ECG TF Best Practices

BEST PRACTICES
Austria
Denmark
Finland
Germany
Ireland
Italy
Netherland
Poland
Romania
Spain
Sweden
United Kingdom
Employability and Career Guidance Task Force Coimbra Group
1
By:
Gilda Rota, University of Padova
In collaboration with:
Susanne Søes Hejlsvig (Aaarhus University)
Gemma Fonrodona Baldajos, Àngels Alegre Sánchez, Virginia Ferrer
(University of Barcelona)
Nicoletta Naldie Anna Cortelli (University of Bologna)
Josephine Walsh (NUI Galway)
Slava López,Antonio Lozano,Rafael Peregrin (University of Granada)
Christoph Adametz, Markus Heidlmair, Sigrid Studler
(Graz University of Technology)
Elise Khampuise (University of Groningen)
Carmen Mihaela Cretu (University of Jasi”Alexandru Ioan Cuza”)
Olga Frey (Jagiellonian University)
Thomas Klose (University of Jena)
Tracy Wells (Oxford University)
Gilda Rota, Erica Bezzon (University of Padova)
Lisa Mangolini, Stefania Mellera, Maura Settembre (University of Pavia)
Cristina Pita Yáñez, Emiliana Pizarro Lucas and Teresa Gutiérrez Bueno
(University of Salamanca)
Erkki Härkönen (University of Turku)
Charlotte Nordgren (University of Uppsala)
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Preface
In the last years Career Services have been gaining in importance among European universities, aiming at creating stronger and more effective relations
with the labour market.
Given the increase of these services, the ECG Employability and Career
Guidance of the Coimbra Group was founded in 2003. The ECG functions
within the framework of the Coimbra Group as a task force focused on emphasising the relationship between higher education and the labour market.
The idea of a publication of a book for Career Services was born out of two
main aims:
a) To collect and emphasise skills, competences and experiences gathered
working with our colleagues over the past years;
b) To provide useful guidelines to the member universities of Coimbra
Group interested in setting up a Careers Service Office or improving
the network between their own offices and companies or improving their
activities.
We would like to point out that this publication does not pretend to be exhaustive. It just represents a first collection of experiences and best practices, a
snapshot of the present situation in Career Guidance Offices participating in
the task force.
Gilda Rota
Career Service Director
University of Padova
3
A special thank to Employability and Career Guidance Task Force
members for their collaboration
University
of Aarhus
University
of Oxford
University
of Bologna
University
of Padova
University
of Granada
University
of Pavia
University
of Graz
University
of Salamanca
University
of Groningen
University
of Turku
University
of Iasi
University
of Uppsala
University
of Jena
Jagiellonian
University
NUI Galway
University
of Barcellona
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Index
Graz 7
Aarhus13
Turku19
Jena23
Galway27
Bologna31
Padova35
Pavia45
Jagellonian49
Jasi55
Barcellona69
Granada91
Salamanca99
Uppsala119
Groningen147
Oxford155
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6
UNIVERSITY OF GRAZ
Small Can Do It All Career opportunities
in Styrian high-growth SMEs
Christoph Adametz (Graz University of Technology),
Markus Heidlmair (University of Graz),
Sigrid Studler (University of Graz)
Abstract: Key Words: company contact fair; small and medium-sized
companies; employment in the region; collaboration between universities and
companies; self-employment.
In Styria, a federal state in the southeast of Austria, lots of knowledge-based companies are small and medium-sized. However most of the
students, graduates and researchers actually do not know them. Since 1999
an annual fair called “Small can do it all” supports the connection between
students/graduates and companies. Besides that the collaboration of all the
partners involved – 3 universities, 1 public institution and up to 22 SMEs
– strengthens the research landscape and economic system.
1. Introduction
“Small can do it all“ (in German/original: Die Größe der Kleinen) is the title
of an annual company contact fair, where small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) meet with prospective job seekers.
The initial point was that there are lots of knowledge-based small and
medium-sized companies in Styria, but most of the students, graduates
and researchers actually do not know them. Vice versa these companies
search for high educated graduates. Styria is a federal state in the southeast
of Austria with more than 1.200.000 inhabitants. The capital city is Graz.
The fair “Small can do it all” is part of a project called “SCIENCE FIT”,
which helps SMEs to tap scientific know-how of Styrian research establishments.
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It was established by Graz University of Technology/Christoph Adametz in
the 1990ies. Today the Graz University of Technology collaborates with the
University of Graz, University of Leoben as well as Joanneum Research
within this project, also involving the academic incubator Science Park
Graz. It is funded by the EU, the Styrian Government (Land Steiermark)
and the city of Graz (Stadt Graz).
2. Target and setup of the fair
Target and advantages
The main target of the fair is to establish contacts between regional SMEs
and students/graduates. So the focus lies on the presentation
of job prospects in the region and entry-level job recruitment. But besides
that, more important aspects occur.
The joint project initiates further cooperation between universities and
companies as well as collaborations between the Universities as a result of
their project partnership. Furthermore students and graduates get new ideas
in the context of self-employment and the formation of an enterprise.
Setup and program run
The fair takes place on one day in autumn and lasts from 3:00 to 8:00 PM.
The location as well as the preparatory organisation prior to the
fair change year by year within the Graz University of Technology and the
University of Graz.
The reasons for that are on the one hand to split the amount of work and on
the other hand to attract different kinds of students.
Every year not more than 22 companies can take part. There are presentations of 12 company representatives, who speak about the nature and
purpose of their business, innovations, market success and type of graduates they are looking for. Furthermore there are up
to 10 short interviews with more company representatives.
The companies’ participation is free of charge as a result of public funding.
The prearrangement of the fair lasts 3-4 months. There is always someone
in charge, who coordinates all the principal tasks. These tasks are:
– invitation of the companies including final selection
– coordination of the program run, content and information desks
– planning and enforcement of all promotion activities
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In practice about 150 companies get a mailing at the end of summer with an
invitation to the fair. Usually about 30 companies show their interest, but only
a maximum of 22 companies can take part.
One important aspect during the selection process is to assure, that these
companies search for university graduates, act innovative and have not taken
part already.
To promote the fair each university uses a wide range of channels, which
are:
– website of the university
– event calendars
– ads in magazines of the university as well as in local news- papers
– flyers and posters
– different kinds of newsletters
– (direct) mailings
– social media
Every year 100-200 students and graduates participate. They get a folder
with all presentations presented and the opportunity to vote for the best one.
During the breaks they can visit information desks of the companies, research establishments and the so-called “Science Park”, which is an institution to support graduates in getting self- employed. The fair closes with
awarding the best presentation and a final get-together. In order to optimise
the program format steadily students get paper-and-pencil questionnaires
together with their handouts.
3. Advantages and limitations
In the course of years the organising committee gained lots of experience.
The following paragraph illustrates the advantages but also limitations of
this fair.
Advantages
The intensive contact with the companies helps to analyse their individual
demands and requirements for future employees.
Access of IFSMEs (innovative fast growing SMEs) to qualified graduates in
particular in MINT-studies is a major bottleneck hampering their growth –
the fair is a very practical way to overcome this.
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Moreover lots of companies do not have a clear idea which benefits universities – in terms of research activities – can offer them. Therefore “Small
can do it all” is a good door opener and the first step for follow-up projects
and theses/topics.
For students and graduates the fair is an ideal platform to get in touch
with regional companies beside the usually known major enterprises. They
often do not have an idea which innovative firms can provide exciting
workplaces and where graduates can be the driving force for future innovations. So the fair provides for a better transparency of regional employment
opportunities.
Another big issue is the collaboration between the 4 project partners (3 universities and 1 public institution). It helps to use synergies and especially to
deepen the common work.
Limitations
The whole project described is funded by public funds. If SMEs had to pay
the participation fees on their own, many would have problems to afford
it, in particular start-ups. As a result: Public funding is the basic requirement.
SMEs in Styria often have a technological nature and purpose of their
business. This brings up a good placement rate in terms of engineers but
quite a poor one, in terms of graduates with other backgrounds.
Year by year more and more events and activities take place at universities. This makes it less easy to promote the fair. In contrast “Small can do
it all” has become a brand name and has gained publicity and awareness.
4. Conclusions
In a nutshell, the fair “Small can do it all” is one very important step to support graduates, regional SMEs and the economic system as well as the
collaboration between universities and public institutions. Furthermore the
companies gain knowledge of the services universities can provide for them.
The driving forces of the fair are innovative companies, which are looking for a wide range of graduates as well as a well figured out marketing
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campaign. A basic need for the project is the (public) funding, as SMEs
often do not have sufficient resources to finance participation and R&D
collaboration.
Bibliography
http://www.sciencefit.at/, 13th of April 2012
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12
AARHUS UNIVERSITY
AU Mentor 100
Susanne Søes Hejlsvig (AU, School of Business and Social Sciences)
Abstract: AU Mentor is a program that focuses on giving and taking. Alumni
become mentors for master students whereas the students become mentors
for refugees and/or immigrants. We call it double mentoring.
Key Words: Mentoring, double mentoring, volunteering, alumni, master students, refugees and immigrants, AU Mentor, Aarhus University, School of
Business and Social Sciences, Denmark
The introduction
The program offers master’s students the opportunity of having their own
mentor from the business community, a former student Arhus University,
School of Business and Social Sciences (AU), also called an alum. Mentees
who speak Danish fluently are also able to act as mentors for a refugee or
immigrant. We call it double mentoring: A mentor meets with his or her mentee, and the mentee in turn acts as a mentor for his or her own mentee. It may
sound complicated, but it is actually quite simple.
An alum (mentor) from the business community meets with a student (mentee). The student may be a Danish student or a foreign student. Moreover, the
Danish student (mentor) may meet with a refugee or immigrant (mentee).
Successful integration often depends on being able to speak Danish, hence
this part of the mentoring program is for the Danish students.
