Posts Tagged ‘Graduate’

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Part two: how employable are you? – guest blog

May 31st, 2011

By Janet Davies, editor of mygraduatecareer.com and myexecutivecareer.com.

Part two discusses further advice on how to improve your employability skills to boost your chances in a tough graduate job market.

IT literacy: It hardly needs to be said that being able to use some kind of word processing or spreadsheet programme and the internet is a given these days. However, if you have expert knowledge of particular programming languages or techniques, specialist software packages and skills in forms of media that are important to the role that you applying for, make sure that these are clearly outlined in your application.

Self-management: Management structures in most organisations are pretty lean these days – employers are looking for people who can manage their time and priorities effectively, who can take as well as give direction and feedback and who don’t need micro-managing. Being late for your interview, admitting that you hardly ever turned up for lectures or handed in coursework on time, or not being able to manage an assessment centre exercise designed to test your organisational skills, will all serve to undermine your perceived ability to manage yourself. When employers are handing out salaries, they expect to get an effective return on that investment so remember to make a good impression right from the beginning of the selection process. Besides, you’ll probably have to work quite long hours – being badly organised at work and taking longer than necessary to complete a task means less time for you to socialise and actually have a life as well!

Commercial awareness: Employers want to know that you are genuinely interested in their sector, the challenges it faces and the culture and customer ethos they need to adopt to achieve their objectives. If, for example, you are applying to work in management consultancy, they will expect that you understand current affairs, that you’ve bothered to read the customer publications on their website and done some background research. If you want to go into the Civil Service, interviewers may quite rightfully expect you to have an appreciation of who the leading figures in the Government of the day are, what the impact of the budget deficit is on public services and current affairs. Make some time to keep up with the outside world not just what is going on Facebook or YouTube.

Additional skills: Can you speak another language? Can you drive? Do you have any other skill, experience, achievement or contacts that will give you the edge when recruiters are sifting through hundreds of CVs?  Use them wisely – every little detail could mean the difference between you being at the top or the bottom of the recruiter’s list.

Your disposition: Employers like enthusiastic, motivated, driven, dedicated applicants who  know how to show initiative and may be capable of becoming the future leaders and wealth creators in their organisations. It’s the ‘X Factor’ that makes one candidate a winner and another an also-ran. They want to like you and they spend a lot of effort in their employer brand and values work to make sure you’ll like them. That’s the personal part for which there is no test, no exam and no guarantee. Still, it’s not all one way. Learn to smile at interviews but also trust your instincts – if you don’t like anyone you meet during the interview process and you don’t get a good vibe about the place, be very careful before you agree to work there!

Work experience: If you haven’t so much as served a pint in a bar or had some basic experience of work, you are at a serious disadvantage in the selection process. If you’ve had an internship or a work experience placement, you’ll have serious advantage. Internships and part-time jobs aren’t always easy to come by, but get some experience you must. Inspiring Interns can help you do just that!

If you would be interested in writing for our blog please email us – marketing@inspiringinterns.com

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Graduating without a cause: getting Vernon K in our T-shirt – guest blog

May 4th, 2011

Written by Faisal Chaudhuri for Indigo Clothing.

There is so much negativity about graduating and being a graduate at the moment that you can’t help but feel sorry for anyone with the prospect of finishing their degree anytime soon. Having graduated last summer I felt I was being thrust into the ocean of unemployment with just my mortarboard as a buoyancy device (a flimsy one at that).

The problem I had wasn’t so much that every second geezer seemed intent on highlighting the fact that there weren’t any jobs. Rather it was the fact that even if there were jobs I didn’t know what I wanted to do. What industry? What job role? What company size? They don’t really specify those things across 3 years of a social anthropology degree. I could instead tell you about the postmodern discourses of capitalism and the emergence of a plural sense of selfhood. I must have missed the bit about transferable skills.

