Here are a few suggestions from the huge list of things that the University of Kent offers to students to help build your skills, knowledge and CV.
- Student Ambassador – You can either be a university ambassador or one for your school e.g an ambassador for the business school. This opportunity allows you to get out of your comfort zone and become involved in public speaking during Applicant and Open Days or lead tours around the campus and advise other students during reception desk shifts. Being an ambassador enables you to get to know other ambassadors on your team and is also paid.
- CV Competition – The CV Competition gives Kent students the chance to secure a two to four week paid placement in the summer with one of the sponsored companies such as Wildwood Trust or Romney Marsh Wools. All you have to do is submit a cover letter and CV. There are various positions available to suit individual interests and it’s a great easy way to gain extra skills to discuss during your year in industry interviews.
- The Enterprise Skills Award – This consists of four levels: beginner, intermediate, advanced and advanced with distinction. This award is designed to develop essential enterprise skills desired by any employer and consists of quizzes, attending a business workshop, entering a competition and creating a business plan.
- Employability Sessions – These sessions vary from booking an appointment to have your CV checked to mock interviews and careers workshops focusing on areas such as application forms and creating a LinkedIn profile.
- Volunteering Log – This encourages students to log their hours of volunteering work in order to work towards a bronze, silver, gold or gold plus KSCV/GSCV award. Once their hours are logged the log provides the opportunity to consider the skills gained from participating in the volunteering activity, making you realise the benefits of getting involved in volunteering and also provides an easy way to sum up your volunteering efforts on your CV.
- Employability Points Scheme – This rewards students for engaging in extracurricular activities through allocating points which may be collected at the end of the academic year and turned into valuable work experience opportunities or even paid internship positions. A benefit of securing work experience or an internship through the scheme is that you will be competing with less people and thus increasing your chances of acquiring the position. This scheme is another way that Kent aids students in building their CV and making them more employable and desirable to top companies.
Learn more about careers and employability at the University of Kent.