This unusual program involves the business community, AU and the integration environments jointly seeking to take the integration challenge to a higher
level. The mentor concept becomes the method of achieving successful inte-
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gration. The program involves integration at several levels as alumni acting as
mentors for foreign students are able to make a direct contribution to facilitating the integration of highly educated students from abroad. The AU Mentor
program was initiated by Pernille Kallehave, Director of Communication and
External Relations, and Management Professor Steen Hildebrandt. The program is conducted under the auspices of the AU Career and managed by career consultant Susanne Søes Hejlsvig. Professor David Clutterbuck has been
one of the AU Mentor consultants and teacher. The Intercultural Network of
the Women’s Museum and the Danish Refugee Council’s mentornetDK are
AU Mentor’s partners.
The purpose
The program has two primary purposes:
1. to train a group of AU students to become socially responsible employees and managers for the purpose of integration and multicultural understanding.
2. to prepare the students, Danish and foreign, for business careers through
having a personal relationship with an experienced businessperson.
Through his or her contact with the student, the alum will directly or indirectly contribute to the integration of foreign students and/or refugees/immigrants. Through his or her contact with a refugee/immigrant, the student can
contribute directly to integration. The refugee/immigrant has direct access to
a resourceful person in the form of the student. Moreover, the string of meetings between alumni and students and students and refugees/immigrants will
increase everybody’s understanding of each other and contribute to tearing
down prejudicial barriers.
Alumni and students and students and refugees/immigrants meet each other
at eye level and based on a sense of equality, thereby creating the best possible starting point for getting to know each other. When, as a mentor, you
know the other person and the other person’s way of thinking, you can offer
support or present challenges, depending on what feels right. Alumni are able
to do something about facilitating integration, which is a challenge society is
facing. The idea is that alumni who are involved in a three-party relationship
can meet with the refugee/immigrant, for example in connection with a company visit together with the student. This adds another element to integration.
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The structure
The program is running for approximately nine months. Mentor and mentee
are matched by the anchor persons based on the mentee’s application and
prioritized list of mentors. It is the belief that a mentor relationship can only
exist based on the mentee’s need. Hence the mentee picks the mentor. Each
mentee is asked to make a top five list of the mentors they would be interested in having as mentor. That list is based on the mentor profiles which
the mentees have access to on the AU Mentor website. Once all applications
have been collected, the anchor persons do the matching between the alumni
(mentors) and the students (mentees). Everybody meets for an introduction
day, mentors and mentees are divided during the training and immediately
after they meet for the first time and have their first mentor meeting. The tension and excitement in the air is amazing to sense, when the parties meet each
other and have the first connection. The mentees are often very nervous to
meet this person, who voluntarily has decided to spend time with him or her.
Thoughts go through their minds; does the mentor live up to the expectations
so far? Why will he or she spend time with me? What does my mentor expect
from me? Can I live up to that? Everything is happening at the university,
since this is a place everybody can relate to, and it becomes more informal
for the students, since they are meeting on their home field.
During the first two months the mentor and the mentee get to know each other, and they both get a fairly good idea about what mentoring is about. The
two – the alum and the student –meet approx. once a month for conversations
lasting approx. 90 minutes.
When the alum and the student have been working together for just over six
months, their relationship is nearing its end, and there are two meetings left
to round things off. The last two conversations must constitute the ‘approach’
to a good landing. AU Mentor has now been running for approx. nine months,
and an evaluation is done; does ‘what the student has got out of the mentor
programme’ tally with what he or she put down in the contract? And what
were the alum’s experiences along the way? Halfway through the mentor
period the participants are invited for an evaluation day, where everybody can
share experiences and learn about other ways to approach the relationships or
get new ideas for discussion topics.
The relationship between the student (mentor) and the refugee/immigrant
(mentee) is initiated one or two months later than the other mentor relation-
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ships. It is important that the students gain a little experience from being the
mentee before they become mentors themselves. The partners from the integration environments train the students in their mentor role focusing especially on the cultural differences they will experience. The matching is made on
the basis of interviews with both students (mentors) and refugees/immigrants
(mentees). At the first meeting the mentor and mentee signs a mentor agreement stating e.g. their expectations, meeting frequency, topics to discuss and
confidentiality. The agreement can be revised during the relationship and is
used to ensure the relationship is focusing on the most important and on the
agreed terms. The mentor relationships last for about six months and are also
evaluated at the end.
The evaluation
An example :
Ehsan immigrated in 1990 to Denmark with his family. He was only 2 years
old. His father became self-employed and has both a kiosk, a restaurant and
hair salon. Ehsan had for some time been helping his father out in the restaurant and was not sure what to do after finishing high school. He could stay
and work in the restaurant if he wanted.
Ehsan is one of the refugees who decided he wanted a mentor. He was in high
school and unsure of his next step. He did not have anyone in his surroundings that could explain the Danish educational system to him or the choices of
education that Ehsan had. He heard about the possibility of getting a mentor
and was lucky enough to be matched with Michael, an AU student. Ehsan
has later said himself that at that period of his life, he was not being very
responsible. Looking back he says it was important that someone was kind
of looking after him for instance by ensuring that he send his applications for
acceptance to an education on time. Michael became that person and later
also a friend. His mentor helped him make applications for college and was
accepted. Today Ehsan is working as a secondary school teacher.
To Ehsan it was rather easy to understand what his mentor could help him
with. That has not always been the case, so one of the lessons learned from
the program is to ensure both mentor and mentee are clear on the purpose and
potential outcome that can come from a mentor relationship. It seems it has to
be very tangible and that concrete suggestions for topics are important to pro-
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vide. And also to emphasize how many different ways one can go with a mentor relationship. As for topics to discuss, it is up to the two persons involved
how broad or narrow the topics can be. In most cases mentors have felt they
could have been used even more – both more meetings and broader topics.
Another feedback has been to clarify even more what makes a person offer
him or herself as a mentor. What do they hope to obtain and learn from the relationship? Why do they even want to spend their spare time with a mentee?
Every mentee who is meeting his or her mentor for the first time is nervous,
so the preparation for that meeting is important. It can be explained even
more explicitly to both parties how to deal with the nervousness.
For more information see the AU Mentor website: www.au.dk/mentor - and
follow the link AU Mentor 100.
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18
UNIVERSITY OF TURKU
Life after phd – seminars in the spring 2012
Erkki Härkönen, Head of Office
Graduate School of the University of Turku (UTUGS) arranges in co-operation with the Career Services a series of seminars with the focus on
employment situation, opportunities and in general, the employability of the
doctorates. The main rationale behind the seminars lies in several facts regarding the change in the employment situation and structures of the labour
market for PhD graduates:
According to a recent survey among PhD graduates, there is a large variety
of motivational factors behind the decision to begin doctoral studies:
•
•
•
•
33 % are research motivated
27 % are generally motivated
21 % are drifters
19 % have been encouraged otherwise
The share of the ones not mainly interested in research per se, reflects the fact
that the graduate labour market for Master’s degree holders has turned more
difficult than before. These numbers increase the need to career planning
from the beginning of the studies to the graduation.
The complexity of graduate market for PhD’s has increased. Opportunities
in the academia are getting fewer at the same time when the share of
highly educated population has increased, Finland leading the European statistics with 35 % of the population carrying a degree from Higher Education
Institute. In 20 years the number of PhD graduates per year has quadrupled
and there are at the moment annually some 1400-1600 new graduates with
PhD degree. Still, the overall unemployment rate among PhD’s is low, merely 2 %, but the indexed growth has been highest in 2000 compared to other
levels of education.
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There is also a large variety of sectors employing PhD’s, which increases
the need to know about the options within and outside academia. According to the destinations follow-up, the principal employers of the PhD’s are:
•
•
•
•
•
37 % university
23 % private enterprise
13 % government
20 % municipality
7% association, foundation etc.
The share of PhD’s in Finnish industry is rising slowly, and is still far behind the shares in the EU, the U.S. and Japan (EU 46 %, US 79
%, Japan 68 %).
Even though the employment rate is considerably good among PhD’s, according to the career follow-up almost 3/4 of those employed estimated
that their job corresponds to their academic qualifications well, 54 % inform
that the PhD degree was prerequisite for their job and almost 2/3 said that
they were able to utilize the skills and competencies acquired during doctoral
training. These shares are not totally reflecting the overall satisfaction that the
PhD’s are showing to the quality of the degree, but there is certainly a room
for improvement.
Each of the above mentioned facts increases need to realize the importance
of transferable or employability skills and competences in doctoral training. The “Life after PhD” seminar series started in January 2012 with an
introduction to the employment and recruitment of doctorates, and has continued during the Spring with examples of different career paths in and out
of Science. The purpose of the seminars is to stimulate career management
and planning via exploring and increasing awareness of the many career
opportunities available for doctorates.
The seminars have been successful in terms of the number of participants
and their feedback as well as in terms of the contents of the seminars. Some
ideas of further development have already been raised, and the University
of Turku will take advantage of the experiences from the activities of the
TRANSDOC-project, coordinated by the Coimbra Group, see more at http://
www.coimbra- group.eu/transdoc
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More information of the Life After PhD as well as other courses and activities of the Graduate School of the University of Turku can be found at http://
www.utu.fi/en/research/graduate_school/
Contact:
•
•
•
Mr. Erkki Härkönen, Head of Office [email protected]
Ms. Elise Pinta, Coordinator of UTUGS [email protected]
Ms. Sanna Tuominen, Head of Career Services [email protected]
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22
UNIVERSITY OF JENA
Career Service in decentralized structures
Thomas Klose
1. Introduction
This article will show how career service is organized at Jena University.
Career service programs do not yet have a long tradition in Germany, so their
effectiveness cannot be compared with those of British or American Universities. Nevertheless, during the past years there has been a change in thinking
and Higher Education Institutions are beginning to offer career support to
their students and graduates.