I came to London with the hope that with a bit of house hunting with university mates and enough ‘this amazing bar has caged baby elephants’ nights that a job would emerge neatly into my new lifestyle. However I soon found out that jobs don’t grow on trees but in recruitment agencies that hunt for online CVs and rip roaring commissions. Having been approached by one and pretty close to the end of all my monetary funds I decided to pursue their offer for an analytical role at a research consultancy. It turned out that whatever abstract skills I had gained from lectures on the Oedipus complex of Trobriand Islanders was actually quite useful in corporate interviews testing your verbal reasoning. Within a couple of weeks things had turned around from being part of the impoverished unemployed to being gloriously employed and rediscovering the wonders of the calendar on Microsoft Outlook.

However the honeymoon period didn’t last long and I came to realise what a mind numbingly dull 9-5 office job can really entail. It really hit home that no matter how varied the role, if the material you are dealing with doesn’t raise your heart rate above resting level then you really are on a road to nowhere. I suddenly knew I wanted at least some creative element in a job role. However I also knew that such roles are also the most sought after and dependent on prior experience. I just had to go for it.

I went back to my university’s career service and started trawling through jobs again, finding my inadequacy being increasingly magnified by the long lists of abstract ‘candidate requirements’. Then when it was looking particularly despairing I came across a ‘digital marketing’ role advertised at a custom clothing company called Indigo Clothing. Not usually the type of company I would consider working for but it appeared that that the role was offering significant creative freedom with the company’s marketing, a rarity for a (seemingly) graduate level position. I sent in my CV speculatively and next thing I knew I was being interviewed by Indigo’s founder and managing director Alex. It turned out the interview went well and after a months break in between jobs I started in the New Year.

Working at Indigo Clothing has many things going for it, with the watching of football matches for new t-shirt slogans only being the start of it. More than anything though is the small size of the company that allows for a communal rather than a corporate atmosphere. Personally this has made such a difference, as people don’t feel they have to descend into hushed whispers to have a conversation about last night on The Only Way is Essex. In terms of my own role it has been a rare instance where all the hype surrounding the job description has not only been met but exceeded in creative scope. Digital marketing encompasses a whole range of things, and in a small but expanding company it can be filmmaking one day and hosting facebook competitions another. Considering that custom clothing doesn’t have a specific target market it allows for me to explore various avenues. Whereas an entire fashion shoot works for getting our name out amongst students it might take a single funny tweet to engage viewers of a television show.

One recent example of how exciting things can get was our ‘Stay on Your Feet’ t-shirt campaign. It all started with a tweet from Vernon K asking if there was a t-shirt printing company who could print the slogan. Without knowing what it was about we jumped on the opportunity and in no time we had a design, mini-site and blog ready. We also clarified that the slogan stemmed from a phrase repeated to the point of verbal diarrhoea by football commentator Ray Wilkins during the previous night’s Champions League match. Having pounced on allegedly the third largest trending topic globally on twitter at the time things then catapulted for Indigo over the next few days. Vernon K rang the office and tweeted about us, Ray Wilkins signed our t-shirt, we got a mention in the Metro newspaper and a shout out on Radio One! This truly was a case of the company going viral, and although I can’t claim this being an everyday occurrence, its one aspect of working at Indigo which does add a little…’glamour’.

There is no doubting that I have had a couple of lucky breaks to end up where I am, but the last 10 months has helped me figure out what a lot of what I want to get out of a job (including having multiple computer screens and a greasy spoon on my doorstep). Working at a place such as Indigo is not something I would have anticipated after graduating but it has definitely proved the perfect lead in to the creative industry. Boris t-shirt anyone?

Check out our main website at www.indigoclothing.com or if you fancy designing your own t-shirt head to www.indigo2go.com.

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Undergraduates worry as unemployment peaks

March 16th, 2011

UK unemployment has risen by 27,000 to 2.53 million, the highest since 1994.

