If 72% of students are graduating with a 2:1 or a first (HESA, 2015), you cannot rely on your degree to make you stand out. Your extracurricular activities and your work experience will be the focus of most employers.
In order to truly benefit from your time at university and leave with more than just a degree, students need to recognise the skills employers value. Generic employability skills are core to all graduates regardless of discipline. Employers have an expectation that when they recruit a graduate, their ability and aptitude to demonstrate employability skills is a foregone conclusion.
In many cases a degree is merely the passport for entry. It is the demonstration of employability skills that is used to differentiate candidates. These skills are built into the curriculum and can be further developed through participation in extracurricular activities.
The first step for students is to understand what is meant by employability and the skills valued by employers. The second stage is to recognise these skills within the curriculum and how they can be gained through extracurricular activities.
This chapter highlights the ways in which universities attempt to embed employability into the curriculum, but also how students can take charge of their own development of employability skills utilising extracurricular activity both on and off campus.
What do employers want?
Employability is a key priority for employers when recruiting graduates. A report entitled ‘Inspiring Growth: CBI/Pearson Education and Skills Survey’ stated:
A degree allows you to enter the arena, but it is the ability to develop relevant employability skills that will differentiate you from the competition and help you secure a graduate position. Students who are able to communicate the relevance of the skills developed throughout their degree and those developed through extracurricular activities to the world of work will be the most successful.
The report highlights the top three factors that employers focus on when selecting graduates:
- Attitude and aptitude (88%).
- Relevant work experience or industry placement (67%).
- Degree subject (62%).
A positive can-do attitude is paramount. In challenging times the workplace needs employees who can rise to the challenge, provide inspiration and be innovative. Students must seek opportunities either in their work experience, extracurricular or voluntary activities to demonstrate their ability to be flexible and positive in their approach to challenging tasks. Students should also seek opportunities which demonstrate their willingness to opt in: to step outside their comfort zone.
If you need examples of these activities, think about what you dread most and that’s probably the activity you need to do. For instance, if you fear presentations take on a role which forces you to make them, or if you have not experienced another culture apart from on a family holiday, take on an overseas volunteering opportunity.
The report also says: ‘Businesses are primarily focused on what individual graduates can bring to the workplace’.
Work experience
Work experience has become an important factor when competing in the graduate job market. Employers want to see how you cope in a live environment, putting your skills to the test.
The High Fliers Report 2016 reinforces the importance of work experience. More than 50% of The Times’ top 100 graduate employers stated: ‘that it was either “not very likely” or “not at all likely” that a graduate who’d had no previous work experience at all with any employers would be successful during their selection process and be made a job offer, irrespective of their academic achievements or the university they attended’.
This statement is very significant as students cannot postpone finding work experience opportunities until after graduation. In fact, the more experiences the better. Students should be actively seeking to secure opportunities during summer breaks and other holidays.
Many companies actively provide opportunities for students to engage with them. According to the High Fliers Report, within the top 100 companies alone 90% provide paid work experience opportunities, and this does not include the remainder of the blue chip companies, small and medium-sized enterprises or third-sector organsiations. Two-fifths of the top 100 companies also provide opportunities to engage in introductory courses, open day and taster experiences for first-year students.
The importance of the degree subject studied only becomes of more significant value when considering careers in manufacturing, science and engineering. Among these sectors the importance of the degree subject studied was 80% (CBI/Pearson, 2015). The Inspiring Growth Report also highlighted that 40% of employers preferred STEM subjects for the rigour of mathematical and analytical skills. These skills are in high demand in the business sector.
Commercial awareness
Commercial awareness is continually stated as a concern of employers, in particular during the interview process. Both Targetjobs and Prospects list this as one of the skills that graduates need to ensure they develop while at university. As Targetjobs states: ‘It’s how the industry fits together’.
We currently live in an age where information is literally at our fingertips. Students therefore have no excuse on why they might not be abreast of developments occurring within their preferred industry. This is even more of an issue when students attend interviews and simply have not taken the time to research the company, their competitors or the industry.
Targetjobs highlights the following as the minimum level of commercial awareness required by a graduate:
- Understanding of the key competitors and their position in the market.
- An ability to converse confidently about market trends and speculate about the future.
- Knowledge of historical or cyclical trends which have shaped the marketplace.
The importance and relevance of employability skills will continue to increase and will become the determinant of graduates’ success. As stated above, academic results pale into insignificance when compared to students’ development of employability skills.
Why are these skills important?
Regardless of your discipline, career choice or preferred industry sector, these skills underpin your success. Whether you’re an arts, engineering or chemistry graduate, you will need to produce reports, find solutions to business problems and communicate effectively with customers, management or colleagues. The development of these skills is paramount to your success. They represent the foundation of the skills required to succeed in the workplace. The table below shows how these skills are used in the work environment.
Are universities responsible for the development of employability skills?
The Robbins report (1963) argued that universities were tasked with ‘instructing students in skills suitable to play a part in the general division of labour’. This idea was further compounded by the Dearing report (1997, para. 1.1), which placed higher education as central to the ‘development of our people, our society, and our economy . . . In the next century, the economically successful nations will be those which become learning societies: where all are committed, through effective education and training, to lifelong learning’.
More recently in 2010, David Willets, UK Minister of State for Universities and Science, called for universities ‘to provide public statements on what they do to promote employability, to encourage them to improve the job-readiness of their students and to do better at getting their students into internships, work experience and work’.