Jena University consists of 10 faculties / schools with a wide range of subjects beginning from Classical or Ancient Studies up to Dentistry. The largest group of graduates is coming from Social Sciences and Arts & Letters
(34,4%), followed by Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Computer and Technical Sciences (26,3%) and Medicine (15%). One third of students receive
degrees in Biological Sciences, Pharmacy and Medicine, with approximately
450 receiving doctorate degrees each year. Due to variety of offered subjects,
there are many career supporting activities which are organized on central
level (i.e. Student Counseling Office/ Career Service, Graduate Academy,
Alumni Services) as well as in decentralized institutions of the Faculties/
Schools and the Departments. Career -oriented courses are integrated in almost all Bachelor study programs within in the special key qualification, although there is a smaller choice of courses. The intensity of the course-related phase of practical involvement can vary between a three week internship
to an obligatory internship term in the teacher training courses.
The assorted career supporting activities at Jena University presents a challenge in coordinating activities among the various departments.
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2. Concrete structure of offers at the university in the field of career service
What are the career supporting activities?
Faculties and Departments:
The fields of Natural and Technical Sciences contain a variety networking
opportunities. Job listings are well-publicized and there is much support in
coordinating internships. Occasionally field experts are employed as Adjunct
Faculty to teach career-oriented courses. In some faculties/schools we find
an alumni association, where students have more networking opportunities.
Student Counseling Office/ Career Service:
The main focus of the current Office of Career Service is to provide individual career counseling. Guest speakers are often invited to present at various career workshops throughout the year. Important partners are the Employment
Agency (“Agentur für Arbeit”) as well as external providers of professional
development. The Student Counseling Office creates portfolios for graduates
and is responsible for the development and administration of the career service website.
Service Center for National Research Funding /Foundation services:
The Service Center for National Research Funding provides specific counseling for researchers on financial support of networking projects. The foundation center offers teaching models for supporting special foundation projects
and for raising awareness of the topic of “business start-ups after school”.
There are currently summer course offerings on foundation management,
seminars on prototypes and business plans, and a variety of other workshops.
A “Business Contact Fair” also takes place each year, during which the successful foundations are presented and where direct contact and dialogue between businesses and students are possible. The Service Center also administers an online job portal.
Alumni/ JenAlumni:
JenAlumni represents the interdisciplinary alumni network of Jena University. It is both, a central service office for all issues of the alumni work as well
as an umbrella organization of the local alumni-initiatives at the university. In
the context of the establishment of the Alumni work at the university recently
a Web 2.0-Portal with an alumni data bank has been developed. In the future,
alumni students are intended to serve as career mentors to other students.
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Graduate Academy
The Graduate Academy is a central institution for supporting young academics. It serves as contact point for Ph.D. students, Post-docs, supervisors, faculties/ schools, departments and institutions of doctoral degree qualification.
One of the main objectives of the graduate academy is to prepare young scientists for their future duties and responsibilities in science, economy and society. The way to achieve those objectives is to take part in the special study
program for Ph.D. students and Post-docs.
3. Conclusion
While many career development activities are currently available at Jena University, there is often miscommunication and a lack of coordination amongst
the various departments. A survey shows that the current Office of Career
Services of the University is hardly perceived by the students. To improve
public awareness of the Career Service at the University and to best serve all
students in all departments, we would like to establish a centralized Office of
Career Services. Preliminary discussions between departments have already
begun.
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26
NUI GALWAYS
Skills for Work Life – a module for 2nd year
Business Students
Career Development Centre
Josephine Walsh
Introduction
Debate and discussion on the contribution of the Higher Education sector to
the economic, social and cultural future of Ireland is a key topic in the present
economic climate. Producing graduates who have the skills and competencies to compete at both national and international levels is seen as central to
economic growth and to ensuring Ireland can participate effectively and on
an equal footing with other economies, on a global stage. Various government
reports such as the Hunt Report and the Forfás Expert Group on Future Skills
Needs, have challenged higher education institutions to ensure that graduates
not only have subject matter expertise but also have a set of transferable
skills that will boost their employability and their contribution to the world of
work. Feedback from Irish and multinational employers based in Ireland also
highlights disconnect between graduate skills and employer needs.
Objectives and Methodology
In an effort to address these challenges, the department of Management in
the NUI Galway JE Cairnes Business School, in partnership with the Career
Development Centre in NUI Galway, introduced a bespoke, credit bearing
module, for second Commerce students entitled ‘Skills for Work Life’. Since
it was introduced in 2011 it has since been extended to all 400 second year
undergraduate students in the business school and has become a template
module for other colleges in University. The objective of the module is to enhance student employability and prepare students for the workplace by giving
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them an opportunity to develop a set of practical skills that form the basis for
effective working life. A unique aspect of this course is that it was delivered
using a blended learning approach combining on-line activity in the form of
an e-portfolio, with small group workshops and lectures. The module covers
a variety of skill areas including self-awareness, communication, teamwork,
presentation and career management skills. The ‘Skills for Work Life’ module is integrated with other modules and students were actively encouraged to
apply their newly acquired skills to other subjects in their degree programme
and over the course of the module students are required to comment and reflect on their learning in their e-portfolio.
Module Content
The Career Development Centre worked with academic staff in the Management Department of the business school to develop the overall concept
and content for the Skills for Work Life module and also deliver a number
of lectures, coordinate and facilitate four tutorials for all 400 students. In the
career section of the module, students are introduced to the DOTS career
management model originally developed by Law and Watts. This model has
four main strands; self awareness, opportunity awareness, decision making
and transition learning. In order to develop greater self-awareness students
completed personality profiling tests which were then explored in tutorial and
were related directly to the world of work. The objective of this was to encourage students to consider the influence of personality on career choice and
to point out the link between self-awareness and effective performance in the
workplace. Students were required to document their profile in their e-portfolios and had to reflect on their future career plans based on their profile. They
were also expected to comment on their current skill levels for a variety of
skills that are valued by employers and to put a plan in place to address any
personal skill gaps. The modules also provided the opportunity to explore
motivators and values and reflect on key development actions they need to
take to reach their career goals. The concepts of opportunity awareness and
decision making skills were developed by requesting students to research
a career area that was of interest to them. Students presented their findings
on their chosen career in small groups to an expert in the one of the five
key subject majors in their business degree – Accounting, Human Resources,
Economics, Information Systems and Marketing. Major employers were involved in this initiative including PWC, Accenture, Deloitte and Medtronic.
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The use of these career experts was very successful as it was beneficial for
students to get insights into careers from people working in those areas. The
industry professionals challenged misconceptions about the various careers
and highlighted skills necessary for success.
The final element of the DOTS model; the transition from college to work life;
was addressed through CV and interview tutorials. The exercise of compiling
a CV not only prepared the penultimate year students for potential summer
internship opportunities to gain valuable work experience, it also further reinforced gaps that would need to be addressed. In tutorial groups, students
learned how to write competency based answers for job applications and also
to prepare for competency based interviews, which are the predominant tools
for graduate recruitment. All 400 students were also required to complete a
one to one practice interview – postgraduate students on the Masters in Human Resources and Industrial Relations, were trained as interviewers which
greatly contributed to the development of their own skills and employability.
The learning and teaching approaches used throughout the module ensured
that transferable skills such as presentation and teamwork were also developed with students regularly working in groups on projects and presentations.
The skill of self reflection was also developed and was a core element of the
module assessment and the value of this skill was consistently emphasised as
a key contributor to successful life long career management.
The core text for the module was Cottrell’s ‘Skills for Success ‘. This book
is designed to provide students with structured activities to enable them to
engage with development actions, self management and skill development. It
supported the key goals of the module by connecting skill development with
employability as well as highlighting the concept of life-long learning within
employment.
Evaluation
To evaluate the impact of the module, students were asked to complete a short
survey to gauge their feelings on the usefulness of ‘Skills for Work Life’.
Comments from students highlighted that self-reflection was a difficult task
and many struggled to write about weaknesses they had uncovered through
self-reflection. This feedback influenced the decision to introduce the con-
29
cept of self reflection in the first year of the degree. Having completed one
cycle of both years, this change to the first year programme has proven a successful platform for the Skills for Work life module in second year. Overall
feedback from students has been very positive with a significant number of
respondents indicating that this module got them thinking about themselves
and their future and helped them to start setting some career goals. Many
students commented that the module prompted them to make a start on career
planning asserting that ‘if it was up to me I might not have got around to it’.
The module was perceived by the majority of the students as useful with 81%
of students feeling their ‘work skills’ had been improved as a result and 79%
indicated that they would recommend the course to other students.
Conclusion
With this encouraging feedback from students we believe that the Skills for
Work Life module at NUI Galway has been successful in addressing the challenges of preparing graduates who are ready for the world of work, have the
skills to start making a contribution to society and the economy and to successfully manage their career in their chosen fields.
Bibliography
Hunt Report – Department of Education and Skills 2011, http://www.education.ie/
Forfás Expert Group on Future Skills Needs – Skills Road Map to 2020 Identified, www.forfas.ie
Watts, A.G. Career Development Learning and Employability (2006) – Higher
Education Academy Learning and Employability Series Two http://www.
heacademy.ac.uk/
IBEC Education and Skills Survey 2010 – www.ibec.ie 30
UNIVERSITY OF BOLOGNA
Supporting students and graduates
in developing a Personal Branding strategy
Nicoletta Naldi Head of the Career Service (University of Bologna)
and Anna Cortelli Career Counselor
Key words: Strategy, Self marketing, Unique Personal Proposal, Personal
Branding.
1. Introduction
The mission of the Career Counselling Service at Bologna University is
“Have you got a job opportunity? Try and get 100% success for making
it yours!”