The unemployment rate for 16-24 year olds is up by 0.8% to 20.6%, which equates to a hefty 974,000, while unemployment amongst 18-24 year olds is also at an all-time high at 18.3%.  Inevitably, three out of four students worry they will be out of work when they graduate this year.

A survey by PathMotion has found that over 40% of undergraduates also fear their degree has no relevance to the world of the work, making it harder for them to make their first mark in the world of work.

A tough job market and competition for vacancies is exacerbated by those coming towards the end of their careers that have been forced to stave off retirement to compensate for their unexpectedly low pension packages.  The ONS has stated that the number of over-65 year olds remaining in work has increased to a record high of 900,000.

Depressingly, whilst average earnings (including bonuses) in January have increased by 2.3% over the previous year, inflation runs at 4%.

How have you been affected by the job market?  Get in touch and let us know what you are doing to fight back against rising unemployment.

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Graduate unemployment figures highest in over a decade

January 27th, 2011

One in five of those who have left university in the past year are unable to find work within six months, it was reported yesterday.

According to the Office for National Statistics graduate unemployment doubled in the third quarter of 2010 compared to pre-recession and soared to its highest level since the mid-90s.

The data suggests graduates have been hit hardest by the economic downturn. It emerged unemployment amongst university leavers increased faster than the jobless rate in the UK as a whole. The figures showed that graduate unemployment rose from 10.6% to 20% compared to the 5.2% to 7.9% total rise of UK unemployment.

The report will be seen as the latest setback to the Government’s plans to stabilise public finances. Liam Byrne, the shadow work and pensions secretary, said: This is grim news for Britain’s graduates. We have to stop this becoming a lost generation. The Government needs to change course to create more growth and jobs.

The report comes one month after government voted to triple the cap on student tuition fees. Student leaders fear that the rise in tuition plus the latest figures will deter more young people from higher education.

In response to the statistics Aaron Porter, president of the National Union of Students, said: Graduates are encountering an exceptionally hostile jobs market and the Government persists with policies that put the burden of the country’s debt on the young.

Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union, said: Today’s graduate unemployment figures are further bad news for students and young people.

Those who do make it through university are going to face a difficult job market without support, but saddled with record levels of debt.

However it is not all bad news. This report follows recent research suggesting a rise in graduate opportunities took place towards the end of the year. The Association of Graduate Recruiters yesterday reported an 8.9% annual increase in graduate jobs. The improving jobs market was driven by a surge of vacancies at the end of last year, says the survey, with a forecast of a further 3.8% increase for this year.

Carl Gilleard, chief executive of the AGR, says, This is good news the graduate job market is finally picking up, however the fact salaries are predicted to remain the same and fewer employers are offering financial incentives, is evidence demand for jobs still greatly outstrips supply.

With such a demand for jobs and with statistics of 45 applicants for every graduate job in 2011, graduates need extra on their CV to give themselves a better chance of securing a career they want.

Chris Grayling MP, Minister of Employment, says the priority should be creating financial stability, and that a new government work experience scheme would help make young people more employable

At Inspiring we believe an internship can be the perfect stepping stone between university and life afterwards. An internship will give you valuable experience; key skills; and the potential to build up a network of contacts in your chosen industry. As a result graduates will face a far better chance of a securing a job they want and starting their career

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Benefits and Work Experience for Unemployed

January 24th, 2011

Employment Minister Chris Grayling announced today that jobseekers aged between 18 and 21 who wish to partake in job-related work experience will be permitted to do so for eight weeks while continuing to receive unemployment benefits. The current limit is two weeks.

It is a move that may be viewed as a reply to Labour claims that the coalition has abandoned young people by slashing the Education Maintenance Allowance, raising university tuition fees and ending the Future Jobs Fund.  However, accompanying the announcement, shocking figures were released showing that 260,000 young people are growing up in homes where no one has ever worked.  Further figures show that there are 600,000 young people who have never worked since leaving school or college.

In an effort to tackle the problems represented by these statistics, Grayling stated that the new scheme will give young people the chance to get valuable experience in a business for up to two months, which will make a real difference to their confidence, their employability and their prospects.

