Careers – Page 11 – The Aspiring Professionals Hub

Your Job Search – Who you know matters but who knows you matters even more!

May 25, 2015May 25, 2015by aspiringprofessionalshub5 Comments

Looking for a job can be challenging and an arduous process. It is easy to feel discouraged when things are not working out but please hang in there! In today’s post, Dr Genevieve Regan, Laboratory Coordinator at the University of the Sciences, Philadelphia,USA shares some strategies for job seekers focusing on the importance of networking.

I should start this with the disclaimer that ‘I am no expert in job searching, career planning, or ladder climbing.’ I am just a person who, after a year of serious searching, has successfully gotten a new position that is better than my previous position and will hopefully lead to better and better things. I can also say that prior to getting my new job, those qualifications would be all I needed in an author because job searching is gruelling and having gotten a job means something went right for the writer so I would love to hear what they had to say.

In the last 4 months, I applied to 26 jobs, followed up on my application when I could, went to 4 interviews, and got 0 of the jobs I had applied for. My current job came from being in the right person’s mind when a good opportunity became available. Hence my title, “Who you know matters, and who knows you matters even more”.

There are three main points to my networking strategy that I think worked to my advantage. The first is to have a network. You have to think about who you know. I know I lamented, “But I don’t know anyone” but it wasn’t true. I had former classmates and professors, co-workers, and family.

The second point is to have real relationships with these people. I needed to know them but they also needed to know me. Don’t just cold call people and announce you need a job, connect with them. If they are doing the kind of work you are interested in, find out how they got there, find out what interests them about the work, and find out what you can do to help them. Let them know you are looking for work but don’t be demanding about it, give a good picture of your interests and what is going on with yourself. A good relationship needs sharing between both parties.

This leads to the last point; be memorable. People remember people who help them. It doesn’t have to be helping them out with big things, just be a friend or good colleague. Things like sharing an article you think they would like, volunteering to help out on a project or event, or being a sounding board when they need one all can help your relationships.The overriding theme to the strategy would be not to treat it like strategy. Be the kind of person you would legitimately help to find a job and people will want to help you find a job. They will think of you when they hear of an opportunity the same way you might think of someone else you know when you hear of one. There is an added benefit to my non-strategy strategy. You are connecting with people, and that should be fun. Going for coffee, meeting up at a happy hour, having discussions about topics you both are interested in, these should be fun. In all the job search stress you need fun, so consider it to be part of the process.

If you find networking challenging, you are not alone. Please check out our articles on Networking here and here. If you would like to share an article in The Hub, feel free to contact us @ aspiringprofessionalshub@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter @AspProfHub.

#CareerFocus – Getting into Medicine

May 18, 2015February 7, 2017by aspiringprofessionalshubLeave a comment

How did you decide on your current career? Did you nurture a dream from a young age and see it through? Did you decide in school when you realised that you had an aptitude for certain subjects? Did you choose a course at University, thoroughly hate it, graduate and decide to do something else? In our latest addition to The Hub, ‘Getting Into – ’ we share information regarding getting into specific careers from professionals in the discipline. In this article, Chidi Amadi, a medical student shares information about getting into Medicine in the UK.

APH: What is your current role?

CA: I am a final year medical Student at King’s College London (from August 2015).

When did you realise you wanted to be a doctor and what steps did you take to get there?

I realised I wanted to be a doctor when I was 16, after my GCSE results (10 A*s and 5 As). I was informed by my school that I was the only student to gain 3 A*s in Triple Science. I combined this outcome with parental guidance, my love for science and a desire to enter a prestigious challenging career … and the passion for medicine was born. The journey to getting into Medicine starts from your GCSE’s and not just A’ Levels.

The steps I took to get here were choosing my A levels appropriately. Chemistry is compulsory, Maths and Biology are desirable – I strongly recommend those three. Your fourth should preferably be a humanities (geography, history or economics) or a language. Getting into medical school is highly competitive, so realistically, you should achieve A’s and A*’s in your A’ Level subjects.

