When looking at different universities to apply to, one of the most important things you’ll be thinking about will be how your time at university will help you to get a job. Luckily, here at Kent there are loads of opportunities to boost your employability alongside your degree, meaning that you can graduate not only with a worthwhile qualification in your chosen field, but transferable skills and work experience too.
Firstly, the University of Kent has a dedicated Careers and Employability Service that hosts regular events and workshops, such as CV checks, throughout the academic year. They also organise the careers fair in October, which gives you the opportunity to meet representatives and recruiters from a wide range of employers face to face. On top of all that, they run an Employability Points Scheme, which allows you to earn points on activities that boost your employability, with the chance to win rewards and apply for exclusive internships at the end of the year. I would highly recommend taking advantage of the Careers and Employability Service as they have so many resources and contacts to offer you.
The University’s academic departments also offer many activities to boost students’ employability during their time at Kent. Keep an eye out for opportunities for years in industry or abroad, as well as departmental networking events. Furthermore, some modules offer the chance to combine taught content with volunteering or work experience. For example, I’m currently studying an ‘In the Classroom’ module, where I spend half my time in lectures and the other half volunteering as an assistant teacher for languages in a school. It’s really rewarding as it allows me to gain work experience alongside my studies, even if the early school mornings were a shock to the system at first!
Lots of the activities you take part in during your university life will be unexpected sources of transferable skills too. For example, serving on the committee of your favourite society will demonstrate a wide variety of skills, such as leadership, organisation and good communication. So even pursuing your hobbies at university, however unrelated to your subject, can look valuable on your CV.
There’s no need to worry about how your time at Kent will help you to get a job in the end- the university already has that covered. There are loads of opportunities for you to take advantage of, meaning that you can graduate with a range of skills and experience under your belt as well as academic knowledge.