Today the focus is more a collaboration between businesses and universities to identify the skills gap to ensure students are developing the skills needed to maintain the UK’s competitive edge. The UK Commission for Employment and Skills in 2013 stated that one in five vacancies remain unfilled due to lack of skills, qualifications or experience. Businesses need to work closer with universities to make sure the right skills are being developed.
How universities enhance employability skills
Many universities now seek to attract students by promising to enhance their employability skills. This is logical, given that many students now see themselves as investing in their human capital through their tuition fees. Given this promise and this expectation, it is vital that such institutions deliver what they say, and actually do enhance their students’ employability skills.
But how? To some extent, such development should come naturally from undergraduate study. The ability to think critically, to master information and to communicate the results of research should all be developed at university. But other employability skills, equally valuable at work – such as teamwork and problem-solving – are less obviously relatable to traditional academic study. And even when such skills should emerge from higher education, if they are not developed alongside a growing commercial awareness, they may not readily transfer to employment.
This is why it is vital that higher education institutions work with the businesses their students will work for, to embed employability skills systematically in the curriculum. From course design and development; to the student experience in the classroom; to assessment of the knowledge and skills learned; and to internships and placements during study, business should be involved at every stage of the process in any higher education experience that purports to enhance employability skills.
Ben Hughes, Vice Principal (academic delivery),
Pearson Business School
Universities clearly have a role to play in providing and developing a highly skilled workforce, but the onus is clearly not just on them. Businesses have a role to play in defining the skills needed for the future in order to compete, but in order for universities to translate these skills into the curriculum there is a need for collaboration. Businesses are also required to provide opportunities for students to develop their skills in a live environment.
To what degree do students have to take responsibility for the development of their employability skills? In a position paper on employability in 2011, the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services advised students to ‘take responsibility for [their] own employability’. Students must actively engage with their academic studies and the development of their employability skills.
The table below shows the employment rates of the top five UK universities for graduate job prospects.
| The top five universities for graduate job prospects | Employment rate (%) |
|---|---|
| St George’s University of London | 93.4 |
| Imperial College London | 91.1 |
| University of Cambridge | 89.3 |
| University of Oxford | 87.1 |
| University of Birmingham | 86.7 |
| Source: Times Higher Education, 21 September 2015 | |
While at university, students will be presented with opportunities to further develop their employability through extracurricular activities.
Employability in the curriculum
All too often, where employability is embedded in the curriculum, students do not readily make the connection between their learning and the world of work. This section reviews some of the assessment methods adopted by subject areas to ensure students develop valuable skills required in the workplace.
Other examples of employability in the curriculum are the use of placements, where students are allocated credits for undertaking a work placement, usually for a set duration, typically a year. Increasingly, companies are collaborating with universities to develop industry days or workshops to provide students with an insight into how their business works. It is also a good opportunity for companies to engage with students and identify potential talent. Students should always ensure that they are engaged and do their research on any company due to attend their university.
Many degrees often include the opportunity for study abroad, usually for one semester or term. This can greatly enhance a student’s cultural awareness, a skill desired by global organisations.
With all the above, universities can provide students with a plethora of opportunities to enhance their employability, but how and if they engage with these opportunities is dependent upon the student.
Employability and extracurricular activities
University presents students with an opportunity to experience a whole host of new experiences, from running a society to voluntary work, but you have to make the decision to get involved. Often students will say ‘But I don’t have time’. My answer to you is make time. We all have periods in our days where we think ‘Where did the time go?’
Dedicating time to extracurricular activities is an investment in you. There is so much to be gained that you can’t afford to miss out. It is these aspects of your time at university that help you to stand out upon graduation. You will have a wider pool of experiences to talk about than just your academic studies, not to mention your self-development from taking part in these activities.
Getting involved in extracurricular activities also speaks volumes about your character. It shows an employer that you have initiative, energy and lots of get up and go. Here is a range of opportunities that you can get involved with from day one at university.
The students’ union
The students’ union is an opportunity to develop employability skills while having fun. You can either join an existing society or create your own. A freshers’ fair is held at the beginning of the academic year and it is an opportunity for existing societies to showcase to new students, but also to recruit new members.
Often students sign up at the freshers’ fair but don’t become actively involved. Students should seize this opportunity to become active within the society to help organise events and network with students from different courses and various faculties. You can also put into practice many of the skills learnt on your course. For example, event management students could manage, market and budget events, while IT students develop websites and create member databases. The possibilities are endless, but it all starts with a willingness to get involved.
The opportunities presented by the students’ union are not limited to the university: every university has a union so there are also opportunities to collaborate. You can develop degree-related and self-development skills, which enhance confidence and make great talking points at interviews. There is no limit to the opportunities presented by being involved in the students’ union: the only limiting factor is you.
Get involved with your students’ union
Employers are always looking for the candidate who stands out from the rest. Across the country, in students’ unions and common rooms, thousands of students are involved in a variety of activities. They’re playing sport, running societies, campaigning, supporting other students and helping to organise projects.
Whether students are involved in one aspect of university life or multiple, their skills are evident when I meet them. NUS has worked with the Confederation of British Industry to catalogue the skills students develop by engaging in their students’ unions. The range is huge, including learning how to handle budgets, leading groups of students, gaining campaigning skills, building teams, supporting new students and communicating effectively.
By getting involved in your students’ union you’ll be able to explore your passions, meet new friends and build skills. Not only will you become that ‘stand out’ candidate, but your time at university will be more fulfilling as well.