Under the new scheme those aged between 18 and 21 will be matched by Jobcentre Plus with employers looking for people to do work experience.  Leading employers backing the work experience extension include Homebase, Hilton Hotels, McDonalds, ISS Facilities Management, Chums, De Vere Hotels and Carillion.

Clearly the opportunity to gain work experience with such firms will greatly enhance any candidate core employability skills and to this end the changes represent a good start from the Government in terms of supporting work experience prospects.  However, it seems that said opportunities will be relatively limited to those within the specific age bracket who have not pursued higher education.  We would like to see the scheme extended to graduates who suffer from similar problems when it comes to gaining that all important work experience in order to kick start a career.  We tend to find that job centres are not geared towards dealing with graduates specific situation of having received three years of higher education but perhaps lacking certain work place skills employers seek.  In this case we feel that an internship is the perfect solution, giving graduates the opportunity to develop skills, increase employability and create a career.

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Why you should make a New Year’s resolution

January 12th, 2011

We are half-way through the first five day working week of 2011 and it is time to ask yourself a question.  Did you make a New Years resolution?  Of course you did.  And even if you haven’t consciously decided you have a New Years resolution, the chances are there is inevitably something you want to change about yourself or achieve this year.

Upon quizzing the Inspiring team about New Years resolutions for the purposes of this blog, the majority definitely fit into the latter category.

Of those that gave clean/legal responses, most of the team have decided that they will go to the gym more often and/or lead a healthier lifestyle.  The ever effervescent and apparently philosophical Ben (our CEO) informed me he planned to do into others as I would have them do to mean whilst Christina (HR executive) has decided to stop being stubborn (!?) and Leonie (HR executive), rather depressingly, has decided she needs a better life.

Upon asking Hannah (our newest marketing intern) the same question, I received possibly the most relevant answer to this blog.  In 2011 I plan to take every opportunity that comes my way.

If you are reading this blog it is highly likely that you are on the look out for a career or a career change and that you view an internship as a way into said career.  Maybe you’re thinking you’ll put off applications, that you’ll wait until next month or even the summer.  Whilst that is several months away, it’s never too early to start looking for an internship.  In fact, now is the perfect time.

There are always internships available throughout the year and those of you who get the applications in early stand a much better chance of securing the internship you want.

However, you may already have an internship.  In which case, why not consider a New Year’s resolution something along the lines of take full advantage of the opportunity.  Remember that in a working environment you are not only exposed to what could be a completely new industry but also those who are around you.  Networking during your internship creates huge advantages for you so do your best to develop relationships with potential mentors. You will be viewed as emerging talent and networking with new colleagues or those who work in the same industry will expose you to their experience and knowledge.  You never know, this could be a way of converting your internship into a permanent job or just a good way of developing working relationships which may come in handy in the future.

So there it is.  New Year’s resolutions.  It’s not too late to make one and perhaps making your target official will encourage you to go that little bit further to achieve it.

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Interns should be paid £2.50 an hour training wage

January 10th, 2011

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) is today calling on the Government to introduce a £2.50 an hour training wage for internships lasting for three months or longer.

The Government was urged by the CIPD to introduce legislation to create a formal training wage for interns to prevent exploitation. The idea is part of a number of measures suggested by the CIPD aimed at boosting the UKs economic recovery.  The proposed training wage of £2.50 an hour, which is the current minimum rate of pay for apprentices, would be introduced to cover all interns regardless of their occupation or industry sector.

Internships are swiftly becoming a prevalent feature on the road to employment, useful for both interns and for employers. However, for many potential interns the largest obstacle to undertaking a placement is financial restrictions.  In a previous CIPD report published in June last year research showed that more than a third (37%) of internships were unpaid. The result of this, critics argue, is that young people from well-off backgrounds or with good connections enjoy an unfair advantage in the job market. The CIPD believes that the training wage would help reflect the contribution an intern makes to an organisation, as well encouraging people from poorer backgrounds to apply. In the same way that university education has been opened up to people from a variety of backgrounds, so should internships.

