Author Archives: Miriam Sandiford

Applying to graduate schemes and jobs

As we come towards the end of a very different autumn term, everyone is in need of a well-deserved rest! If however, during the vacation period, you are looking to apply for graduate opportunities, below we have a few ways in which you can do this and how to prepare for the application process!

Graduate Schemes
If you are in your final year, you might be applying to graduate schemes. Graduate schemes are structured training programmes, providing you with responsibility early on, skills development and hands-on experience. Opportunities for 2021 start, are still available to apply to, but deadlines are coming up soon!

Where to find graduate schemes? careers.kent.ac.uk, Prospects, Milkround, TARGETjobs, Times Top 100 Graduate Employers and Bright Network all advertise schemes!
Access our Finding a graduate job workshop on Moodle: DP4450 for advice when applying
Attend our skills workshops to prepare for the assessments (virtual assessment centres, application forms, interview workshops coming up!). Book online Target Connect

Graduate Jobs
It’s important to remember that graduate schemes aren’t the only option for graduates, and in fact only a small percentage go on to a graduate scheme. You can find graduate jobs in big and small / medium sized businesses, across all industries. Entry-level roles can be available all year round, so keep looking on job sites for opportunities as we head into the spring term.

Where to find graduate jobs? Our Find a Job webpage has many useful job links.
Tip! Ensure you CV is up to date before you start applying! You want to make sure your CV includes your degree, any relevant experience (internships / placements), as well as, any extra-curricular activities that you have undertaken whilst at university (e.g. societies, Ambassador and Student Rep roles, volunteering).

Preparing for the application process

If you are in the midst of going through the recruit process, you could be asked to undertake various assessments. These can range from psychometric tests, video interviews and assessment centres. To help you prepare and feel confident when completing these, we offer many opportunities to practice!

Practice psychometric tests and video interviews via Graduates First. Practice numerical, verbal, situational judgement, game-based and assessment exercises are free to use! Login on the Graduates First website
Have your CV / Application reviewed by an Adviser. We have online appointments available during term time and the vacation period. Book a Quick Advice appointment
Attend a virtual skills workshop to help you prepare for interviews, CVs and selection tests. Workshops are running until the 18 December!
Book a practice interview with an Adviser, to help you with your interview technique, and receive feedback for self-development. Book a Practice Interview

Gaining work experience (Stage 2 advice)

As we come towards the end of a very different autumn term, everyone is in need of a well-deserved rest! If however, during the vacation period, you are looking to apply for industrial placements or gain some work experience, below we have a few ways in which you can do this and how to prepare for the application process!

Industrial Placements
If you are looking to complete a year in industry, as part of your degree, placement providers are currently advertising! Below are a few starting points when searching for placements:

Where to find placements? careers.kent.ac.uk, Prospects, TARGETjobs, Milkround, RateMyPlacement all advertise placements!

Visit our placements page, for advice and resources

Attend our skills workshops to prepare for the assessments (virtual assessment centres, application forms, interview workshops coming up!)
Search placements on our jobs portal for placement opportunities

Summer Internships
If you are in your second year, you might be applying for summer internships. Although opportunities have been affected due to Covid-19, there are still internships advertised for next summer, particularly with large graduate employers.

Where to find summer internships? careers.kent.ac.uk, Prospects, e4s.co.uk, Gradcracker (STEM), RateMyPlacement and Bright Network all advertise summer internships!

Which industries are offering internships? Finance, Law, Tech, Consulting, Retail and more!

Attend our skills workshops to prepare for the assessments (CVs, application forms and interview skills workshops are running until the 18 December!).
Book online via Target Connect
Book a Quick Advice appointment to have your CV/application checked

Preparing for the application process

Practice psychometric tests and video interviews via Graduates First. Practice numerical, verbal, situational judgement, game-based and assessment exercises are free to use! Login on the Graduates First website
Have your CV / Application reviewed by an Adviser. We have online appointments available during term time and the vacation period. Book a Quick Advice appointment
Attend a virtual skills workshop to help you prepare for interviews, CVs and selection tests. Workshops are running until the 18 December!
Book a practice interview with an Adviser, to help you with your interview technique, and receive feedback for self-development. Book a Practice Interview

Gaining work experience (advice for first years)

As we come towards the end of a very different autumn term, everyone is in need of a well-deserved rest! If however, during the vacation period, you are looking to gain work experience or try something new, below we have a few ways in which you can do this, even remotely!

Insight Schemes
If you are in your first year, you might be applying to insight schemes. Although opportunities have been affected due to Covid-19, there are still insight schemes advertised for next year, particularly with large graduate employers.