Megan Dunn, President of the National Union of Students
University societies
The majority of societies have a range of either elected or appointed posts: president of the society, treasurer, marketing officer, event co-ordinator. Employers are impressed by students who can demonstrate the skills to run a society successfully as it builds a range of skills.
- Leadership skills: You don’t have to be the president of a society to develop leadership skills. Taking ownership of a task or role and demonstrating the ability to influence, negotiate for resources and motivate others to achieve a common goal are all examples of leadership qualities. These skills will resonate with an employer, as part of an organisation’s goal is to identify people who have the ability to lead or manage a team.
- Project management: Whether you are at university or in the workplace, you will always need to have a clear plan of action on how you will achieve your goals. The ability to plan, adhere to deadlines, identify key milestones and to succeed are all part of the organisational skills required within the work environment.
- Event management: The co-ordination and planning involved in a successful event demonstrates your ability to multi-task and strong organisational skills. Event management requires a high level of organisational skills, from liaising with speakers and developing and distributing the marketing communication to negotiating additional resources. The ability to co-ordinate a successful event is an impressive addition to your CV. The busy workplace will always require the ability to multi-task, while maintaining standards. Organisational skills and the ability to meet deadlines are musts for successful graduates.
- Budgeting: The ability to budget and forecast demonstrates an understanding of how decisions will affect the bottom line. For instance, understanding how to budget for the costs associated with an event and balance these costs in relation to ticket sales to break even or make a profit are valuable skills. All organisations will value these skills, and will especially value your ability to highlight the relationship between decision-making and the impact on costs, as the economy requires all industries to operate efficiently. These skills are directly transferable to all industry sectors.
- Communication: Both written and spoken communication can be developed in participation in a society and their value is transferable to the workplace. The ability to write a persuasive email or report (for example, requesting support for the society) or the development of effective marketing materials (for instance, providing members with updates and information) are useful skills. Employers will expect a high standard of literacy and communication skills. You will be required to produce reports, communicate with clients and provide information to other departments in the organisation.
- Networking: Networking will help the enterprising student to secure additional resources for their society, engage the services of speakers and professionals for a reduced fee and meet individuals from different backgrounds and interests. Networking is the backbone of all business. The ability to maintain a wide network is useful not only for university but also to identify possible opportunities.
As a result, you can develop valuable skills on campus and you can decide how you manage your time in relation to your studies. Joining and becoming active in your union is a great way to build practical examples of your skills for future application forms. The other often overlooked skill involved in joining a society is your ability to self-manage. Your decisions and actions are all self-directed and speak volumes about your ability to manage and influence others.
President of Leicester African and Caribbean Society
Being the President of Leicester African and Caribbean Society has allowed me to develop skills that are transferable to my future career. This role has provided me with the opportunity to experience university in a different way. These skills and attributes range from confidence, decision-making and teamwork to interpersonal skills. I developed these skills through the planning of events, delegating of tasks and general running of the society.
It has given me new opportunities I would not have had, had I not been in this position, from establishing external links through sponsoring education opportunities and recruitment networking and conference events with large corporations, to creating links with students from different courses and universities.
It has broadened both my professional and social network. I have also been able to embrace diversity on a larger scale, being a society with a plethora of cultures, allowing me to try and experience new things.
Damilola Anderson, President,
Leicester African and Caribbean Society
Voluntary work
When I mention voluntary work, often the first response from students is: ‘I can’t afford to work for free’. With increasing student debt and the rising cost of living, no one would expect you to give up paid part-time work, but even if you just volunteer for an hour a week, by the end of the year you would have donated 52 hours of voluntary work.
Before deciding to get involved, students should assess their existing commitments and be realistic about the amount of time they have to offer. Volunteers provide valuable support to charities and organisations and so there has to be a certain level of commitment.
Complete the following time assessment to review how much time you have available to volunteer. Enter details of your classes, home study, part-time work, any sports or other commitments. This will highlight what time you can devote to volunteering.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.00 | |||||||
| 10.00 | |||||||
| 11.00 | |||||||
| 12.00 | |||||||
| 13.00 | |||||||
| 14.00 | |||||||
| 15.00 | |||||||
| 16.00 | |||||||
| 17.00 | |||||||
| 18.00 | |||||||
| 19.00 |
Volunteering provides a wide range of opportunities for students to undertake and develop an array of skills. Organisations recognise that the relationship represents a win–win situation as they benefit from the additional resource that volunteers represent; and students gain opportunities for self-development and a chance to experience various career options. The greatest benefit of volunteering is the sense of achievement. By giving even just an hour a week you can make a difference to an individual, a community or an organisation.
Be a volunteer
Calling all students. Volunteering isn’t just good for the soul; it can also put you on track to improve your career. Volunteering is a way to develop new skills, give a healthy boost to your self-confidence and show future employers you’ve got drive and initiative. If you’re keen to get started, head over to Do-it.org, the UK’s largest volunteering database. With over 1.4 million places available for you to choose from it’s a great place to start looking.
Whether you choose to work in the private, voluntary or public sector, volunteering can set you apart from other candidates when applying for jobs. Employers are increasingly looking for people who have challenged and stretched themselves beyond their degree course and voluntary experience will help you to shine.
Don’t be put off if organisations you are interested in cannot accommodate you. Some don’t have the resources to manage volunteers, but there are always others to try. Do-it.org has the widest range of available opportunities, but if you’d prefer to speak to someone directly about volunteer roles in your area, find your local volunteer centre or have a chat with your university’s careers service.