Secondly, I arranged work experience early (hospital, GP and care home). Thirdly, I made sure I was in close contact with those ahead of me i.e. medical undergraduates at the time, newly qualified doctors as I realised that they were best placed to advise me. This was particularly important in preparing for the interview.

How would you answer the question ‘Why would you like to study Medicine?’ Most prospective medical student’s response to that question relates to wanting to care for sick people but you could also do that as a nurse or pharmacist. This is where the advice of those in the profession can prove invaluable. More information on preparing for interviews can be found here.

In your opinion, what are the important skills and personal attributes to succeed in Medicine?

Medicine is a long course and an even longer career to embark upon so you must be ready for the challenge. It needs dedication, consistency and the ability to think laterally. Working as a doctor involves problem solving, often using an indirect and creative approach. Beyond subject knowledge, to succeed in the medical profession, you must also have excellent communication skills – especially listening. Further information about skills required can be found here.

Can you describe a typical working day?

9-12: Ward round (presenting patients’ cases to Consultants and seniors as they review them)

12-1: Lunch break

1-4: Clinics with consultants, teaching with seniors or self-directed ward activity

What do you like the most and least about your job?

Like the most – the diversity of what needs to be learnt.

Like the least – I can’t remember when I slept before 1am.

What do you wish someone else had told you before you embarked on your academic/professional journey?

That I should be prepared to be challenged beyond my preconceived limits.

What advice would you share with anyone interested in studying Medicine and how can one get in?

Motivation – If you want a title, money, or fame then please do not study Medicine. You will save yourself a lot of time, effort and save patients a lot of headache which come from unenthusiastic doctors. Assess your interest in studying Medicine and ensure it is genuine – a real interest with a primary focus. Medicine has to be something that you really want to do.

Preparation – I would advise also that you start your journey early! Prepare a strong personal statement, get some work experience and start your UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) and Biomedical Admissions Test (BMAT) revision even before the start of your AS level exams. ‘The early bird catches the worm.’

For more information on getting into Medicine in the UK, please visit the Medical Schools Council guide for students.

Chidi Amadi is a final year medical student at the GKT School of Medical Education, King’s College London.

We hope you have found this article useful. If you have any more questions or career pathways you would like to see profiled, please send us an email @ aspiringprofessionalshub@gmail.com.

#CareerChat – How to prepare and perform well at interviews

May 15, 2015February 7, 2017by aspiringprofessionalshub3 Comments

This is usually the time of year when current students start seeking placements and soon-to-be graduates think about graduate employment. Whether looking for part -or full time job opportunities, prospective employees must face a cycle of job applications and interviews. In this article, we discuss how to prepare and perform well at interviews. We hope this will be useful for students as well as early career professionals who still struggle at interviews or would like some tips for their first interview.

Prepare – Firstly, if you have been invited to an interview, congratulations! At this stage, there are a number of things to consider. Ensure you confirm the venue, date and time of the interview. This might sound funny but you’ll be amazed how many people call up organisations on the day of the interview to ask for where the company or interview venue is. To an employer, this suggests you are poorly prepared, not very organised and unreliable. Read the invitation letter several times and be familiar with its contents. Will you be interviewed individually or as a group? Will you have to give a presentation or participate in psychometric tests? Have you responded to confirm your attendance? Remember that every contact you have with this company counts towards your interview.

Know your USP – We have talked about the unique selling point (USP) in a previous article. Before turning up at your interview, it would be important to be able to articulate what makes you unique. Have you identified all your skills? While the ability to open beer cans without using your hand might be a fun YouTube trick, it is probably not relevant during your interview. What is it about your skills and personal attributes that is valuable to this employer? Interviews are about knowing the ‘person’ behind the application. They like you ‘on paper’ but want to see a side of you which your CV might not demonstrate.

Try and anticipate what questions will be asked during the interview. It may sound like common knowledge but reflect on your answer to ‘Why do you want to work for us/in this role?’ Ask a friend to do a mock interview and practice the answers to the list of questions you anticipate being asked. I (Amara) particularly recommend this as I have found this to be a useful way to prepare for interviews. ‘Practice makes perfect’ as well as helping improve your confidence. You are less likely to be nervous if you are asked a question you have a ready answer to.