What are insight schemes? Insight schemes provide students with an introduction to the professional environment and culture of a company / organisation. They typically last between one to ten days, and take place during the Easter break.

Where to find opportunities? careers.kent.ac.uk, Prospects, e4s.co.uk, Gradcracker (STEM), RateMyPlacement and Bright Network all advertise undergraduate opportunities!

Which industries are offering these? Finance, Law, Tech, Consulting, Retail and more!

Attend our skills workshops to prepare for the assessments (workshops including CVs and application forms are running until the 18 December!). Book online via Target Connect

Book a Quick Advice appointment to have your CV/application checked

Virtual Internships
Virtual internships are flexible, online opportunities, where you can undertake remote experience. Many virtual internships exist in areas such as tech, marketing and social media roles. Some employers will give you project work to complete over a period of time, and you may have regular catch-ups with the employer.

Others are more flexible, allowing you to complete them in your own time, such as The Forage, which offers free open-access virtual internships. Great for building your commercial awareness! Opportunities include those in Law, Design, Tech, Investment Management, Banking and more!

Where to find virtual internships? The Forage, RateMyPlacement and Indeed all advertise remote working / virtual internships.

Volunteering (including virtually!)
Volunteering is a great way to gain experience and develop your soft skills, you can even volunteer from home!

Where to find volunteering opportunities? Some useful websites include Volunteering Matters, Studenteer, Reach Volunteering and Do it.org
View more resources for gaining voluntary work, on our How to develop your skills at home guide

Wear a face mask at all times in the Templeman Library

Following recent changes to Government guidance you must wear a face covering at all times when you are in the Templeman Library (unless you have a legitimate reason not to).

You will now have to wear a face covering when you are seated in a study space. Study on your own in the socially distanced study spaces – do not gather or work in groups or ‘bubbles’.

Your safety and wellbeing is our priority. We will continue to regularly review our guidelines and adjust as appropriate.

Wellbeing art kits are back! (With free UK postage)

Whether you’re travelling home for the winter vacation, staying in your term time city centre home or campus accommodation, you can have a Wellbeing art kit sent to your door for some festive, crafty relaxation.

Espression Arts in Canterbury has teamed up with Student Support and Wellbeing to offer these decorate at home kits at a cheaper price for Kent and KMMS students. Simply the discount code KentStudent2020 and your University of Kent email address - postage is absolutely free for you and covered by the University of Kent.

What’s in it?

Each Kit comes as a mixed media pack with everything you need to create a wonderful, personalised work of art wherever you are. Kits include your selected ceramic decoration shape with a hole for hanging (approx 8cm x 8cm), 3 colours of acrylic paints (various colourways available) glitter and sequins can be added (with glue provided) to brighten up your creation and add sparkle! Designs can be applied front and back for double the fun. Once completed your decoration can be hung on the ribbon provided to give to a loved one or to keep for yourself – full user instructions provided.

Get yours before they run out!

Go ahead and purchase your discounted kit (300 subsidised kits for students available at only £4.50) by 10 December, giving the UK postal address at which you will be from 14-19 December when you check out.

If you have any queries, please email wellbeingevents@kent.ac.uk with your order number and address.

Disability History Month events

Have you looked at any of the calendar of scheduled events for UKDHM? This year’s Disability History Month challenges us to consider ‘Access: How far have we to come? How far have we to go?’ If local television channel KMTV’s report is anything to go by, accessibility might still be an afterthought in Kent as a county.

One event coming up is the Neurodiversity Workshop: Understanding and Accepting neurodivergent ways of experiencing the world. This event takes place Thursday 3 December 11.30-12.30. Book your place now.

Check out #DHMKent20 on Twitter, Instagram and Twitter for up to date info on events, or to see people’s opinions and debates on these issues.

What’s been your experience of inclusion or accessibility at the University of Kent so far? If you’d like to have a louder voice of influence, you could join the friendly student-led Accessibility Network at Kent – join the Facebook group or check them out on Instagram: @ukcaccessibilitynetwork or Twitter: @NetworkUKC to see what they’re up to. You can also email accessibilitynetwork@kent.ac.uk for information on joining socials and events.

Together, we can #MakeKentAccessible.

Applying for work opportunities during lockdown

As we begin a new week, our theme for lockdown focusses on applying for work opportunities. Whether you are in your first, second or final year, there are vacancies advertised for all stages! Below we have covered graduate schemes, internships and placements, sharing a few ways to find opportunities and help when applying.