If you want to volunteer to help boost your career, think carefully about the skills and experience you need. Volunteering can help you understand the world of work, inspire a future career path and provide you with a solid reference. Don’t be afraid to be upfront about this when you apply for opportunities. Volunteering can be a great chance to try different things and, as long as you show commitment, most organisations will welcome the fact that it could have knock-on benefits for you.
Whatever you want to achieve through volunteering, the basic advice is the same: find a volunteering opportunity that really interests you. You might be volunteering with a big national organisation or a small local one, and it might be the cause that excites you or the specific role. You will still get much more out of giving your time if it is something you really want to do.
Jamie Ward-Smith, CEO, Do-it.org
From an employer’s perspective, a candidate who can demonstrate a willingness to help others and give up their time represents the kind of person that many organisations would like to recruit. Both public- and private-sector organisations have objectives related to corporate social responsibility and often encourage employees to get involved with volunteering initiatives.
The benefits of volunteering are far-reaching for both the volunteer and the beneficiary. Additional examples of volunteering possibilities include the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and volunteering
The DofE Award is widely known as the world’s leading youth achievement award, with over 300,000 young people currently doing their DofE in the UK every year. Over three award levels – bronze, silver and gold – there is the opportunity to learn and develop skills that will be invaluable throughout life and will open doors to work. Achieving a DofE Award demonstrates that a young person is willing to commit, is driven and determined. This lays a great path for their future, fostering a work ethic and attitude that many employers look for in applicants.
Other work-ready skills that young people develop doing their DofE come from being pushed out of their comfort zones and facing new and exciting challenges. While each young person chooses their own skill to learn, physical goal to achieve, volunteering activity to do and expedition aim (and for gold a residential purpose), the common framework of a programme is structured to develop vital skills and characteristics needed to succeed in life, such as team-working, communication and resilience. An added and important benefit is that young people can demonstrate that they have these skills when applying for jobs and at interviews.
Claire Miles, Managing Director, UK Customer Operations, British Gas, says: ‘The DofE develops the skills we look for in our employees like initiative and a determination to learn and progress. It also helps our new recruits to relate to our customers and their lives through the time they spend volunteering in the community – vitally important in a customer-focused business like ours’.
Here are five reasons to start your DofE:
- The DofE gives you the chance to try something completely new and improve on things you are already doing.
- It takes you out of your comfort zone and into a place where you’ll push yourself and have amazing new experiences.
- You’ll build confidence, resilience, skills and friendship groups – all while having fun.
- It is completely personal to you, with a common framework, meaning it can support you in developing vital skills to help you succeed in life and work.
- The DofE can help to carve out a better future. Employers regard a DofE award very highly.
Peter Westgarth, Chief Executive,
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
Enterprise opportunities
Have you got what it takes to run your own business? University provides an excellent environment to start your own business. Most universities provide training and support for students to explore business ideas, through academic study or extracurricular activities. Facebook and Dell were both started at university and then expanded upon.
Do you have an idea you want to explore? Now is the time to do it as there are experienced advisers willing to provide support. Universities will often have an enterprise centre to support and develop your idea as well as help you start your own business. There are also a number of organisations ready to support student entrepreneurs to start their own business.
The National Association of College and University Entrepreneurs
The National Association of College and University Entrepreneurs (NACUE) is one of the UK’s leading organisations for engaging students in enterprise, set up by students for students. The idea was formed in 2008 by 12 enterprise society presidents who were already playing a leading role in the development of student entrepreneurship at their institutions. They realised that together they could create something bigger.
Those original 12 societies were catalysts for an extraordinary movement in student entrepreneurship. That initial group has grown into a national non-profit organisation and a thriving national network representing 260 college and university enterprise societies. NACUE is still a passionate advocate for the enterprise society model, as it enables students to practise entrepreneurship in a safe environment, gaining the valuable soft skills needed to thrive in a competitive job market.
Enterprise societies come in all shapes and sizes. Some provide funding, business incubator space and pop-up shops for student start-ups, while others run ’hackathons’ to create solutions to business problems, bring leading speakers to campuses, and even create policy thinktanks.
NACUE also champions the need for students to connect, share ideas and network with like-minded peers. It achieves this by hosting a variety of national and regional events, such as the Student Enterprise Conference that brings hundreds of students together for an energising weekend of talks, workshops and networking. It also hosts an annual Leaders Summit that brings together enterprise society committees to share their achievements from the year.
CEO Johnny Luk, National Association of
College and University Entrepreneurs
While at university test your business ideas. Conduct the market research and see whether your idea is really viable. Your university campus represents a good opportunity to conduct this research, with between 20,000 and 30,000 students this is a great opportunity to see if it is a winning idea.
Investigate the level of support offered by your university to start your business while you are still studying. Universities offer not only support while you are a student but also the opportunity to join an incubator upon graduation. There is a range of resources before a start-up and for start-up businesses. There are also a variety of organisations that provide support to start-ups. For instance, Google Campus in London provides, support, networking and mentoring opportunities.
Before students commence on this journey, the first question to ask is ‘do you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur?’ Being an entrepreneur requires great determination: the ability to face numerous challenges and still have the resolve to start all over again the next day.
Risk-taking is an inherent part of starting a business. The path is not smooth and paved with gold. On the contrary, the road is rough and lined with thorns, but if you are able to survive the journey the rewards and the sense of accomplishment are priceless.
Essential to developing your business idea is building your network and developing relationships. Your ability to connect with people and your likeability become an important factor in the success of your business.
