University of Manchester Careers Blog

As the holiday season approaches in the UK, I thought it would be nice to share some festive cheer, with a few treats! My gifts for December…… five online gems. The students I meet day to day are often unaware that these resources exist, and they could be a real asset to you too.

1)  One size does not fit all!….. how to find something that suits you

By now you are probably familiar with Careerslink (our online jobs and events database) but you could be feeliing disappointed if your dream job has not yet landed in your inbox. The reality, though, is that you could be looking in the wrong place! Whilst some job roles regularly appear on Careerslink, there are others that do not. It doesn’t mean the jobs are not out there, it’s just that they could be being advertised in a different way. If you want to take a closer look at a career area, why not consider two great sites that enable you to find out more about what the roles involve and just where (and how) these kinds of jobs get advertised. Whether you are considering the UK or overseas, these sites should help.

– Career Sector Pages – on the Careers Service website www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/students/options/sectors/

– Occupational Profiles – on the Graduate Prospects website  www.prospects.ac.uk/types_of_jobs.htm

2) “Seasons greetings”…..A little something to get you connected with others

The words “creative job hunting,” “networking” and “speculative applications” are real regulars in the careers staff dictionary of terms, but are not always adopted readily by students as a viable or valuable approach to job hunting – even though over 50% of all jobs are attained through such creative approaches. If you are ready to”go proactive” and are looking for ways to connect with others, your fellow alumni could be an excellent starting point and a resource to bring some festive cheer into your job hunt. The University of Manchester has an Alumni Association with over 3oo,ooo members – many from all corners of the globe which you can tap into. A great way to connect with Alumni whilst you are still a student is through LinkedIn. This online professional networking site includes a University of Manchester Alumni Association LinkedIn Group with over 13,000 members. Find out where former international graduates have gone on to work, network internationally and conduct some labour market research – there are lots of possibilities.

– If you are new to LinkedIn, find out more about its value for job hunting/networking at: www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/students/findingwork/networking/linkedin/

– To find out more about networking in general: www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/students/findingwork/networking/  

…and a few other international networks to consider: https://manunicareersblog.com/2012/11/08/want-to-boost-your-professional-networks-try-these/

3) Across the miles….but not too far away. A little something with global reach

Yes, it is certainly worth registering on Careerslink for vacancies outside of the UK – Asia, Africa, Europe and beyond… we post around 500 plus overseas vacancies online each year and you never know what might pop up when. However, we recognise that many (many, many) more positions are also out there. Two nuggets to put you in touch with the rest of the world:

– Going Global – We pay for access to this database so you don’t have to. With profiles of countries, a great organisation directory (for more countries than there are profiles for) and jobs and internships vacancies too, there is something on here for nearly everyone.  Access it through the “Additional Resources” tab of Careerslink.

– Country Pages – We also do an “own brand” version of Going Global to put you in touch with any other key sites and messages that we hear about. Fewer countries, but some more useful links.

(If I had a pound for every person who did not know about these pages, I would be a very rich lady!)

4) Piecing together the perfect gift

Unfortunately the gift of a job offer can take time, effort and perserverence. However, to know if you are on track, it can be useful to learn more about the skills employers look for, what employers really mean when they talk about them and ways to develop these skills in yourself. whilst at University. A real nugget on our Careers website is the Employability Skills section… just click in the cloud to learn more about the pieces that fit together.

Employability Skills  www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/students/employable/skills/howtodevelopyourskills/  

5) …  Wrapping it all up in red tape to finish!

A touch of irony with this one, I am afraid, but not really something to overlook. If you are set on gaining experience in the UK it is vital to know your way around UK work visa legislation. If you are applying to organisations that are not typically on the Sponsor Register  (Government bodies, NGOs, Charities, Schools etc etc), then you may have to seriously consider your options. Either get your experience before your student visa runs out, explore a short term Tier 5 visa (perhaps the BUNAC Intern visa) for up to 6 months or experience in another country. You can check whether organisations are on the register easily if you are not sure.

– For a useful introduction to working visas, employers’ perspectives and where to find out more on the International Careers Service pages – www.manchester.ac.uk/careers/international

-To access the Sponsor Register of Employers on the UKBA website:  (see the pdf document on the right hand side of the page) – www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/business-sponsors/points/sponsoringmigrants/registerofsponsors/

All the best for 2013!

Amanda