The Career Counselling Service at Bologna University aims mainly to offer
students and recent graduates the tools and competences for a successful job
search by fostering and strengthening: their personal strategy, their energy
focusing, their planning and activation skills. Basically it offers three services:
individual counselling paths; workshops on the preparation of CVs and job
applications, the selection interview, job search techniques; seminars held on
different subjects, including entrepreneurship, head hunter experiences
and points of view, employment trends in some main economic sectors. The
best practice experienced in the Career Counselling Service is due to the
need to provide answers in a labour market which, in Italy, is highly difficult,
with a youth unemployment rate of about 36%, on one hand a drop in job
opportunities and on the other hand an increasing number of graduates.
This fact, together with the understandable confusion and lack of self confidence that recent graduates over the possibility of finding a job, has led the
Service to define methods and intervention tools to improve job seeking skills
and raise awareness of the objectives. The goal pursued by the Service is to
put job applicants in a condition to imagine their career also and against the
negative labour market trend, trying to develop and enhance competences
linked by a guiding thread and a common objective.
31
For this reason, this best practice is related to the individual career coaching
path and aims to maximise the approach to job applications through a personal branding (PB) strategy.
2. A Personal branding Strategy
The best practice of the University of Bologna focuses on the delivery of
a careers guidance service aimed at the definition of a PB profile for each
candidate.
As is well known, the PB philosophy is based on marketing strategy theories.
In this case, the marketing strategy is personal and is built and defined to
offer future candidates the tools for tackling the labour market by enhancing
their own characteristics.
On one hand, defining the PB strategy takes in account the needs and demands
of the labour market, and on the other hand it considers the candidates’ most
suitable personal skills and competences for the identified market.
The objective is not only to focus on personal characteristics but also on the
differences/peculiarities of one candidate compared to another.
The main objectives of a PB strategy are to:
- Focus on personal characteristics to differentiate the candidate;
- Define a strategy for presentation to the labour market;
- Choose where to apply;
- Define how to apply
- Focus the job search in a market with a high number of SMEs;
- Prepare a rich and focused interview showing a high degree of awareness;
- Maximise the use of the social networks and personal networks without
losing opportunities.
To define a PB model, in individual career coaching and in group workshops
the Career Counselling Service of the University of Bologna explores three
areas defined as the “Three Cs” (in Italian) or the “Three Ks” (in English):
1. Conoscersi: Know Yourself, by deepening the awareness of the skills,
personal attitudes and expectations a candidate possesses;
2. Conoscere: Know and analyse profiles/roles for a possible application,
economic sectors, companies in the region; this is fundamental for focusing the application on personal characteristics;
32
3. Farsi conoscere: To get Known, defining and activating the useful channels for the job search, identifying how and where to search, focusing
the application letter, CV and interview.
This is a key element of a PB strategy.
The PB activity envisages an average number of 4 individual interviews
plus the participation, if needed, in group workshops.
The individual career coaching path for defining a PB strategy.
The career coaching path offered to the university graduates includes four
interviews, one every week or two weeks.
The first interview
The candidate talks about him/herself and together with the consultant
defines the following steps and focuses of the path on the basis of a joint
needs analysis.
For the joint needs analysis, 4 main types of candidate profile have been
identified according to the kind of approach to the job search and application. Using specific questions, the consultant/coach helps the candidate to
identify his/her approach and weaknesses. On this basis, the objectives for
the following interviews are identified and agreed with the final objective
of defining a PB strategy through the path and with the support of the coach.
There are four kinds of candidate:
a) The “general” candidate. His/her CV contains heterogeneous experiences, is highly synthetic, and the application letter is the same for all applications. This kind of candidate often declares he/she is available for
all kinds of job, and during the application interviews does not follow a
scheme. He/she is active but sends CVs everywhere without choosing.
b) The “indoctrinated” candidate. He/she is informed about how to fill in a
CV and what to do in an application interview; he/she knows it is better
to adapt the search strategy; during the application interviews he/she
knows it is necessary to tell different things. On the other hand he/she
does not have a precise strategy and he/she cannot enhance personal
skills and competences. Still too general.
33
c) The “conscious” candidate. He/she knows his/her strengths and weaknesses; he/she is still wondering about how to enhance his/her competences in the CV and about the different versions of CV to be produced;
he/she asks specific questions on doubts concerning his/her strategy
for effectively managing the application interview. He/she knows the
sensitivity required in the application interview concerning strengths
and weaknesses but still needs feedback to understand whether he/she
is activating him/herself in a correct way.
d) The “curious” candidate. He/she knows his/her strengths and weaknesses and is able to enhance his/her competences in the CV, he/she has
a focused approach to applications and interviews. He/she is curious,
knows the reference market in which he/she is acting, the emerging
job profiles and the entrepreneurial initiatives because he/she is able to
see several entry points to the labour market. He/she has got a focused
strategy but knows it can always be improved.
Among the four profiles it is clear that the two first mostly leave their
possibilities of success to chance;
- The first one is highly exposed to unsuccessful applications, but most of
all to a random search which could easily place him/her in a “spiral” of
different jobs, risking a medium-long term decrease in competences;
- The second one has more chance of being interviewed, as his/her CV
is better, but in any case risks failure due to his/her generic answers
during the interview.
For both of them the output of the career coaching path will be the increased awareness of their personal characteristics and will be focused on the
step “Conoscersi/To know him/herself” for strengthening the definition and
awareness of strengths in order to build a PB strategy.
The third and fourth candidate have already achieved a good level of personal awareness; it will be important to see how far their strategy is aimed
at a specific job application. Basically the individual coaching interviews
(four or less) will aim to understand how much their strategy is focused on
“knowing” and “to be known” steps.
The first coaching interview clearly aims to begin the career coaching path
with the common definition of the possible improvements of the strategy,
clarifying the methodology and objectives of the path for the candidate.
The following diagram shows the envisaged results of the job search according to the starting profile of the candidate and the path followed to achieve
a PB strategy.
34
UNIVERSITY OF PADOVA
Observatory on the Local Job Market
Gilda Rota, head of The Career Service (University of Padova)
and Erica Bezzon, Career officer
Key words: Job Market, Observatory, Model factors
1. Local Job Market Observatory
The Local Job Market Observatory of the University of Padua is a service
which handles the systematic acquisition and analysis of information related
to job applications and offers and reports on the professional needs in technical and managerial areas of various divisions of production in the Veneto
region.
Within the area of the Observatory, PHAROS - Pursuing Home- market
Accessibility and Raise of Occupational Standing – is a project of data and
information collection and diffusion on the professional needs of the region
gathered from interviews with owners and managers of companies and institutions in the Veneto. The interviews are based on current average-term
needs of medium and high-level professions, for which young people prepare at university.
The Job Market
The job market is a virtual place in which requests for work from companies and institutions and the offers of potential employees coincide. For
a university graduate, introducing oneself into the job market means communicating a transparent act of availability to cover a professional role. The
job market with which a graduate could relate can be defined on the basis
of different variables, such as the size of the territory (there are provincial,
regional, national, international job markets, etc…), but also on the skills
required, the economic risk the graduate is prepared to take, and other factors.
35
Why local markets?
The Local Job Market Observatory exclusively considers the local
job markets; that is, minimum territorial sectors within which demand and
request can be matched. This exclusivity can be attributed to the fact that
the job markets on other territorial levels are less relevant to occupation,
because they concern limited numbers of units, as demonstrated by various
studies. The local dimension corresponds to the territory in which people
carry out the majority of their daily lives, including work; therefore, in
terms of occupation, knowledge of intraregional local markets can support
the choices of a large majority of graduates from the University of Padua.
The reason for a University Observatory?
The need for the University to set up its own observatory derives from
dissatisfaction with the content and details of the official information available on the job market in the Veneto region. For a university which strives
to understand how deeply its own graduates are able to penetrate the job
market and what is needed within its own territory to design a guided and
informed educational training, it is necessary to distinguish, in terms of
work demand, what form of training is pertinent in higher education and,
moreover, the need to anticipate trends and tendencies in order to set up
educational programs over an extended period.
Objectives of the Observatory of the University of Padua
1. Obtain a wide spectrum of information on the job market useful for
designing the University’s educational program in such a way as to give
civil society and the professional sector a consistent outline of the real possibilities of absorption, characterized a set of professional figures which are
quickly inserted within the market as well as by proper in- terpretation of
the requested skills of the job market and a clear affirmation of the “added
educational value” achieved through the university.
2. Operate on a day-to-day basis in orienting students towards internship
activities and graduates toward work, as well as to promote the occupations
of graduates, researchers, and graduate students.
DOMUS: a model for representation the local job market
The studies carried out by the Observatory on the local job market are
based on a model called DOMUS (Demand, Offer, Matching and Upholding-intervention Systems) which, in a causal manner, puts the economic and
educational systems from which the offers and requests for work originate
36
in relation with both the particular situations that occur between offers,
requests as well as the putting into effect of the policies suitable to the regulation of the market.
The quantitative and qualitative analysis on local job markets carried out by
the Observatory is based on an integrated system of indicators made up of a
hierarchical set of statistical measurements which represent reality, the object
of study. The indicators utilized are qualified into different categories which
refer to themes of key relevance in order to be faithful representations of the
job markets:
• Condition of the population: links between the population and the job
market,
• Production system: consistency of economic-productive entities and
their activities,
• Systems of placement and job/professional orientation: public institutes,
private businesses, schools and universities,
• Job offers: description of the job offers from a quantitative and qualitative perspective,
• Job demand: immediate, historical, short-term and longterm requirements,
• Points of contact between labor demand and offers: analyzing cases in
which demand and offer intersect, cases in which job offers are not
filled and cases in which demand is unable to be satisfied,
• Interventions on the job market: in education, in the job market,
information and orientation.
Graphic 1 display of the DOMUS model factors
37
Local job markets analyzed (updated February 2010)
– Food-agriculture sector
– Metal working sector
– Electro-mechanical and electronic division
– Tourism
– Chemical sector
– Business administration services
– Advertisement and business communication
– Information technology sector
– Certification and consultancy companies in the Veneto and the development of systems of management, environment and security
– Insurance sector
– Social Service sector.
