Resolve to improve your career prospects this new year

CSU & AGCAS compile top ten New Yearís Resolutions

Final year students should be making New Yearís resolutions to help boost their career prospects as they start the new term, according to two of the UKís leading careers organisations.

AGCAS, the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services and CSU, the higher education Careers Services Unit, say students canít afford to leave it to the last minute to start thinking about their career plans.

ìCompetition for the best jobs is always strong and students need to start the new term with a clear list of goals to achieve,î says CSU chief executive Mike Hill, while Margaret Dane, chief executive of AGCAS adds:

ìPreparation is the key. The students that put some time and effort into their career planning are the ones who will be rewarded with the best jobs. There is a whole range of resources available and the Careers Service in your institution is an excellent starting point, so students simply need to resolve to take full advantage of them.î

AGCAS careers advisers and experts at CSU which runs the UKís leading graduate careers website, Prospects.ac.uk, have joined forces to compile a list of 10 resolutions that will help students to get their New Year off to a prosperous start.

Visit the New Year sales to buy a smart interview suit.

Update your CV and have copies readily available.

If youíre not sure what you want to do find out about yourself ñ think and write lists about what makes you tick, motivates you, gives you satisfaction? What are you good at ñ if you donít know, ask your friends and family.


Book a New Year appointment with your institutionís Careers Service so you can discuss a career planning strategy with an adviser.


Check out Prospects Planner - an intensive electronic and interactive careers planner available through Careers Services or in the university library, which is helpful for taking stock and identifying work ideas. A simplified version of Prospects Planner is also available on www.prospects.ac.uk.


If you already know what you want to do after your course, start familiarising yourself with relevant trade press and key companies, individuals and issues affecting that sector. Read through company recruitment materials and look at their websites to see what qualifications and experience employers look for. The business and recruitment pages of the broadsheet press are also useful sources of background material and ideas. Start a cuttings file on companies that you could approach.


Organise some work experience. Itís essential that every student has had some real experience of working by the time they graduate. There are lots of schemes and opportunities available to those who apply early. Afterwards think about what skills you have gained from the placement and add them to your CV. You can find out more about work experience benefits and opportunities on www.work-experience.org.


Explore ways in which you can add to your experiences. What about trying new sports, or joining new societies and being involved in a variety of activities? Maybe you could try out some voluntary work?


Develop your workplace skills. Learn how to use an office software programme like Word, PowerPoint or Excel. Or perhaps improve your research skills on the Internet.


Get your references lined up. Check that your chosen referees are happy to be approached by your prospective employers, provide a copy of your CV and keep them informed of your plans and progress. If possible, source written references to send with applications.


CSU

CSU, the Higher Education Careers Services Unit, works in partnership with AGCAS to maximise the opportunities and support available to school leavers and students. The CSU service includes over 800 different career guides, graduate marketplace reports and the Prospects Series of recruitment and postgraduate course directories and magazines, career planning software, web and online options to enhance the careers advice provided in higher education careers services. All information is accessible on www.prospects.ac.uk.


AGCAS

AGCAS represents the Careers Services and c. 1200 professional staff in over 130 institutions of Higher Education throughout the UK and Eire. It enhances their activities through collaboration in areas such as professional development, raising quality standards, the gathering and dissemination of information on graduate careers and the production of information products and services, including many of those produced by CSU, for HE students and graduates.