SSPSSR Employability Blog 8/06/2015

SSPSSR employability blog

News:

Goodbye graduates, welcome alumni!

It’s coming up to that time of year again where we will be saying goodbye to our final year students and welcoming them to the alumni community!

We would like you to stay in touch with us after graduating and here are a few ways to do so:

Make sure we have your current contact details by registering and updating your contact details online at www.kent.ac.uk/alumni/community

Join over 12,000 former students and like our Kent alumni Facebook page at www.facebook.com/kentalumni for the latest news and events

Join the conversation on Twitter @UniKentAlumni

Join KEW-NET, our e-mentoring platform and search for an alumni mentor, or become one yourself!

Leave your footprint on the campus and support future students by taking part in our Footsteps Project at www.kent.ac.uk/footsteps

Be part of the alumni community in your region by connecting with one of our international alumni groups – or start your own with our help!

Improve your skills:

Taught Masters’ Students – VALUE Grad – offered by the Student Learning Advisory Service (SLAS)

VALUE Grad incorporates a range of academic skills development opportunities for taught masters’ students at the University of Kent. It comprises four discrete programmes: Creative Language Development (CLD), Programme for International Postgraduates (PIP), the Summer Skills Forum (SSF), and a Writing Retreat, each of which addresses key challenges that masters students face during their studies, especially international/ESL students who might well be studying in English for the first time.

CLD (Creative Language Development)

Creative Language Development is a course of study designed to help international /ESL students improve their English language skills in a creative and enjoyable way. It uses a variety of media – plays, short stories, poetry, music and lyrics, news articles, etc. – and involves no preparation work or additional study commitments; the emphasis is on enjoyment and involvement.

The course is designed to boost participants’ confidence in the core language skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. It also provides an opportunity to increase vocabulary and practise pronunciation, using both academic and every day terminology.

Building language fluency in this way is a unique and enjoyable way to enrich your communication skills, increase your chances of success at university and improve your employment prospects.

The next free event is planned for Wednesday 24th June from 10am – 3pm. Venue TBC. (lunch provided).

Booking is essential. To book you space visit CLD on moodle, enrol on moodle and book your place.

PIP (Postgraduate International Programme)

The Postgraduate International Programme is a structured series of occasional workshops that focus on the development of academic writing skills for international/ESL taught postgraduate students at the University of Kent. The workshops take place on Saturday mornings and cover a range of topics related to writing to at M-level:

  • An introduction to academic writing for a Taught Master’s Degree
  • Learning from feedback
  • Developing academic writing
  • Researching, managing and writing a dissertation/research project

SSF (Summer Skills Forum)

The Summer Skills Forum is a two-day personal/professional development workshop that takes place at the end of the Summer term. Activity-based and highly-participative, the workshop provides an opportunity for participants to develop their personal effectiveness by enhancing their self-awareness and awareness of others. The Summer Skills Forum involves a series group-work exercises, each of which explores a different aspect of group and individual human behaviour: personality types; values and decision-making; negotiation and collaboration; problem solving; teamwork and team dynamics.

Writing Retreat

The post graduate writing retreat is for MA students. Retreats are held in rural barn accommodation in the Kent countryside; away from the distractions of everyday life and the internet. Students spend 24 hours in a structured writing environment facilitated by SLAS advisers. SLAS provides free writing and social activities, but students spend most of the time working at their own pace on their dissertations. SLAS advisors are on site to provide feedback on drafts and offer advice on referencing and structure.

Graduate vacancies:

Sales/Recruitment Graduate Schemes – La Fosse, G2V, Softcat:

Are you a competitive, target-driven, and money motivated person? Are you a good communicator? Ever thought about a career in sales or recruitment?

Location:              Choice of London, Manchester, Bristol, Marlow, or Leeds

Earnings:              Good basic salary; £80-100k OTE after 3 years

How to apply:    http://bit.ly/1J4OXfK quoting “DEPT”; Only CV Required!

Start Date:          Flexible

Deadline:             15th June

La Fosse – Victoria London

£24,000 + commission after one year working

The company is called La Fosse and is located in Victoria, London. It is a recruitment company that offers a long list of benefits to its employees, including equity in the business, rapid career progression and high commission. The company itself is becoming famous for its loyalty to its employees, fun work environment and high performance. They have grown an average of 100% year-on-year for the last 7 years and won numerous awards, including 4th best place to work for in the Sunday times. They are shortly looking to expand internationally and graduates with languages will be able to help set up offices worldwide.

G2V – London, Bristol, Manchester

£20,000 + immediate commission

G2V is located in London, Bristol and Manchester as well as other offices abroad such as Frankfurt and the USA. You can specialise in what area of recruitment you would like to go into. G2V recruit in construction and engineering, IT sector, and oil and gas. The training programme is efficient and quick which enables you to start earning your commission straight away, meaning that you are likely to hit between £35-40k OTE first year.

Softcat – London, Marlow, Leeds, Bristol, Manchester

£18,000 + immediate commission

A leading player in IT sales and one of the top 10 firms to work for in the Times Top 100, are currently looking for bright, hardworking and motivated people to join their highly regarded sales graduate scheme. A really fun and relaxed place to work, with offices in London, Marlow and Manchester, Softcat offers huge earning potential: £80k per annum in three years is average. They offer superb initial and long term training, as well as fast-tracked career progression. This forward-thinking firm is very flexible, allowing you to manage your own time and business, leading to high staff satisfaction and low staff turnover.

Interested? Please upload your CV to http://bit.ly/1J4OXfK qutoing “DEPT”

Administrator – Umbrella Centre of Herne Bay

(15 HOURS PER WEEK)

SALARY : £8.40 PER HOUR

The Umbrella Centre of Herne Bay is looking for a part-time Administrator to work in their drop-in centre for people with mental health and/or associated learning disabilities.

The post holder will be responsible for a range of administrative duties, including the provision of administrative support to the Centre Manager, developing and maintaining record systems, producing and disseminating information and maintaining accounts.

If you have administration and computer skills, good interpersonal skills, the ability to work on your own initiative and are flexible they would like to hear from you.

For an application pack, please contact the Centre, by telephone on 01227 370 200 or by email to annestevenson@umbrella.plus.com

Closing date for applications :

Tuesday 16th June 2015

Interview date: Monday 22nd June 2015

This post is subject to an Enhanced DBS check

Communications & Information Coordinator – EKVAS:

35 hours/week, £15,000 – £17,500

Annual Leave: 4 weeks per annum

EKVAS is a local infrastructure organisation, delivering support services across the Thanet and Canterbury districts. Its activities include running a Volunteer Centre, providing advice, information and support to voluntary and community organisations, volunteer-led projects and capacity building support for local residents and communities.

This exciting new role will enable EKVAS to provide professional and high quality communications and information support with a specific focus on two particular projects.

For more information go to the SSPSSR employability moodle module: https://moodle.kent.ac.uk/2014/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=11079

The closing date is 12th June 2015 and interviews will be held on 22nd June 2015 in Whitstable. If you have any questions about this role or would like an informal chat, contact Charlie Fox (CEO) on 01227 772248 or c.fox@ekvas.co.uk