Other studies on the local job market by the Observatory
– Social representations and university education: research in- to the
course of study in statistics, mathematics, physics and chemistry at the
University of Padua
– Monitoring of occupational and professional insertion of graduates of
the University of Padua
– Professionalism and hiring potential of graduates of the University of
Padua
– Capitalizing on the skills of graduates of the University of Padua
– Paths and professional activities of engineer graduates of the University of Padua.
38
UNIVERSITY OF PADOVA
Job and Intership electronic management
Gilda Rota, head of The Career Service (University of Padova)
and Anna Boaretto
Key words: Job, internship, skills, video CV, remote intervien
1. Job and Internship Offers Management
The most relevant feature of the activity of the personnel responsible for Job
and Internship Offers Management is the so-called intermediation aspect, or
rather the intersection between the requests for personnel from companies
and the requests by students and graduates to take part in internships and
work experiences.
In initiating more than 15,000 internships a year and handling the management of a significant number of job offers, the Career Services of the
University of Padua has adopted an agile and efficient system to automate
and accelerate the procedure as much as possible.
Companies, institutions and organizations (both Italian as well as foreign)
that want to propose internships and job offers are provided with a reserved
area in the web portal which allows them to manage those offers and the
applications of students and graduates. In order to access this reserved area
the company, institution or organization must register their company data,
including information such as company name, registered address, number
of employees, business sector and the data of the referent for the selection.
At the conclusion of data registration by the company, the Career Services office receives an email notification, verifies that the activity of the
company/organization is not in conflict with the policies of the University
(for example, in the case of temporary work agencies or businesses which
operate in the field of personnel
selection for third parties for payment) and then approve the company data
and subsequently send the access codes for the reserved area via email to
the referent indicated by the company/organization.
39
The referent is the only person who can access the reserved area. He/she
has access to the following operations:
• Propose/modify internships and job offers,
• View the CVs of the candidates proposed by Career Servic- es,
• Communicate eventual hiring.
On the basis of the necessity of the company/organization the Career Services
office can generate extra passwords to send to new company referents or
regenerate old passwords which have been lost or forgotten.
The insertion of internships or job offers on the part of the company is an
extremely simple and guided process. A brief description of the desired profile is required (This description should be as clear as possible, as it will
be published directly in the display visible to candidates) which is then
followed by a more detailed description of specific skills and knowledge desired. Some fields must be completed (such as the academic training desired
or the location of the internship/job). The majority of the fields are codified;
that is, the choice is made from a list of pre-established options so as to
minimize errors and permit for automatic links with corresponding fields
from the CV.
The insertion of the offer in the display screen is not an automatic process,
but rather passes through examination by the Career Services office: the
successful insertion of the offer by the company within its reserved area is
communicated to the office which then evaluates the pending offers and can
decide to modify them or change their status from “pending” to “available”.
At this point the offer becomes public and students and graduates have the
possibility to apply for it.
Besides the area reserved for the companies the portal also provides a reserved area for candidates. Students and graduates from the University of
Padua receive usernames and passwords upon matriculation which allow
them to make use of the services that the University puts at their disposal,
among which are services related to internships and job placement. By identifying themselves with the credentials provided to them by the university
secretariat, candidates can access their reserved area where it is possible to
apply for internships or job offers available in the system after they have uploaded their CV. Their applications are not automatically visible to the companies, but become visible only after positive evaluation of the staff of the
Career Services office.
40
The third reserved area belongs to the office and the following operations can
be carried out:
• Approval of company data with consequent sending of access credentials to the referent for selection,
• Modification of the internships and job offers and their pub- lication and
removal from display,
• Visualization of applications for each offer with the possibility of calling the candidates for an interview, accepting the candidates and proposing them to a company, or the rejection of an application (for each of
these operations a notification is sent to the respective candidate, who
is given constant feedback with regard to the state of their application).
• Carrying out matching between requests and offers, using the criteria
requested by the internship or job offer and con- necting them with the
data in the CVs in order to individuate profiles from the database which
are most in line with the needs of the company.
The matching operation is the most delicate and interesting. One can simply
click a button which pulls up the CVs which most correspond to the requests
of the company, but the selection assistant from Career Services intervenes
in the moment in which the requests are interpreted, adding details (and
therefore narrowing the results of the search) or eliminating less significant
research criteria (thus enlarging the number of possible results).
The criteria involved in matching are highly diverse and involve areas
such as residence, academic background, IT skills (subdivided into operating
systems, applied software and programming languages) and linguistic and
relational/organizational skills. Once matching is complete, Career Services
has a list of candidates at its disposal. These candidates are informed of the
possibility that their CV may be sent to interested companies/organizations
with respect to the offer for which the matching was made and in line with
the profile requested. Only when the candidate has officially given his/her
approval does Career Services send the CV to the company. In this manner
the privacy of the students and graduates is respected at each step of the
selection process
All of the operations carried out by Career Services staff within the portal
are recorded in order to trace all operations and data back to the specific
operator involved. Each operator is provided with a username and password
and for each completed operation the date and name of the operator is recorded in order to maintain tracking of workflow.
41
Since 2009 in the section related to work abroad candidates have the possibility to record a 2-minute self-presentation video which can be linked to
their electronic CV. The video can be recorded in multiple languages by the
same candidate (English, French, German, Spanish), using only an Internet
connection, a webcam and microphone. Technical instructions as well as
suggestions on what and how to best present oneself are found on the
page of the video recording. In the case where candidates do not possess
the appropriate instruments they can reserve a room which is appropriately
equipped by Career Services via a link on the video recording page.
Before the video is made visible, it is evaluated by Career Services for
quality, both in terms of content as well as technical aspects (for example
low audio/video quality) and the candidates may be contacted in order to
make a new recording if necessary.
Picture 1: video cv recording
The video is closely linked to the electronic CV, and thus it becomes visible to the companies only when Career Services has obtained specific
authorization on the part of the candidates to make it visible in connection
with a specific internship or job offer. In this phase as well Career Services
42
guarantees the truthfulness and privacy of the information inserted within
the portal.
The video presentation gives significant dynamism to the CV, allowing
selection assistants the possibility to see the candidates directly and appreciate their linguistic abilities. In a similar way, the staff finds the video to be
extremely effective in evaluating foreign language abilities, and it is used
broadly and with much satisfaction in selections relative to competitions
such as Leonardo and Erasmus Student Placement.
Within the section dedicated to work abroad companies have another valuable opportunity; thanks to remote interviewing, they have the possibility
to hold an online interview with candidates who have made the best
impression. Once these candidates have been identified, companies simply
indicate (through a link within the reserved area of the portal) a maximum
of three available dates/times to propose an online interview to send to the
pre-selected, individual candidates. Candidates are notified of the companies’ interest via email and can confirm one of the proposals. Once done,
the recording room where the online interview will take place is reserved.
At the end of the interview a member of the staff of Career Services speaks
with the company referent for evaluation and feedback of the interview.
Picture 2: remote interview
43
44
UNIVERSITY OF PAVIA
How to structure ad hoc service for students who
have international professional goals
Lisa Mangolini, Stefania Mellera, Maura Settembre
Career Service, Università di Pavia
Abstract: What kind of innovative and effective services can be given to
students and graduates who aim to work in an international setting? How can
University play a fundamental role for this purpose?
The starting point was the identification of need that the new service should
have satisfied.
In this paper, we explain how the University of Pavia set up ad hoc service for
undergraduates and graduates, how it managed together existing offices, their
different competences and tasks that they had to put in place in the realization
of the new service.
Key words
• synergy, cooperation, complementary skills between offices
• promote international careers
• web services towards individual/specialized services
1. Introduction
The University of Pavia is well known not only as a Research University
with students residence halls, a campus that works in strong collaboration
with the international scientific community, but also as a student-oriented
University. This is the reason why in the last decade the services for students
and graduates were improved and continuously update.
Centro Orientamento (C.OR.) was born in 1999. It has a career guidance
office which has hugely grown up in the last time through new actions and
instruments. Furthermore, the career office has been involved in managing
international programmes for graduates and post-graduates in collaboration
with other Universities, i.e. Leonardo da Vinci.
45
On the other hand, the University of Pavia has committed to the internationalisation since 1987 by the Erasmus Study Programme, and since 2007 the
University Erasmus Office has joined in the Erasmus Placement Programme
that gives students further chances of mobility during the academic career.
The new interest for international training and placement increasingly needed
a new service that could help students and postgraduates to experience internship/job abroad.
Undergraduates and graduates started more and more to aim to an experience
abroad, even beside specific mobility programmes, incentives or benefits
founded by University.
In this purpose, the two University offices - C.OR. for guidance and career
service, Erasmus Office for mobility programme - could be considered highly
skilled, as their history tells in the development of various competences and
services.
In fact, on the one hand, the University Career Guidance Office is strongly
committed to manage postgraduate careers guidance, to help the single student to focus his own professional aims and to seek and find opportunity ad
hoc. On the other hand, the Erasmus Office has gained high experience in
mobility projects, e.g. Erasmus programme for studies and internship.
As a result of the synergic combination of these highly skilled offices the
University of Pavia gave birth to service ad hoc.
2. The project/the new service
The mix of willing and competences of the Career Guidance Office and the
Erasmus Office worked to build a permanent service to help all University
students and graduates to find internship and job opportunities abroad.
It is not usual that two university administrative office services with different
tasks, assignments and competences can cooperate to put together aims and
skills to found a new service for students.
At the beginning this service worked within the National Civil Service frame
which enables the proposing institution (University of Pavia) with its new
projects. Young and trained professionals involved in the project get an experience which would be useful for the community (in that socially oriented)
and would offer an impressive start in training and career for young volunteers.