The issue of National Minimum Wage (NMW) in internships also continues to be something of a legal grey area; as the CIPD notes the central issue of whether they should be paid remains unresolved. By creating a formal training wage for those on extended work placements, the Government will go a long way towards eliminating the marked discrepancies in internship remuneration across different sectors and companies, and create a clear framework for employers.

The CIPDs recommendation comes as part of their wider vision for the future. Their chief economic adviser, John Philpott, is calling for a step-change in the UK’s leadership and people management skills in order for country to keep up with its international competitors.

He says: The government wants to foster a strong, private sector-led, economic recovery, but we have yet to see a coherent strategy for economic growth to sit alongside the chancellor’s very clear-cut approach to reducing the fiscal deficit.

The coalition needs to show greater urgency in implementing measures to help boost the long-run supply side capacity of the UK economy, which must include efforts to boost productivity by improving the way in which businesses manage the people they employ.

Inspiring Interns fully supports the CIPDs proposal, as it strikes a fair balance for someone who is predominantly learning, but also making some contribution to their company. At Inspiring we believe internships are not just a source of practical insight but an essential part of the career ladder. The main purpose of an internship is to provide students and graduates with meaningful experience that enhances their employability and skills, however without financial support many potential interns cannot afford to undertake an internship. Companies are therefore missing out on the wealth of talent that interns possess.  The training wage represents an appropriate level payment for both young people and businesses.

At Inspiring Interns we not only offer quality work experience, but all of our internships also pay lunch and travel as a minimum, a sum which amounts to at least £2.50 an hour. We call on the Government to act on the CIPDs recommendations, many of which overlap with our own manifesto, and create legislation that will ensure fair remuneration and better quality experience for interns.

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Internship Live Chat

December 13th, 2010

This morning we at Inspiring Interns opened up our online live chat facility “ to great success!  Below is the transcript for those of you who missed out.  We will be hosting similar sessions in the near future so keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter accounts for further updates.

  • Alfred Smith Hi there, I’m looking for a sales and marketing internship and just came across your website. What kind of companies do you tend to work with?

12:05 PM 13/12/10

  • shmule hello there Inspiring….

12:07 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns Hi Alfred, we work with lots of different companies. Many of our clients are exciting young SMEs, which we think gives you great hands on experience, but we also work with bigger companies too.

12:07 PM 13/12/10

  • shmule are you able to do an internship for just 1 month as i dont think i can afford 3 months unpaid?

12:07 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns Hi Shmule, most of our internships are 3 months, however we do have some shorter term ones. Also, some of our internships are paid, and all of them are with a view to permanent employment.

12:09 PM 13/12/10

  • Ravi hi

12:10 PM 13/12/10

  • shmule OK then, that’s a help! thanks

12:11 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns Hi Ravi, how can we help?

12:12 PM 13/12/10

  • Ravi do you have any internships in IT? Support/development/consultancy? thanks

12:13 PM 13/12/10

  • Diane How does this internship work? You just apply with a CV and wait for an interview? Do we have to pay some sort of money once if you got an internship set up?

12:14 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns Ravi, we have lots of IT internships available, particularly support and development. You can see all of these opportunities our vacancies page.

12:17 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns Hello Diane, yes if you send in your CV (specifying what job or sector interests you) we will try and match you with any suitable vacancies. If we have something that matches your profile we will invite you into our office for a preliminary meeting and then send you out to companies.

12:19 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns Also, our service is completely free for candidates – we won’t ask you for a penny.

12:20 PM 13/12/10

  • Ravi Thanks – I will send you my CV for consideration shortly

12:21 PM 13/12/10

  • Ravi should i include a cover letter?

12:22 PM 13/12/10

  • Catherine What is your success rate for interns getting jobs at the end of placements?