Poor preparation usually equates poor performance.

The next phase of your preparation is to do your research about the organisation or employer. Go back over the job advertisement and study the person specification. Focus on the attributes and skill set that will be determined during the interview. You must show sound knowledge of the organisation you want to work for. This is a very crucial part of the interview process. We would advise preparing a ‘dossier’ of your potential employer; their strengths, the scope of their work; what you consider to be their main challenges (present and future) and importantly, how you fit into their organisation.

Perform – Once you are ready for your interview, there are some simple general things to be aware of. Simple things like planning ahead so you are there on time. It is advisable to be there at least 15 minutes before. Your interview starts once you present yourself at reception. Be professional in your presentation – smile, it doesn’t hurt to say hello to the other candidates too!

Dress appropriately in formal attire. We have spoken to people who have been interviewed for research jobs and some suggest you do not need to be formal as some of the interviewers do not care about the formal nature of the process. We do advise however to be formal…play it safe “Better safe than sorry” right?

Connect with the interview panel – Panels are now more common than one to one interviews. Having two or more people on the other side of the table may be nerve-wracking but remember your interviewers are people too. They already like you so try not to worry too much. If you do know who will be on the interview panel, it wouldn’t hurt to do some research there as well. This is important if you’re applying for a summer placement or an internship. What was the last paper published by the Professor whose lab you want to work for six weeks this summer? Don’t know? You’re not fully prepared then. Be engaging and show you have a sense of humour but no crass jokes. Sit up in your chair, maintain eye contact with all interviewers and project confidence.

Show enthusiasm – This is so important! I (Emmanuel) remember two recent interviews which ended with none of the interviewees getting the job. On one occasion, the interviewer stated the reason he did not recruit anyone among the interviewees was because they did not show enthusiasm. Be hungry and show it. Ask yourself this question, can you remember any interview you have attended where you have not shown much enthusiasm? Also, would you employ yourself if you are an employer and are looking for the best candidate? If yes, well done! If no then why not?

You have probably heard this before but after fielding questions from your interviewers, it is important that you have a good question to ask your interviewers at the end. Please avoid the “How much am I getting paid?” question but be prepared for ‘How much do you want?’ Questions such as where you might fit within the company, what type of training will be offered and the career progression pathways for someone in your role are useful questions.

Finally, we know interviews can often be tough and daunting but it is possible in some cases to feel very relaxed and comfortable. A word of warning though, when you feel too relaxed, you may get a false sense of security and behave like you are among friends. Please avoid this. Throughout your interview, maintain a positive and professional attitude.

We hope you have a stress-less interview. Please feel free to share your tips on how you prepare and perform at interviews. We would really love your feedback so if you find this article useful, please let us know. Leave a comment or email us – aspiringprofessionalshub@gmail.com.

#UniAdvice – 7 things successful students do

May 4, 2015February 7, 2017by aspiringprofessionalshub3 Comments

Exam season is now upon us. While third year undergraduates swot over their dissertations and final exams revision (good luck!); prospective undergraduate students are also preparing to start a new phase in their academic journey. Going to University elicits a range of emotions – excitement, anticipation and sometimes anxiety. In this article, we will be discussing tips that can help you adjust to your new learning environment. We believe some of this information is also relevant to current students to enhance their academic experience.

Seek advice – This should start even before you make a final decision on what University to choose.Open days are a great place to start as you have an opportunity to meet students already enrolled on the courses you are interested in applying for. Current students are best suited to provide information not just about the University but advice on accommodation, living costs and social activities you can get involved with. Furthermore, academics are usually available at these events and can provide valuable information about the course; helping you understand the opportunities and potential challenges you may face. Some pertinent questions you can ask have been covered in our previous article –‘Before you choose a course to study at University.’

Embrace the ‘change’ – University is different. There is a reason why it is called ‘Higher Education.’ If you expect it to be different, then you can begin to prepare for it. It is normal for new students to severely underestimate the amount of work that is required at Univer sity. For every hour you spend in a lecture, you may need to invest another 2-3 hours in independent study. Your teacher tells you something in class but expects you to delve even deeper and tell him/her things they do not know. You are expected to think criticially, write more professionally, read academic journals etc. Look out for your University’s Learning support unit – they provide a whole array of support services that will help you embrace the change.

