Getting ready for work and finding a job

We are here to help you find work both during your studies and after you graduate. We can help you to gain valuable work experience, shape your career plan and improve your job applications. 

Our career-focused courses, placement opportunities, industry workshops and tailored careers counselling will allow to immerse yourself in your chosen career before you even graduate.

AGCAS

We have been awarded The Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services quality membership standard. 

This shows that we have proven our commitment to the association's core principles: 

  • Equality and diversity
  • Achievement for all
  • Impartiality 
  • Confidentiality
  • Integrity
AGCAS logo

How can we help you?

  • Finding part-time work while you study

    Working whilst studying is a great way to help fund your studies and boost your work experience.

    We can help you to access:

    • paid jobs on campus  through the UWL Talent Bank
    • part-time opportunities via our online jobs board
    • part-time jobs fairs on campus

    Register with us to get email job alerts through our Jobs of the Week newsletter.

    Contact us:

    During remote studying we are continuing to offer support to all our students - please contact the Careers Team on careers@uwl.ac.uk. We are providing virtual sessions to replace our face-to-face appointments and drop-in sessions.

    To find and apply for jobs, and book onto virtual careers events, log onto the Student Hub.

     

  • Making a career plan

    You can have an individual consultation with a careers advisor to help you develop your career plan. Whether you want to find out what careers are open to you for your qualifications or whether you already know what you want to do but would like planning support, we can offer tailored advice.

    Contact us:

    We are continuing to offer support to all our students - please contact the Careers Team on careers@uwl.ac.uk

    To find and apply for jobs, and book onto careers events, log onto the Student Hub.

    • Getting help with job applications

      Preparing a focused and tailored application is essential as this shows the employer that you have a genuine interest in the job.

      Usually employers will ask you to submit a CV and covering letter or an application. The person specification or job description for the job will lists the skills and experience which are needed for the role.

      Make sure your application or CV is tailored to show how your skills and experience match those that the employer is looking for. Your examples can be from different areas of your experience i.e. university, volunteering, employment, self–employment, leisure activities etc. During your time at university for example, skills you may have developed include teamwork, working on group projects/presentations, working under pressure to meet multiple deadlines and leadership skills when leading a team for group projects or perhaps being responsible for a specific aspect of a group project.

      Other activities you may have been involved in at university could be being part of the volunteering team, participating or leading on volunteering projects or being part of one of the societies at university perhaps organising events, managing a budget or updating the social media platforms of the society.

      What should I write in my covering letter or personal statement?

      Ensure that the content of your application/covering letter is structured, relevant to the role and demonstrates that you have researched the company. Begin with a strong introduction which demonstrates your interest in the role and relevant skills/experience you have, for example:

      “I am very interested in the digital designer position at The Roundhouse as I would like to contribute the two years’ design experience working in a diverse in-house design team with UX and UI designers at Soho House, creating eye-catching content for a range of formats including banners, web pages and social media platforms.”

      Demonstrating that you have researched the company is essential in your application as this demonstrates your interest both in the company’s work as well as its values and objectives.

      A good starting point when researching companies is the company website, sections such as the company history, mission statement, its portfolio of work, products and achievements etc will give you an insight into the company’s ethos and values. Demonstrating how the company’s values corresponds with yours highlights to employers whether you fit into the company’s culture and whether your work ethic is aligned to theirs. For example: “The Roundhouse’s strategic aims of making the Arts accessible to all audiences is important to me as demonstrated working as a volunteer graphic designer solely responsible for creating accessible and professional artwork such as posters and brochures for the charity Drake Music, which offers music workshops and training to musicians with disabilities".

      Remember to:

      • Ask permission from your chosen referees whether you can include their contact details in your application. Your referees are generally two people who know you in a professional capacity i.e. an academic tutor and employer.
      • Keep a copy of your application (as well as the job description and person specification) as this will be useful when you are preparing for the interview stage.

      How do I contact the Careers Team for advice about my application?

      During remote studying we are continuing to offer support to all our students - please contact the Careers Team on careers@uwl.ac.uk. We are providing virtual sessions to replace our face-to-face appointments and drop-in sessions.

      To find and apply for jobs, and book onto virtual careers events, log onto the Student Hub.

    • Getting help with job interviews

      Have a look at the information below, but it may also be helpful  to have a discussion or a mock interview with a member of the careers team. Email us at careers@uwl.ac.uk.

      During remote studying we are continuing to offer support to all our students and we are providing virtual sessions to replace our face-to-face appointments and drop-in sessions.

      To find and apply for jobs, and book onto virtual careers events, log onto the Student Hub.

      Interview skills

      Employers will only offer you an interview if your written application has met their requirements and stands out from other candidates, so an offer of an interview indicates that you have successfully completed the first stage of the job application process and have met the employers selection criteria.

