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How to make the most of the IT and Technology Fair by EE

By UCL Careers, on 20 October 2015

UCL students and recent graduates are in the midst of Careers Fair season and one of our Fair sponsors, EE, have shared some top tips ahead of the IT and Technology Fair happening this week:

> Prepare by finding out information about the company, to use as a conversation starter – it will also show you’ve put the effort in
> Aim to get email addresses or LinkedIn connections
> Handing out paper CVs will have limited impact
> Don’t bombard your contacts with emails after the fair
> Try to think of appropriate questions in advance to shape the conversation

To get more indepth tips on how to prepare for the IT and Technology Fair, have a read of our “How to prepare for our Careers Fair” post

The IT and Technology Fair 2015 is kindly sponsored by EE and Cisco and takes place on Wednesday 21st and Thursday 22nd October, 5:30 – 8pm, North and South Cloisters.

The Engineering Fair is coming….

By UCL Careers, on 16 October 2015

Considering a career in Engineering?

The UCL Careers Engineering Fair features some of the top employers from the fields of Chemical, Civil and Environmental, Electronic and Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering, as well as Construction and the Built Environment.

Engineering
Employers will be hiring for permanent graduate positions as well as internships and placements so this fair is mainly aimed at final year and penultimate year Engineering, Bartlett or related students. All students are welcome to attend
in order to research companies, but there may not be suitable structured programmes on offer.

When: Monday 26th October 2015 | 5:30pm – 8pm

Where: North and South Cloisters, Wilkins Building

Some employers attending include:

> Balfour Beatty
> Fluor
> GSK
> Jaguar Land Rover
> Mott Macdonald
> TargetJobs Engineering
> Transport for London- TFL

Plus many more!

You do not need to book to attend our Careers Fairs, but you must bring valid UCL ID to gain entry.

For more information on about the fair and the employers attending, visit: www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/fairs | #UCLCareersFair | @UCLCareers

The Engineering Fair 2015 is kindly sponsored by TargetJobs Engineering.

Could you be a winner at the 2016 Undergraduate of the Year Awards ?

By UCL Careers, on 13 October 2015

Last year, UCL had 4 finalists and 2 winners, at the Undergraduate of the Year Awards and this year there are 11 Awards up for grabs to identify the top undergraduates in:

Computer Science & Analytics;

Management;

Law;

Mathematics, Economics and Finance;

Engineering;

Construction, Engineering and Design;

Future CFO of the Year;

Future Business Leader;

Female Undergraduate of the Year

Male Undergraduate of the Year

*NEW* Future Civil Service Leader of the Year

ugoty-generic

The rewards are great: winners’ prizes include exclusive internships, lunches with directors and trips to the USA, South America, the Far East and continental Europe and the final ten students in each Award will be invited to the Undergraduate of the Year Awards in Canary Wharf London on 22 April, 2016 where the winners will be announced.

If you make the final 10, not only will you be very close to a fantastic prize, you will have proved yourself to be amongst the best and most employable students in the country.

APPLY NOW  undergraduateoftheyearawards.com  where you can also find out more about each awards criteria, read blogs from last year’s finalists and winners and watch the video footage from last year’s awards ceremony

The IT and Technology Fair is coming…

By UCL Careers, on 8 October 2015

Want to find our more about careers within IT and Technology?

The UCL Careers IT and Technology Fair features some of the top employers in Consultancy, Big Data, Software, Cloud Computing, Telecommunications, Financial Technology and many more.

IT and Tech Fair
Employers will be hiring for permanent graduate positions, internships and, in some cases, 1st year spring programmes. The fair is open to all year groups but there may not be structured programmes on offer for all students. Some roles will be open to students studying computer science or a related technical discipline, but others will be open to all with an in interest in technology.

When: Wednesday 22nd and Thursday 23rd October | 5:30pm – 8pm

Where: North and South Cloisters, Wilkins Building

Some employers attending include:

Day 1
> EE
> Fidessa
> IBM
> KPMG
> Microsoft Corporation

Day 2
> Cisco
> Expedia.com
> Fujitsu
> Morgan Stanley
> SKY

Plus many more!