12:24 PM 13/12/10

  • Diane Oh thank you . Also how is the interview like? what question would they generally ask? What sort of qualification you need to apply for the work experience role? Do u need a min. 2:1?

12:24 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns Great, thanks Ravi. A full cover letter isn’t necessary, but a quick note explaining what sort of areas you are interested in is useful.

12:25 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns Hi Catherine, around 65% of our interns become permanent employees at the company where they did a placement. If you factor in people who go on to get permanent jobs elsewhere after their internship, around 93% of our interns have paid jobs within a month of doing an Inspiring Internship.

12:27 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns Hi Diane, lots of questions! Deep breath…

12:27 PM 13/12/10

  • Diane Sorry…

12:28 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns No problem at all, we love the questions! Answers coming shortly…

12:28 PM 13/12/10

  • Catherine Thanks! What would be your top tip for making a CV stand out?

12:29 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns The interview here is quite relaxed, we just want to get to know you better and establish what sort of roles might suit you. We also give you the chance to film a video CV, which helps you impress potential employers.

12:30 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns We don’t look for specific qualifications, but generally our employers are looking for people with degrees. We don’t have a minimum requirement, sometimes someone with a 2.2 will be better for a particular internship than someone with a 2.1

12:31 PM 13/12/10

  • James Have you got any tips for prospective employees when they attend an interview?

12:31 PM 13/12/10

  • James An interview with a company besides yourselves* as part of an internship

12:32 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns Catherine – first and foremost check and double check for any spelling mistakes or similar. Otherwise don’t try and make it too flashy, keep it neat with a simple font and well-formatted. Also bullet-points and short paragraphs are far more likely to be read than long chunks of text.

12:33 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns Hi James, like with a CV always remember the simple things first and foremost – punctuality, politeness, appearance.

12:35 PM 13/12/10

  • Shelo Hey Catherine I’m a recent graduate in the web design field also in in for some top tips to I

12:35 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns At an interview you should also always ensure you know your CV inside out, and know how the experience you have will be useful for the role you are applying for

12:36 PM 13/12/10

  • Kat Hey, I’m a Canadian full time 3rd year Bachelor of Commerce student, specializing in Marketing and currently living in Norway. Just wondering if you accept applications from international students? I found you guys through Twitter

12:37 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns At an interview you should also always ensure you know your CV inside out, and know how the experience you have will be useful for the role you are applying for

12:36 PM 13/12/10

  • Kat Hey, I’m a Canadian full time 3rd year Bachelor of Commerce student, specializing in Marketing and currently living in Norway. Just wondering if you accept applications from international students? I found you guys through Twitter

12:37 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns Hi Shelo, if you are a designer your CV should be something of an advert for your skills – a word doc won’t get you very far if you are applying for design roles.

12:38 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns Hi Kat, pleased to hear you tracked us down on Twitter! We welcome applications from international students, so feel free to send in your CV!

12:39 PM 13/12/10

  • Kat Thanks, good to know. Are your current vacancies for an immediate start date? I’m looking for summer placements and can’t seem to find the start dates on your postings.

12:41 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns Hi Kat, yes the vast majority of our placements are for immediate starts. You can still send in your CV, saying you are interested in summer placements, and we will keep you on file until we start receiving summer internship roles.

12:43 PM 13/12/10

  • Kat Great! Last question–is there any support in place either from you or the employer in terms of finding accommodation, getting work permits, etc.? I’m actually visiting London this week for my first time

12:46 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns Unfortunately we’re not experts on work permits or accommodation, all we can do is try and point you in the right direction. But we’ll do our best to help!

12:48 PM 13/12/10

  • Kat Alrighty, thanks for your help!

12:50 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns No problem at all Kat!

12:51 PM 13/12/10

  • Jill Hi Inspiring, I graduated this year but I’m currently doing a job I don’t enjoy. Do you think that doing an internship is a good way of initiating a career change? Or should I stick out this this job?

