When I joined the University of Manchester as an international student, I saw it as a means to get my degree, meet new people, and explore a new culture. However, I was confused about how I could use its resources to build my resume. If you are confused too, this is the perfect guide for you! Here are a couple of things that you can do outside your course to amplify your resume.
Get Involved With Societies!
Getting involved with societies is a great way to explore your interests, highlight leadership qualities, learn a new skill outside your course, or maybe even make a new friend. Further, many of the tasks that you conduct in the societies need you to engage with the University’s faculty, professionals for the working world and your peers, this enables you to make better connections which will help you with recommendations in your future job application process. If you’d like to explore the different societies that the University has to offer, check out the Students’ Union’s societies page !
Look out for part-time jobs in the Student Union!
Part-time jobs are a great way to make extra income and any role will be a valuable forum for developing the skills and experience that will be crucial for graduate job applications. The Students’ Union’s Job Shop and the ‘Vacancies’ section of Career Connect are great first places to start your search.
Volunteer!
Volunteering might not directly provide you with work experience, however, subliminally adds to your resume. It demonstrates skills which are required in the workplace such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving, project planning, task management, and organization. For more on what can be achieved through volunteering, see Kacey Stonell’s recent SALC blog post on volunteering in the heritage industry:
Get Involved In Research Projects!
Research projects are a great display of your theoretical knowledge and research skills.
Our Learning Through Research Internships that you can apply to complete in the summer before their final year of Undergraduate study are great way to do that. These internships are a part of the University’s Student Experience Internship programme and to quote the website ‘are aimed at students wanting to explore what a PhD or academic career might look like; they will involve working alongside an academic member of staff or other researcher undertaking a very specific research orientated project submitted by the academic.’
Check out the Student Experience Internship page as applications will open in February!
The Q Step programme, where second year SALC students (on selected degree programmes) can apply for a summer placement to support researchers on a real-world project is another forum that might help you explore some interesting opportunities:
The UG scholars programme is also something that one should check out. Although this year’s deadline for UG Scholars has passed, you could check out the website using the link below to apply to the programme in 2023/24:
Check Out Career Connect!
The universities careers service offers several ‘Student Experience Internships’ for SALC students in the University or in Small-Medium sized businesses in or around Manchester. You can go check them out here.
They further provide great assistance in the form of one-one meetings, events, and guides to help you tailor your resume for future job applications. So why not sign in now and check out what they have to offer.
written by Sanjali Ladha