Do you have few years to complete your degree or Are you just about to embark on the next stage of your life by starting university, either way, thinking about your career and how to boost your prospects is the key to a success in your chosen field.

Organisations we work with want are willing to let their graduates some practical experience and not just have the theoretical knowledge. They will ideally want you to demonstrate some exposure to a professional working environment or certain technologies within their field.

Empower Recruitment is here to point you in the right direction from the earliest point.

What Degree to work towards

No one can answer this for you, it is really down to you

We would say

• Pick something you will enjoy – remember you are paying
• Pick a degree relevant to your chosen field.  This doesn’t have to be rigid. For example, if you are interested in both accounting and fashion, you could find a course that closely combines the two, do a year in industry or do a masters after you complete your initial degree.

Post Graduate Degree – Further Education

According to the Independent newspaper, as more people are obtaining undergraduate degrees, many are turning to postgraduate degrees to set them apart in the competitive job market. In most cases, a postgraduate qualification also boosts earnings.

Placements/ Work Experience 

A placement/work experience is a period of temporary work within a specific industry. This can range from being a few days up to a year. On average they last around 3 months. 

University based Placements

A placement may already be part of your degree. This is known as a sandwich placement. This usually means your course may consist of an extra year or it may just be one term spent working within an organisation. Thinking about courses that offer these placements will boost your employability and is a big bonus, however if this not part of your chosen course you can still seek out your own.

Finding your own placement

If you have already started your degree and you do not have a placement set up start, We recommend that you do not wait until you graduate.  As you know the job market is highly competitive and showing early commitment will set you apart. When trying to gain a placement be as creative as possible use your network. Talk to friends and family and use social media. If you’re in a position where you have graduated and are job-hunting, don’t be dismayed, there are plenty of other experience you can discuss in your CV/ at an interview.

Part Time Employment

The part-time employment that you will typically find at university will be retail or hospitality opportunities. Yes, these jobs are vital to keep you financially stable, but they will also help develop the attributes, skills and mannerisms that employers demand.

A good idea is to log down important events and challenges especially if you have played an instrumental role in bringing them to life or over-coming those challenges at work.  This allows you to have concrete examples and evidence of what you have done/learnt. These will provide valuable in interview and competency based scenarios.

Societies/positions of responsibilty 

Joining societies is one of the best parts about university. Making new friends, being part of a team, going on trips, the occasional drink.

However, if you are an officer/organiser/leader in your society you will develop key skills, such as time management, decision-making, and research.

Employers will want to see that you have had a position of responsibility and this fun way of demonstrating you have it.

If your role is to participate there is also value in this. Employers will look at your membership as an example of commitment and it also show you have a “personality” and are a well-rounded individual.