How We Can Help New Students

Following last week's Freshers' Fayre, it seems like a good time to highlight some of the things we can provide for students joining the University of Cumbria for the first time.

It would probably fair to say that most students are not likely to be making major career decisions in the first week of term.  Apart from having fun, any serious thoughts they have are likely to be on the lines of:-

• How will I manage for money?
• Can I cope with the course?
• Will I make friends?
• Will I be homesick?

Most students will be on the look out for a part-time job to ease money problems and you can find some useful guides on how to find casual jobs in Carlisle, Lancaster and elsewhere by following the links from our jobs and vacancies page on the University website.

Many part-time applications will be by CV, and you can find some more help with compiling a CV via the Get a Job section of the Jobs&Careers tab on Blackboard (best viewed in Internet Explorer).  You can also ask us to check your CV by requesting an appointment through LiSS staff or via email 

We wish all new students a happy and successful time with us but if you decide you may have made the wrong choice of course, we can help you look at what the alternatives might be.

For more information about us see www.cumbria.ac.uk/careers

Come and Meet Us at Freshers' Fayre...

This is a notice for University of Cumbria Students!

Careers Advisers will be at both Freshers' Welcome Fayre events for new students next week at both Lancaster and Fusehill Street campuses next week.

Dates and locations are as follows:

• Fusehill Street Learning Gateway, Tuesday 25th September (from 10.00 a.m.)
• Lancaster Campus Old Dining Room, Wednesday 26th September (also from 10.00 a.m.)

While long-term career planning isn't usually the first thing on students' minds at the beginning of term, you might want to:

• Find out about sources of possible part-time jobs
• Learn about 'Career Ahead', the University's newly-introduced Employability Award
• Try our cryptic careers competition and possibly win a £20 voucher
• grab any freebies we manage to put together on the day

Here's the faces to look out for:

Joanne Watson, Linda Powell, Sandra Baron, Colin Taylor, Libby Davies

FAQ: Is there a certain way to write a CV depending on what job you are applying for?

This is going to be a 'yes and no' type of answer!

Broadly speaking, third year students and graduates can feel fairly safe if they adopt the traditional, two-page, reverse chronological, approach covering the key headings of Education, Employment, Interests and Achievements and References (one academic reference and one from the world of work) or the skills-based approach where you have a strong section on your employment-related skills instead of much detail on your past jobs.  If you don't understand the difference between these two approaches, you might like to do some initial research using the resources like those mentioned at the end of this post.

However, there are some mainly slight differences that do occur according to your career interest.

For example, Law CVs tend to be highly traditional.  The skills-based approach is not favoured and neither are off-the-wall presentational features. Unlike other areas, all exam results including GCSEs should be stated, including all degree modules and results.

On the other hand, imaginative approaches that break the 'normal' CV mould can work in some employment sectors although it should be remembered that they are always a 'high risk strategy' that can succeed spectacularly or fail totally.  For careers in the creative sector it is probably best to stay with a fairly standard approach, but ensure the CV conveys a sense of good visual presentation, and include a link to your online portfolio.

For those whose degrees are recognised professional qualifications (e.g. teachers, health professionals), some useful pointers are:

• Quote your professional registration or PIN number in your personal details (or say that it's awaited) to demonstrate your eligibility
• Offer some comments about parts of your course you found interesting or significant
• You must include details of your course placements including what you did or learned on them

Probably the only area where the approach to the CV is completely different is the wonderful world of Acting and Performance, where it is usual (unlike UK CVs in general) to include a photograph of yourself but to omit your school qualifications altogether. Details such as your physical appearance, the ages and accents you can portray would however be included.

This is the latest in our occasional series of Careers FAQs.  For more information about CV writing, see the links we have provided at http://delicious.com/skillzone/cv  or one of the numerous books on the subject in the University and public libraries. University of Cumbria students can also find more information on the Jobs&Careers tab on the Blackboard Virtual learning Environment.

Forthcoming Shortage of Primary Teachers?

Student Teachers at University of Cumbria

Last Friday's 'Independent' reported research by Pearson Education which indicated that, while applications for primary teacher training places have dropped by 17%, primary school and nursery roles are set to rise by 8% over the next three years, leading to speculation of future shortages of qualified teachers.

Researchers also found that 55% of Primary Headteachers reported a decline in staff morale and had found it more difficult to recruit teachers than last year. Suggestions of a recruitment crisis have however been stringently denied by the Department of Education.

Comment: Some of our recent Primary graduates may be surprised to learn that it is becoming easier to find teaching jobs.  Any easing of the currently highly competitive recruitment situation at Primary level will of course be good news - but one wonders whether any benefits will be equally spread across the country.  What happens in Stratford may not come about so readily in Cumbria.

Do You Lie On Your CV?

In yet another piece of research Graduate Prospects have unearthed some troubling evidence that suggest a good proportion of students and graduates are not entirely truthful on their CVs.  Of 1,306 surveyed, a third reported that they knew someone who had lied on a CV or deliberately exaggerated their qualifications.

Apparently, graduates prone to tell porkies are most likely to give a higher grade than they actually achieved, with a substantial proportion claiming to have completed a course when they didn't. Smaller proportions falsely changed their degree subject to suit job requirements or claimed they had a degree they did not possess.

Perhaps more worryingly, many respondents thought that practices like lying on CVs or purchasing fake degree certificates would increase in the wake of increased tuition fees, although such results can presumably only be regarded as speculation.

Comment: I have to say that in all my time at the University of Cumbria, I have never uncovered a clear example of a student providing false information on a CV.  There may have been one or two minor sins of omission but, in my view, our students are far more likely to undersell themselves on their CV.

For some hints on compiling a good (but truthful) CV, try the weblinks at http://delicious.com/skillzone/cv