The service has run for the first year by three volunteers of the National Civil
Service under the supervision of the Careers Service and Erasmus staff. The
46
supervisors set the frame, the ratio, the aims, the tools and cooperate together
with the volunteers to build the services, their articulation/diversification and
the strategy to speak to the target.
At the same time supervisors trained the volunteers to develop cross sectional-competences in the field of International career service. In this way, the
volunteers learnt, among other things, how to browse the web from a critical
perspective in order to help students to find internships and job opportunities
suitable to their academic career, their personal interests, their work attitudes
and their language skills.
This service works towards the improvement of students and postgraduates
mobility in the European Union and beyond. The service has two main objectives: on the one hand, to foster and enhance the supply and demand matching process in different working contexts; on the other hand, to implement a
contact network into the European and international labour markets.
According to the principles of guidance services this office has been structured on different level of need or use, especially for target students and graduates, as a university students-oriented: to inform, to give real opportunity, to
offer specialized and individual services.
3. Tools and instruments
Here are described Services to students and graduates. The office offers
structured and up-to-date web services: a website with specific contents,
links and solutions for problems recurring mostly, a bulletin board on-line and
off-line collecting the best internship and job offers downloaded on the most
important recruiting websites or received from foreign partner Companies.
The aim of the website is helping students and graduates in carrying out an
autonomous research and suggesting solutions to frequently occurring problems linked to international mobility, including:
• More than 50 most reliable internship and job browsers available on
the web (worldwide and single-Country oriented);
• A selection of useful links to start a career in various important international organisations, e.g. the European Union and the United Nations;
• A “Mobility Handbook” containing useful links and suggestions on
accommodation, language courses and studentships abroad;
• More than 30 “CV Handbook” for most EU Countries, containing
useful tips on how to write a good CV, as well as on how to successfully
carry out job interviews.
47
a section on International Summer School, for training in specific context and issues.
• a special “Seasonal jobs in UK”, containing 60 useful link to get a job
during summer or holidays time to improve spoken English.
Moreover, a selection of the best internship and job offers is issued on the
website in home page.
Finally, the service offers individual and personalised advices reserved to
students and graduates of University of Pavia who are looking for an internship experience abroad. After a short interview, aimed at detecting their
needs, their academic career, their interests and professional goals, the office
helps students and graduates in planning a successful research and picks relevant internship and job offers consistent with every specific student’s requirement. Students and postgraduates from University of Pavia can get this
service through an e-mail request or by visiting the office.
•
4. Conclusions
The description of the set up of this structured services intend to give an example of cooperation and integration in University between two offices with
different skills, task and services. Another focus is the contribution of new,
young and qualified personnel who temporarily worked at the beginning of
the project and gave their ideas, solutions, languages and IT technologies
skills.
Once the new services run in an ordinary task, it was included in the activity
of career service and managed by its personnel.
It still keeps the principles of the specific international guidance service,
strongly represented in the idea that this service is built up not only with a
collection of ready-services and specific actions/information for every student. It also concerns with a structured website where students and graduates can carry out an independent research, to find suggestions, solutions (to
help self-service “e-info”) and useful contacts (front-office, e-mail). Then, it
offers a specialised service focused on individual research that the office advises to help single student in planning successful step to get an international
career, according to his need, academic career and interests.
More details concerning this project please visit
http://www.unipv.eu > Internazionalizzazione > Stage lavoro all’Estero
or
http://www.unipv.eu > English > International relations > Career Service
48
JAGELLONIAN UNIVERSITY
IRUN International Career Counselling
Olga Frey
Aim
The aim of this service is to provide first-hand information and tips regarding
local labour markets in European countries to students and alumni interested
in working or practicing abroad.
Background and situation
IRUN Career Service Group was established in 2010, during the IRUN Annual Rector’s meeting in Barcelona. It’s members include the representatives
of Universities in Duisburg-Essen, Krakow, Glasgow, Münster, Nijmegen
and Ljubljana. The aim of the Group, among others, is to foster international exchange of good practices on labour market and vocational counseling.
This objective is the core one for forming bilateral partnerships. Jagiellonian
University in Krakow runs two projects of international career counseling
– in cooperation with the University of Duisburg-Essen and University of
Glasgow.
Structure
JU students and alumni can communicate via Skype with career adviser
abroad (for now in Germany and Great Britain but there are plans to extend
this cooperation to other IRUN partners) at Careers Service Office in Krakow, and vice versa, foreign students can learn more about Polish labour
market, while talking to career adviser from Poland. The project started in
March 2012 and immediately gained a significant interest among students.
Every session is run on individual basis and is of course, confidential. Usually, it lasts from 20 minutes to 1 hour. Participants ask about possibilities of
working abroad, ways of finding job or internship offers as well as reliable
information on employers, qualifications and competences expected from
candidates. They are also interested in legal issues and labour law. Moreover,
49
they ask the adviser to check their CVs and application letters they plan to
send to foreign employers. They also have questions about their further professional development. While registering for the sessions, students are asked
to send issues they are interested in, so the adviser can prepare beforehand
for the session. However, many questions are raised just during the session,
so it is also possible to have next appointment or continue it by e-mail. After
the session, students fill in the evaluation survey. So far, the evaluation analysis has shown that participants of the project are very satisfied and that their
expectations have been fully met.
Benefits
The project of individual career counseling sessions by Skype seems to be
very successful and will be certainly continued. Each Careers Service offers
vocational counseling on-site, however, the possibility to talk to the adviser,
who is perfectly familiar with the local labour market of the particular country, cannot be overvalued. It is a perfect opportunity to get first-hand information and use practical tips. Thanks to such cooperation, the students and
alumni benefit greatly, as well as the advisers, who exchange experiences,
share good practices and learn from each other.
1. Complex career advisory process Aim
The aim of a complex advisory process is to support students and graduates of Jagiellonian University in creating tailor-made career
and development solutions.
In order to do that a career advisor helps a Client to define his/her strengths
and increase awareness of job preferences, and then to prepare and implement an adequate action plan.
Background and situation
Labour market is constantly changing and sets more and more challenging
tasks. There is no a such thing as a job for a lifetime.
That is why it is crucial to learn how to build a career path, and how to find
and sustain jobs. Polish labour market is a very young one.
Due to that fact study and career choices are often random. High school
students choose their studies mostly on the basis of popularity of courses,
friends’ choices and discussions with parents. Very rarely do they visit a professional career advisor. As the result of this they have many doubts while
50
entering labour market and are looking for a professional guidance. Therefore
the Careers Service of Jagiellonian University decided to provide a complex
advisory process.
Structure
A standard complex advisory process consists of four or five meetings,
each lasting about 60 minutes.
During the first session a career advisor agrees with a Client terms and
conditions of cooperation and clarifies a student/graduate expectations. In this
phase it is also crucial to analyze Client’s needs and precisely define the goal
that Client would like to achieve in an advisory process.
In the next stage of the guidance (second and third meeting) an advisor
supports a student/graduate in defining his/her strengths and job preferences.
On the basis of those findings the action plan is agreed during the fourth
session.
The last meeting is the review of undertaken actions and summary of the
whole advisory process.
Applied tools
In order to obtain information on abilities and skills of the Client’s following tools are used: exercises based on professional methods (coaching,
educational method, Spanish method, parachute method) and psychological
tests and questionnaires, which assess abilities, skills and job preferences.
It is worth mentioning that psychological tools are used after exercises. This
order is crucial for an advisory process. As a psychological test examines
only some aspects of a human behaviour, it can narrow a way of thinking. If the process begins with awareness raising exercises, it makes Client
explore different areas of life (academic, private and occupational) and create
his/her own solutions.
Benefits
Owing to implementation of a complex career advisory process the Careers Service of Jagiellonian University has been noting high increase in
interest in career advisory. Students and graduates are provided with tailor-made career and development solutions based on professional standards
and methods. This approach is highly effective, which can be seen in the
feedback from Clients, who found satisfying jobs.
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Success factors
In order to make sure that a career advisory process is efficient it is advisable to take into account following success factors:
- Agreeing the contract (terms and conditions of cooperation);
- Conducting analysis of Client’s needs and defining a goal, which Client would like to achieve in advisory process;
- Clarifying Client expectations;
- Supporting the Client in building and keeping motivation;
- Agreeing a consistent and an adequate action plan.
2. Providing trainings for students – volunteers, who promote particular
faculties of Jagiellonian University at Educational Fairs
Aim
The aim of those trainings is to prepare students for promoting particular
faculties of Jagiellonian University at Educational Fairs.
During the workshop volunteers gain knowledge about the university and
basics of communication skills.
Background and situation
This initiative is a common project of the Information and Promotion Department and the Careers Service of Jagiellonian University. The idea behind
it is to give a prospective student a possibility to speak and share experiences with our current students and to feel atmosphere of our university. Our
observations show that this approach makes visitors feel more comfortable.
Potential candidates are also more willing to ask questions and to discuss their
doubts.
Structure
A standard training consists of two parts. In the first one data about the
university and helpful information sources are presented. In the second part
there is an interactive workshop on communication skills. The whole meeting
lasts about three hours.
Applied tools
During the workshop we use not only standard tools such as PowerPoint presentation, but also interactive methods such as brain storming, work in small
groups and discussions. Students also have a possibility to exercise answering
the questions asked by visitors during previous fairs.
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Benefits
Our prospective students have an opportunity to speak and share experiences with our current students. People already studying at our university are
provided with a training in communication skills, which are highly valued
by employers. Our students also receive references signed by university
authorities.
Success factors
In order to make sure that this system is effective it is advisable to take into
account following success factors:
– Defining the responsibilities of each of university units;
– Good promotion strategy among current students;
– Using interactive methods during the workshops;
– Appointing a students’ coordinator for each faculty.
3. Organising industry meetings with employers Aim
The aim of this event is to show students and graduates duties and employers requirements in particular industries.
