed, in a recent QS report on The Global Skills Gap in the 21st Century resilience was identified by employers as the skill that graduates are lacking in most when compared with its perceived importance. Defined as an individual’s ability to overcome difficult experiences and adapt to new situations, resilience is required to solve problems and prosper in today’s fast-changing job market. Resilience is also needed in order to manage setbacks in the job hunt and application process before even setting foot in the workplace.

“There is, perhaps, no situation in life in which difficulties have not to be encountered and overcome before any decided measure of success can be achieved. Those difficulties are, however, our best instructors, as our mistakes often form our best experience.”

In 2019, there was an ever-growing collection of personal development books on the market promising to help readers build that bounce back mentality so sought after by employers and necessary for overall wellbeing. But this isn’t a new trend in popular psychology. Around 150 years ago Victorian advice manuals also had a lot to say about resilience and its relationship with success. The above quote is taken from the first ever personal development self-help book, published by Samuel Smiles in 1859 and aptly titled Self Help.

Here are four tips that Dr Smiles (in an advice manual called Character, 1871) and Edward Sisson (in The Essentials of Character, 1910) had to offer on developing the ability to overcome problems and adapt. The advice still has relevance today for anyone looking to enhance these vital work skills. It reminds us that resilience is a skill that can be developed by trying to adopt certain behaviours and attitudes.

  1. Be Optimistic
    For Edward Sisson, resilience involved developing a positive mindset or – in his words – ‘a more robust cheerfulness under the test of pain, loss, misadventure, disappointment’. Sisson wrote that ‘the cheerful man gets into the way of looking on the bright side… he gives preference in his attention to the pleasant, the encouraging, the desirable’. Living up to his name, Samuel Smiles also heavily prioritised a happy disposition when faced with challenges, highlighting that ‘cheerfulness is the first thing, cheerfulness is the second, and cheerfulness is the third’.
  1. Become a Lifelong Learner
    Sisson believed that adopting a mindset that was continuously open to learning opportunities encouraged ‘the sort of education that removes mountains and turns obstacles into stepping-stones’. This enabled an individual ‘to take charge of their own culture and career’. These words have considerable relevance in today’s fast-changing job market where roles such as app developer didn’t even exist ten years ago and workers need to constantly update their skills and competencies to help futureproof their career.
  1. Identify Goals
    For Sisson, having goals in life was vital for helping to put short-term difficulties into perspective, noting that ‘the forces of character flow most effectively into action only when they are rallied to the achievement of clearly conceived and firmly held purposes.’ Smiles agreed, expressing concern that without a future focus challenging times can force a person to become ‘like a body of stagnant water, instead of a running stream doing useful work and keeping the machinery of a district in motion’. Long before the popularisation of SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound) goal setting, Sisson highlighted that a person ‘must not merely dream of strength, of wisdom, of skill and power’; they should take steps and ‘resolve to attain them’. They should hold themselves accountable for ‘pursuing and achieving, and be inspired and energized by the vision’.
  1. Make Connections
    Long before LinkedIn, Smiles recognised the importance of networking and building relationships that could provide a source of support and inspiration during periods of difficulty, uncertainty or exploration. Smiles advocated building connections with others in order to ‘learn not only from what they have enjoyed but – which is still more instructive – from what they have suffered’ on the road to success. Networks, Smiles continued, provide a means for ‘increasing our resources, strengthening our resolve and elevating our aims’. Alternatively, ‘an entirely new direction’ may come as a result of ‘a happy suggestion, a timely hint, or the kindly advice’.

 

Have the Victorians inspired you to start strengthening your resilience today? If so, why not begin by exploring the UCL Alumni Online Community? On this exclusive networking site, you can make connections with alumni from all over the world and even search for a mentor from the pool of experienced alumni working in a wide range of sectors.

Have you already identified any career goals that will help you stay on track or would you like some help investigating your ideas further? Remember, whether your aim is to explore your options, find opportunities to develop your skills and sector experience, or apply for a job, UCL Careers is here to help.

Life and Health Sciences Themed Careers Week | 4th March 2019

By UCL Careers, on 26 February 2019

Life & Heath Sciences. 4th - 8th March 2019

We’re hosting a week of events to help you navigate the Life and Health Sciences Sector, and find out where you might fit within it.

What is the Life and Health Sciences Sector?