1:02 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns Afternoon Jill! Sorry to hear you’re not enjoying your job. If you are set on changing jobs an internship can be a great bridge to a new career path. You need to think seriously about what you want from your work, and if sticking out your current role might provide you with this.

1:05 PM 13/12/10

  • Alfred Smith Okay so if I do get an internship…are my expenses paid?

1:06 PM 13/12/10

  • Sam Hi there, I’ve got a general question about the internships advertised on your site. Do you take them down once the positions are filled? I’ve noticed some vacancies are a few months old and was wondering whether it would still be worth applying. Thanks.

1:07 PM 13/12/10

  • Guest Hi, i am at an internship I don’t enjoy should I stick it out or find another?

1:07 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns Hi again Alfred – yes all of our internships cover your lunch and travel expenses as a minimum, and some are paid positions.

1:07 PM 13/12/10

  • Stacey Hi! How can a candidate with a 2.2 degree prove themselves to be worthy of a position against their competitors with a better degree? Thanks

1:08 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns Hi Sam, yes we do take filled roles down. If they are still there they will still be open, so apply away!

1:08 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns Hi guest – the great thing about an internship is you are under no obligation to stay if you’re not enjoying it (unlike say a first job). So if you don’t feel you are getting enough out of your internship it might be time to look for another.

1:10 PM 13/12/10

  • Guest Would a string of internships look bad on my CV? i feel if i leave it will look like I’m not committed

1:11 PM 13/12/10

  • Guest Would a string of internships look bad on my CV? i feel if i leave it will look like I’m not committed

1:11 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns Hello Stacey! If you have a 2.2 the key is to focus on all the things you have to offer an employer beyond your degree. You might have some relevant experience, or used your time at university to do extra-curricular activities that stand you in good stead for your first job.

1:12 PM 13/12/10

  • Stacey thanks very much!

1:13 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns Guest – inevitably if you have done 4 or 5 placements you might get questions about your commitment, but I wouldn’t worry if you’ve left one with good reason. But make sure you take the time to ensure your next position is the right fit for you.

1:13 PM 13/12/10

  • Guest Thanks. Also if i was put through for an internship at your site how long will it take to hear if i was successful for an interview?

1:14 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns If you apply for one of our internships and are successful in reaching the next stage you will hear from us within five working days. Unfortunately because of the volume of applications we can’t reply to every unsuccessful application.

1:15 PM 13/12/10

  • Sam How does the process work? Do you decide to put us forward for interview, or do you pass our CVs on to the employer who then decides? Thanks.

1:17 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns Sam, if we think you’ll be a good fit for one of our internships we’ll give you a ring and invite you into our office for a meeting. There we’ll discuss your interests and offer you the chance to film a video CV. After that we’ll send you forward to the employer

1:19 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns Thanks very much for all the questions so far, keep them coming! Just over half an hour left…

1:24 PM 13/12/10

  • Sam Sounds great! So how long does the whole process take, from our application until potentially meeting the employer?

1:26 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns Depending on how busy we are and how busy you are, it could be as little as two or three days. On average I would say 7-10 days.

1:28 PM 13/12/10

  • Seamus Hi Inspiring. If I send my CV in today how long should I expect to wait before hearing from you?

1:34 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns Hi Seamus – thanks very much for sending in your CV! If we have any suitable roles for you we will be in touch within 5 working days. If we don’t have anything at the moment we will keep your CV on file in case anything comes up in the future.

1:36 PM 13/12/10

  • Karl Hi there just saw this on Facebook. I was just wondering – will I get training during my internship?

1:46 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns Hi there Karl – yes the point of an internship is to develop your skills so your employer will provide you with mentoring and training. All good internships should do this.

1:48 PM 13/12/10

  • Guest If we didn’t hear back after applying for an internship and want to apply again with an updated CV, is this ok? Would my CV get considered again?

