As a new semester begins, we wanted to remind you that the Careers Service is here to support all home and international, undergraduate and postgraduate students, regardless of where you may have got to in thinking about life after University.
At 12-2pm on Tuesday 8 February, Tuesday 15 March and Tuesday 26 April, our team of Humanities Careers Advisors will be in the North Foyer of the Samuel Alexander Building waiting to answer your careers questions or to simply introduce you to all of the support available to you from the Careers Service. We’d love to meet you so please do drop by if you are on campus!
To give you an idea of how we can support you, we’ve set out some common comments that we hear from students below, along with some resources that are most relevant to their situation.
I don’t know what to do!
If you haven’t a clue what you want to do, or perhaps have one or two vague ideas, don’t panic! Many SALC graduates were once in the same boat and had one or more jobs before settling into a rewarding career.
The skills that are intrinsically part of a SALC degree, such as communication, collaboration, research and analysis, independence, creativity and adaptability, can lead to many different opportunities across a range of career sectors. Try a search for SALC alumni on LinkedIn for evidence of this; you’ll find an impressive range of job roles, employers and further study.
The Careers Service website can help you in deciding which career paths could be right for you. For example, our Don’t know what you want to do? page includes information on what you can do with your specific degree as well as links to questionnaires that will help you to consider your skills and motivations. Our Which career? pages will also introduce you to different occupations and sectors.
We also host a variety of events focusing on different careers and employability topics that are packed with useful information. Simply find one you are interested in and register online via CareerConnect, the Careers Service’s newly launched opportunities, events and appointments platform. For news of the latest events, check your University inbox for our weekly careers e-newsletter, which is curated specifically to highlight the sessions and opportunities most relevant to Humanities students.
Don’t worry if you can’t attend or miss a session, you can still access all the recordings on our YouTube channel.
I have some ideas but I need more information
If you have some career ideas but now need some more detailed information on what these jobs and sectors may involve, go to our I have some career ideas… but I need to find out more about sectors and jobs page. Here, you will find suggestions on where you can start your research, who you can talk to and how you can get experience to help you decide if a particular profession is right for you.
Our How to Make the Most of Manchester interactive timeline will also help you to plan time to build your skills and make applications as your progress along your career journey.
I’ve found some career paths but can’t choose between them
It’s likely that there are a wide-range of careers that would suit you so it’s natural to be stuck between several different options. If that’s the case for you, check out our I’m trying to decide between ideas page. Here, we explore different approaches to decision-making, including using research, your instincts or a combination of the two.
Alternatively, if you’d prefer to talk things through with a trained careers professional, you can book a one to one online appointment with a Humanities Careers Consultant.
I need to build my experience
When applying for something, be it work experience, part-time work or a graduate job, you will be asked to complete an application form or a CV and a Cover Letter. This is where you tell your story, from GCSEs onwards, in a way that evidences the requirements of the opportunity you’re applying for. So, how do you add to your story? You could start with University initiatives. For instance, there is the University’s Stellify programme that offers a chance to build highly valued skills and experience. You could also look into Volunteering or reach out to a student society. In addition, there are a variety of internships and graduate roles on CareerConnect. Finally, you‘ll also benefit from adding to your digital skills, something you can do through free flexible learning.
Just as important, though, is valuing the strengths you already have. Don’t forget, you’ve come a long way to get to where you are now. Studying at a Russell Group university during a pandemic demonstrates academic excellence and resilience. The strengths you’ve drawn on to achieve this are a part of who you are and will help you succeed and deal with set-backs that are a natural part of life. Because a growing number of employers use a strengths based approach to recruitment, we’ve recorded sessions to help you identify and articulate ones that are personal to you.
If you need to complete an application, you can seek feedback from our student partner interns and use our online CV checker.
I need help with my job application
Have a look at the ‘Pathways’ section of CareerConnect for a whole range of resources to help you with your applications.
If you need support in writing your CV, try our Get CV ready pathway, which walks you through the process of creating an effective CV and includes access to CareerSet, our online CV checker, where you can upload a CV and receive instant personalised feedback.
We also have a Get Application and Cover Letter Ready pathway to help you to optimise your application forms and personal statements.
Got an assessment, test or interview on the horizon? Our Get Assessment, Test and Interview Ready pathway allows you to practice your interview technique via the Shortlist.me video interview platform and also practice a range of tests and assessments, including psychometric, situational judgement, numerical reasoning and game based assessments.
A summary of the other support we can provide, including guidance appointments, applications advice, practice interviews and video interviews can be found in the ‘Help and Advice’ section of our website.
Don’t forget that the Careers Service is here to support you now and for up to two years after you complete your degree so we strongly encourage you to take advantage of all of the resources that are on offer.
We’d love to hear from you and you can contact with us via social media and our live Web Chat.
For those of you interested in a career in the Media, come and join our Media Club Facebook group, which alerts members to the latest media-related sessions and opportunities, as well as hosting events with notable media professionals.
We wish you all the best for the upcoming semester.