Well, it encompasses anything that aligns with Life and Health Sciences. That means it’s very wide-reaching – from drug development, patenting, marketing, and selling new therapies, to using interventions directly with patients, or communicating the latest developments in health science to policymakers and the public. That’s why we have four exciting panels lined up for you, where you can hear from people working in a variety of roles within the NHS, private companies, charities, and universities.

Our four evening forums are listed below:

Biology and Business – using scientific knowledge in a business context | 6-8pm Monday 4th March

Working for public and patient health outcomes | 6-8pm Tuesday 5th March

Careers in data science and lab research | 6-8pm Wednesday 6th March

Careers in science communication and science policy | 6-8pm Thursday 7th March

What will I learn from guest speakers?

Come along and listen to panellists describe their day-to-day work, their career journeys, and their top tips for anyone looking to enter the sector. Each panel event will also include a chance for you to ask questions at the end, both of the wider panel, and one-on-one with speakers. If you’re not sure how best to interact with alumni and guest speakers, we have a blog and a preparatory session to help you:

Making the most of Life and Health Sciences week – How to talk to industry professionals | 1-2pm Mon 4th March

How will I know if I’ll like a particular job?

Hearing first-hand accounts from people working in different roles can give you a clue as to whether you’ll like a job. But there’s no substitute for giving it a try yourself. And gaining experience helps you develop new skills, and tells future employers you’re clearly motivated.

That’s why we’ve organised opportunities for you to get a taster of two popular careers – Life Science Consulting and Medical Writing:

A Career in Medical Writing  – Experiential workshop by the European Medical Writing Association | 2-4pm Tuesday 5th March

Strategy Consulting in Healthcare and the Life Sciences – Experiential workshop by IQVIA | 2-5pm Wednesday 13th March

And if you’re ready to test something out on a longer term basis, why not search for Life and Health Sciences-related roles on our vacancies system? Below are just a few open for applications right now:

Medical Research Assistant – Owlstone Medical | Deadline – 16th March

Biotechnology or Biochemistry Associate Editor – CASTUS (India) | Deadline – 3rd March

Regulatory Sciences Associate – Southwood Research | Deadline 31st March

European Patent Examiners – European Patent Office (Germany/Netherlands) | Deadline 10th March

Medical Affairs Associate (one-year placement) – Bristol-Myers Squibb | Deadline 15th March

Two Teams of UCL entrepreneurs reach the final of the Mayor’s Entrepreneur Competition 2018

By UCL Careers, on 30 April 2018

UCL team Cardios present their ideas to the panel.

UCL team Cardios present their ideas to the panel.

Each year, the Mayor of London’s Entrepreneurs competition challenges London students to think of innovative ways to build a more sustainable city. By identifying and supporting student entrepreneurs to make their projects into reality, student’s ideas are helping make London a greener capital.

This year’s competition saw ten teams and their eco-friendly ideas compete to win £20,000 and access to expert mentoring and guidance. Selected from over 400 submissions, two teams of UCL student finalists, Cardios and Chakra, represented their ideas to a panel of industry experts, demonstrating the value of their ideas through their originality, practicality, clarity, longevity and carbon efficiency.

Chaired by sustainability expert Carolyn Roberts, the all-star panel included Innocent Drinks co-founder Richard Reed, Deputy Mayor for Environment Shirley Rodrigues and technology and social enterprise leader Anne-Marie Imafidon.

Cardios, made up of two UCL medical students, Gabriel Lee, Ragav Manimaran and teammate Jaime Valedemoros, seek to use new bio-medical technology to help people with heart failure self-monitor their conditions and reduce hospital admissions. This in turn would reduce the NHS resources spent on admissions and subsequent emissions. In their words:

“The essence of our project is, can we bring the consultation to patients more regularly and reduce the gaps between consultations? By doing so, can we detect deterioration earlier and prevent patients being admitted?”- Ragav Manimaran, Cardios

Chakra, a team of three first year UCL students aim to tackle waste produced by disposable coffee cups by replacing them with re-useable cups that provide users with cashback when deposited at dedicated machines. This would help reduce the vast amount of waste produced by on-the-go coffee, while providing incentives for drinks distributors. When asked about the idea’s reception among big chains such as Costa and Starbucks, Harshav Mahendran had this to say:

“They were positive about the idea and saw it as a welcome solution” – Harshav Mahendran

Although the award went to Imperial’s WithLula, an eco-friendly, flushable sanitary pad, the two UCL teams are positive about what the future holds for their projects. Both teams are at an early state in development but they assure us that more is on the way.

