Careers Workshop for Sociology Undergraduates Viki Chinn LSE Careers

Today’s session Getting your CV into the YES pile The four key ingredients of cover letters Where to look for jobs and internships Using creative techniques to track down jobs and internships What NOT to do!

CV and covering letter: key principles Layout: easy on the eye Content: relevant & specific Language: concise & positive

CV content in a nutshell Personal details Education/Awards Work experience Extra-curricular Additional skills Referees

The sought-after profile ! Consistently good academic performance Awards, achievements Some work experience Extra-curricular activities Voluntary/community work People who can communicate, analyse information, problem-solve, work with others and learn on an ongoing basis

Assistant Qualitative researcher As a Sociologist you can demonstrate: Educated to degree level Ability to work in a team Ability to manage projects and work independently Research experience Understanding of main qualitative research techniques

CV Quiz 1)A CV should never be more than one page? 2)Do you need to state your marital status or gender on your CV? 3)Should you should always give your personal tutor as your referee? 4)To stand a realistic chance of success you need to send out at least 100 CVs? 5)The average time a recruiter spends looking at a CV is… a.Less than 30 seconds b.1 minute c.2 minutes

What NOT to do! Overapply! Overapply!! Overapply!!! Subscribe to the LSE panic! It’s all about research, motivation, and balance!

Covering letter – ICME! Introduction – who you are, what you want Competence – what you will bring to job, why you Motivation – why you want job, organisation Ending – upbeat Faithfully, sincerely Grammar, spelling, appropriate language

Before I talk about how to find internships…. Not the be all and end all-think creatively and relevant to year group. LSE Careers will only advertise internship opportunities that comply with national minimum wage legislation. We ensure that they are: with a charity, voluntary organisation, associated fund raising body or statutory body, or voluntary and pass the 'worker test' as described in the NUS and UCU advice on internships " Working for an MP could be considered to fall under the statutory body heading as MPs are paid by the House of Commons Commission, Working for an MP could also be considered as working for the Party which as a charity would be exempt. However many MPs are now not risking this as despite the possible exemptions it makes for a bad news story. LSE Internships are for a maximum of 15 hours per week and are considered voluntary.

Finding a job or internship Where are the best places to look for jobs and internships? What creative techniques can you use to track down jobs and internships?

Where Are All The Jobs ? Adverts Agencies / Head hunters Contacts Internal moves & promotions

Networking – what is it? Good networking is making the most of the people you meet to your mutual advantage Networking is using connections with others intelligently It offers both support and a resource to help you achieve your goals From “Brilliant Networking; Steven D’Souza

Don’t forget Professional bodies Specialist associations Attend talks and networking events Speculative approaches On-line networks

Why use it? Facebook for Business: Your Online CV Build a professional presence online Connect in a meaningful way with alumni and other “warm” contacts Research companies and career paths Explore opportunities with organisations who don’t recruit on campus Learn professional networking etiquette

QUESTIONS?