Levi’s top ten roots of success
Levi Roots is a successful entrepreneur, chef musician, author and speaker. If you have a business idea, use these tips to explore your ideas further while you are at university:
- Feel the power of your passion: You will need passion for your business idea, as you will face many challenges along the way, but it is your passion that will propel you forward to your success.
- To succeed you must know your market: Knowledge is key. Do your research about your product, your market and your potential consumers.
Levi Roots Entrepreneur, Chef, Musician,
Author and Speaker - The plan is your key to success: Nelson Mandela said: ‘It always seems impossible until it’s done’. It is important to plan your journey, so that you arrive at your final destination.
- Find yourself a mentor: Mentors can help you navigate some of the pitfalls of business and provide you with invaluable support and guidance.
- Make yourself and your business special: What’s your unique selling point? Whether you are selling a business idea or applying for a job, you need to stand out from the crowd.
- Never be afraid to make mistakes: Mistakes are inevitable but don’t make the same mistake twice.
- Surround yourself with like-minded people: Build a network or people who not only challenge you, but complement your skill set.
- Focus on finances: Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves. The ability to budget is a valuable skill both in business and in life.
- Stay true to your values and yourself. Be brave, be passionate, be confident, but never lose sight of who you are.
- Be in it for the long term: Nelson Mandela also said: ‘A winner is a dreamer, who never gives up’. Believe in your own magic and don’t let anyone tell you any different!
Finally, Levi says: ‘Your future success depends upon the strength of your self-belief and the choices that you make’.
Levi Roots, Entrepreneur, Levi Roots
A future strategy that can help you sell your business for a million pounds is worth planning. Here are business leader Yvonne Thompson’s seven steps.
Seven steps to a seven-figure exit based on the seven Ps
Passion: If you want to achieve something great, you need to have passion in your heart. Your hard work and commitment combined with this passion is sure to lead you to success.
Product: The product needs to be in a position to attract the potential buyers. It must be unique and matchless but be careful not to work on something that is too specialised or difficult.
People: A company or a business is nothing without people. You need to have a strong management team along with passionate and experienced employees.
Preparation: A considerable amount of preparation is required for the most successful seven-figure exit. The more you focus on this step, the more likely it is for you to have a rewarding exit.
Pipeline: Pipelining involves different stages in which you show the opportunities, do research, compile data and go on with the proposals.
Promote: What can be more tempting for potential buyers other than some attractive promotions? You need to carefully target your audience and follow a proper strategy to inspire customers.
Post-success: The last P is the prayer. Do not underestimate the power of prayer as it is a sure-fire way to help you find a successful seven-figure exit.
Dr Yvonne Thompson, CBE, Author,
Marketing Guru and International Public Speaker
And here are more tips on developing a business idea.
Five top tips on developing a business idea
- It’s important to pick a business that you believe can gain traction. Ideally it should be an issue that you are passionate about and believe to be commercially viable, as well as important to solve.
- An idea is just that . . . an idea until you develop and execute it.
- Be clear about your potential market. Keep revisiting your plans and keep your focus on your market . . . and keep confirming who that market is.
- Research your sector and explore how you might disrupt it.
- Be prepared to put your own money into your start-up.
Denise Rabor, Founder of WOW Beauty
and Leadership3sixty
Many students use their talents to support themselves during their time at university. Their goal may not be to start their own business, but the attraction is working for themselves and being able to decide their own rate of pay and hours. So review your skill set. Do you have a skill that you could use to earn money?
Employers need employees who have an entrepreneurial spirit. To run a business while at university demonstrates creativity, initiative and ability. Students have given piano lessons, tutored students in maths and English, built websites, etc. Obviously you need to be proficient in your skill first, but it sounds impressive that you ran your own business while at university.
Yaantu was created after attending a number of ‘industry days’ at Pearson College (students descend on a business to learn about the problems it faces and work with it to develop solutions). Having noticed the growing need for businesses to have a positive impact on the world, a small team of students began to develop a solution that combined this with our passion for wearable tech with corporate social responsibility. The solution allows employees to track their exercise using a variety of wearables and apps, and in return the employer supports a charity of the employees’ choice.
Starting a business has been one of the hardest things I have done to date, with lesson number one being that you make your own luck. We quickly learnt that selling business to business (B2B) is about developing and working your network. Pearson was immensely helpful with setting up sales meetings and off the back of these we won our first customers.
Starting Yaantu while at university had its downsides (juggling workloads and sacrificing a few Friday night beers), but the upsides hugely outweigh the downs. I’ve had access to a network of business academics and advisors at the forefront of their game, from marketing strategy to legal advice, and the university has provided invaluable expertise across a variety of fields.
Jack Preston, Yaantu
National Association of College and University Entrepreneurs
Over the last six years the National Association of College and University Entrepreneurs (NACUE) has engaged over 180,000 students in enterprising and entrepreneurial activities, supported a network of over 260 enterprise societies, and seen over 18,000 people attend its events.
Its community alone has generated over 1,600 businesses, including Amaliah, a ’modest fashion’ website for modern Muslim women. Nafisa Bakkar from University College London launched the business in 2015 after support from NACUE and helped turn her dream into reality.
It was after attending the NACUE Student Enterprise Conference and meeting other student and graduate entrepreneurs that she quit her job and dedicated herself full time to the business.
Attending NACUE’s conference was a real turning point for Nafisa. ‘Going to SEC and being surrounded by like-minded and ambitious individuals from all backgrounds, contexts and degrees made me realise that I too could actually do it’, says Nafisa. She has now been named as one the UK’s top start-ups by the British Council and has been accepted into the Ignite accelerator programme.
