1. Careers Service Presentation
Frances McEwen
Careers Advisory Service
48 Prince’s Gardens

2. Getting Vacation Work How to impress employers
What opportunities for summer work/ internships are open to chemical engineers and where do you find them?
How can you impress employers ?
How can the Careers Service help you?
What next ?

3. How to get vacation work/ internship
Answer an advert
Speculative letter
Telephone
Network
Employment/recruitment agency
Visit

4. What kind of work ? Engineering
Research
Design
Running a pilot plant
Process technology
Manufacturing
Quality control
Control engineering
Environmental control
Plant design and build

5. What kind of work ? Using your background indirectly
Professional services -
Patent work, technical consultancy
Finance, accountancy, forensic accountancy, law, tax
IT and computing
Production management
Commercial management

6. What are employers looking for ?
Keen to find solutions to engineering problems
Analytical thinking
Assimilating and evaluating information
Project management
Team working
Communication – oral and written
Interpersonal skills
Persuading and influencing skills
Drive and resilience
Want to make a difference
International outlook

7. How to impress employers !
Gain technical skills in –
design
research
development
Develop skills in –
problem solving
team working
project managing
taking the initiative and the lead
commercial awareness

8. USP s Develop your UNIQUE SELLING POINTS Abilities
Engineering knowledge and skills
Project management skills
Interpersonal skills
Commercial awareness
Political awareness
Values
Standards you set yourself and what you accept in others
Interested and interesting

9. More Ways to Impress Employers
Find out about employers from their website, business pages of the FT
What have you found out from a company presentation, site visit, visiting speaker/special lecture in your department
about the culture, people that impressed you
Use the Chairman/ CEO’s Annual Report to find out about where the company is going. Do you want to go where they are heading and with them ?
Develop your criteria for what you are looking for in an organisation - size, success, research, products, services, advertising/ brand name

10. Mind your Language when Applying
Use positive words enthusiastic enterprising responsible
Use positive phrases good working knowledge of initiated contact with……
analysed stress on new materials
Use action words analysed coordinated developed diagnosed evaluated investigated presented persuaded streamlined

11. Who employs chemical engineers ?
Engineering consultants
Research organisations
Chemical companies
Pharmaceutical manufacturers
Food producers
Water companies
Petrochemical contractors

12. Where do you find them ? Check your department intranet careers pages
Talk to your tutors
Check professional institutions and trade associations
Engineering and Industry
Careers Service
JobsLive

13. More employers interested in chemical engineers
IAESTE
BUNAC
Shell STEP Programme
City and Guilds Internship Programme
TARGET Work Experience
for EU nationals

14. More Information Volunteering www.imperial.ac.uk/volunteering
Find out about
Engineers without Borders
WaterAid
EarthWatch
EnergyWatch
WasteWatch

15. Interests, Skills, Values
How do they inform your choices ?
How do they help you make a decision about what type of internship to go for ?
What do you hope to get out of this experience ?
How will this internship fit in with your longer term careers plans ?

16. What Next ? Explore the engineering opportunities open to you
Decide which organisations you want to apply to
Find out about employers relevant to your choices from departmental and society presentations, tutors, site visits, websites
Check deadlines for applications
Make your applications carefully

17. What Next ? Explore options related to your discipline
Find out as much information as you can about the sector and companies that appeal to you
Check out what competencies they are looking for
What evidence can you produce to convince an employer/ demonstrate that you can be successful in another field
related to your discipline
using the skills developed through your studies and coursework

18. More Resources to Help You
Vacation Work
Summer Jobs in Britain Summer Jobs Abroad, in the USA
Teaching English Abroad Work and Travel in Europe
The Australia and New Zealand Gap Pack
Work your Way Around the World
Files on International Exchange Schemes