Applications and interviews – University of Manchester Careers Blog

Have you heard of the practice effect? – it could transform your job hunting success

By Amanda Conway, Careers Consultant By now you will probably have already heard about psychometric tests and how they are regularly used by employers to shortlist and select candidates – you may have already encountered one of them! Around 70% of the major graduate employers now use some form of testing to gain insight into…

Writing a personal statement for a Masters course

Unless you are applying for Teaching or Medicine through UCAS this will be a completely different process for you. There are some universities which use the UKPASS system but most require a direct application to the postgraduate admissions contact for the course you are applying to. (You will find this on the university website when…

Have you got the right skills for the job? Think hard before you say no!

Faced with a job advert it is easy to give up, shrug and say I can’t do that I don’t have what they are looking for. It may not even be that clear what they are looking for! Don’t give up quite so easily – print out that job description, have a good rummage on their…

How to do your research for a covering letter or personal statement

Employers want to be sure that not only do you have the relevant skills for a particular job but you also understand what the organisation does, how this role fits in and what it involves. They want people who are making informed decisions and have a genuine passion for the job. You may always have…

Why generic CVs and cover letters end up in the bin!

You’ve just sent me a CV & cover letter for a job. You and possibly several hundred others so I’m going to spend just a few seconds skimming over it to see which pile you fit in. Yes, No or Maybe. I have a check-list of all the skills & qualifications I’m looking for and…

February News and Updates for Masters students

The work of the Careers Service is designed and delivered to give you control over your career (= job + life). None of us can ever have 100% control but through self-awareness and other skills of career management, you become more able to adapt and overcome adversities that are out of your immediate control, and…

January News and Updates for PGRs

A big welcome to all the new PGR students who’ve just arrived at the University of Manchester! Spring is in the air. It’s true. Leaving work in the evening, I’ve detected a glimmer of sunlight lingering in the western sky. More significantly, snowdrops, that well known harbinger of British Spring, have appeared in our garden…

Help! I need to ring or email an employer, what do I do?

As part of your job search it is inevitable that you will have to write to or ring employers. You may be applying speculatively for work experience, asking for more information about a job or have a query about the application process or interview. Employers are not ogres but they are busy and will have expectations…

5 popular employer selection tests for students, and strategies for handling them!

Written by Amanda Conway, Careers Consultant You open the email, it’s from the employer and (yes!) you’ve been invited for interview. But wait, you have to sit a test first? Is it time to panic, or are there any top tips for acing these tests and fast-tracking yourself onto the “selected” pile? We think so.…

Presentations – My Recent Experience and Top Tips

By Hannah Watson It’s that time of year when you may be getting called to assessment centres and interviews. What if someone asks you to give a presentation? In my Psychology degree I didn’t deliver presentations often. In three years I gave two presentations as part of coursework modules to a few classmates and tutors.…

University of Manchester Careers Blog

Tag: Applications and interviews