Johnny Luk, CEO, National Association of
Colleges and University Entrepreneurs
It’s not all about money. Increasingly, students are driven by developing ideas for a common good – to make a difference to a community. Even larger corporations have developed a commitment to sustainability by investing in both social and environmental projects. The main difference when developing a social enterprise is that all of the profits are ploughed back into the business.
There are several examples of successful social enterprises. Here are three: The Big Issue, Eden Project and Divine Chocolate. Social enterprise enables students to develop a small business idea and demonstrate how they resonate with the corporate values of the organisations which they may work for in the future. Integrity and an ability to demonstrate ethical attributes will provide students with an ability to stand out in society, which now places much more emphasis on these characteristics.
Business challenges
Business challenges present another avenue for exploring enterprise at university. Many universities run replica Dragon’s Den competitions or business challenges, which allow students to explore their entrepreneurial skills. There are many schemes in operation, so do your research, see what’s already running at your university or scout out businesses that offer schemes for you to get involved. Challenges also give you an opportunity to increase your business awareness and engage with numerous organisations. Here are a few examples:
- L’Oreal Brainstorm Competition: http://www.brandstorm.loreal.com/
- Adecco Way to Work, CEO for the month: https://www.adeccowaytowork.com/
- CIMA Global Business Challenge: www.cimaglobal.com/Events-and-cpd-courses/globalbusinesschallenge/
MyKindaFuture Online challenges
An online challenge is an innovative way for companies to engage with students from schools, colleges or universities. It requires minimal internal resource from the employer but provides a means of effective engagement with young people across different age groups. Students are more engaged and receptive to business messages when responding to a challenge, as it allows them to get under the skin of a business and brand and form a more meaningful connection.
The Universities Business Challenge (UBC) is the UK’s longest established and most recognised simulation-based competitive challenge for undergraduates designed to develop employability, enterprise skills and entrepreneurship. Supported by leading universities and IBM, a leading graduate employer, more than 25,000 students have benefitted from participating in the UBC Worldwide over the past 18 years.
Enterprise and entrepreneurship skills are incredibly attractive to graduate employers and recruiters, so all three rounds of the UBC are designed to develop these skills in a team-based competitive challenge.
Undergraduate students are given the opportunity to work as a board of directors in realistic, simulated companies, making all the critical business decisions that affect performance. The UBC simulations are varied and challenging, and range from manufacturing to service businesses and social enterprises to offer a rounded learning experience.
The UBC complements classroom learning and provides a learning-by-doing experience which embeds taught theory. Not only for business studies students, it is a true learning experience for all those who enter, no matter what their study discipline. It will help students to improve their understanding of how businesses work, develop their decision-making skills, their team-working abilities and increase their knowledge in key business areas such as marketing, finance, strategy, production, pricing and HR.
In addition to business and management studies, students from other faculties such as information technology, engineering, economics, accounting, law and a wide range of arts and science faculties have gained a new understanding of the business world and at the same time have developed their employability and enterprise skills.
Deborah Cardwell, Managing Director, UBC Worldwide
Sport
Whether you play basketball, netball, tennis, hockey or football you are developing employability skills. Sport represents an opportunity for students to actively demonstrate their employability skills. Being a team captain, being the spokesperson for the team or motivating team members are valuable skills.
At university, students are encouraged to get involved in sport, as it provides opportunities to travel, meet students from other universities and gain recognition for success, within the university, and also nationally and internationally. British Universities & Colleges Sport provides numerous opportunities for students to play a sport both nationally and internationally. The national leagues and championships, including the World University and European Union Championships, are the perfect addition to your experience at university.
The role of volunteer student football activator
While at university I took on the role of volunteer student football activator, supported by the Football Association (FA) and my university. It required me to plan, organise, market and deliver football activities that engaged other students within the university, specifically those not already playing football. Through the role I was able to develop skills that have helped massively in getting a job and I am now working successfully as a paramedic.
In a clinical setting, effective communication and leadership skills are invaluable in often difficult and pressurised situations. Through my role as an activator, I had the opportunity to develop these skills within my relationships and engagement with players, referees and volunteers. I was able to enhance and develop my leadership skills when delivering informal ‘Just Play’ sessions which week on week attracted over 100 participants.
Challenges included catering to so many different abilities and expectations while delivering as much contact time as possible to all interested players. Almost without knowing, I developed the ability to manage a crisis related to inadequate facilities and players’ patience. Developing resilience and problem-solving skills has stood me in good stead for when things don’t always go to plan as a paramedic.
The activator role has definitely given me the skills that have supported my employment and career so far as a paramedic. Without the leadership, communication, problem-solving and resilience developed through volunteering in sport I would be much less effective within my role.
Josh, university football activator (volunteer) and now a paramedic
Course representatives
You are already on a course, so why not be the course rep? The name may vary but essentially the role involves you being the voice of students on the course at academic course management meetings. Students are encouraged to seek the views and opinions of their fellow students and let the course team know the issues students are facing.
The role can be challenging, especially if there are significant issues, but it provides a platform to develop management skills, such as gathering and preparing information before the meeting, informing students of your role and willingness to represent them, the ability to communicate with senior course management and defend students’ needs.
The skills developed in being a course representative highlight your ability to network, listen, gather opinions and communicate at various levels.
Mechanical engineering course representative
I was excited to be elected course representative. There were five candidates and only two places. I prepared a speech, which outlined my interpretation of the role, and I received the most votes. I assured students of their anonymity and gave them plenty of time to provide me with their views and opinions prior to meetings. I would also make announcements at the end of lectures advising students of the forthcoming course boards and my availability.