Get mentored – In recent years, we have been lucky to mentor undergraduate and postgraduate students who have gone on to develop exciting careers. Many Universities now have mentoring schemes providing peer mentor support for first years provided by second and third year students. It is unfortunate that many students do not utilise these even though they are of great value. For second year students, contact your Careers service and see if they have an employability mentoring scheme, where you can be mentored by a professional in your field. We have both benefited greatly from having mentors who invested time and effort to shape our careers and support us through some parts of our university experience. Lecturers can also be a valuable source in developing professional relationships especially if they have worked in the field.

Volunteer – It is great to see more students are starting to value volunteering as a way not only to develop their transferable skills but also as a way to make friends and have a social network whilst at University. Remember that having a degree, even a good one, simply is not enough to keep you ahead. Your experience and skills are things that will set you apart from other candidates when you go for jobs. The idea for this website was born at a volunteering event and we have made a lot of friends through volunteering too. Apart from what you get out of it, just think about the significant contribution you are making to the organisation you are volunteering for.

Apply for an internship – View internships as a valuable contribution to your education. Final year students tell us how they view life outside University with some anxiety as they do not understand how the ‘world of work’ works. An internship can help with that. I (Emmanuel) employed an intern last summer and the experience of carrying out innovative projects with my intern has given me the desire to employ more interns this year. If you would like to go into research, why not ask a research active lecturer if s/he will be taking on any interns. See your Careers adviser for more information. Apart from honing your skills, internships provide the opportunity to develop valuable contacts in your area.

Sign up for a sandwich degree – Should I study for 3 or 4 years? We get this question often from students and parents alike. While it seems like a silly question as 3 is obviously shorter than 4 years, the 4 year sandwich degree is definitely worth considering – taking cost implications into consideration. The sandwich degree offers you the opportunity to be placed at a company or organisation working (mostly paid) for a year. Students who take up these placements usually return better equipped for their final years due to all the experiential learning taking place. In a good number of cases, students are offered jobs by their work placement companies after their degrees provided they attain good grades (a very good incentive we think!!)

Join a professional society – Most courses are affiliated with a professional body. Majority of them offer student membership at significantly reduced rates or even for free. We benefitted greatly from our membership of the Society for Applied Microbiology and Voice of Young Scientists. Attend events organised by your Society and use them as networking opportunities to develop relationships within your discipline.

Earlier we mentioned going to your Careers department, this is important even if you do not know what you want from them, just go in, say hello and ask what they do! Careers consultants are usually friendly and supportive and will shape up your CVs and guide you through applying for internships, work placements etc.

We would advise you ‘not to give up any extracurricular talents or skills you have before going to University.” A lot is usually said about Universities and employability and less about entrepreneurship. Universities should be the building grounds for you to blossom and let your creativity shine. Please check out our Entrepreneur’s Corner for more inspiration.

If you enjoyed reading this article, please share and subscribe to our network! If you have an article you would like to share with our readers, please get in touch – info@aspiringprofessionalshub.com.

#CareerChat – Dealing with Rejection

April 23, 2015January 16, 2017by aspiringprofessionalshub9 Comments

Dear Dr A

Thank you for attending the interview for the above position. Regretfully I am now writing to inform you that, on this occasion, you have been unsuccessful. I would like to take the opportunity to thank you for your interest in working for our organisation. We appreciate the time and care that you have given in submitting your application and attending the interview, and would be happy to receive a further application from you for any future suitable vacancy. I wish you every success in the future.

Yours sincerely,

HR

It could come by letter, email or face to face but the emotions you experience are the same. It feels like some of the air has been let out of your lungs leaving you feeling like a deflated balloon. If you live long enough, work hard enough and take enough risks, at some point(s) in your career journey, you will experience rejection. In the last few years, especially since the recession, the employment market has been particularly difficult with new graduates bearing the brunt of it. We cannot count the number of times we have read in the newspapers or watched on television where new graduates discuss their inability to get a job despite incredible effort. I (Amara) heard about a lady who applied for over a hundred jobs and was not called to a single interview! Technology has made applying for jobs so much easier, however, this comes with the increased chance of being rejected.

