Getting experience
Many graduates find it difficult to get on the first rung of the career ladder.
Employers want experience but how do you get started?
There are a number of ways that you can gain valuable skills and experience, including paid placements and volunteering.
Paid placements
Graduate Internships - New for 2010!
Graduate placements and internships are offered by a wide variety of organisations, covering a vast range of opportunities. There will be over 800 Government funded graduate internships available in the South West from 2010. These have been created to support key employer sectors in order to stimulate growth, assist economic recovery and improve manufacturing and services in the region.
Internships are designed to give you a taste of working for an employer. You won’t necessarily be expected to have work experience already. However, some placements may require graduates with specific experience - so check the role description before you apply.
For more information see our Graduate Internships page
Graduate Business Partnerships (GBP)
Looking for that important first role?
In a position that isn’t using your skills to the max?
GBP’s offer the opportunity to make a real contribution to a Devon business whilst gaining experience that enhances your CV and future prospects.
A Graduate Business Partnership can provide you with:
- An enhanced CV and better chances in the job market
- A 20 week placement with hands on experience of a real business project
- A minimum salary of £300 per week
- A ten day business training course
- Projects start throughout the year
"I would highly recommend GBP to other graduates as it has helped me gain confidence in my work, and has allowed me to have invaluable hands on experience in a busy working environment."Lisa Taylor, GBP Graduate with BA Hons Public Relations and Media.
For more information see the Graduate Business Partnership Website
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP’s)
KTP’s provide challenging employment and personal development opportunities to graduates throughout the UK. Graduates are appointed to manage projects central to the development needs of companies.
Competition is fierce, but the benefits include:
- The right platform to launch your career
- A professional qualification
- The ability to earn your value in the market place
- The chance to be mentored in your job
- Ownership of a project
- A way to apply your qualification to your job
- A salary whilst you develop experience
"KTP is a fantastic opportunity to launch a career. It offers the full package - a graduate salary, academic support and managament skills."Emmanuel Odofin, KTP Associate with Beran Instruments and the University of Plymouth
For more information see the KTP website
Unlocking Cornish Potential (UCP)
UCP offers the opportunity to apply what you have learnt during your degree in a real business environment.
A UCP Programme can provide you with:
- Six to twelve month placement managing a business project
- The support of a mentor and project team
- Valuable business experience
For more information see the UCP Graduates Page
Gloucestershire Graduate Challenge
The University of Gloucestershire and Gloucestershire First have joined forces to bring you a fresh approach to work-based learning with the new Graduate Challenge programme.
The programme offers a limited number of four-month paid work placements as a means of adding valuable experience to your CV and helping successful applicants on the way towards sustainable employment.
Graduate Challenge offers you:
- A structured four-month placement
- A training allowance
- Valuable work experience
- A Postgraduate Certificate in Personal and Professional Development and points towards a Masters Degree
- Mentor Support
- Potentially greater employment opportunities
For important dates see our Training and Events page
For more information see the Graduate Challenge website
Graduate Skills for Torridge
This is a new project offering placements to graduates with local businesses in the Torridge district of Devon. Possible projects include
- Setting up or improving IT systems
- Writing marketing plans
- Analysing and improving production
- Developing a website or E-commerce
- Completion of an environmental audit
- Design of new company literature
For more information contact Cathy Newman by emailling Cnewman@northdevonplus.co.uk or ringing 0845 241 2043.
Take a Sabattical
Students' unions are democratic organisations led by students for students. Each year, the student body elects sabattical officers to lead the students' union and represent the views of students to the university and wider community.
Sabattical positions can be full time or part time and they are usually paid. They offer the opportunity to develop leadership, management and campaigning skills. Check out your students' union website for more details.
Unpaid placements
Graduate Talent Pool
Graduate Talent Pool is a new service that matches graduates with internship opportunities.
Getting an internship through Graduate Talent Pool is one way of building on the skills you gained at university. It can also give you real life work experience, let you try your hand at a possible career, and prove yourself to a potential employer.
Volunteering
A stint as a volunteer can give you the edge when you come to apply for a graduate position.
For some professions such as teaching, social work or journalism, voluntary experience is often a pre-requisite as it proves your commitment to the role.
You can combine voluntary work with paid work or study –opportunities include one off commitments and weekend and evening roles.
Additionally, the voluntary sector offers many interesting, rewarding and well paid career options that you might not have previously considered.
Volunteering allows you to meet new people, develop new skills, gain valuable experience and ‘put something back’. Most voluntary organisations offer training for your role as a volunteer.
If you are thinking about volunteering, consider:
- What are your reasons for volunteerig?
- How will it fit with your need to earn money?
- What can you realistically offer in terms of time and commitment?
- What skills can you offer, or what skills do you want to develop?
- What do you want to gain from volunteering?
- Will it affect any means tested benefits you are receiving? (Out of pocket expenses will not.)
If you want to work with children or vulnerable adults, you will be asked to undergo checks by the Criminal Records Bureau.
The Do-It website gives lots of information about voluntary opportunities and lists thousands of voluntary opportunities.
