Access Aspiration: Top Tips

As a follow on to our Access All Areas webinars, business speakers provide useful links to further reading, with some great all-round advice to any student preparing for the world of work. Here’s a selection from our Top Tips feed, listed chronologically since April 2020.

CIVIL SERVICE – Scottish Government

Please click here to view Mark’s presentation from the Access All Areas session.

DIGITAL – Audible Amazon

Building your LinkedIn profile

Support for young people starting their careers

CV workshop & interview skills – Shurgard Self-Storage

The CV workshop presentation can be downloaded here. 

The Interview Skills workshop presentation can be downloaded here. 

MEDICAL RESEARCH – King’s College London

King’s College London’s flagship programme for 16-18 year olds is called K+. This is a two-year programme of events, activities and academic workshops created to help support your university application and provide the skills you need to reach your potential as an undergraduate student. Click here to find out more.

Recommended reading and podcasts are available at:

 

CIVIL SERVICE – Government Digital Service

Here is the link the current Civil Service programmes: https://www.faststream.gov.uk/. These schemes are closed for 2021, but will be opening for 2022 soon – pre-register now if you’re interested.

There are also opportunities that regularly appear on the Civil Service Jobs website and you can register for alerts: https://www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/index.cgi

An additional resource here: https://openinnovation.blog.gov.uk/2020/03/02/how-to-get-a-job-in-the-civil-service/

Presentation on working in the Civil Service.

TedX talk on stage fright.

LAW – Peters and Peters

Link to Butheina’s presentation.

Other useful links:

Useful books:

  • ‘Is Law for You? Deciding If You Want to Study Law’, Christopher Soakes
  • ‘Letters to a Law Student’, Nicholas McBride

 

SOFTWARE ENGINEERING – Twitter

Tech Interview 101 presentation

Useful links:

 

POLICING – Metropolitan Police

Are you interested in becoming a PC with the Metropolitan Police? Click here to learn more.

BANKING – Bank of England

The presentation from Siyana and Katie’s session is available to download here. 

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH – King’s College London

The presentation from Sophia’s session is available to download here.

LAW – Peters and Peters LLP

Stefan Ansah’s advice to 16 year old self

Useful books:

  • Letters to a Law Student (Nick McBride)
  • The Secret Barrister (specifically, the Bar)
  • There is a good list here (focus on the more obscure ‘other nominations’ section at the bottom)
  • For citing in a personal statement etc. anything goes (pretty much!). Universities like seeing different texts cited, not just Tom Bingham’s The Rule of Law, Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Glanville’s Learning the Law etc. Read the law pages of the Guardian, The Times etc, and see what cases interest you.
  • Sometimes law books are reviewed in the newspapers – this can be a good source of current books to read. One of the barrister Inns of Court, Inner Temple, runs a current awareness webpage which is free to subscribe to – see it here. This provides really useful coverage of legal news (all good cases that can be cited in a person statement).

Info about the LNAT:

  • I did take the LNAT for my admission into Cambridge. However, the university has since dropped the test in favour of their own Cambridge Law Test, see it here.
  • The LNAT is still required for the universities listed on this site.
  • The LNAT is comprised of two parts: a set of multiple choice questions and then an essay, based on a topical issue. Both can be studied for, so don’t be unduly daunted! There are lots of quite cheap practice books or online practice questions available for download, which give you a flavour of what skills the exam is supposed to be testing.

Info about apprenticeships:

Useful links:

Always believe in yourself!

 

BANKING – Barclays

Useful links to the routes into Barclays:

Video interview tips:

  • Choose a quiet place with good lighting
  • Dress smartly for the interview
  • Prepare and plan
  • Turn your phone to silent or off

 

GAMING – Sports Interactive Games

How can you get a job in Games industry?

  • Be proactive = makes you lucky
  • Do your research – the Games Industry website is helpful.
  • Blog – write reviews – what is good/bad/what I would do… x20,50,100
  • Work experience –unpaid 1-2 weeks –as many as you can
  • Go to industry events and shows –i.e. London Games Festival – students are often admitted free
  • Set up a LinkedIn account – follow companies (publishers, developers, shows) – good way to ask for internships/apprenticeships etc.
  • Learn to code!
  • Find out more about industry websites, some examples are: UKIE, TIGA, Creative Skillset

 

MARKETING – M&C Saatchi

 

STOCK MARKET – Nasdaq

Useful links:

  • TED Talks
  • Death by Powerpoint
  • I got 99 problems …palsy is just one
  • Your body language may shape who you are
  • Book suggestion: Change Your Questions, Change Your Life: 10 Powerful Tools for Life and Work, written by Marilee Adams
  • See here for more about Nasdaq careers.
 
BANKING – Metro Bank

Set up a job alert via our website here.

Tips for practising video interviews:

  • Find a quiet place
  • Dress smartly or appropriately for the role
  • Prop your phone up rather than hold it yourself
  • Practice and record yourself to play back
  • Ask a friend/family member to help you practice, give feedback

 

CIVIL SERVICE – Scottish Government

This website is the best source of information on how to work in the Civil Service. It describes all the various access points and details of how to apply, as well as some of the diversity programmes that the Civil Service has which is a useful route for students that qualify for those.

This is a good summary of what we would expect from people wanting to work for the civil service (particularly with the graduate route):

  • Take responsibility for delivering results, make decisions and deal with tough challenges.
  • Show promise as a leader and work hard to fulfil your potential.
  • Prioritise workload, communicate well, be resilient, and support others.
  • Be flexible and work in a variety of roles that demand a range of skills.
  • Learn quickly, balance stakeholder interests, engage with colleagues and live our values.

 

ACCOUNTANCY – Newcastle University

Useful accountancy resources:

  • Click here to see the ICAEW website – they offer careers advice for those interested in chartered accountancy and run apprenticeship-like schemes for students who have just finish sixth form.
  • Click here to see the CIMA website – they offer a qualification for students just out of sixth form.

 

SOCIAL MEDIA – Twitter

 

CIVIL SERVICE – Home Office

Pathways to enter the Home Office/Civil Service:

 

SKIN CARE – dermalogica

Useful links:

 

ARCHITECTURE – Elicyon

Useful links:

 

BEAUTY – bareMinerals

MFL Access bareMinerals_logo-390x262

  • Get as much work experience as possible
  • Have passion for the brand
  • Do your research! Go into stores
  • Follow brands on social media
  • There are many behind the scenes roles, explore them! – BA, MUA, photographer, writer, visual merchandising, education
  • Have a LinkedIn profile
  • Start writing your CV & tailor it to your perfect role
  • Set up Google notifications for industry news
  • Find relevant people on LinkedIn