Success at Southampton

On Wednesday 25th November I was wandering around campus at the Postgraduate Open Day, since my initial plan for this post was to write about that. However, I spotted signs for something entirely different and thought I would wander in and see what was going on. It turns out that I had walked into the interviews for the University of Southampton’s SUCCESS scholarship scheme for Civil Engineers. Being from Social Sciences I had never heard of the scheme, so I was interested to learn more about what was going on. Fortunately a few of the students who were waiting for their interview to start agreed to talk to me. I wasn’t able to catch their names, but thank you to those who took the time to chat!

So what is the SUCCESS scholarship?

“It’s not just a scholarship. We are being interviewed by representatives from different companies within the industry who take on students from first to third year for 8-10 week paid internships over summer. Once you are successful in getting a place, you also receive a bursary to help you with your studies whilst at University.”

So what year are you in?

“Most of us are in our first year. Some of us had written our application for the scheme before we even started University in September, because they have to be sent off by the middle of October.”

Wow that’s pretty intense – what made you want to apply for the scheme?

“Loads of different things really; it’s a unique opportunity to gain industry experience and develop a professional network. There are really not many opportunities like this, because work experience is notoriously difficult to get as a Civil Engineer and this is so much more than just experience! We’ve heard from students who are already part of the scheme and they’re in such a strong position when they graduate, as they have on the job training and have created such good links with the company that they worked for. It’s a bit strange to be in first semester of our first year thinking about job security in the future, but this scheme means that the successful applicants won’t have to worry as much about that when they graduate.

Plus unlike a lot of internships, this is a paid position, so getting the experience isn’t a financial burden, which means that everyone is able to apply and doesn’t have to worry about not being able to afford it.”

Dressed to impress – Two of the students who I spoke to

I’m impressed, it took me until third year to feel ready for a formal interview! How has the University supported you in prepping for the interview?

"The Engineering department held workshops to help prepare for the interview, and you can ask for personal help if you need it. The department has definitely set us up to succeed - there isn’t anywhere else that provides you with an opportunity like this right off the bat!"

Thanks – and good luck with the interviews!



The SUCCESS Scholarship team very kindly invited me to stick around for lunch which gave me the opportunity to talk to some of the industry reps and a student who was currently on the scheme.



So from an industry perspective – why are you part of the programme, and why Southampton in particular?

“I think the main point is to improve links between industry and students, and to start making those links when students are in their first and second year. The thing about Engineering at Southampton that makes it so attractive for us is that the department produces good engineers year in, year out. As well this being very good for business, we provide on the job training across a range of developments so when the student graduates, they can start working for us from day one; they know the company and they know how we work, so they are ideal recruits! Of course, because they have such great experience, we have to encourage them to stay with us. Usually they have several companies offering them jobs"

Everyone approves of the free lunch

What do you think you gained from the six-week placement?

"So much I don’t know where to start. I think a big benefit was the friends that I made within the company. As an intern you are treated as a regular member of the team, and that makes a big difference – to feel so valued when you are just starting out. It’s going to have a huge impact on my dissertation as well, because I know people in the business that I can talk to and get advice from. I have such great links with the people in the industry, and that’s invaluable really."

Do you have any advice for people applying for the scheme next year?

"Research the company that you are applying for a position with - sometimes students get confused about which company they are interviewing with. The applicants that stand out are the ones who show good knowledge of the company and what they feel they can bring to the team, even if that’s just enthusiasm. Talk to students who are on the programme in the year above as well; they are the best source of information for those who are unsure what the work will be like and what will be expected of them."

Dedicated student ambassadors directing people to the right place at the Postgraduate Open Day

Tika Widyaningtyas representing social sciences at the Postgraduate Open Day

I know it’s strange for someone studying within the Social Sciences to be writing about opportunities for Civil Engineers but honestly, after talking to everyone, I was so jealous that I was thinking of switching disciplines…! Well maybe not, but still I wish I had been able to practice job applications and interviews when I was in first year!