You do not need to book to attend our Careers Fairs, but you must bring valid UCL ID to gain entry.

For more information on about the fair and the employers attending, visit: www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/fairs | #UCLCareersFair | @UCLCareers

The IT and Technology Fair 2015 is kindly sponsored by EE and Cisco.

UCLU’s Big Volunteering Fair is here!

By UCL Careers, on 7 October 2015

UCLU’s Big Volunteering Fair is this week on Thursday 8th and Friday 9th October, 12 noon – 3pm, South Cloisters, Wilkins Building

VSU's Blg Volunteering Fair 2015
 
Come along to our Big Volunteering Fair on the 8th and 9th October and find out why over 2000 UCL students took part in volunteering last year. Organised by UCLU’s Volunteering Services Unit, There will be more than 80 different charities and student-run community projects to have a chat with, including Save the Children, UCL Student Hospital Fun Team, Bloomsbury Festival, IntoUniversity, NSPCC, St John’s Ambulance, Camden LGBT Forum, The Conservation Volunteers, Teenage Cancer Trust, Generating Genius, Mayhew Animal Home, The Hackney Pirates, University College Hospital London, Handel House Museum, London Nightline, UCLU MEDucate, Richard House Children’s Hospice, UCL Baking Project, The Science Museum and more!

There will be different exhibitors on the two days – you can browse the catalogues now:
Volunteering Fair catalogue for Thursday 8th October
Volunteering Fair catalogue for Friday 9th October

Volunteering is a big part of student life at UCL; it’s a good way to get to know London better, meet new people, and experience the world away from the lecture theatres, labs and libraries. You’ll also boost your chances of finding paid work. We hope to see you at the Fair.

You’ll find more information at www.uclu.org/volunteer-fair

Our Banking and Finance Fair is coming…

By UCL Careers, on 2 October 2015

Interested in a career working with Banking or Finance?

The UCL Careers Banking and Finance Fair features some of the top employers from a wide variety of sectors including Investment Banking, Professional Services, Retail and Corporate Banking, Economics, Consulting, Investment Management Actuarial, Insurance and many more.

Banking and Finance
Employers will be hiring for permanent graduate positions, internships and, in some cases, 1st year spring programmes. The fair is open to all year groups but there may not be structured programmes on offer for all students.

When: Tuesday 13th and Wednesday 14th October | 5:30pm – 8pm

Where: North and South Cloisters, Wilkins Building

Some employers attending include:

DAY 1
Amazon
Bloomberg
Barclays
FTI Consulting
Goldman Sachs
JP Morgan
M and G Investments

DAY 2
Deloitte
Deutsche Bank
Financial Conduct Authority
Lloyd’s of London
PwC
Santander
UBS

Plus many more!

You do not need to book to attend our Careers Fairs, but you must bring valid UCL ID to gain entry.
For more information on about the fair and the employers attending, visit: www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/fairs | #UCLCareersFair | @UCLCareers

The Banking and Finance Fair 2015 is kindly sponsored by PwC.

Our Management Consultancy Fair is coming…

By UCL Careers, on 30 September 2015

Considering a career in Management Consultancy?

The UCL Careers Management Consultancy Fair features some of the top employers from a wide variety of Consultancy sectors including Strategy, Financial, Brand, Technology and HR.

Employers will be hiring for permanent graduate positions and in some cases internships and placements.

Management Consultancy

The fair is mainly aimed at final year and penultimate year students. Other years are welcome to attend in order to research employers, but there may not be suitable structured programmes available.

When: Wednesday 7th October 2015 | 5:30pm – 8pm
Where: North and South Cloisters, Wilkins Building

Some employers attending include:
Accenture
The Boston Consulting Group
EY
IMS Consulting Group
Oliver Wyman

Plus many more!

You do not need to book to attend our Careers Fairs, but you must bring valid UCL ID to gain entry.

We will be holding Fair Prep sessions – keep an eye for an Alert about these!

For more information on about the fair and the employers attending, visit: www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/fairs | #UCLCareersFair | @UCLCareers

The Management Consultancy Fair 2015 is kindly sponsored by Accenture.

