Employability

Joining a society is an excellent way to improve your employability as you will develop transferable skills through teamwork, project management, marketing and leadership as well as be able to demonstrate that you can juggle the responsibility of your studies with extracurricular activities. Try to make sure that you are as active as possible because that will be of most benefit to you and the society itself. If you think you could do it then think about running for a position of responsibility (Social sec, Treasurer, President etc.) to improve your employability even further and have a bigger impact within the society.

Programme based societies will help you improve your commercial awareness which is perfect for deciding on and taking into your career; societies which are aimed towards developing your experience such as through job exchange or volunteering: then there are societies simply based on similar interest. All of these things show a recruiter that you go beyond your studies and actually have an interest in things outside your academic requirements.

There are a number of Alliance MBS student societies and many more across the University via the Students' Union.

Volunteering is a great way to improve your employability whilst helping the community. You’ll develop your skills, meet new people and make a difference at the same time. The University can help you find volunteer work.

A mentor helps you discover what a job or a career sector is really like and get ahead with inside tips and advice. Your mentor could be on a career path that interests you or have graduated from the same course as you. The University runs a Manchester Gold mentoring scheme to facilitate this. There are many mentors who are there to help and share their experiences with you; you may as well make the most of them! Find out more about the Manchester Gold mentoring scheme and how to apply.

AMBS host a range of employability events throughout the year, some for all students and some for specific programmes. Connect with our social media to see our previous events.

There are hundreds of part time jobs each year on CareersLink, but many opportunities will just be advertised in shop windows or by word of mouth. Find out more about how to look for and apply for part time jobs.

In first year you have the opportunity to improve your CV and gain experience through both paid and voluntary work experience. This can be done in various places from working for a small business to becoming one of the “Welcome Week” Interns for the University. Internships are often competitive so it is a good idea to start getting experience early! To find out more about various schemes open to first years and how to find more visit the Career Service page dedicated to finding work experience for first year students.

An internship can dramatically increase your attractiveness to employers and could very well be the deciding factor of whether you finally land that interview for your dream job. Not only that but it provides invaluable experience in the workplace, offering you a first-hand insight into how a company performs its day-to-day activities. There are both graduate and student internship opportunities in the University as well as large and small organisations across the UK and overseas.

Read more about what internships are and when to apply for them, the University’s paid student experience internships and the different ways to apply for graduate internships.

Use your summer effectively, it’s a great time to earn some money and get experience whether you plan to stay in Manchester, return home or go overseas. If you need help thinking of ideas of what kind of work you could apply for then there are a lot of examples on the Careers Service’s Finding casual vacation work page, as well as links to safe websites with legitimate job vacancies.

If you’re looking for work experience but are finding it financially difficult to take up the opportunity that you want, then you might benefit from a Work Experience Bursary.

The Careers Service has a limited fund to award to undergraduate students to cover travel, accommodation and/or dependent care costs that may result from undertaking your work experience.

Find out more about work experience bursaries.

Ever heard the phrase ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know’? People make new professional contacts (sometimes known as ‘networking’) for many different reasons: for information, advice, uncovering new contacts and business deals, or even just to meet people and find out what’s going on in their industry. Making contacts can also be a good way to find out about jobs and careers. Social media, if used in the right way, has become a particularly effective way of networking.

Find out more about how to use your networks to help you in your job search.

Networking is not just through social media. Networking also consists of face-to-face interactions with people in order to create contacts that will be of use to you now and/or later in life. There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking someone for help – later down the line they might be the ones asking you for help!

Contrary to popular belief, networking isn’t necessarily charming your way through life. All you have to do is talk to people about yourself and ask about them, then get their contact details and give them yours (this is what social media is good for!).

Graduate jobs are often associated with graduate training schemes. In reality, structured graduate training schemes only represent a small proportion of the overall number of jobs suitable for graduates.

Finding a graduate job can be a daunting task but the Careers Service can offer some good advice on where to start with 3 'how to' guides.

Graduate schemes typically last for around two years (although this can vary between a year and up to three years or more) and allow you the opportunity to experience different placements within the organisation to gain an understanding of how it operates. They are often a stepping stone to a long and successful career. The Careers Service can offer information on the types of graduate schemes that are out there as well as help with finding one.

MGT helps source paid graduate-level jobs for University of Manchester students graduating in 2020. The Careers Service work with a range of organisations based in Greater Manchester, from start-ups to multi-national firms, plus recruiters within the University.

MGT vacancies cover a variety of sectors and a wide range of roles. They include both fixed-term contracts and permanent positions. To get an idea of the sort of roles on offer, see Meet the Graduates.

Organisations who recruit smaller numbers of graduates often recruit directly into the relevant job. Many jobs exist where there is no set requirement for a graduate, but your skills and education could be highly valuable. For more information on where to find these as well as schemes available where you can get graduate level work, usually for 1 year or less, visit the Careers Service.