I would hate to leave without mentioning the Postgraduate Open Day which was on the same day. I really recommend coming to an Open Day if you are interested in Postgraduate study. It’s a great chance to talk to lecturers and current students who can give you a unique perspective on the particular benefits of studying that course at Southampton. For those of you who couldn’t make it to the talks today the Welcome and Finance talks were recorded and are available online, and you can tour the campus using the University’s Virtual Open Day!

Emma

Advice from the Business Fair and the Careers and Employability Festival

Yesterday I had the opportunity to meet some of the country’s Top 100 graduate employers at the University’s Business Fair 2015. The Business Fair is part of the Careers and Employability Festival, which is running on campus until 3rd November and involves career fairs, workshops, talks and presentations. The festival is open to all undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Careers fairs in particular are a really good way to meet companies and their student recruitment teams.

You can turn up to the event without booking a place and you’re welcome to spend as much or as little time there as you want. As soon as I walked in it was packed with students eager to chat to prospective employers, and it was clear that the employers and their representatives were just as eager to chat to the students too which was incredibly encouraging.

The PWC stand… proud sponsors of the Business Fair! 

Preparing for the fair…

I got a lot of excellent advice at the ‘Prepare for the Fair’ workshop that the Careers and Employability team ran. What I took away from the workshop boosted my confidence in approaching the exhibitors today: these companies have actively booked to attend the fair – they really do want to see you!

It is acceptable to attend the event not knowing every single detail about the exhibitors. However, since there are 100 stands, having done some research on the companies helped narrow down who I wanted to visit. This meant I had more time to make the most of seeing those I was truly interested in and ask them some pre-prepared questions – questions that the company website can’t answer for me.

Nick and Ali – part of the Careers and Employability Services team who organised the event! 

The University’s Careers and Employability Services team said this year was one of the busiest they’ve had. The service plays a pivotal role by working closely with students, staff and potential employers to enhance student employability skills. If you’re uncertain about your future, these are the guys to chat to!

 

What should you research?

 

I clicked on five or six company websites the night before and checked out their company values. I looked for buzzwords on their recruitment pages to get an insight of what a company is looking for in graduates. I found that ‘technology’, ‘independence’, ‘teamwork’, ‘confidence’ and ‘client-facing’ appear a few times online as well as being mentioned by the recruiters I chatted to yesterday. This was an easy way to find out if the company’s values fit in with yours.

I also considered what it really is that I want to get out of the Fair. For me, it was to see whether or not there were any graduate opportunities for me in the business industry as a Politics student. I have found that, actually, not having a degree with Maths, Science or Management is not a hindrance. A few of the exhibitors I spoke to did History, Psychology, English and Sports Science at university and still landed jobs in companies that are Business focused. Of course, different students have different objectives for attending and it is true that you won’t always get what you want, but this is the opportunity to start that.

The INEOS stand. INEOS is a global producer of petrochemicals and speciality chemicals, and looks for opportunities to make a company achieve further through acquisitions. 

My top 4 general questions were:

1. I study Politics – will I be able to fit in with you with my background?
2. Why did you choose to work for this organisation?
3. What skills do you look for in a graduate applicant?
4. How can I apply and when are the deadlines?

Some recruiters such as INEOS are especially looking for students with a background in finance and technology. I spoke to Hannah who has been working for INEOS for a number of years now. She had a background in the sciences that aren’t particularly focused on petrochemicals. She was the treasurer of her canoe society back at her university and she mentioned that it may have helped satisfy the mathematical requirements of the job application! When I asked Hannah what the top thing is that they are looking for in a graduate she gave me two answers: someone who is independent and someone who thrives on a challenge.

The Excel Programme stand. 

The Excel Southampton Internship Programme stand caught my eye. Their schemes offer a wide range of paid internships during term time, Easter and summer holidays based both on campus and within a variety of external organisations. It’s fantastic to see the University of Southampton teaming up with local and nationwide businesses.

