Graduate Prospects - April 16, 2008 - (Page 4)

4 PROSPECTS GRADUATE Issue 65 · 16 April 2008 · Fortnightly www.prospects.ac.uk ASK THE EMPLOYERS DO GAP YEARS HELP OR HINDER? STEVE RODGERS IS RECRUITMENT MANAGER FOR FABER MAUNSELL Well a gap year after university certainly shouldn’t damage your employment chances. As an employer of 200-plus graduates a year, Faber Maunsell regards gap year graduates very positively and in many respects a gap year will set you apart from the crowd with many employers. With more and more graduates taking a post-uni gap-year coupled with ever increasing competition in the graduate labour market (especially within Engineering, Science and Technology disciplines) employers are realising gap-year graduates represent a sizeable pool of talent that they’re keen to tap. What employers also recognise, from previous hires, is that gapyear graduates tend to gain important skills for future successful careers and that’s something they find extremely attractive. Clearly gap-year graduates don’t automatically make it through screening – it’s not a passport to final selection after all. As eye-catching as the ability to demonstrate self-sufficiency and diverse life experience is to an employer, they will also be as interested in why the option was taken in the first place. The most important thing here is to be able to show clear purpose and to demonstrate that your experience has taught you something personally or professionally. Ultimately, employers value gap-year graduates because it shows initiative and provides skills and experiences, which will add value to life in the workplace. SET YOURSELF A CHALLENGE LUCY TARRANT IS GLOBAL LEADERS PROGRAMME MANAGER FOR BARCLAYS YOUR VOTE Are you thinking of going travelling? (SEE PAGE 2 ARTICLE) YES NO RESULTS NEXT TIME THE VOTE LAST TIME A big majority like departmental bosses to decide on their applications rather then HR staff 90% trust the managers 10% don’t graduate year who had come from TEFL or voluntary backgrounds in Africa and South East Asia. Again, the experiences they had were excellent and were good preparation for dealing with all sorts of situations in a more varied way than a ‘straight from university’ graduate may have. Life experience is important and we are always looking or those who go the extra mile or seek experiences that provide them with challenge above and beyond the set three years at university. I would make it extra advantageous by, for example, going to South America and coming back with a good base in Spanish to add to your skill set. I personally took two years out after university – my temporary job in a friendly society and following travels gained me a position in the international arm of a bank. I think there is a difference between travelling and snoozing on a beach for a year – make sure you set yourself challenges and targets (climb some mountains for example!) and give something back to the communities you visit. We had several students in my SEND QUESTIONS FOR EMPLOYERS TO editorial@prospects.ac.uk SEE THE BAD BUSINESS ARCHIVE http://www.prospects.ac.uk http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Feature_articles/Yes/p!edcbjiF 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/Bad_Business/p!egimFbd

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Graduate Prospects - April 16, 2008

Editorial - In the Money Editorial - Do Gap Years Help or Hinder Editorial - Job Blogs British Medical Association Slush Puppies Research International Russell Finex Ltd Westley Group Graduate Prospects Alexander Lloyd Babcock International Group Sentinel JD Williams & Co Ltd University of Exeter Wellstream International Limited Enterprise Rent-A-Car Matson Driscoll & Damico UK Meta-Morphose PLC Shape Media Editorial - Renewed Energy Royal Mail University of Surrey

Graduate Prospects - April 16, 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.