Like many undergraduates, for a long period of time the word ‘employability’ hardly crossed my mind. And why should it have? Considering we as students have to balance attending lectures, completing coursework, having a social life (even a relationship), a part time work commitment and all the other things which make student life what it is, it’s easy to overlook what actually happens after we graduate.
I first got to grips with employability at the beginning of my third year. In hindsight this is a lot later than I would have liked, but much better than never. Like many final year students I felt I was faced with the inevitability of ‘this is going to be over soon, so think about what you would like to do’. While it does seem odd to some that I only really began to consider what exactly I want to do with my future at this time, I had just been trying to get good grades and pass exams all long.
This led me to get acquainted with the Students’ Union, and I noticed that UMAX offers free employability workshops. The first step involved myself giving some thought to some areas I felt I could improve on, and then I signed up to CV Writing, Interview Skills, utilising Social Media for job hunting and so on. Of course I already knew how to ‘write a CV’, but did I know how to a create one that would be able to stand out amongst the competition in the current job market? Before the Social Media workshop, my attitude when it comes to job hunting was ‘keep everything air tight, private and locked down’. Why was I wrong? You’ll find out… after you attend.
What was so good about that workshop, or indeed any of the workshops I would attend over the course of my final year? To begin with they are delivered by industry professionals who are at the top of their game, and they don’t stop there. So you can be sure the information you are given is razor sharp and relevant. Just one workshop, and that’s three hours maximum with either Aimee Bateman or Sally Strong, started the ball rolling to get me excited about my future. What does that look like? Now I look for opportunities, not simply jobs..
It doesn’t end there. If I can share with you the best lesson I learned (and continue to learn) from these workshops, it’s this. I feel more adaptable, flexible, and most importantly, excited about my future. Each workshop is an opportunity for you to get to grips with how you want to see yourself in your future, one element of what Sally and Aimee refer to as your ‘Personal Brand’. If you’re not sure what that is and want to know more, that’s your cue to sign up now.
So if you are already wanting to know more, drop in and see our UMAX team on both Llandaff and Cyncoed campus, or just simply visit our website at: http://www.cardiffmetsu.co.uk/umax/employability/
And don’t forget to follow UMAX on Twitter or Facebook to stay up to date!
By Phillip Thomas Smith