“As we continue to develop the prototype, we’ll publish our progress so please do watch this space and we’ll keep you updated.” Ragav Manimaran, Cardios

“Since we’re just getting started we haven’t established our website or social media yet but we’re hoping to soon.” – Yashvini Shukla, Chakra

With next year’s awards being expanded to include three winners, it is clear that innovation and entrepreneurship are becoming increasing valued in the London careers landscape.

Have a project or idea you want to take to the next level? There are a range of resources on offer for UCL students such as the Moonshot Launchpad programme for engineering, science and tech startups, UCL Entrepreneurs Society (UCLe) and the Kickstart London accelerator programme. Whatever career awaits you, be sure to check out the new UCL Careers website to find advice and resources helping you developing your skills and experiences.

For more information about the Mayor’s Entrepreneur Competition click here – https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/environment/smart-london-and-innovation/mayors-entrepreneur-competition

UCL Entrepreneurs successfully reach the final of the Mayor’s Entrepreneur Competition 2017

By UCL Careers, on 26 April 2017

170320-MoL-Entrepreneur-17-1075

UCL Entrepreneurs and founders of Captum Technology; Sam Ghazizadeh and Hossien Bahrami were successful in reaching the final of the Mayor’s Entrepreneur Competition 2017.

The competition challenges London students to think of ways to improve the city, make it more sustainable and reduce carbon emissions. Sam and Hossien were selected from more than 300 entries to take part in the live final of the Mayor’s Entrepreneur competition on Monday 20th March. Each competitor was judged on originality, practicality, clarity, longevity and importantly – carbon savings. Competition for the two groups of UC groups came from King’s College London, City and Imperial College London.

They pitched to a high-profile panel of judges including perfume entrepreneur Jo Malone MBE, Jenny Tooth OBE from UK Business Angels Association, Niels Kirk from Citi, Christian Lane from Smarter.am and previous winner Arthur Kay from Bio-bean at London City Hall.

170320-MoL-Entrepreneur-17-0433

Here is an account of their experience:

‘We heard about the 2017 Mayor of London Entrepreneur competition from UCL Enterprise. As some of you may know, a previous winner of this competition was Arthur Kay from UCL who is now the CEO of bio-bean and wants to turn Coffee waste into valuable bi-products. We were greatly inspired by his success from UCL and wanted to give our idea a chance in this competition. UCL Enterprise has been extremely supportive in many aspects: they really helped us to polish our business model, to know our numbers very well, and also to prepare for pitching our idea.

The process of this competition started with submitting an online proposal where we had to explain our business idea in simple terms but in detail. Amongst 350 submissions which involved about 600 students, 10 groups were selected as the finalists and we were one of them! We were then invited to pitch our idea in two minutes in front of a panel of judges who were selected by the City Hall. We were proud to see Arthur Kay as one of the judges! We received very positive feedback about our project and how we should take it forward. The competition gave us a great exposure and also the opportunity to talk to various CEOs and investors invited to the City Hall.’

Sam and Hossiens idea in Mayor’s competition was a London-based and UCL home-grown start-up called Captum Technology – a clean technology start-up that is developing novel methods to turn carbon dioxide into valuable materials which can be vastly used in manufacturing industries. They aim to reduce the CO emissions from industrial plants in a financially viable way.

Sam explains: ‘Captum Technology has two forms of clients. First, industries who emit carbon dioxide as their waste gas. Our service to these industries is that we setup our CO2-capturing technology in their plants and reduce their CO2 emissions on a significantly higher scale than is currently possible. Our value proposition to these industries is that we offer our technology at no cost! This means that industries such as cement or energy, need not invest directly in their CO2 reduction. In return, we will require to have the full right/access to use their waste gas.

In industrial plants, such as cement, we direct the output gas streams into a large-scale apparatus where CO2 transforms to carbon. First, the gas flue will be inserted into a process that can selectively take up the CO2 molecules. Then, the taken CO2 gas will be utilised in a chemical reaction to form carbon. Carbon is our added value product with a chemical composition suitable for various applications. We aim to sell the carbon in bulk to various manufacturing industries, such as Steel.’

170320-MoL-Entrepreneur-17-0084

They go on to explain: ‘Although at the end we did not win the competition, our experience with Mayor’s competition has been indeed empowering. We had to be well prepared in front of the judges – very similar to the Dragons’ Den style. In principle, we had to present our idea very concisely but effectively. This, on its own, was a great skill we acquired from the process. At the end of the day, it’s all about how you present yourself and sell your idea in a compelling way. You want to show you’re best suited for a given opportunity.’

