2. Information about……
• Application forms
• Curriculum Vitae
• Interview skills
• Working in the UK during your studies
• Including – part time work, internships and placements
• Resources available from CEC
3. Application forms
What are they for?
1. Employers use application forms to pre-select a manageable number
of suitable candidates for a particular job.
2. They select against a list of criteria (skills and experience) and to get
selected for interview, you have to match this criteria.
3. Many graduate application forms are online but some employers,
such as the public sector, still use more traditional application forms.
4. Application form - Getting Started
1. Know why you are applying to help you make a good application.
2. Find out about the company and the job
3. Employers often use competency based questions for applications
4. Look at the key words in the person specification
5. How do you match the job description & person specification.
6. Allow time to complete the form ahead of any deadline
5. Application form – types of questions
1.Straight forward questions..
‘Please list your qualifications…..’
2.Empty page questions 'Please use this space to explain why
you should be considered for this position….use additional
pages if you need to’
3.Complex questions
‘Describe an occasion when you have had to explain
something complicated to someone? Why was it important
and how did you approach it?’
6. Application form – STAR formula
S situation or scenario
T task or challenge
A action, what did you do?
R result, positive outcomes
7. Application form - example
Eg. Organisation skills
I worked as an activity leader on a children's summer camp in
America. There were ten leaders and due to bad weather we had
to come up with a plan to keep the children busy indoors. I
suggested we brainstorm some ideas and then get into groups of
three to spend an hour developing one idea each. I then drew up a
rota so that we all knew what we were doing and when. The extra
activities were popular and the other leaders were happy to have
shared the workload and limited the amount of additional work.
8. Application form - tips
Work in draft first
Follow guidelines for on-line applications
Check for spelling and grammar
Complete all the sections of all the questions
Be positive!
9. CV design
A CV usually contains the following information:
•Personal details such as name and contact details
•Education history
•Employment/voluntary work
•Skills and experiences
•Achievements
•Interests and hobbies
•References
10. CV design
Curriculum vitae
•Two pages in length - clear layout, you can
use headings to separate sections
•A personal profile/objective - optional but useful
•Ensure that you check the spelling and grammar
•Be concise and use tools such as bullet points, and spacing
•Make a positive impression on the first page so the
employer is immediately
aware of what you can do
11. Part time working in the UK -
Working in term time
• Students on a Tier 4 visa are usually allowed to be in paid employment for
up to 20 hours per week during term
• Only Undergrads can work full time during the vacation.
• Postgrads can work full time after the official end of their programme
• Restrictions include self employment , professional sportsperson or
entertainer
• The University recommends that you only undertake paid work for up
to 15 hours per week if you are an undergraduate (20 hours per week
if postgrad)
• Jobs advertised our website www.sussex.ac.uk/careers/jobs/
12. Part time working in the UK –
The things you need to know
• Minimum wage (£6.70 an hour)
• Income Tax (payable if earning
over £10,660 per year)
• National Insurance (payable if
earning over £155 per week)
• You must have a NI number
0345 600 0643
• Complete forms possibly attend
interview at Job centre
13. Organisations interview candidates to
find out:
• If they can do the job, i.e. relevant skills and experience?
• Will they do the job, are they motivated?
• Do they fit in with the culture and team?
• Interviews are a key part of the recruiting process and it is
crucial to be well prepared.
14. Interview - preparation
o Make sure you prepare
oRemember it’s a two way process
oKnow your CV inside out
oRevise the job specification
oPlan what to wear
oSmile
15. Career planning sessions
this term..
Tuesday 29th Sept 3-4 – Get hired! Practical advice on applying for placements, internships & jobs
Most Tier 4 students can work part time and also apply for a professional placement year or vacation
internship (sometimes called a vacation scheme). Knowing when and how to apply is crucial if you want
to take advantage of this opportunity. This session will prepare you to make winning applications.
Tuesday 6th Oct 10-11 – 10 effective job search strategies
Not sure where, when or how to start looking for vacancies, or how to organise your job/placement
search? This session will provide 10 logical steps to help you to make positive applications and approach
employers with confidence.
Wednesday 14th Oct 12-1 – How to build and promote your employability skills
‘Explain how your skills and experience meet the job description’ - most application forms will include a
question asking you to explain why you are the best person for the job. In this session you can explore
your skills and experience in advance
so that you will be able to answer this
question and make a positive impression.
16. Wednesday 4 November
11am – 3pm
The Amex Stadium
120+ exhibitors…
1 iconic venue!
All students welcome!
Sponsored by:
www.sussex.ac.uk/careersfair
17. How to get more help…
• Briefings – Sussex plus, Finding work, CVs, Applications..
• Careers Advisers available daily 10-5pm
• Events – listed on news & events page
• Follow us on twitter & face book
• Careers and Employability web site
• www.sussex.ac.uk/careers
Editor's Notes
welcome and introductions
lunch time briefings occur everyday – CVs, Sussex plus, pt work and IS briefing
flexible session try to cover what ever you want to discuss
.
There are many different styles of CV, some of you will be used to a CV that is longer, shorter, more detailed or less, with or without a photo (Global resumme book for examples of CV from around the world)
Generally in the UK these are the guidelines…….
Taylor your CV to the job, it may be different to your friends CV, the important thing is that is does you justice and demonstrates your skills and experience (not necessarily in paid work)
Students from outside the EEA are restricted to the number of hours you can work each week during term time. The University of Sussex guidelines recommend that undergraduate students work for a maximum of 15 hours per week during term time. Some postgraduates find that they can fit in 20 hours per week but this will depend on you and your course. Before undertaking any employment you should satisfy yourself that your studies will not be affected.
Many students work full-time during vacations. Vacations are the times outside the academic year ie the term dates. Full-time work in the UK is normally seen by employers as around 37 hours a week.
A lot of you will be interested in finding work on campus. The University policy is to advertise part time jobs to students so jobs do come up. The University often employs students to work in administration positions and also to help out at events such as Open Days and our graduate recruitment fair.
Jobs on campus are very competitive and go quickly so make sure you make a good application and apply early. We can help you with your CVs, application forms etc
So, once you’ve established that you can work part time whilst you’re studying, here are the additional things you need to know
There are 2 levels of minimum wage
£6.08 aged 21+
£4.98 aged 18-21
Jobs advertised on our website will be at least £6.08
All workers in the UK are subject to income tax, including students. However there is a threshold which you can earn without paying tax. During the tax year 2011/12 this is £7475 per year. Further information about income tax and which forms you need to fill in when you start work are available from our website.
National Insurance number – all workers in the UK need to have one. If you weren’t here at age 16 you won’t have one so you need to apply. Full details of how to get a number are on our website
If you earn more than £139 a week and up to £817 a week, you pay 12 per cent of the amount you earn between £139 and £817.
Jobcentre Plus will arrange an 'Evidence of Identity' interview for you or send you a postal application.
The interview will usually be one-to-one (unless, for example, you need an interpreter). You will be asked questions about why you need a National Insurance number, your background and circumstances
Health and safety – you should have a health and safety induction when you start work. This will cover things such as who to contact in an emergency and fire regulations.