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Most University Careers
Services contain a wealth of useful information which is kept constantly
up to date - predominantly designed to be used on a self-service
basis.
When you first enter,
it can easily seem bewildering - especially if you don't know what
you want to do and/or don't know what you're looking for.
This section is intended
to help you use the facilities constructively, but if you can't
find what you need, there is usually an Information Assistant who
should be able to help you.
Most of
the material available is purely for reference, but Careers Services
usually also contain many booklets and factsheets that you are free
to take away to read at home.
WHERE SHOULD YOU START?
This depends where you
are in the cycle:
A.
No Idea
Make an appointment with
a Careers Adviser who deals with your subject.
While waiting for the
appointment, pop in to the Careers Service and pick up general information
that is available for you to take away.
If you can read through
this before the appointment then you'll be better prepared for the
meeting and probably get more out of it.
A good place to start
would be familiarise yourself, at least superficially, with the
range of possibilities available to a graduate in your subject.
AGCAS produce a range
of introductory booklets which you should find in your Careers
Service.
B.
Exploring Possibilities
Arrange a meeting with
your Careers Adviser to discuss your ideas, and supplement this
with your own research.
Visit your University
Careers Service and browse:
Occupation Files
These contain information
on different occupations - from Accountant to Zoologist - and contain
information on the nature of a particular career, the training required,
and the prospects.
Sector Files
You should also find
files dealing with employment sectors more generally, e.g. Transport,
which seek to give you an idea of the range of occupations available
in the field rather than information about a specific occupation.
AGCAS Booklets
Especially:
Video Tapes
You may find that your
Careers Service has a TV and video recorder/DVD for use by students.
Many videos are designed to supplement the information in the Careers
Service files and have been made by employers and other organisations.
You may have to book
a time to watch them.
C.
Selecting Probables
You have selected career
paths which interest you and you need to identify specific openings
you could apply for.
Check with your Careers
Adviser about the best time and way to apply, the likely competition,
etc.
Look at:
Employer Files
The information and brochures
contained in Employer Files will tell you about organisations, openings,
prospects, etc.
These obviously make
essential reading prior to an interview. However, while informative
about particular employers, remember that this is recruiting literature
selling you the benefits of particular employers and will not tell
you much about a particular occupation. (For this you should first
refer to the Occupation Files).
Employer Files are generally
arranged alphabetically. Many organisations command their own files.
However you may well find smaller employers are filed under "Other
Employers" (or similar) files at the beginning of each alphabetical
group.
If you cannot find details
of a particular firm:
- Consult employer directories
like Prospects and Hobsons Graduate Careers Guide - often available
free of charge for you to take away.
- Ask someone in your
Careers Service for help, but be aware that not all employers
produce recruiting literature and you may well have to contact
them directly to get your questions answered.
- Look
on the web - you can learn a lot from most employers' websites.
Vacancy Bulletins
Most University Careers
Services publish regular vacancy bulletins which contain summary
details of all vacancies notified to them by employers. These are
usually published monthly.
Information on specific
vacancies can usually be found in the relevant employer file.
Vacancies are of course
often published in a range of newspapers and Careers Services usually
keep an up-to-date collection of these for reference.
This content
is © The University of Hull.
Edited and reproduced with kind permission from John Franks - Head
of Hull University Careers
Service. All Rights Reserved.
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