They are currently seeking support, endorsement and investments from interested parties in the UK to make our idea into reality. ‘We have to say that being a finalist in the Mayor’s competition has served us very well!’

 

Find out more on their website – www.captumtechnology.com

And for more information about the Mayor’s Entrepreneur Competition click here – https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/environment/smart-london-and-innovation/mayors-entrepreneur-competition

 

Employer Insight Profile: FINIMIZE ‘Financial news for everyday people’

By UCL Careers, on 4 November 2016

DSC_1553

Scott Tindle, Co–Founder & Head of Content of Finimize

How did you get into your role?

I co-founded Finimize, our financial news start-up, in 2015. After graduating from university I worked in equity sales at Barclays but after 7 years there I decided I needed a change. I wanted to do something more entrepreneurial. Around the same time, an old friend from university was starting to work on a new project called Finimize – and he needed someone with a finance background. There was a gap in the market for a financial news resource that was brief and not full of jargon – but still provided readers with the sophisticated information they wanted to know. So now, every weekday (and on Sundays!) I curate and explain the two most important financial news stories of the day and send it out to our subscribers.


What are the best things about working in your role?

I love the entrepreneurial aspects of working at Finimize. Co-running a small business means I get to do so many different things, from finding new stories to talking to investors – no two days are ever the same. Another definite pro is being able to shape the company’s destiny and take it wherever we want to go. Because Finimize is something that we have personally created it also means that its success is hugely rewarding – to know that we’ve made something that tens of thousands people appreciate and read is amazing.


What are the biggest challenges you face in your work?

Time! As an entrepreneur the most valuable commodity you have is your time and prioritising my time to get the most out of it is my biggest challenge. There are so many things I could be doing at once that I have to be disciplined and structure my day effectively. There’s also a lot of uncertainty that’s inherent in running a small business – dealing with that on a personal level can be stressful and is a big change from working at a big company (which can also be stressful, but often in different ways).


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

Broadly speaking, there are two typical routes into the startup world. One is to dive in straight after university and look for internships or a junior position in a start-up. Another is to gain a bit of experience in a bigger company, acquiring skills and knowledge at a bigger company before switching tack to a startup. The benefit of the latter is that you learn a lot at big firms and you can bring that knowledge and experience with you to a small company. But jumping right into the startup world can also be the right move. There’s no “adjustment” to make later on and, especially now, the startup ecosystem is so well developed that you can gain relevant, high quality experience without working at a big traditional firm. In short, you have to figure out what’s right for you and run with it!!

 


More about Finimize:

Finimize is financial news for everyday people that strives to demystify finance by making financial news easy to understand, succinct and relevant to its readers. The email takes just 3-minutes to read each day, never uses any financial jargon and is a useful tool for students preparing for job interviews. Learn more and sign up here.

Want to be a Management Consultant? Then start thinking like one!

By UCL Careers, on 26 September 2014

Management Consultancy is a popular career choice for Management Consultancy Fairmany graduates and competition for places on graduate schemes is fierce.   A good degree (1st or 2.1) is a pre-requite together with a range of high level skills such as the ability to gather and analyse complex information, solve problems, think creatively, present information clearly and concisely and manage projects.  However, many graduates will meet these criteria, having developed these skills through a range of experience and activities – what can you do to stand out from other applicants?

Selectors will be looking not only at your ability to do the job but also your passion for wanting to do the job. So what sort of things can you do to demonstrate your commitment and enthusiasm for management consultancy?   Well, showing a genuine interest in business and the wider environment in which organisations are operating is essential. Just mentioning a couple of companies that you’re interested in will not impress – demonstrating that you’re already thinking like a management consultant will!       Think of organisations you’ve experienced yourself – maybe as a student, a consumer, an employee, a patient. Did you spot any inefficiencies or poor processes? What could be changed and how? What might be some of the barriers to change? Carry out a SWOT analysis on different organisations (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats).  Starting to identify and work on your own mini case studies will be excellent preparation for the selection process which will include working on a business case where you will be expected to present recommendations based on your analysis of a range of information provided to you.

Preparation is key to success so:

Attend the Management Consultancy Fair. This event offers an excellent opportunity to research the industry, find out what differentiates consultancies, industry sectors they specialise in, clients they work with and to find information that’s important to you personally that might not be easily accessible on websites.