Background and situation
We invite experts and professionals to share knowledge about pros and
cons of their profession. They describe required competences and types
of tasks in a specific departments and positions. Meetings are run in small
groups (up to 25 participants) and hold informal, what makes it easier
for students to ask questions and share experience. We usually organize
a week of branch meetings, e.g. NGO Week, Life Science Week or Advertising and PR Week. We contact companies from one industry, but from
different sectors. For example for Life Science Week we invited a small
biotechnological company, as well as a large pharmacy corporation and a
nationwide laboratory. The idea behind this event is to show students and
graduates different employment possibilities.
Structure
To one industry week we invite from 5 up to 10 companies. On each day one
or two meetings take place. One session lasts about 1.5 – 2 hours.
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Applied tools
While organizing industry meetings two points are crucial: database of companies and promotion campaign among students and graduates. In order to
generate a list of potential industry participants we use our internal database
and industry data. We also pay a lot of attention to promotion campaign
among students. We prepare posters, contact students’ associations, send
newsletters and place information about the event on relevant websites
and forums. We also get in touch with local media.
Benefits
Students have an opportunity to speak directly with employers, ask questions and gain information about competences required in particular industries. On the other hand companies use this event to strengthen employer
brand of an organization and to get in touch with the best graduates.
Success factors
In order to make sure that this event will be successful it is advisable
to take into account following points:
- Careful choice of the event date;
- Starting the preparations in advance;
- Precise information for companies about character of the event;
- Targeted promotion campaign directed to students and graduates;
- Registration for the meeting.
54
UNIVERSITY OF JASI – ALEXANDRU
IOAN CUZA
The Living Library as a tool for raising students’
employability
Professor PhD Carmen Cretu, Vice Rector
Alma Andrei, Career Center Counsellor
Irina Subredu, Career Counsellor
University “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” of Iasi, Romania
Key Words: living library, employability, career planning process, experts,
successful stories.
1. Introduction
The Living Library is a method coming from the non-formal education. It is
just as a regular library where students come and borrow books to read them
for a short amount of time, and then return them to the librarian to pass them
on to the next interested readers. There are two major differences though: the
books are living persons (in this case professionals working in various fields)
and the “reading” means a live talk with them.
The recent projects carried out by the Career Center emphasized both the
students need to interact with specialists in various fields and know their
success stories and the Universities’ Alumni wish to give something back to
the University and its students, in a less formal setting.
So, the event called “The Living Library – Come and “read” a professional
in your field!” facilitates the encounter between students and professionals in
their field of study trough a non-formal education method.
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2. How it works
What:
The Living Library is a career-related event taking place once a month (the
last Wednesday).
Where:
The location for the event is excellent and very suited for the event format:
the University’s bookstore & cafe.
Whom
For a Living Library to take place, two main categories of participants are
needed: the books and the readers.
Each edition’s “books” are renown specialists in their field. The readers are
students coming from various fields of study. No limitations are applied; the
students may participate based on their motivation and interest.
How:
The students express their interest trough a specific form available on-line.
They chose the book(s) they want to borrow and they mention the time they
are available (during the event). Also, they are asked to specify one or two
questions they would like to find the answer by reading the book.
The day of the event:
At the day of the event, the books, the readers and the Career Center staff
gather at the location. A 10 minutes opening takes place: a presentation of the
event and of the books is done.
Then, the encounters between students and professionals begin as planned.
The time for one “reading” is 30 minutes. Then new readers come and borrow the books.
Five such “readings” take place for every book, at every edition.
3. What happened so far
The Living Library in topics:
So far you have nine editions dedicated to the fields of study of the faculties
of the University.
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In the nine sessions were invited, as well as books, 50 professionals in these
areas. We had about 750 readings in all 9 editions.
Testimonials:
From „books”:
Andreea Marc – Communication and PR Manager at Icar Tours
“I received with great joy the invitation from CIPO to be a book in Living
Library organized by them on December 14 at the library Orest Tafrali. As
soon as I arrived I was greeted by smiling faces, the frame receiving full of
books and Christmas decorations and a very good organization.
Each of us, living books, we sat at one table and we welcome readers to a
new experience.
I first read that I had the pleasure to talk was Iulia Ailincai, who had an impressive list of questions for me. Obviously I failed to address them all, but
both had time, I wrote some very nice questions: How can someone overcome their shyness?, What is the most important life lesson I learned in my
career?, What is the book that I recommend it to a student?, What is my best
habit?, What was the first job and how I get?, How react the risks?, What are
the rules can be violated in PR. Julia liked the enthusiasm and eagerness to
learn, to improve and do things with passion.
After 20 minutes, I was “divided” between two very nice ladies and I have
fun talking and answering their questions: Oana Chisăliţă and Mădălina
Buzdugan. The girls asked me if I ever varied career in public relations if
there are stereotypes, which are my models in PR and are the biggest three
mistakes I made in my career.
The evening continued with Ecaterina Florea, a very nice and spine girl,
which we discussed the obstacles in life, about money vs. job satisfaction,
about young university and motivation to do something with their lives.
After Ecaterina, I met two girls I knew from Facebook - Simina Ignat and
Ioana Călin, with whom I discussed about internship programs from Icar
Tours, the perfect combination of PR and tourism, as you evaluate the work
and services in PR and how you do relationships, especially as entertain them.
The evening ended with more energy, along with three young enthusiasts:
Elena Mitu, Georgiana Aştefanei and Dan Georgel Gîlea, we talk about passion and communication about the project Belva.ro.
What I answered I do not tell you now, but I promised them that I will write
from blog articles which with the answers to their questions.
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Congratulations to the organizing team and many thanks for the invitation. I
was filled with positive energy of young people and I realized some things I
gave a little forgotten.
Congratulations to other living book because they agreed to share its information. For all young people who were alive at the Library last night: do
not miss the next edition! Exchange information face to face with people
in companies is not too easily accessible to students and is an unforgettable
experience, which I’m sure will bring many changes for the better both in
thought and behavior.”
Luminiţa Iacob – University teacher in the Faculty of Psychology and
Educational Sciences, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi
“Initiative “living book” idea seems very generous, with many advantages:
an excellent organization, the professionals invited, available and open, many
and various questions from students, unfolding in beautiful surroundings. I
was surprised by the novelty of presence among the “readers” former alumni,
colleagues from other faculties or students who already have access to you,
you simply stopping the passage of the faculty. Curiosity about the professional development plan was woven naturally with the personal, what people
are natural when you book browsing is proposed for psychology. In particular, retrieval among other “book invited” of former students and appreciated
today than year-ornamental professionals in their fields, was an additional
reason to feel of course the position of “book of books”. In essence, a kind of
action “convicted” of home sustainability and success!”
Diana Teodorescu – Psychotherapist specializing in cognitive behavioral therapy, associated lecturer, trainer, Integrated Psychological Services
Center Psychology Center (experience in psychological assessment, counseling and therapy for children and adolescents)
“I lived in a very exciting event from many reasons: it’s a great idea and
people who put it into practice are great. The intrinsic reason that brought
me there is the “return gift”, a principle that I use in many aspects of my life.
I was very pleased to be able to “give” in my professional experience, I can
encourage, help, and support to those who want the profession, as I have been
supported for many years now. State that we had was really special and that
I stood by “mentor” to me “given” to the beginning of my career and confidence in my professional life meant more than he can imagine. The greatest
enemy of the event was time to fly faster than we expected. Experience of being “read” was absolutely unique and I could not notice the acumen of young
58
to extract key information, to synthesize and organize very well to achieve its
goals. Congratulations to you!”
Cristian Grigore – The main clinical psychologist, psychotherapist and specialist in clinical hypnosis, NLP Trainer, Center for Mental Health “Dr.
Ghelerter “- University Hospital of Psychiatry “Socola”, Iași.
“It was a challenging experience. Primarily because we shared friends and
students, “reality” clinical psychologist practicing psychological perspective,
which as you know is not always overlap with those learned in college. Then
I was asked questions that we needed luggage not cognitive, but rather to
expose parts of me, feelings,
personal reflections. And I think that is the essence of living libraries. Remain
two regrets: that lasted longer and that there was during my student.”
From” readers”:
“Living Library is one of the most beautiful things I have done lately. I got to
talk to three great people, love their profession, honest and happy to share with
me and other “readers” of the experience. I uploaded the energy and optimism
responses we received from “my books”. I published a blog post on this occasion: http://ipunct.wordpress.com/2012/03/02/un-eveniment-minunat-biblioteca-vie/.” (Ioana, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences)
“I attended the Living Library, a variety of experiments with the touch of
playfulness. In fact, is a non-formal and everything happens under such
agreement: invitations to the event are some books, living books, books could
not be human, and readers, the other side of the table are usually some curious some “buds” coming to suck as much of the wisdom of which have
shown interest you browse. That evening (still February 29, 2012) I “read”
about four books. I weighed well before I picked my order reading and done
your homework: to read “reviews” about them on the Internet, not to miss
any interesting page. So, I browsed some books, for he has not been a leisurely reading, but a diagonal, as we open the chapters had interest to me. I
smelled a time but each and I extracted “ideas” essential to me in this. But, to
speak more concretely:
If the Mrs. Iacob I took notes about how important it is to not send to my
child my fears and I am allowed to embrace her (since I wanted to do that!),
From Simona Haivas I borrowed the enthusiasm from a seeker of roads and
I sent a wave of self-confidence especially by emphasizing the idea that the
59
point of view she graduate psychology are favored in the HR department to
those of the FEEA and no membership is required to practice psychology at
the College of quiet without being illegal, from Mrs. Irina Hazincop, I pulled
the blue hyperactivity manifest first involvement in volunteering once more
to Mr. Grigore (that in addition to S. Haivas represented to me revelation
series), I was a star in terms of personal development and the urgent need to
initiate the procedures and strategies for implementation on field exercises
and lit a lamp somewhere about NLP and the desire to know more about it.