Now, as a team leader, I adopt the same approach. I give my team opportunities to discuss concerns about senior management decisions and in turn I am the collective voice of my team.
Mechanical engineering graduate
Part-time work
Whether you are serving at a checkout, stacking shelves or waiting tables, you are developing your employability skills. Your experience may not be directly related to your future, but performing well in your role will add value to your CV. Being punctual, your length of service and developing customer service skills are all transferable to your career goals.
Employers need reliable employees who value their customers and take pride in their work. References are requested regardless of the industry sector you choose, so a glowing reference from your previous employer will always be welcomed by a future employer.
If you are going to work part time, be the best that you can be. If there are opportunities to be the employee of the month, be a team leader or take on extra responsibility, then seize these opportunities. To show advancement in your part-time job is a demonstration of your commitment, dedication and ability to excel.
From part-time to full-time work
My journey with M&S began when I decided to apply for a Saturday job alongside starting in the sixth form. I had always taken an interest in retail as I saw beyond what the everyday customer eventually views on the shelf and the experience they receive when they purchase that item.
I wanted to have an influence on the process behind the product and service that led me to seek out additional responsibility in my role. I learnt about the core processes and key parts to successful retailing and this was recognised by my line manager at the time, who advised me of the opportunities for progression internally. After following the same application process as an external candidate I was successful in gaining a place on the M&S placement programme.
I spent a year on a placement as part of my degree, which gave me invaluable experience in retail management across areas where I would have previously felt nervous and lacking in confidence, such as people management, communication and sales. The end-result was a graduate role at head office where, after completing the graduate scheme, I still work.
Joey Hosier, Customer Experience Manager,
Marks and Spencer plc
Becoming a global graduate
Increasingly, organisations operate globally and whether you physically travel overseas or are a part of an international virtual team, students will be expected to have a degree of cultural sensitivity.
One way to develop additional employability skills is to undertake an international internship. Not only does this make for interesting reading on your application forms, but also demonstrates a wide range of skills. For example, in some cases it develops resilience, but overall it shows a willingness to seize an opportunity and venture into the unknown. Graduates, who have opted to travel overseas, are often able to demonstrate a wider range of employability skills and a better appreciation of cultural differences.
Benefits of an international internship
We live in a world full of opportunity, choice and potential. And yet, the job market today is the most competitive it has ever been and youth unemployment is a large national concern.
Companies are able to select from a vast pool of qualified candidates. Unique experiences and skills are what set people apart from the general pool of applicants. And employers keep an eye out for graduates who are globally aware and have dynamic talent with leadership potential.
Pave, a company providing students and graduates with internships in India, believes that internships have the power to provide young career professionals with life-changing experiences that help them grow. Pave provides its interns with a once-in-a-lifetime, cross-cultural experience that gives young adults the opportunity to develop personally, gain professional skills in a challenging work environment and secure international experience that is imperative to success in the job market.
James Thomas and Apoorva Chaudry,
Managing Directors, Pave
Preparing for an international internship
Travelling overseas is a great opportunity, but students need to prepare for it. Some countries will require visas, vaccinations and possibly work permits. It is therefore necessary to do your research. There are many sources of information, such as the company organising the international internship or the Foreign and Common Wealth Office (FCO), that can provide a checklist to ensure there are no issues when you travel. Having adequate travel insurance is a must in the event of an incident, so that you are able access the support you need without question. Do not save on travel insurance as it will cost you in the long run if you fall ill on your trip.
Top tips for choosing an international internship
- Always look for funding available from your university, national or regional government bodies or destination-specific foundations or scholarships.
- Ask for an interview with the company, preferably over a video call, to discuss the exact details of the internship and projects you’ll be working on.
- Do some due diligence on the company you’ll be interning with, by checking sites such as GoOverseas.com, RateMyPlacement.com, TheStudentRoom.co.uk and Glassdoor.com.
- Ask for references from students who have done an internship at the company in the past.
- Don’t rule out small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) over well-known brands, as sometimes they offer more insight and the application process can be less competitive.
- Don’t pay a deposit to a third-party provider of internships overseas without knowing exactly what it can help you with and which company you’ll be working with.
Top tips for keeping safe abroad
- Check the FCO website for any travel advice for high-risk areas.
- Check with your GP that you have the relevant vaccinations for the trip.
- Check your level of health and travel insurance cover carefully, in particular excess levels, adequate medical cover including repatriation and limits on valuable items covered.
- Make two emergency documents, keeping one with you and one somewhere safe such as at your accommodation. The documents should include copies of your passport, a list of emergency contact numbers and your insurance policy details.
- Don’t carry too much cash at any one time or leave valuable items on show in public places, especially mobile phones.
Jamie Bettles, Managing Director, Intern China Ltd
Developing additional skills
Learning, knowledge and technology are constantly moving, so while at university it is always a good idea to do a review. Are there any short courses that could be beneficial to your future career or complement your degree? A language course, a marketing course or a course in business planning? It does not have to be academic – it could be to further develop an interest or hobby.
In recent years there has been an explosion of online and short courses. There are different opportunities to develop additional skills: distance learning, blended learning or face to face. There are many providers that offer the opportunity to undertake short courses in a plethora of subjects, which will ultimately be of benefit to you upon graduation. Examples of providers include:
- General Assembly: https://generalassemb.ly
- Lynda.com: www.lynda.com
- Udemy.com: www.udemy.com
Courses with General Assembly
University can be an exciting and vitally important time in anyone’s personal, emotional and intellectual development. It’s an important time to learn many things including learning how to learn. Many students graduate without a strong grasp of the day-to-day skills and proficiencies they will need to enter the workforce.