Where to find graduate schemes? careers.kent.ac.uk, Prospects, Milkround, TARGETjobs, Times Top 100 Graduate Employers and Bright Network all advertise schemes!
Access our Finding a graduate job workshop on Moodle: DP4450 for advice when applying
Attend our skills workshops to prepare for the assessments (virtual assessment centres, application forms, interview workshops coming up!). Book online Target Connect

Internships
If you are in your first or second year, you maybe applying for summer internships. Although opportunities have been affected due to Covid-19, there are still internships advertised for next summer, particularly with large graduate employers.

Where to find summer internships? careers.kent.ac.uk, Prospects, e4s.co.uk, RateMyPlacement and Bright Network all advertise summer internships!

Which industries are offering internships? Finance, Law, Tech, Consulting, Retail and more!

Attend our skills workshops to prepare for the assessments (virtual assessment centres, application forms, interview workshops coming up!). Book online Target Connect

Book a Quick Advice appointment to have your CV/application checked, before applying

Where to find placements? careers.kent.ac.uk, Prospects, TARGETjobs, Milkround, RateMyPlacement all advertise placements!

Visit our placements page, for advice and resources

Attend our skills workshops to prepare for the assessments (virtual assessment centres, application forms, interview workshops coming up!)

Search placements on our jobs portal.

Changes to your Student Data System (SDS)

On Monday 30 November, the Student Data System (SDS) website will be unavailable while it is upgraded. The new site will be fully accessible and mobile friendly.

The look and feel of the site will change but the most frequently used features will still be available and can be accessed the same way.

(click to expand – view from phone and from desktop).

Coming soon on SDS

When the new-look SDS launches on Monday 30 November you won’t see the following features:

Updated Postgraduate Research (PGR) progression pages
Workshop sign-up form
Progression and outcome letters
Academic Advisor notes

This is because we are currently working hard to improve these features and they will be available shortly after launch. We thought it was important to provide you with improved access to the most frequently used features first!

How do you choose where to study on campus?

Please fill in our quick survey!

Help Information Services improve the information and tools they provide to help you find available study space on the Canterbury and Medway campuses.

What’s important to you when you choose where to study on campus?

Tell us by filling in this short survey. It should take no more than 5 minutes.

Thank you very much for your help!

Feedback on any IT and Library services is welcome any time!

College Life photo competition winners

Photo- “So much reading”- Julie Freiburghaus, overall winner.

The Colleges and Community Life Team along with the Resident Life Assistants are delighted to announce the winners of the College Life Photo competition, that invited students to be inspired and get creative by taking part in a themed, photo a day-style competition, based on first experiences of University Life and being away from home, especially for the first time, for many.

The team was blown away by the wonderful snapshots of exploration, creativity and sense of community & hopefulness, in a time where we all need it the most, among these extraordinary times. In total, 100 photos were submitted and so it was a very tough decision to decide the overall winners.

However, in First place, many congratulations to Julie Freiburghaus (Park Wood College), a second year Erasmus student.

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They especially loved Julie’s photos in the categories of: Let’s be Social, So much Reading, and Your College. Julie wins £80 cash prize and a chance to exhibit within the Colleges, come Spring Term 2021.

In Second place, came Jireh Mwebaze Akandwanaho (Keynes College), a second year Kent Law School student. Congratulations!

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The judges particularly loved Jireh’s photos in the categories of: Monochrome, Makes You Smile, and The Changing Seasons. Jireh wins £50 cash prize and a chance to exhibit within the Colleges, come Spring Term 2021.

And finally, in third place, well done to Reece Welsh (Park Wood College), a 1^st year student studying English Language and Linguistics.

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The judges were really drawn to Reece’s photos in the categories of: Mindful Moment, Take in the View and Favourite Building.

Reece wins £30 cash prize and also a chance to exhibit his photographs within the Colleges, come Spring 2021.

Huge congratulations to the three overall winners; it was a real pleasure and delight receiving them.

Finally, to every student who entered, we hope the competition helped familiarise yourselves with your new College environment, while getting to know your spaces, meeting new faces and having some fun along the way of course! The judges were so impressed by the standard that all photographs entered will be part of the exhibition in Spring term 2021, where College prizes will also be announced, so watch this space.

For more information about the friendly Colleges and Community Life Team, what we offer and how we support students living on and off-campus, please check out our College website and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Twitter and the College Facebook pages (Darwin College, Eliot College , Keynes College, Rutherford College, Turing College , Park Wood College, Woolf College and Medway College) where you can meet and get in touch with the Team.