      Telephone interviews

      • Telephone interviews are used as part of an application process from time to time. This could be for a number of reasons:
        • because the employer has many candidates and wishes to carry out an initial screening,
        • because you are applying for a job that is based abroad or
        • perhaps the employer wants to gain some more information (before potentially offering a face to face interview).
      • A telephone interview is a very effective way of evaluating a candidate’s telephone manner. This is particularly important if telephone work or verbal communication are an essential requirement of the job specification. Telephone interviews can be time and cost effective for employers and often last around 25 minutes, but this time frame can vary.
      • This part of the recruitment process may have been contracted out to a separate recruitment agency. It is important to be aware of that, and if this is the case, the agency will be acting on instructions supplied by the company you have applied to. Therefore the best approach is to pay close attention to the job description and person specification when answering questions during the telephone interview.
      • You may find that when an employer asks for a telephone interview, you arrange a specific time for this to take place.
      • If so, make sure you are free to speak at the agreed time, choose a quiet place where you will not be disturbed (a public place or somewhere where there is background noise is not ideal). Sitting at a chair/ at a desk may help you to feel like it is a professional call.
      • When answering the call, it is good to smile as you would do when meeting someone for the first time. Answer in a professional manner, eg ‘Good morning, Tom Paterson speaking.
      • If a specific time has not been set and you are not in a suitable, quiet place when you are called, it is perfectly reasonable to explain to the employer that you would really like to have a discussion over the telephone but that, for example, you are currently on public transport so not able to speak. Then suggest a time and day you will be available to have the telephone interview such as 3pm that day or 10am the following morning.
      • Make sure you have details of the job and your CV to hand. Have a pen and paper ready so that you can write down notes such as details about the next stage of the application. It is useful to make a reminder of the interviewer’s name, this will show you have listened and help to make the conversation personable.
      • You may wish to mention at the start of the call that you have good signal but that if for any reason the call gets cut off, could they kindly call straight back.
      • Given this is a telephone interview, you will be able to refer to notes throughout, however, it might sound stilted if you read from them word for word. Preparing answers to questions you think you will asked is advisable as you can then refer to them.
      • Research the company like you would for a face to face interview.
      • Sound enthusiastic, they cannot see you but will be able to tell if you are distracted or trying to find your notes. The employer will not be able to see you nodding, so you may wish to interject intermittently by saying ‘OK’, ‘Yes’, ‘I understand’ etc.
      • Take your time when answering questions and speak clearly; ask the employer to repeat the question if you did not hear what they asked. Some people find that telephone interviews seem to go quite quickly so it is important you prepare well so that you get your skills, experience and qualifications across. 
      • Occasionally repeating back what the employer has said shows you have taken on board some of their words and it helps to keep the conversation flowing.
      • Asking a question at the end of the telephone interview will show that you are interested in the position. Asking an additional question, about when then next stage will be, will also give you an insight into when you are next likely to hear from them (this is the same for video interviews).

      Video interviews

      • Various tools may be used for video interviews but popular ones are Skype/FaceTime.
      • Video interviews enable employers to connect to candidates, no matter their location, and can reduce the recruitment time as they can screen applicants.
      • Background noise and technology challenges can occur (like with telephone interviews) so it useful to be mindful of that. Sometimes there can be a lag (delay) in video interviews because of the connection.
      • The lighting is vital; you need enough light so that the employer can clearly see you but if too much light is coming in through the window this may have the opposite effect.
      • Treat the video interview like a real interview. This means you should dress appropriately (full smart outfit, not just the bit of you they can see) and try not to speak over the interviewer which can happen when there is a slight lag.
      • Ensure the background (what the employer will see behind you) is not off-putting and is appropriate eg a blank wall, not a wall full of shelves and pictures, as this may be distracting. If you are having the interview in a location where other people are, shut the door or make them aware you are having an interview so as not to disturb you.
      • Prepare well, think about what examples you will give for the questions and how you will evidence them (this is the same for face to face and telephone interviews).
      • Practice your connectivity in advance to ensure you have a strong connection for the video interview.
      • Put your computer on a flat surface / ensure that whatever device you are using is not jolting up and down during the interview.
      • Look at the camera as this is the equivalent of good eye contact in a face to face interview, do not read from notes or fiddle with papers, this would not be advisable.
      • Ideally you would be talking in a normal speaking voice, however at the beginning, you could ask the employer whether they can hear you clearly. You would then know what kind of volume to speak at.
      • You may see a picture of yourself on the screen so you might want to turn this off if you find it distracting or at the very least be aware it will be there.
      • Other windows/websites should be closed to avoid distraction eg pop ups appearing or new emails coming through.
      • Although it is a slightly unnatural situation, try and be yourself.
      • The employer wants to get an impression of you as a person as well as your suitability to the role and your understanding of the company / industry.

      The following links have useful information on telephone and video interview skills:

    • Getting advice about psychometric tests

      Increasingly employers are using a range of aptitude or personality tests to obtain more evidence of your skills and preferred ways of working.

      These are known collectively as psychometric tests.

      See these psychometric testing websites for more information:

    • Finding a work experience placement

      If you have an integrated internship or placement as part of your degree, the Placement team will support you through your placement journey. Please visit the Placement and Employment Services community space on Blackboard. (If you are a Nursing, Midwifery or Social Work student, your placement team is based within your academic school/college).

      If you are on a course which does not have an integrated internship or placement, you can still access work experience opportunities through our online jobs board and email alert service.

      Contact us:

      To find and apply for jobs, and book onto careers events, log onto the Student Hub.

    • Finding volunteering opportunities

      80% of employers say they value volunteering when recruiting and there are plenty of opportunities at UWL to get involved and boost your CV.

      Volunteering is about:

      • developing your CV
      • making a difference to the local community
      • helping you secure a job in the future
      • developing new and existing skills to enhance your employability
      • meeting new people and having fun
      • building your confidence and self-esteem
      • trying something new
      • gaining insight into different careers
      • generating ideas for your dissertation or course modules
      • making the most out of your university experience

      We offer:

      • one day challenges
      • external volunteer placements
      • project leader training

      View our listed volunteering opportunities

      Get in touch to find out more:

      We are continuing to offer support to all our students - please contact the Volunteering Team on theVTeam@uwl.ac.uk

      To find and apply for volunteering opportunities and jobs, or to book onto virtual careers events, log onto the Student Hub.

    Contact us

    If you have any questions or need support please contact the Student Services helpdesk by phone or email in the first instance:

    The Student Hub is the one-stop place where you can access all of our Student Services support online, 24/7, via laptop or mobile device.

    Visit studenthub.uwl.ac.uk to take control and get the support you deserve.