Careers Advice playlist Vol 2 University of Manchester Careers Blog

Careers Advice playlist Vol 2 Back in 2015 I gave you my Careers Advice Playlist   so I thought it was high time to release that infamous tricky second album. Again you wont find anything   that current but the careers advice in this songs have stood the test of time. Are You Experienced Jimi Hendrix Experience   Well are you? This is what employers want to know. On your CV split   your experience to date into Relevant Work Experience Additional Work Experience This will mean that the most pertinent work youve done will be listed on the 1st page of your CV and will be more obvious to employers. Have a look at the example   in our CV guide Prove It   Television Who would have guessed that a 1970s rock band would understand the importance of the   CAR model! When making an application its not enough to say that youve developed certain skills or have gained particular experiences you need to prove it. To to   this we recommend   using what it known as the CAR model. CAR stands for CONTEXT, ACTION, RESULT. Start by briefly stating the situation you were in (CONTEXT) then go it detail about the things that you did and how   you did them (ACTION)   finish by highlighting the positive impact you had on   the situation and what the outcome was (RESULT). More information about the CAR   model can be found in out CV guide.   Hard to Explain The Strokes The boys were clearly struggling with writing their Covering Letters at this point.   Explaining why you want to work in that job role and for that employer can hard. Saying that you have always wanted to work in this job role/ for this employer wont cut the mustard, you need to demonstrate more of an understanding and appreciation. Consider the following things: what first attracted you to the   job role? Why does the role of job title appeal to you so much? What makes it stand out? Why have you been looking for opportunities in this sector? Where does this sector interest stem from? What steps have you demonstrated which shows this passion? Likewise, Why are you applying for this role within this specific organisation? Why not a similar role within another firm? What makes the organisation different?   Does the organisations ethos align with your own? How? Do you feel as though you would fit in? Use our Covering Letter Guide for more advice on getting your motivation across. One Size Fits All Frank Zappa The Mothers (of Invention) OK, so Im cheating a bit here this is actually an album title. However, its an album that includes my favorite ever song (Andy)   so I had to include it! Now Frank would top the list of my dream dinner party guests as we share a lot of the same beliefs but over dessert Id have to challenge him on this statement One size definitely doesnt fit all especially when it comes to applications. I may as well stick with the food   theme to explain why. When planning for this dream dinner party I would need to work out what what I was going to feed my guests and write a shopping list of the ingredients Id need to make these dishes.   Think of the job description as the employers shopping list, the skills and experiences listed are the ingredients needed to do the role.   If I got the wrong ingredients my dishes wouldnt be successful, similarly if   your   application doesnt contain the right ingredients listed on the employers shopping list it also wont be successful.   Another Brick Wall Pink Floyd I often think Roger Waters must have been applying for jobs whilst writing this song. After all the effort you put in to make a good application, not hearing anything back from the employer can feel like youve hit a brick wall. Remember its not personal, the employer   may simply not have the resources available to respond to every application they receive. Its frustrating I know but keep chipping   away. Sooner or later your applications will bring down this brick wall. Get It On Marc Bolan T-Rex Im obviously referring to clothes here! Marc knew how to dress for any (glam rock) occasion and its important that you too dress appropriately for any assessment centre   and/or interview you have. Dressing smart goes without but its also important to feel conformable on the day. Make sure your clothes fit well and arent to restrictive. Ladies those 4in heals may make you stand tall but are they comfortable to walk in? Remember you might be given a tour of the premises.   I also think its OK to add   a bit of individuality to the outfit. Im thinking a patterned (non novelty) tie or a necklace not a feather boa a la Bolan! Ziggy Stardust David Bowie On the surface not the most obvious of choices I know but you cant mention Bolan and not Bowie! Think about it, what Bowie created in Ziggy was a character that made it OK   to be different, and showed that there was nothing wrong with being an individual. This is something you need to remember when it comes to to your career decision making you need to find the right role for you. Resources on our website can help you start to think about what you want out of a job   and what roles might suit you. Inner City Pressure Flight of the Concords Many of you may have seen the Flight of the Concords TV   show but if you havent heres a brief synopsis Bret   Jermaine leave New Zealand for the big city of New York to make it as a band Unfortunately its not very successful so they write a song about the stresses that they face. The Concord guys thought that moving to a big city was   the only way they could make the big time, similarly   you might feel that all graduate jobs are in London. This isnt true the majority of opportunities are actually outside of London. Even national multinational organisations are likely to have regional offices dotted around. On CareersLink use the Advanced Search tool to look for jobs in different regions and check out our our where can I work pages Never Going Back Again Fleetwood Mac When I completed my undergrad as far as I was concerned Id finished with education. I never wanted to hear the words coursework, deadline or essay again.   4 years later I backtracked and decided to do it all again and start a masters degree! I went back again for my professional development, but there are many reasons why   you might chose to go back to further study at some point. If its something that you are considering or think you might be interested in in the future our Postgrad Study Funding Guide will be a good read. Id just like to point out that this time Im never going back again. I Want To Hold Your Hand The Beatles Well we want to hold your hand! If you are a recent graduate of the University of Manchester you can still use the Careers Service for 2 years after you have graduated. *** Please note that the Careers Service does not condone or agree with any of the   other concepts / themes these songs may contain*** Careers advice Graduate