I also had the pleasure to chat to Natalie and Hayley who were volunteering at the Target Jobs stand. Target Jobs has a large choice of internships, placements and graduate jobs. They also give expert advice on how to get hired. I myself am subscribed to their mailing list and it is incredible how many work experience opportunities are out there for us students.

Natalie and Hayley at the Target Jobs stand. Natalie is a 2nd year Psychology student and Hayley is a 4th year doing History, both study here at the University of Southampton. 

Ultimately, attending the Fair is a two-way process; you need to find an organisation where you can work at your best, so you really need to understand why you might want to work for a company.
What is it about them that attracts you? Is it their values, profit, clientele, or company benefits?

Overall, I think chatting to company team members is going to be helpful in my job applications. It has given me a good indication of what type of people employers are looking for. What’s more, some graduate recruiters did actually attend the event today – who knows, they could be the ones deciding whether or not to hire you! Just remember to check out the application deadlines for internships and graduate jobs. Some close in November which, when you think about it, is incredibly close. Quite frankly, I would not have known about this had I not gone to the Fair, so I’m glad I went.

Hooray for freebies!!

Go ahead and impress employers with your preparation and enthusiasm.

See you at the next Careers Fair!

Rylyn

The career pathway

This week the Career and Placements Fair took place in Garden Court on Highfield campus, which is one of the many different career-based activities that the University of Southampton’s Career Destinations puts on. Unfortunately I couldn’t spend much time there, since a double lecture and two hours of project work with my partner coincided with the majority of the fair’s opening time!

Despite this, I have still been thinking a lot about my future after I graduate in the summer. Regular readers will know that my interests lie in the field of Medical Physics, in addition to educational jobs and, of course, writing-based careers! Although I do have a firm direction in mind, it’s always good to still be looking, as there are many different types of jobs that you’re not aware of.
 
I attended another Careers Fair in February, which was aimed purely at Engineering and Computer Science jobs, which of course have a huge overlap with Physics. This is especially true for me because I have taken two computer coding courses and last semester I also took a sustainable energy engineering module. Although a lot of the jobs involved technical computer science knowledge, there were still a good number of businesses on display that both appealed to my interests and aligned with my skill sets. There was even one business that used similar Physics that underlies Medical Physics, but for a completely different use!

The other advantage of a careers fair – the goodies! 

In fact I’ve found this to be true for a number of different industries. In early February, the Physics Society (Physoc) held a talk from a local company called Symetrica, who are an offshoot from the University’s Physics department. They work in the field of radiation detection, producing detectors for ports and other high-security locations that range from small handheld devices to giant portals used for scanning trucks. The interesting part of their work is that these detectors use the same core Physics that a hospital’s PET scanner makes use of!

After the talk, which outlined the Physics principles behind their work and their growth and development since leaving their original home on Highfield campus, attendees were offered the chance to go on a tour of their premises two weeks later. I signed up straight away as I was keen to see more of their work and I was also interested to see what a Physics in industry looks like – I’ve always had images of mad scientists in cluttered warehouses!

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you want to look at it, there were no mad scientists in sight and their workshop areas were meticulously tidy too! The tour took about two hours, during which they showed us their products and production methods, whilst explaining more about the theory behind how the detectors worked. The company was very impressive, but more importantly they showed me that were are many different avenues into careers related to and involving the concepts behind Medical Physics.

Finally, I attended a teacher training course open evening at the University one evening last week. There currently seems to be a giant demand for Physics – and general science - teachers, and after having conversations with some of the University staff and teachers from local schools, this particular career avenue definitely remains an option for me.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve learned that there are so many different careers out there and, more importantly, that there are many different ways of getting into a particular field – something I hadn’t really considered before and something I would definitely recommend investigating yourself when you start looking for you career pathway.

James