Employability Advice for Students

Many of you have interviews for new beginnings this term so here are some thoughts to help you prepare.

Conferences are a key development activity and a fundamental part of a research or technical career

An assessment centre is a collection of activities put together by recruiting organisations to enable them to identify the right people for their organisations and to persuade the successful applicants to accept their job offer. They are typically used where employers are looking for a number of graduates to join a graduate development programme (scheme) and are recruiting for long term career potential rather than specific jobs.

Taking part in careers sessions, I have heard that business awareness is one of the top ‘most wanted/least found’ employability skills in surveys of employers.

The work of mathematicians has been at the forefront of scientific response to this crisis. The media coverage has raised the awareness of mathematical modelling significantly within our society. At the IMA, we hope that this will mean many more people consider a career in mathematics and its applications and start to see the importance of mathematics to our society. Maybe you have friends and family asking you about mathematical modelling, and yet you work in a completely different area of mathematics, so here are a few thoughts from some IMA members.

Work experience is more than just a couple of lines on your CV and some extra money (if it is a paid internship rather than unpaid or volunteering). Work experience develops your skills, helps you understand what kind of work you want for your career, and gives you plenty to talk about later at interviews for permanent positions.

Being able to give oral presentations is an important skill for career progression in whatever area you make your career, and often for getting a job in the first place. Audiences vary so the style and content need to address their requirements and the nature of the occasion. Practice can make you more comfortable on your feet so take the opportunity to have a go wherever you can. Seek feedback from your audience and incorporate it at your next opportunity. A video recording can help you evaluate your performance and personal impact.

Is Teaching Right for You?

Some people seem to be naturally better at time management than others. Equally, some time time management methods work better some people than for than others. Make the effort to find out what helps you, and remember that forming good habits takes practice.

What are Soft Skills?

Don’t wait to be landed with a huge project before you start practising the habits of good project management. The skills you apply to small tasks prepare you to be able to take on bigger projects.

Resolutions and goals that we set ourselves are often vague – I will study more, exercise more, spend less etc. Alternatively, they might be clearer but unrealistic, for example I will give up chocolate.  Setting objectives that are unachievable can result in frustration and disappointment.

Graduate recruiters often carry out initial interviews via the telephone. These interviews are a time efficient way for a company to assess your suitability for a role, and to filter out candidates who do not meet the required experience.  A telephone interview might be carried out by a representative from HR, a recruitment team, or possibly your potential new line-manager. Whoever you are interviewed by, they are likely to ask about general competencies and skills, and are looking for an interested and committed candidate.

Starting your maths degree can be an exciting and overwhelming experience, all at the same time. Here are some suggestions to make settling in easier.

Woman Filling Out Job Application via www.amtec.us.com