So as the clocks change, the dark nights draw in and deadlines approach, it can be a difficult and stressful time for some people. Please don’t forget about all the fantastic support services we have here at Stirling. Whether it’s study support, interview advice, counselling or money advice…we can help. Just contact the Hub in Cottrell 2A1 ask@stir.ac.uk
It’s also the time of year that some students will be thinking about what the future holds beyond University. Now I don’t want to panic anyone but *whispers* some graduate schemes close for applications very soon. Companies like British Airways, Lloyds, Marks & Spencer, Shell, HSBC, Barclays, Hilton, Toyota and many more have graduate schemes that will close in December or January in order to allow time for their recruitment for a September 2019 start. For further information on schemes and their closing dates you can visit www.prospects.ac.uk and search for graduate schemes 2019
#nostupidquestion
We recently launched a #nostupidquestion campaign to highlight the fact that you can ask the Careers and Employability service anything related to careers or employment and we will try and help. One question we do get asked a lot is, ‘what actually is a graduate scheme?’
A graduate scheme is a structured training programme run by an employer to develop future leaders of their organisation. These graduate schemes, which usually last between one and two years, are often available in a number of specialisms ranging from finance, retail, HR and marketing to management and law. On a graduate scheme, you’ll be given responsibility from the outset, and the opportunity to gain real hands-on experience and develop your key skills. They are usually open to graduates from any degree discipline and will ideally look for candidates with effective communication, organisational and leadership skills.
Don’t panic
Although there are a lot of closing dates coming up for graduate schemes, don’t panic if you miss them. Many employers have ongoing deadlines or recruit later in the year. Companies like Amazon, Aldi, FDM Group, KPMG, PwC, Teach First, Vodafone, IBM, BP and many more have rolling deadlines and recruit throughout the year. Graduate schemes are also only one of many routes you can chose to take after University. Further study, full-time employment, travel, graduate internships, volunteering and starting your own business are among the range of things you may choose to go on to do, so come and talk to a Careers and Employability Consultant to discuss your options.
Seasonal vacancies
This is also the time of year that a lot of students look for part-time seasonal work over the holidays. There are lots of places to look for seasonal and part-time jobs. Your first port of call should be the University’s TargetConnect system. You can access this at https://stirling.targetconnect.net. There is also www.thistlesstirling.com/jobs for jobs in the Thistle Centre, www.sterlingmills.com for jobs in Sterling Mills and places like Pizza Hut, Tesco, Oak furnitureland, Marks and Spencer and Amazon are all currently recruiting for temporary staff to cover the busy Christmas period. Check their websites for details. For help with your application, make an appointment through TargetConnect to come and see us.
Part-time working rights
If you find a part-time job then it’s good to be aware of your rights as a part-time employee. Essentially you have the same rights as full-time workers. This means you should receive the same treatment for pay rates, holidays, training and benefits. You are entitled to annual leave as soon as you start your job and it should be the equivalent to full time entitlement (currently 5.6 weeks a year). So if you work 15 hours a week you will be entitled to 84 hours annual leave per year. If you are not given this as holiday then you are entitled to be paid for the hours. For further information visit www.gov.uk/part-time-worker-rights
That’s it from me for another issue. If you have any careers questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch emma.hill@stir.ac.uk and I’ll do my best to help! If you would prefer to use our anonymous question box then just submit your question at http://freesuggestionbox.com/pub/xnwtccp .
Featured image credit: Emma Hill