Analyse your skills and collect evidence to demonstrate how you have applied these skills. Search for ‘management consultancy’ here for links to professional bodies, industry news sites, job vacancy sites, and more

Make sure you have a clear understanding of what Management Consultancy is, what it involves and why you think you will be well suited to it.   Using the same link and searching for ‘management consultancy’ here you can gather a wide range of resources and tips to help you prepare for the selection process including links to practice case studies.

The UCL Careers Management Consultancy Fair on Wednesday 1st October 2014 is kindly sponsored by Accenture

Learn how to ‘Polish your Presence’ at Bloomberg HQ

By ycrnf01, on 3 July 2014

As well as perfecting your CV and interview technique, the next step is to ‘Polish you Presence’ by making sure you’re creating the very best first impression when meeting employers or even after you’ve landed your first job. UCL Careers run events, in conjunction with top employers, which can really take your ‘personal brand’ to the next level. I went along to one of these events to learn more.

On Friday 30th May, more than 30 UCL students had the opportunity to learn and practice why and how creating a lasting impact is important with a productive morning at Bloomberg Headquarters. The event was a dynamic and interactive mix of sessions, presentations as well as a networking event with real Bloomberg recruiters – an opportunity that proved invaluable to all students whether they were job searching or not.IMG_5461b

Hosted at Bloomberg’s prestigious and impressive offices in Moorgate, the chance to be in a real-life fast-paced business environment allowed us to get in a professional frame of mind and make the most out of the event. It was a great opportunity to get a glimpse in to corporate life and a flavour of what a large company like Bloomberg has to offer (including plenty of free snacks and coffee as well as a delicious lunch!).

The morning kicked off with an opportunity to get to know fellow students with an ice-breaker to set the tone for the sessions to come – a few questions about ourselves, job searching and meeting employers to which we all held up coloured cards as our answers. Feeling more relaxed and knowing more about why other students were here, we jumped in to the information-packed three 30 minute sessions presented by Clare Williams, Head of Leadership, Learning and Organisational Development:

  • The Resilience Factor

The first session focused on the abstract side of job searching and working life; dealing with difficulties is an aspect which many can be unprepared for. We were given tips and tools on how to deal with negativity, anxiety and reacting to adverse circumstances which will prove useful in the future, whether in a job rejection scenario or a tough working situation. Encouraged to think about our reactions to situations, we got under the skin of how we could rewire our beliefs to make ourselves tougher and more resilient.

  • Polished Elevator Pitch

How do you tell an employer, in thirty seconds, what you’re all about? What you’re good at and what you can offer? We were helped to create our own pitch, with useful pointers and examples of how to ideally sell ourselves to anyone. We even got the chance to trial it out with other students before the lunch networking event and get useful feedback. This was really worthwhile as I created a pitch to use whenever I get the opportunity to speak with employers.

  • Building your Reputation

The last session tied the above together and described what it means to build a reputation as a good candidate throughout your career. We developed a personal mission statement – something I had never considered – which highlighted strengths, skills and values important to remember throughout my career and useful to put in practice day-to-day. This would be the foundation of our ‘personal brand’ – being authentic to ourselves but conforming to the company or industry we are in.

After a review of all thIMG_7728ree sessions, we were briefed about using our newly created pitches in the up-coming networking lunch with a small presentation by the HR Manager on how to connect successfully with employers.

The final hour was a chance to put the morning in practice and chat to a range of Bloomberg employees, from a range of departments, about their job role, their way in and general career tips. It didn’t matter what we were interested in or applying to – it was all useful and relevant! Networking alongside other students, I had the chance to speak to some very engaging, knowledgeable and helpful people and successfully left with a business card!

Interested in attending? YOU CAN JOIN TOO! Events are free and open to all UCL students and graduates. Take the step to sign up to UCLAlert! and find out about fantastic opportunities, like this, first!

Reflections on Summer School 2014

By ycrnf01, on 26 June 2014

It’s over! UCL Careers has just finished running the two week Employability Summer School as part of the Global Citizenship programme. Taking place over two weeks, from 2 – 13 June, we saw over 70 penultimate and final-year students, from a whole range of different departments, go through the fortnight building upon their skills as well as improving their confidence in the job hunting process. With over 20 interactive events tackling a whole host of topics, it was an intense first-time experience for many – the days were jam-packed with information, guidance and plenty of opportunities to put it all in to practice.

What did they do?