Rejection does not just apply to employment – it could be a manuscript you submitted to a journal or editor, an application you made to your first choice University or a grant application to fund your great big idea. Regardless of where it comes from, rejection can severely dent confidence as we often tend to equate it with failing and being a failure. However, rejection does not have to be such a negative thing. It can actually become a useful learning tool in our personal and professional development journey. So, when you face rejection, what can you do differently?

Keep things in perspective – You may have failed at something but that does not make you a ‘failure’. An interview result is not an indication of your personal worth. No one likes to experience rejection. The rejection letter you see above was one I (Amara) received and remember how bad I felt when I read it. I had been excited to make it to the last 4 out of about 100 applicants to be interviewed. The interview had gone really well (in my opinion) but a few days later, I found out I didn’t get the job. After a few days of reflecting, I chose to see the whole process as a positive not negative experience. No, I did not get the job but I had made it to the last 4 out of 100. The top 5%. This meant that there was something about my CV, covering letter, personal statement and application form that had appealed to the employer. Maybe I just wasn’t a right fit for them. Maybe they made a mistake! Interviewers are human after all. Choose to see being invited to an interview as a plus, regardless of whether you get a job or not, at least, they like you on paper! When you experience rejection, try and think objectively. Choose to see failure as an event and not an identity.

To thyself be true – This calls for some ‘reflection-on-action.’ Think over your application process again? If you have applied for 100 jobs without a single response, then in our opinion there is a problem somewhere. Are you using the ‘scatter-gun’ approach to your job search? Is there a mismatch between your skills profile and the jobs you are applying for? Do both your CV and personal statement match the person-specification in the advertisement or are you just sending the same documents to everyone? Are there any technical or subject specific skills you lack that could improve your chances at success? Did you follow the journal submission instructions to the letter? Does your manuscript fit the scope of the journal where you submitted it? Do you meet the entry requirements to get on the course you have applied for?

Deal with the issues – When it is difficult to know where things are going wrong, seek expert help. A careers adviser can look at your CV and provide information that can be the difference between getting a job or not. A mentor who is knowledgeable of a field that you are trying to get into can provide invaluable advice or know someone who knows someone who needs someone? Do you find yourself really nervous at interviews? So do most people! Just try to avoid letting your nerves get the upper hand. This might sound like cliché but Practice does make perfect. If your CV has looked the same for the last 2 years, is there a course that can help you update your skills profile?

Embrace feedback – When you do receive feedback, please remember it is not personal (at least most of the time!). If someone, has in good faith, taken their time to provide that information, see it as them investing in you. They most likely would not do it, if they did not see something positive in you or your work that needs improvement to make it better. Feedback can be difficult to take but if you can be dispassionate about it, you will find it is essential for your personal development. When you find yourself in a situation where you have not done as well as you hoped, seek feedback. Send a follow up email after an interview when you did not get the job. You will learn and grow from it.

Never give up – You never know how close you are to that Yes! Read the biography of any successful person you admire and you will undoubtedly find a rejection story among its pages. A colleague who evaluates grant applications for the EU shared that sometimes the difference between ‘accept’ and ‘reject’ can be 1 or 2 marks out of 100. She has had to reject a grant application that scored 95 out of 100, simply because another one scored 97! Another colleague had a manuscript rejected four times but finally got her work published in an international journal. The biggest surprise was that it got published in the journal she had sent it to in the first place! Each time she got a rejection letter, she improved her manuscript based on the feedback and submitted it again. She had enough self-belief in her research not to be put off by a few stumbling blocks. Be that way about yourself too. Have enough self-belief in what your skills can bring to an organisation or what your big idea can bring to the world. Be persistent and tenacious. You just never know.

About our writer – After completing a PhD in Microbiology, Amara is building her career in academia. She is grateful for every opportunity to teach and mentor a new generation of scientists, undertake research and develop international partnerships. She believes in the combined power of education and productive relationships in building successful careers. Stay connected on Twitter – @amaratweets

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