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 30^th 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.

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 three 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!

UCL Careers Employability Summer School ended on Friday 13^th June with the chance to celebrate (of course!) and to reflect on an exciting and intense two weeks of events. Over 70 students had the opportunity to take part in a range of interactive sessions, workshops and talks with employers, Careers Consultants and Alumni to really give themselves the competitive edge in today’s global job market.

All students took part in the crucial component ‘Successful Job Hunting’ which, after a week of tackling practical parts of the process including CVs, applications and interviews, was a great way to hone all they had learnt thus far. Led by four UCL Careers Consultants, it was an opportunity to explore the broad range of job hunting strategies and learn from tackling case studies in an environment where students were encouraged to talk with each other and share ideas.

What did they learn?

• Tips on where to look for jobs and how to go about beginning their job hunt

From online jobs boards to the hidden jobs market, students leant about the novel and creative places to find jobs and openings. From social media to speculative applications, they then weighed up the pros and cons of each and how accessible they were. In understanding the value of each job search-type they were then able to make an evaluation as to its relevance to them.

• How to develop a personalised action plan for their own job search

Through looking at other case studies, it is easier to formulate suggestions about strategy and develop starting points as well as a potential plan of attack. Students also looked at timescales and goals – to really get focused, the importance of a thorough plan, including contingencies, was stressed throughout the interactive exercises.

• An ability to think in creative ways and try alternative strategies

The opportunity to discuss thoughts and bounce around ideas with Careers Consultants and other job seekers proved invaluable, with many students suggesting techniques which may have been missed or not considered by others. An almost informal informational interviewing session then took place, it allowed students to reflect on their job hunting strategies and consider what might work and what might need revising if proved unsuccessful.

Students had an opportunity to continuously discuss ideas and present to other members of their groups for useful feedback. A vital part of any job seekers job search is to talk though ideas – not only does it keep up morale but it gives fresh perspective to previous strategies, especially if it’s not quite as fruitful as hoped. The goal of obtaining a job is rarely as easy or as straight-forward as it seems – there will often be hurdles along the way but with some careful planning as well as consistent and meaningful searching, it can happen.

Top tips from UCL Careers Consultants:

• Do your research
• Treat job hunting as a job in itself
• Plan (and have a back-up plan)
• Network
• Volunteer or take courses
• Create a good work/life balance

And remember: planning, positivity, persistence

Find out more about the range of events UCL Careers runs throughout the year here: www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/events

Current student or recent graduate? Book in for some one-to-one advice and guidance with a Careers Consultant: www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/students/advice

On Friday 13^th June 2014, four UCL Students saw off 139 other university teams from across the UK to gain third place in the CIMA global business challenge UK final – a brilliant success in such a competitive competition. As well as this, the team (consisting of Menghui Wu, Lifeng Ye, Shihui Xu and Hanshuang Shen) also achieved the accolade of ‘Best Team Report’ out of all entrants. A fantastic and inspiring achievement, UCL Careers found out what made the team take part, the skills they’ve picked up both individually and as a team (and used to get so far!) as well as how valuable they thought being involved in a business competition is.

Could you tell us a little about what you are studying (and how this has helped you during the challenge)?

All four of us are full-year affiliate students here from the same base university, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. I [Shihui] study Banking and International Finance back in Shanghai and here I’m doing Economics. Lifeng does Finance as well while Hanshuang and Menghui do Accounting. We have a common business-related background but specialise in different aspects, which allows us to see a ‘case’ from different angles and to form a bigger picture together.

What inspired you to take on the challenge?

We’ve wanted to do something to sharpen our skills and add some valuable experiences to our CVs (it’s all been very practical!) and a business game seemed like the ideal opportunity. The challenge organiser, CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accounting) is a big organisation of good reputation in the industry and their challenge is always tough but rewarding. So we thought why not!

Tell us about what the challenge specifically involved and what you as a team have achieved.

In this challenge, we played the role of a consulting firm to help a client, which is facing several strategic of financial issues. It’s just like a case study, but with more dimensions. In the first round, we were asked to hand in a report and in the UK Final, we did a presentation as well.

What have you got out of the experience?

It’s a very good opportunity to get some idea about how to be a good consultant and how to think like a real business leader. We’ve all learnt to think logically, think broadly, and deliver ideas to customers in an authentic environment. It’s especially helpful to those who want to study CIMA. We also got to network with a lot of top professionals during the UK Final.

Any advice you’d give to students considering taking part?

First of all, form a reliable and diversified team to help develop ideas from different perspectives, and secondly, put yourself in the client’s shoes to see if your work delivers value to them. For the first round of the competition, the only assessment will be the report you hand in. So make sure it has a clear structure and neat layout.

Business challenges take place regularly and with UCL Careers you’ll find help and support throughout the competition so you can really make the most out of the experience.

If you’re feeling inspired, find out more about how to get involved: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/students/skills/competitions

If you are looking for a graduate job now, or want to get an internship or some work experience this summer, come and meet over 40 employers with jobs, internships and training opportunities who are hiring now!

We have large employers offering places on their graduate schemes, as well as smaller organisations looking to grow their workforce with graduates and interns. Here are just some of the amazing roles and organisations you will find at Jobs Market:

• Arcadia Group with opportunities in Finance, Merchandising, Digital and Buying
• Bartonia Care who combine an entrepreneurial culture with roles in adult social care
• Capco with places on their associate talent programme in financial consulting
• Colas Rail with both engineering and fast track management roles
• KweekWeek with tech start up roles
• IMS Consulting Group with life science and healthcare consulting roles
• News Associates with places on their fast track journalism courses
• PwC with last minute places on their graduate programmes
• Teach First with places on their teaching leadership programme
• Willis with graduate roles in insurance and reinsurance

If you’re looking for graduate level work or experience now, you will find opportunities to suit you at Jobs Market.

When: Monday 9th June, 2:30 – 4:30pm

Where: 3rd Floor, ULU Building

Beat the queues on the day by confirming your attendance now at www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/summerevents

Come and meet over 40 employers with jobs, internships and training opportunities available with a summer/autumn start!

From big prestigious graduate schemes to smaller organisations and recruitment agencies offering a diverse variety of graduate jobs within finance, consulting, engineering, technology, media, sales &  marketing and charities & non-profits.

Employer confirmed so far include: Arcadia Group, Capco, Colas Rail, Freshminds, ICAEW, IMS Consulting Group, KweekWeek, Management Solutions, News Associates, Ocado, PwC and Urban Times plus many more.

When: Monday 9th June 2014 2:30 – 4:30pm

Where: 3rd Floor ULU Building

This is your one-stop shop to get on the career ladder this summer. To register: www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/summerevents