How to prepare for our Careers Fairs…

By UCL Careers, on 30 September 2015

Every year UCL Careers holds a number of Careers Fairs to help you talk to employers and find out first hand what they are looking for. You will get more out of the Careers Fair if you spend a little time preparing…

Be aware that there will be a mixture of all kind of employers from many different sectors exhibiting each day and you might find an employer that you had never really considered before becoming a favourite for you. To help you prepare effectively we’ve put together some handy tips to get you started

 

UCL Careers Fair

Before the fair

> We strongly encourage you to do some research on the exhibitors before the fair: www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/fairs

> As well as reading the exhibitor profiles, click through to the organisation’s own website to find out more about them.

> After your research, decide which exhibitors you particularly want to talk to, and you will be able to ask more informed questions. It can be difficult to understand the difference between big companies within the same sector.  Often it is the cultural aspects that make a real difference in the working environment and this can only be appreciated through talking and interacting with representatives at the Careers Fairs.  Try to prepare some questions in advance and think about the main points that you would want an organisation to know about you – it can help you feel more confident.

> Come along to one of the preparation sessions organised by UCL Careers (starting w/c 5th October).

At the fair

> At the fair, each exhibiting organisation has a stand and their representatives are there to answer your questions about what the organisation does, what jobs they offer to final year students and graduates, what internships/placements they provide to earlier year students, and any other opportunities that they offer.

> Shows motivation in a competitive job market esp. if you refer to attendance in applications/ interviews

> Often particular insight re. staff experience relating to specific projects they’ve been involved in or training they’ve had can be used as ammunition that can be a real differentiator when answering motivation based questions – ie lots of first hand information not available on any website that other candidates might not be able to offer.

> Wherever possible, try to talk to someone on the stand instead of just picking up a brochure. Use the opportunity to ask your questions face-to-face.

> If you are feeling a bit nervous about approaching your first choice organisation, it can be a good idea to visit some other stands first to practise your technique.

> If you are given a business card, make a point soon afterwards of noting on it anything that it would be useful to remember. Have they suggested you email them with further questions? Did they give you advice on their recruitment process?

> Even if you have a ‘hit list’ of exhibitors, consider other organisations at the fair that are less well known. They might be offering just what you are looking for.

Remember to bring your UCL ID or GradClub ID card as you won’t be able to enter the fair without this!

Other hints and tips

> Remember that many of the opportunities are available to students of any discipline

> If you want to have a CV ready to hand over, arrange an appointment at UCL Careers before the Careers Fair to ask for some CV feedback

> The fair may be busy when you arrive – don’t be put off. People tend to congregate by the entrance, so head to another part of the fair where it will probably be quieter

> Avoid walking round the fair with a group of friends. The exhibitor may not realise that you are interested in them, and you could miss out because your friend happens to be more talkative than you!

> If you feel overwhelmed, and don’t know what to do or where to start, make sure you visit the UCL Careers for help.

> Staff on the exhibitor stands are often relatively recent graduates who can tell you what it is really like to work in their organization.  They may even refer to particular projects that they’ve been involved in or training that they’ve had –all of which is great information for you to use when you apply for a position at their company.  This insight is not available on any website and creates a unique impression when it is your time to apply.

> In a competitive job market, it can make a difference to refer to any interaction with employers during the application process

For further information about the fairs, please visit: www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/fairs

 

Finding disability-friendly employers

By UCL Careers, on 30 June 2015

This article originally appeared on the Reach blog.

Researching employers is a great way to help find out which company would be a good fit for you. Targeted research can reveal employers’ attitudes and their corporate social responsibility aims, helping you to find a supportive environment.

Employer directories and reviews

There are a few employer rating sites around that can help inform you about the company culture.

TARGETjobs’ Inside Buzz covers a limited number of employers but each has a rating based on answers to “How would you describe your firm’s commitment to diversity?”

Glassdoor and The JobCrowd are other such sites. These don’t have a specific rating for diversity information but sometimes equal opportunities issues are discussed in the reviews themselves.