At General Assembly we are confronting this skills gap by providing best-in-class instruction and access to a global community of alumni and hiring partners to help students pursue the work they love. Our instructors are expert practitioners in their field and our courses supplement a degree by focusing on the most relevant and in-demand skills across data, design, business and technology.
Through teaching students the critical tools and methods they need to succeed in a variety of careers, we will help apply the theory learned in university and convert this knowledge into hard skills that employers are looking for such as coding, UX design, data analysis, digital marketing and more. Plus, you’ll walk away with projects, portfolios and prototypes that help showcase skills and abilities to potential employers.
Julien Deslangles-Blanch, Regional Director, General Assembly London
Have you heard about HEAR?
The High Education Achievement Report (HEAR) is a single electronic record of students’ achievements and accomplishments through their degree. Upon leaving university students not only receive a degree certificate, but also an electronic record of all academic and extracurricular achievements.
The purpose of the HEAR is to provide a comprehensive account of a student’s experience at university to help employers gain a more holistic picture of a student’s accomplishments, and enable students to maintain an accurate account of their achievements. The standardisation of the report also enables employers to compare candidates based on their experiences at university.
The HEAR has the following sections:
- Introductory text outlining the context
- Section 1: Student’s personal details
- Section 2: Name of the qualification
- Section 3: Level of the qualification
- Section 4: Details of content and results gained
- Section 5: Details of the function of the qualification
- Section 6: Additional information including awards and prizes
- Section 7: Formal authentication
- Section 8: Weblink reference to a description of the National Higher Education system to which the qualification and higher education institution belongs.
Currently, 90 universities and colleges are implementing or planning to implement the HEAR. This includes 32 institutions that have already issued 427,000 HEARs to students – and this number is increasing annually.
Not just a degree
Don’t be fooled: your grades do matter. Level 4 students often state this in their first year at university. Often the grades from your first year do not count towards your final degree classification. If you intend on applying for a summer internship, you may need to submit your transcript of your grades.
Graduating with the best class of degree you can is paramount. Missing assignments or skipping classes will make it harder for you to graduate with a Brilliant degree. Tom Peters in his book In Search of Excellence (Peters, 2004) writes that no one is searching for mediocrity.
Look at it from an employer’s perspective: if you had a vacancy, wouldn’t you want the best student in the class? Therefore monitor your grades and aim for a first-class degree. Often students do not understand how their degree is graded. Make sure you know what percentage of your marks each year counts towards your final degree classification and set goals for each year of study, like the one below.
| Degree classification | Year one | Year two | Year three |
|---|---|---|---|
| % of marks towards final degree classification of your degree |
e.g. 0%, must pass all first-year units | e.g. 20% of total marks | e.g. 80% of final marks |
I graduated with a 2:2 and it was a struggle to secure my first graduate position. When I attended graduate recruitment fairs companies only wanted people with 2:1s or above. It was a real blow to be rejected by so many companies. Luckily I had more to offer having completed two years of volunteering while at university and was also very active in sports. It took 40 applications, 35 rejections, ten interviews and nine months of stress to gain my first graduate position.
A business graduate
The same applies for the assessment of each of your units. How many units should you complete in each academic year and how are they assessed? To be successful you must know the ‘rules of the game’. Complete the table below for your year of study, so you are clear about how each unit will be assessed.
| Unit or module | Assessment criteria |
|---|---|
| Unit 1 | |
| Unit 2 | |
| Unit 3 | |
| Unit 4 | |
| Unit 5 | |
| Unit 6 |
Why should students get involved in extracurricular activities?
To give you an opportunity to experience the world of work and to develop additional skills. It’s great if you can look to secure a short-term placement or internship which puts you into an organisation. However, employability can still be developed through involvement with activities on campus or through projects so think laterally about what suits you best and then think about how you best position and sell those experiences in the applications that you make.
Helen Alkin, Head of Future Talent Recruitment,
Marks and Spencer plc
- If 72% of students are graduating with a 2:1 or a first, you cannot rely on your degree to make you stand out. So your extracurricular activities and work experience will be the focus of most employers.
- A degree allows you to enter the arena, but it is your involvement in developing relevant employability skills that will differentiate you from the competition and help secure a graduate position.
- Work experience is vital in order to be successful upon graduation.
- There is a definitive relationship between universities and the development of employability skills, but ultimately it is your responsibility.
- The skills developed as a result of completing assessments are directly transferable to the work environment.
- Get involved – don’t let opportunities pass you by.
- Don’t use lack of time as an excuse – make time as it’s your future.
- Is there a society that interests you or do you want to start your own society? Take the time to investigate.
- Volunteering adds value to you and the organisations. Even if it’s just an hour a week or a one-day team challenge, find out what you can offer.
- Whether you want to start your own business or just develop enterprise skills, there are many opportunities to explore at university.
- Review your role as team player, captain or coach and identify how this translates into the world of work.
- Be your course representative – develop managerial skills while studying for your degree.
- Part-time work can present opportunities to develop your employability but also present career opportunities upon graduation. Make sure you perform to the best of your ability. Don’t wait for a sign labelled ‘opportunity’.
- Make sure you know how your degree classification is determined and how each of your units is assessed. How can you succeed if you don’t know how you are being measured?