1:54 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns Hi guest, yes do send an updated CV in. We’ll have another look and if we have anything suitable we’ll be in touch!

1:56 PM 13/12/10

  • Guest what about if we’re looking at a specific position that we’ve already applied for? it’s okay to apply again?

1:58 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns Yes do apply again, but if you were unsuccessful first time perhaps write a quick cover note explaining why you feel you are better suited now.

2:01 PM 13/12/10

  • Inspiring Interns Right thanks to everyone for taking part, hope it’s been useful! The transcript will appear on our blog later today. Bye!

2:06 PM 13/12/10

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Posted in CV & Interview Tips, CV & Interview Tips

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Fee reprieve for poorer students?

December 7th, 2010

This week the Government is to vote on whether to back coalition proposals to increase the cap in fees from £3,375 to £9,000 from 2013. Ahead of the vote, it has been announced that thousands of university students from less well off backgrounds may have their tuition fees paid for up to two years under a new scheme proposed.

David Willetts, the Universities Minister, has said that up to 18,000 students may be eligible for the cash which would come from the £150m National Scholarship Programme, unveiled by Vince Cable last month.  Students from poorer backgrounds would be exempt from their tuition fees in their first year of study at universities that charge up to £6,000. Those at universities charging £9,000 a year would be eligible for an additional year of free tuition paid by their institution.

This announcement follows intense pressure from student groups protesting across the country, with particular anger directed at the Lib-Dem leader Nick Clegg and all other Lib Dem MPs, who signed a pre-election pledge to vote against any rise.

National Union of Students president Aaron Porter appears sceptical of the plans, believing that the proposal will have very little impact on rising student debt.

Clearly the aim of this announcement is to soften the blow in the case of any fee rises whilst leaving the door to university open to those from less affluent families.  Do you believe this new announcement will encourage students from less well off backgrounds to go to university?  Or will it be too late, leading to a return to the dark ages of elitism within university education?

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Posted in Debate, News

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Why aren’t you on Twitter?

November 28th, 2010

As a thoroughly modern, cool, exciting (and very modest) company, Inspiring Interns spends a lot of its time browsing the Twittersphere, keeping a beady eye out for industry developments, potential clients, friends anything useful or interesting. Inspiring has found Twitter to be a great tool for connecting with people, following trends and spreading our own gospel.

So it came as something of a shock when news reached Inspiring Towers that Twitter has a low take up among 18-24 year olds compared to other social networks. The common accusation levelled at the micro-blogging site is that it is a poor mans Facebook status update, a mere forum for sharing your daily tedium (I had eggs for breakfast!! ;-) ). Undoubtedly this sort of post does make up a share of Twitter traffic, but by no means does it define it.

Twitter is about engaging with anyone who interested you. Not just friends (as in Facebook), not just professional contacts (as in LinkedIn), but absolutely anybody you feel might have something worthwhile to say or to share. That might be a celebrity (Inspiring Interns follows @stephenfry), a journalist (@jan_murray, education journalist), or something completely random (@sesamestreet ?!).

Of course, Twitter isn’t just for pleasure. Increasingly recruiters are using it as their tool of choice for sourcing candidates. When job hunting Twitter is also a great way to find and get in touch with key decision makers you might not reach otherwise. You can find some good tips here.

The reach and influence that Twitter commands is clearly increasing. Restricting anything to the now ubiquitous 140 character limit is, to use Twitter parlance, trending – from the Bible to CVs. There are even surveys demonstrating that Twitter users are more likely to get a job, so well-practised are they in the art of being concise.

T-Mobile is even running a competition where business owners and entrepreneurs can send a straight-talking pitch on why their business is so great in (you guessed it) 140 characters. With a first prize of £2000 and two second prizes of £1000, being an expert Tweeter could prove to be a very valuable tool.

So with all these benefits, the one question remains for 18-24 year olds: why aren’t YOU on Twitter?

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Posted in careers advice

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