Advice |

Employers, Recruiters, Vice-Deputy Managing Graduate HR Coordinators – what are they on about?

Having trouble sorting your CTAs from your KPIs? Is a cold-caller asking if you know the difference between a problem-solver and a self-starter? Do job descriptions seem to be written in a language that you have to record and play backwards at half speed before it makes sense? Philosoraptor has had enough of this nonsense… Continue Reading Employers, Recruiters, Vice-Deputy Managing Graduate HR Coordinators – what *are* they on about?

How to capture evidence of skills

As you progress through your degree you will hear people talk of the skills you are gaining and how important they are to future employment, particularly in the application process. Having identified key skills you need to think about showing evidence of the skill and how it can be shown to a potential employer. So how can… Continue Reading How to capture evidence of skills

Need to spruce up your LinkedIn profile? It’s Lucky 8 Top Tips Time…

As we’re sure you know *hard stare*..our 2019 LinkedIn Profile competition has just launched. See us on Facebook for more info on this. Seems like a good time to roll out some key advice on how to show yourself at your absolute LinkedIn best. Without further ado… Students and recent graduates are currently LinkedIn’s… Continue Reading Need to spruce up your LinkedIn profile? It’s Lucky 8 Top Tips Time…

Words count (and the art of editing)

We are often asked how long an application should be and what happens if you write too little or perhaps more commonly too much. There are a number of scenarios to cover. The reasons recruiters or admissions tutors ask for a set number of words is often to enable them to get through the volume… Continue Reading Words count (and the art of editing)

Career Management for Early Career Academic Researchers

The third run of a free online course for research students and early career research staff entitled Career Management for Early Career Academic Researchers is now open for bookings. The MOOC is a collaboration between the University of Glasgow, University of Edinburgh, and University of Sheffield and is available to students and staff at any institution worldwide.… Continue Reading Career Management for Early Career Academic Researchers

Review the personal statement for your postgraduate application

A fair few of you are now thinking about applying for postgraduate study and what to include in the personal statement. It’s great if you can speak to a Career Development Adviser beforehand to review the statement but if time is running short then here is a checklist of what should typically should or could be included. Our advice… Continue Reading Review the personal statement for your postgraduate application

Top tips for career planning over the break

As everyone creeps towards the end of term the collective sigh of relief is palpable . I am sure many of you have plans for the break and also have lots of university work to do. However for all of you, especially those in the final year, meeting friends and family will probably involve the question ‘ What… Continue Reading Top tips for career planning over the break

Quick guide to video interviews

Recruiting organisations are increasingly using video interviews recorded remotely, in their selection procedure. For them it makes economic sense not to pay travel expenses to a high number of candidates, especially at the early stages of the recruitment process. It is also good for candidates as it means they don’t have to head off to various locations whilst trying… Continue Reading Quick guide to video interviews

Practice for psychometric tests with upgraded free online tests available to University of Brighton students.

Applying for placements or graduate schemes? Then it won’t be long until you are going to be faced with psychometric testing! Online tests can be a daunting process but evidence shows that practice can increase your success rate by 10%. With this in mind, the university has established a partnership with Graduates First who specialise in practice… Continue Reading Practice for psychometric tests with upgraded free online tests available to University of Brighton students.

Calling all final years – make sure you update your CV

As a Career Development Adviser my worry factor increases when I hear final year students saying, ‘Oh its OK, I have a CV from when I applied for a placement’. STOP RIGHT THERE! Writing a CV for a placement is great but you wrote that in the second year of your course and if you didn’t do a placement that was… Continue Reading Calling all final years – make sure you update your CV

Ten top tips when applying for postgraduate study

You have considered postgraduate study as an option and decided to apply for a course or courses. When you start to delve you will see the application process is less joined up than undergraduate study. However many of the key decisions you made last time round will be applicable here, such thinking through why you want… Continue Reading Ten top tips when applying for postgraduate study

Considering postgraduate study?

This is the time of year when final years are deciding what to do and for many of you postgraduate study is on the list of options. But do think before you pursue this idea… Are you maybe considering postgraduate study because you can’t think of anything else you want to do? Or as a way of staying within… Continue Reading Considering postgraduate study?

beepurple will deliver support in new Eastbourne startup unit

The University of Brighton’s entrepreneurship support service, beepurple, is supporting a new student startup and entrepreneurial unit created at Eastbourne campus. The ‘Imaginarium’ is an internal business incubator conceived by Dr Ioannis S. Pantelidis, Principal Lecturer in the School of Sport and Service Management. beepurple will use the unit to deliver one-to-one support. “We want more… Continue Reading beepurple will deliver support in new Eastbourne startup unit

Closing dates loom…

If you are thinking of applying for a graduate training schemes or job then don’t’ forget that some of the closing dates are quite early on in the autumn term. Also don’t forget some employers will close schemes earlier than published if they have enough candidates. So if you are interested in this kind… Continue Reading Closing dates loom…

Is it worth making a speculative application?

A speculative application is when you approach the employer to see if they have any vacancies which is different from applying to an advertised vacancy. However is it worth the time and effort approaching a employer in this way? Firstly there are no guarantees an application of this kind will be successful, it may not… Continue Reading Is it worth making a speculative application?

Interview with Faik Aktulga: create a business based on your passion

Faik Aktulga studied Business Management BSc(Hons) at the University of Brighton and, after graduation, he returned to his parents’ house in London to look for corporate work in the city. After a round of applications and interviews, he started to doubt his passion for the career path that he had found himself pursuing. Entrepreneurial, and… Continue Reading Interview with Faik Aktulga: create a business based on your passion

Interview with illustrator Dan Woodger – how to build a freelance creative career

Illustrator and animator Dan Woodger recently spoke to beepurple, the entrepreneurship support service of the University of Brighton, about building a freelance career in the creative industry. London-based Dan is a graduate of the university (BA(Hons) Illustration, 2011) whose clients have included Apple, McDonald’s, Netflix, Samsung, New York Times and GQ. Dan was pursuing a… Continue Reading Interview with illustrator Dan Woodger – how to build a freelance creative career

Critical Thinking and the Three Types of Lies – something interesting from our inbox

Usually people ask to be guests on our blog, and quite often we say yes – we’re nice people. Sometimes we come across something that’s interesting enough to share without being asked. This from Pearson Talentlens being a case in point. According to them, critical thinking is the #1 skill of the 21st century. We… Continue Reading Critical Thinking and the Three Types of Lies – something interesting from our inbox

‘Founder Chats with beepurple’: new podcast launched by entrepreneurship support service

The entrepreneurship support service of the University of Brighton, beepurple, has launched a new podcast featuring interviews with business founders. ‘Founder Chats with beepurple‘ is a series of eight interviews recorded over coffee in locations in Brighton and London. The majority of the guests are University of Brighton graduates in the founding years of their… Continue Reading ‘Founder Chats with beepurple’: new podcast launched by entrepreneurship support service

The joy of student volunteering and the occasional hmm of the charity sector…

Been a while since we’ve had a round-up of think pieces, and also been a while since I posted on here *waves*. Hope this gives you food for thought. Student volunteering: does it make a difference? – (*SPOILER* Yes it does.) Joy Williams, IES research fellow, considers the vast array of reasons and motivations for students… Continue Reading The joy of student volunteering and the occasional *hmm* of the charity sector…