Companies that have recruited Alliance MBS graduates include:

• Aldi
• AstraZeneca
• Allied Healthcare
• Amaze
• Auto Trader UK
• Bloomberg
• BAE Systems
• Betfred
• The Co-operative Bank
• Deloitte LLP
• Deutsche Bank
• Enterprise Rent-A-Car
• Expedia.com Ltd
• Grant Thornton
• Hallmark Cards Plc
• IBM UK Ltd
• KPMG
• Matalan
• Omni Resource Management Solutions
• PwC
• Procter & Gamble
• TVS Supply Chain Solutions
• Tessella Ltd

SMEs/Manchester based firms

Not everyone wants to work or intern for the big multinational firms - sometimes it is preferable to work in a smaller company. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) consist of 1-250 employees. There are thousands of SMEs over the country – take a look at the University's CareersLink site to view current positions.

Increasingly, it is becoming a more popular idea for graduates and even undergraduates to start their own business rather than work for someone else's. There is a lot of support available throughout the University for starting your own business such as the Masood Enterprise Centre which has advice on things like how to write a business plan and implement it successfully, how to calculate start-up, information on trademarks and branding and much more. Find out more about numerous other ways that the University can support you.

Work shadowing is a more informal type of work experience. Basically, you observe someone in their daily tasks to see the type of activities they get up to. This can help a lot when choosing your career because it gives you an insight into the type of work that you'd be doing. If none of what they're doing interests you, then maybe you should start thinking of a different job! On the other hand, if it all looks exciting to you then this may show you that you're aiming for the right thing and spur you on to make sure that you achieve it. Read more advice on how to find opportunities for work shadowing.

Writing your CV may seem like a daunting task at first, but not to worry you've come to the right place! There are many ways to write a CV, but the most common is in chronological order as it is easier for employers to read. This type of CV is split up into sections - e.g. Contact information, Education, Work Experience, Skills, Interests - with the most recent example in each coming first. There are some examples below along with a guide.

• CV Guide
• Example CVs

You should review your CV every time you use it to ensure that the structure and content is appropriate. The best CVs are those that are tailored to the job that you're applying for so make sure that you research your job and employer prior to applying. Various industries also have specific guidelines so make sure you check these out too.

Check out more information about CVs, including examples of CVs for research students and skills based CVs, on the Careers Service.

A covering letter is usually paired with a CV when applying for a job so it is also extremely important to get it right to ensure that you land that interview. Whilst the CV has all the facts and figures, the covering letter is more personal and is a way for you to introduce yourself to the employer as well as show them that you're motivated and that you're right for the job. Therefore, all covering letters should be tailored for each job, but they should all include:

• Why you are applying to this company? - What makes them stand out from other similar companies?
• Why you are applying for this role? - Your motivation for applying, show your understanding of the role.
• The skills and experience you have that match the job description.

As with a CV you should research the job and the employer to make sure that you know exactly what you're applying for and who you're applying to which gives you a good foundation to start from.

For more information on what to include as well as some examples there is a link to a guide below:

• Covering letter guide

An application form is a fixed set of questions which every applicant has to fill out so it is very important to get it right so that it stands out. As well as questions about personal information and work history there can be competency questions, strength based questions and creative or other unusual questions which you may or may not be expecting.

The University has an application form guide on the best way to approach the questions that can crop up.

The Careers Service website has a great section on how to approach applications for further study. If you're looking to see the different courses that AMBS offer then see further study below.

Interviews are a part of almost every job application process that you will go through. As with most things, the more you practice interviews and techniques the better you'll get at them. You need to make sure that you're prepared as interviews are often the determining factor in the final choice.

For most interviews it is likely that you will be asked questions such as:

• Why you have applied to the organisation or institution.
• Why you are interested in the role or course.

Assessing if you have the skills and attributes to do the job or complete the course.

The University has a guide on how to prepare for interviews which is here:

• Interview guide

The best place to find more help on interviews is the Careers Service Interviews page. There are question examples and videos as well as information on how to book workshops, interview simulations and appointments (even same-day bookings).

Psychometric testing is the overall term used to describe tests which measure a skill (these are often called aptitude tests) and questionnaires used to find out about your personality type, learning style or career choices, which can help you and / or an employer make informed choices.

The university has a guide on psychometric tests which is here:

• Assessment centres and psychometric tests

The Careers Service Interviews page has practice tests and preparation materials for psychometric testing, which may not necessarily improve your scores but will help you become familiar with the type of questions as well as highlight areas for improvement. There are also FAQs, places to refresh your maths skills and example tests from specific employers.

Assessment centres are usually where you and a small group of other candidates spend a day doing interviews, tasks and exercises which are used by recruiters to see how you perform in various scenarios. It can include various activities but it tends to have both individual and group exercises.

The University has a guide for assessment centres and psychometric tests here:

• Assessment centres and psychometric tests

For more specific information - such as advice, case study examples for management consulting and materials from Michael Page - go to the Careers Service's Assessment Centres page.