Beginning with an ice-breaker to get things going, students kicked off the programme with a day looking at how to connect with employers – a session rounded off with an opportunity to chat with a UCL Alumni panel and network afterwIMG_9961ards. The following day’s workshops focused on CV and applications as well as interview techniques and ended with a chance to speak to start-up businesses at the Small Companies Big Jobs fair. The week was then split in to sessions full of tips on online job searching, psychometric testing, mock assessment centres, post-graduate study and international job hunting with plenty of 1-1 coaching interspersed. Throughout the week, mornings were spent with varied plenaries from Capco and Save the Children which were engaging and insightful.

Week two followed a differed flavour with a group ‘job searching’ session and an opportunity to put everything they had learnt in to practice at the annual UCL Careers Jobs Market. The students then divided up over the next three days with some attending the case-study-centred ‘Focus on Management’ and others developing strengths-based skills at the ‘Marketing yourself as a Global Citizen’ strand. The last day was dedicated to action-planning and forward thinking as well as a chance to celebrate the past two weeks – rounding out a successful programme of workshops with an HEAR accreditation and a well-deserved lunch.

What did they build their confidence in?

On their first day, students took a ‘confidence measure’ which got them thinking about how they felt in regards to their personal situation. With a score of one to five, they marked their self-confidence in:

  • Connecting with employers
  • How to write a good CV
  • Filling out applications
  • How to succeed at interviews
  • How to find relevant jobs
  • Making decisions about their future careers choice

They then filled this same indicator out on the last day and compared them both – the idea being that they’d hopefully see an improvement from their first day. It is safe to say that there was a huge improvement! Every one of these pointers saw the numbers rocket from a score of around 1-3 to a confidence-inspiring 4-5 by the final day. Proving the value of all they had picked up over the two weeks, students felt that going forward, they were more ready and able to approach the job search armed with the right information and resources, as well as the support of UCL Careers in the months and years ahead.

Well done class of 2014!

What did students think IMG_0289of the Summer School?

 “The best course I’ve done at UCL! It has increased my confidence in connecting with employers and finding job that suits my strengths and personality as well.”

“Enjoyable, interactive and applicable to real life.”

“Finally someone turned the lights on in a pitch black room!”

“UCL Careers is a great asset to the university – use it!”

Want to find out more about this unique opportunity to hone your employability skills? Visit: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/students/skills/summerschool

Throughout the year we run many events aimed at supporting students and recent graduates in all parts of their job search. Find out more: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/students/skills/calendar

Employability Summer School – What is it?

By UCL Careers, on 18 March 2014

This week sees the launch of UCL Career’s Employability Summer School which is running as part if the UCL Global Citizenship programme. Between 2nd – 13th June, undergraduates who are either penultimate and finalists are eligible to attend.

But what is global citizenship?And why is it important to be a global citizen?

‘A global citizen is someone who identifies with being part of an emerging world community and whose actions contribute to building this community’s values and practices. Such a definition of global citizenship is based on two assumptions […]: (a) that there is such a thing as an emerging world community to which people can identify; and (b) that such a community has a nascent set of values and practices.’ (source: Open Democracy)

Studying in the heart of London could not be a better way of experiencing a world community; and identifying with a world community is inline with the view of UCL as ‘London’s global university.’

UCL Global Citizenship Programme

UCL believe that as well as graduating with a great degree, students should also leave university with the core values of a Global Citizen. For this purpose, the UCL Global Citizenship programme has been established for undergraduate students. The core characteristics of a Global Citizen as set out by UCL are:

• Creative and critical thinkers
• Sensitive to cultural difference
• Ambitious, yet idealistic
• Highly employable and ready to embrace professional mobility
• Entrepreneurs with the ability to motivate
• Prepared to assume leadership roles

There is a separate programme for first year undergraduates and penultimate and final year applications. The first year undergraduate programme is run centrally by UCL Global Citizenship and the penultimate and final year undergraduate programme has 3 strands one each being run by UCL VSU, UCL Advances and UCL Careers.

The UCL Careers strand of the programme is focusing on employability. This is suitable for those students who are looking to build on their employment skills. The week will offer a series of events run by both UCL Careers Consultants and graduate employers. Participants will get the chance to build on the skills they need to get through the recruitment process and secure a job whilst looking at the issues facing organisations in today’s global society.

Taking part in this innovative course will not only enhance your employability skills but will also help to equip you with the attributes needed to work in a global environment and a provide you with a greater understanding of what being a global citizen entails.

UCL Global Citizenship ProgrammeRegistration for the Employability Summer School is open and places are filling up fast. Register through you ‘My Careers Service’ account and leave a £20 deposit to secure your place. Don’t miss out!

*Registration for the Focus on Management course is also open. Register through ‘My Careers Service