University of Glasgow Careers at the Mr. Stephen Shilton, Careers Adviser University Careers Service

Contents Graduate labour market How will GU help its students/graduates? How the Careers Service will help

Glasgow Graduates 2006 – 2011 (%) Year Entered Employment Further Study Employment & Study Not Available Seeking 2006 60 24 6 4 2007 59 7 2008 63 20 2009 23 8 2010 58 27 3 2011 22 2 5 3

GU v UK 2011 UK GU a In employment 63% b Further study 16% c Employment and study 8% d Not available for employment, study or training 4% e Seeking employment, study or training 9% 55% 26% 10% 3% 6% Due to rounding, sum may not be exactly 100%

Graduate Labour Market 60% Class of degree important Huge range of opportunities A degree is not enough! Get involved!

Employers’ Top 25 Attributes Analytical ability Flexibility Initiative Can summarise key issues Logical argument Adaptability (intellectual) Numeracy Adaptability (organisational) Can cope with pressure/stress Time management Rapid conceptualisation of issues Enquiry and research skills Self-confidence Willingness to learn Commitment Dependability/reliability Self-motivation Team work Communication skills (oral) Co-operation Communication skills (written) Drive/energy Self-management Desire to achieve Problem-solving

Graduate Attributes Subject Specialists Investigative Independent & Critical Thinkers Effective Communicators Resourceful & Responsible Confident Experienced Collaborators Ethically & Socially Aware Reflective Learners Adaptable

Researching & Writing Essays Subject Specialist Effective written communication Critical thinking

Part-time job Effective Communication – oral Ethically & socially aware Adaptable

GU – Employability Strategy Helps students realise they are developing skills Gives opportunities to develop them Helps students’ Career Planning Helps students to articulate! Here at GU we want you not just to gain your degree, but to become “employable” too. So how can GU help you with this? CS is working with academic departments to make sure that courses make students more aware of the skills they’re developing as they go. Whether your degree is Law or Philosophy, we want you to be aware of the skills you’re gaining and their undoubted relevance to the world of work. GU is expanding the opportunities for summer placements, and internships both here and abroad – for example we have a team of staff in CS whose main aim is to obtain placements in companies for students, and have well over 100 local companies offering summer placements. Effective Career planning begins early – not after the final exams! We’re encouraging students to undertake personal development planning, so that they can gain confidence from being aware of how they’re benefiting from University Life in its entirety, and actually plan how they’re going to develop. There are great web based tools to help you do just that. For example, using summer holidays wisely, in order to gain experiences relevant to any career aims – however vague. Articulate: Students also need to be able to explain to employers via CV/AF/at interview, that they have what they’re looking for. Hopefully these activities will help here, and CS will help you with CV/interviews not just for graduate jobs, but for your first summer job, or part-time work. 10

Get Involved! During studies Work experience Voluntary work Join clubs and societies Develop your interests

Work Experience “Nearly 2/3 recruiters warn: graduates who have had no work experience at all are unlikely to be successful during the selection process and have little or no chance of receiving a job offer for their organisations’ graduate programmes.” High Fliers Report 2011 Highfliers survey is published each year with reports in the broadsheets – this year 17,851 final year students were interviewed across the UK – gives a good picture of graduate recruitment in the UK… Demonstrates how important any work experience as a student is…. As I mentioned earlier, your degree discipline isn’t necessarily the most important factor in determining your career choice… Let’s illustrate this by looking at what some graduates from Glasgow have gone on to do…

Business Analyst with Melville Craig Celtic Studies Business Analyst with Melville Craig We’ll now look at what a few previous graduates were doing 6 months after graduating – see if you can guess! What has Celtic Studies got to do with Business analysis? Research, drawing conclusions etc

European Civilisation Production Manager with J & J Hastie Bakers I didn’t know that bakery industry is a measure of a society’s civilisation – then again…! Again, employer interested in the person – not just the degree.

Aeronautical Engineering Actuary with Hymans Robertson Rigorous mathematical content of this degree, proves useful in a job where mathematical ability is crucial. However, teamwork, interpersonal skills and communication skills also important, and this person must have convinced this employer that they had these too!

Politics / Sociology Journalist with Beirut Daily Star Of course lots of graduates do find employment more obviously related to their degree – lots move overseas too! 16

Sociology Tax Inspector with Inland Revenue Sociologists have to be numerate if they’re to be effective in analysing research findings. This obviously satisfied this popular employer… Tried to avoid helping them recruit but to no avail!! 17

English Literature / Film and TV Production Assistant with IWC Media IWC – based in Glasgow 18

Applied Maths / Statistics Careers Adviser Even a mathematician can have good interpersonal skills! 19

Applied Maths / Statistics Investment Analyst with Royal Bank of Scotland But of course, lots of them use their maths in their job. 20

Aeronautical Engineering Pilot with EasyJet It can happen – but not very often! 21

Physiology and Sports Science Assistant Sports Scientist with Hamilton Academical FC It can happen – but not very often! 22

Ecological Consultant with Envirocentre Zoology It can happen – but not very often! Ecological Consultant with Envirocentre 23

Social Worker with TACT, Ayrshire Zoology Social Worker with TACT, Ayrshire

Careers Service Help: Years 1-3 On-line Vacancy Service for term-time and summer work. ‘Prospects Career Planner’, a computerised guidance system. Appointments to see a Careers Adviser. Employer events – eg Internship Fair.

Careers Service Help: Year 4 Still unsure? Meet with a Careers Adviser. Attend Seminars on CVs, interviews, etc. Meet Employers at their presentations on campus. Attend The Spring Graduate Fair in Scotland 26

Questions? Please feel free to ask any questions regarding the careers service. www.gla.ac.uk/careers