Graduate Prospects - January 23, 2008 - (Page 4)

4 PROSPECTS GRADUATE Issue 59 · 23 January 2008 · Fortnightly www.prospects.ac.uk DEAR CAREERS CONSULTANT LOST IN ADMIN When I graduated last year I didn't know what I wanted to do. I travelled for a bit and have had a couple of jobs including my current job which is in administration. I don't feel I am going anywhere. STEVE Start by taking control of where you are going and review all the positives. You will have many strengths and abilities, some developed as a result of your study, your working experience and other experiences such as travel abroad. Reflect on what you can offer a future employer and maybe make a list. This can include your academic record such as your degree and other qualifications e.g. Alevels or equivalent, but also your skills or abilities and experience. Also consider what you are looking for next. An employer will determine criteria that will help to assess whether applicants for a job are likely to perform well in the role. Similarly you could establish your own requirements for a job and employer. Your working experience to date may well have helped you discover what you enjoy and would like to include in a future job, and what you hope to avoid. There are resources designed for those facing decisions, which can help you to review your strengths and interests. These resources include Prospects Planner at http://www.prospects.ac.uk/links/pplanner which includes a job matching element. Do treat this with caution. It cannot tell you what to do, just as I cannot tell you what to do with the next stage of you life. Neither can it produce the ‘right’ job for you. It can however, produce a list of jobs that might interest you enough for you to want to explore some of them further. It can also enable you to think about what interests you. Another approach to career planning and making choices is the Windmills programme. The website at www.windmillsonline.co.uk has been designed for those facing decisions about their next steps and also offers exercises to help you to prioritise the tasks you face. If you feel it will help to discuss your situation and plans, find out if your university careers service can still offer you support and whether this could include a discussion with a careers adviser. Help might be available via phone and email if visiting is impossible. Contact details of UK and Irish careers service are at www.prospects.ac.uk/links/careersservices Meanwhile, you could explore possibilities with your current employer. Are there other roles that would interest you in the organisation and what are the chances of any training to build on your skills and knowledge? Could you take on additional responsibilities or develop within your current role? Good luck. LAURA HOOKE, CAREERS CONSULTANT, PROSPECTS YOUR VOTE Are you happier being interviewed over the phone, rather than in the flesh? (SEE PAGE 2 ARTICLE) YES NO RESULTS NEXT TIME THE VOTE LAST TIME The majority of readers will not relocate for a job if it means leaving a lover/partner behind. 55% voted to put love first. 45% will go where their career takes them regardless of attachments. PROSPECTS SERVICES • GRADUATE FORUM • INTERACTIVE ADVICE • CAREERS CHAT LIVE SEE THE BAD BUSINESS ARCHIVE http://www.prospects.ac.uk http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Feature_articles/No/p!eaLeijF http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Feature_articles/Yes/p!edcbjiF http://www.windmillsonline.co.uk http://www.prospects.ac.uk/links/careersservices http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Interactive_advice/p!eacXi http://www.prospects.ac.uk/links/pplanner http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Feature_articles/Bad_Business/p!egimFbd

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Graduate Prospects - January 23, 2008

Editorial - Opportunity Calls Editorial - Bloggers at Work Axa Lost In Admin Springfield Fuels Limited Huntress Search Ltd SeQuoia Partnership Hewlett Packard Ltd Standard-Life Investments Propeller Training Contact Singapore Landsbanki Salmon Ltd Thales Group Warwickshire County Council National Audit Office Royal Household Russell Finex Ltd National Graduate Recruitment Exhibition LogicaCMG Majestic Wine Warehouses Ltd Graduate Prospects Aston University Matson Driscoll and Damico Shape Media Editorial - Uni on a Salary

Graduate Prospects - January 23, 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.