Disability-specific resources

One of the Reach blog’s sponsors, EmployAbility, has worked with many leading blue-chip and public sector organisations, and matches talented students and graduates to these prestigious disability-inclusive employers.

Great with disability has detailed information on how its listed employers approach disability along with case studies from disabled employees.

Business Disability Forum’s list of disability-smart organisations can be downloaded from their website.

Even Break advertises vacancies from employers who value diversity and are serious about looking beyond candidates’ impairments to identify what skills they have to offer.

The employers’ own content

A clear way to see if an employer is disability friendly is if they use the “two ticks” symbol on their website and other materials to show they’re “positive about disabled people”. To get permission to use the symbol the employer needs to fulfill five commitments including guaranteeing an interview for any disabled applicant who meets the minimum criteria for the job.

Employers who are positive about mental health may also participate in the Mindful Employer charter. This isn’t accredited like the “two ticks” symbol so employers may claim more than they can prove, but it is a pledge showing commitment to being positive about mental health so is useful in showing commitment to working towards best practice for their disabled employees.

Websites, recruitment publications, and annual reports can also tell you a lot about employer attitudes. When doing your research, ask yourself the following questions:

  • Do they have specific information on diversity / disabilities in their recruitment information online?
  • Do they include any disabled staff in their employee profiles?
  • What do they say about diversity and inclusion?
  • Do they have a named contact in their HR Department for queries around disabilities / disclosure?
  • Are there networking groups for disabled staff?
  • What kind of language do they use when writing about disability?

Sometimes the messages can be subtle but it all adds up to creating an image of the employer. Being able to speak to individuals you find through employee profiles or named HR contacts will give you an even clearer picture.

Further Reading

The “Disability and Mental Health: Diversity Matters” section of the TARGETjobs website provides further useful tips on this topic…

The SPRINT development programme for female students sponsored by RBS and Microsoft is back

By UCL Careers, on 21 May 2015

SPRINT is a bespoke programme designed to support the professional development of women at the early stages of their career.

Across 4 action packed days, you will learn how to:

• Use your personal power
• Use assertiveness positively
• Build your image, networking skills & confidence
• Enage with inspiring role models & industry professionals
• Gain access to a network of mentors and peers to keep you on track to achieve your goals.

dates: 15th, 16th, 18th June and 10th September 2015

UCL graduate, Clemency Sherwood-Roberts (BA Anthropology, 2013) took part in the SPRINT Programme in July 2014. Read what she has to say about the benefits of the programme below. Find out more and apply via your MyUCLCareers account by 9am Thursday 28th May 2015.

Why did you apply to the SPRINT programme?
The SPRINT Programme stood apart from any previous career events I had attended whilst at university because it did not just focus on the classic topics of networking, CVs and matching skills to jobs. It also looked at personal and professional development through looking at being a woman entering the workplace, focussing on how to stand out and define yourself individually through the beginning stages of a career.

What was your highlight from the programme?
The Home Group. Before the course had even begun you were sat next to a group of like-minded young women who would support you and each other through the four days and beyond. Your own little network created immediately, so pick where you sit wisely!

What did you gain from the programme?
The largest gain I took away from the SPRINT Programme was a sense of perspective on who I am as a potential recruit. I was able to assess what I have achieved so far, what I can offer professionally and can utilise certain tools to effectively and successfully progress with this knowledge. I can revisit these tools over and over through the years, from basic prioritisation methods to dealing with different types of people who will cross my path.

Why would you recommend it to other students?
I did the SPRINT Programme having already spent a year in employment and it was still able to offer me so much. I struggle to see any reason why a female under/postgraduate wishing to progress into a corporate/commercial career should not do this programme. People pay hundreds in the work-force for training that matches the quality of SPRINT. On top of that, you also hear other women’s career stories. Each day there is the opportunity to learn from a mentor from one of the sponsoring companies. To have such insight and exposure whilst still an undergraduate, with so much opportunity still available to you, is truly invaluable.

Find out more and apply via your MyUCLCareers account by 9am Thursday 28th May 2015.