I think spontaneously, as I looked there was more need to come in contact
with positive experiences, to hear saying you can, must to want, is what you
want quickly and immediately runs to sit where you feel yourself to be where
you expect someone will tell you met the right man at right place. If we were
to give a title experience that night, I call it: When you talk to characters in
books! without the slightest slip easily into the paranoia of its own meaning.”
(Andreea Mandia, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences)
“Living Library - an event very well thought out, a great opportunity to learn
in-groups useful in a timely manner and in a special environment. For me
were some moments when I felt very well, sometimes time was too short, but
I managed to get good answers to what I wanted and I left smiling, more optimistic. Thank CIPO!” (Andreea - Faculty of Psychology and Educational
Sciences)
“Living Library was a beautiful sheet of my life, because it was a day when
I met true professionals. Diana Teodorescu is a person who is very good
job and putting so much emphasis on quality and therefore the information
shared, it was open, honest and transparent about her professional journey
and experience. Thank enthusiastic team at CIPO for the chance to know
her and I wish you many such initiatives as highly creative.” (Alexandra,
Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences)
“What I meant for me this event? It represented an opportunity to give if
you will-professional route that I chose today is realistic or not, the answer
I found after discussion with Mrs. Simona Haivas, and is positive to my delight. I also decided to discuss with Mr. Cristian Grigore, and learned that
if you do what you do risk passionately to transform you a pleasant, which
has a special charm in a burden. I do not regret that I attended the Masters
in Clinical, because I think that defines me at this event and we managed to
drive away my doubt and optimist relate more to the future. On the whole
60
event is a piece of knowledge that someone (here center CIPO) and a show
and invite you to open that gate-boarding to know so you can jump in a library with a soul that your more close to the soul.” (Georgeta - Faculty of
Psychology and Educational Sciences)
“It was beautiful and interesting to Living Library. Although I’m not a psychology student I was the occasion to learn new things and get some life
lessons. I got tips from books and listened with interest what they had to say.
I rejoice greatly that I had the opportunity to sit down with these people. I am
also glad that this event will continue and look forward to reading the following books.” (Oana, Faculty of Letters)
The Living Library in numbers:
9 editions
50 “books”
750 “readers”
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The Living Library in pictures:
62
63
64
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4. What we’ve learned
What we’ve learned so far, from the nine editions:
• That the professionals invited simply love the idea and usually accept
our invitation, regardless of the late hours (17.00 to 19.00) and the weekday.
• That the enthusiasm for the event doesn’t depend on the field of practice
nor the age of the invited “books”;
• That the students in sciences Faculties use different information sources
and need more motivation to participate.
Briefing remarks
The books invited are very exciting to participate at this kind of events also
they have a very busy schedule.
Location-based event is very important for the ambience.
The way to promote the event has to differ according with the students educational background (the science students are harder to convince them).
Living Library is an efficient method by which students take direct contact
with professionals.
Bibliography
1. Cretu, C., Gavrilovici, O., 2011,When you enter on the dance floor you
have to dance: A new school director in Romania reflects on leading
an inclusive community school. In Michael Cowie(ed.), New Primary
Leaders. International perspectives. Continuum Books, pp.188-204.
(British Library Cataloging-in-Publication Data, WorldCat) www.continuumbooks.com
2. Cretu, C., 2010, The professionalization of the relationship University
– Companies regarding the parctical internships for students and their
insertion into the labour market. In P. Andea, S.E. Zaharia, St. Kyleni
(eds.), University in Society, 9th Edition. Lifelong Learning Support for
Economic Growth. Editura Orizonturi Universitare Timisoara, Pp.5969.
66
3. Cretu, C., Rogoz-Coroeru N., Chihaia, D., Chisalita, O., 2010, Replay.
3D Gaming Platform and its Usage in Psychopedagogical Couseling
in Schools for Influencing the Behaviour of Youngsters.in Analele
Ştiinţifice ale UAIC, seria Ştiinţele Educaţiei, (XIV / 2010), pp.177-189.
ISSN: 1453-0775
4. Creţu, C., 2009, Global success and giftedness. In Balchin T., Hymer
B., Matthews, J.D. (eds.), The Routledge International Companion to
Gifted Education. International Handbook. Routledge London, pp.169176. ISBN 978-0-415-46137-5. Indexat in World Cat. http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415461375/
5. http://humanlibrary.org/ (official inventors of the method)
6. http://www.nonformalii.ro/metode/biblioteca-vie
7. http://www.artfusion.ro/?l=ro&m=6&sm=34
8. https://cariera.uaic.ro/evenimente-cipo/biblioteca-vie/
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68
OBESRVATORY ON STUDENTS
AND STUDIES,
UNIVERSITY OF BARCELONA
Gemma Fonrodona Baldajos
Vice Chancellor for Students and Linguistics Policy
Àngels Alegre Sánchez
Director of Observatory on Students and Studies
Abstract: The European Higher Education Area calls for students to become
active subjects in their learning process. In response, the University of Barcelona created the Observatory on Students and Studies in 2012, to foster
participation and active communication. The Observatory is committed to
and responsible for UB students and its aim is to obtain data that facilitate informed decision-making on university policies regarding students and graduates in general, and their support services in particular.
Hence, the Observatory is more than just an observatory, although it also
performs this function. It opens up the world of young university students,
seen from their eyes, with their perspective on values and priorities. It is a
mirror that clearly reflects students’ concerns and it has the tools for finding
solutions.
Key words: Student, Observatory, Participation, Social Dimension, Social
and Labour Insertion, Social and Commercial Entrepreneurship, Self-Employment, Access, Profiles, Quality of Life and Education, Orientation, Tutorial Action, Professional Guidance, External Placements, Labour Market
Transitions, University Student Policies.
1. Introduction
Higher education must play a fundamental role as a driver of change. It must
meet social needs and promote the principles of solidarity, inclusion, excellence and equity. In the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), one of
69
the main aims is to progress towards a more equitable and inclusive higher
education. Equity and inclusion are approached from a comprehensive perspective, taking into account admission, academic pathways and results.
Among many other factors, the current challenges of higher education include how to attain equal access, increase participation or reach equal participation, improve student support and resources, introduce new and more
flexible learning spaces, promote the acquisition of new skills and abilities
and increase employability, volunteering and cooperation.
As students are the raison d’être of higher education, we need to identify their
characteristics, expectations, diversity, motivations, needs and demands. As
the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) has been progressively introduced, our need to know students’ profiles, characteristics and living and
study conditions has become greater. This issue was highlighted at Bergen
(2005) as one of the future priorities of the EHEA, and was one of the most
important aspects at London (2007). Likewise, it was discussed at the conferences of Leuven (2009), Budapest 2010 and Bucharest (2012).
In this context, the Observatory on Students and Studies, University of Barcelona, was founded in 2012, to foster participation, meet social needs and
promote the principles of solidarity, inclusion, excellence and equity. The
Observatory reflects the University of Barcelona’s commitment to social responsibility and to balanced, sustainable development.
2. Purpose, objectives, strategic lines and areas of study
Purpose
The purpose of the Observatory on Students and Studies, University of Barcelona, is to promote, carry out and brings together studies on students’ university lives that will help to inform, design and improve student policies.
Students play a central role as generators of ideas and in carrying out studies
on their own environment, which is an addition way of participating.
Objectives
• Carry out regular, systematic studies on UB students’ living and study
conditions, participation and profiles, to identify students’ needs and
suggestions and use these as the basis for designing university policies.
• Rely on the active participation of students and specialists from the university, and on other well-recognized people in this field.
70
•
•
Bring together completed studies and any new studies carried out from
this point onwards. All studies must have been undertaken independently and autonomously to ensure the reliability of data and conclusions.
Ensure that the Observatory has the latest relevant information generated on this topic by the University of Barcelona and in the Catalan,
Spanish and European university system.
Strategic lines
Student participation
Students are an active part of the process that began at Bologna to form a
European area without borders for the university community. The Spanish
University Students’ Statutes clearly state that “the Conference of European
Ministers in Berlin (2003) expressly recognized ‘the students’ role in the public management of higher education’”. The Statutes also state that “the EHEA
highlights that students are active participants in the learning process”.
The Observatory fosters student participation through:
•The Bachelor’s Degree Student Network: formed by Work Groups and
the Permanent Committee.
•The Technical Support for Studies team: formed by master’s degree
and doctoral students.
The Social Dimension of University Education
The social dimension of the European university system is explicitly defined
in the London Communiqué (2007), which states that “higher education
should play a strong role in fostering social cohesion, reducing inequalities
and raising the level of knowledge, skills and competences in society. Policy
should therefore aim to maximise the potential of individuals in terms of their
personal development and their contribution to a sustainable and democratic
knowledge-based society.”
The Observatory is:
• A tool for monitoring the development of the social dimension with respect to students
• Committed to quality and equality in education
Social and labour insertion
One of the main challenges of education institutions today is to increase the
employability of university students. In addition, it has become increasingly
71
important to focus on students’ expectations, which should be taken into account to improve the quality of the service and students’ satisfaction with it.
The Observatory facilitates and promotes:
• Labour market transition
• Employability, social and corporate entrepreneurship, and self-employment
•Lifelong professional development and training
Areas of study
Access
Orientation, access and transition to higher education
Demographic characteristics
Access pathways
Socioeconomic conditions
Living and study conditions
Tutorial action1, guidance and welcome programmes
Socioeconomic issues (income, fees, enrolment fees, incomings and outgoings, grants and subsidies, etc.)
Accommodation (halls of residence, boarding houses, flats, with parents,
with a partner, alone, with other students, etc.)
Mode of study (full-time and part-time, combination with professional activities, continuance)
Diversity
Disability and other special educational needs
Academic performance (success, change of course, failure, absenteeism and
drop-out)
Mobility
Health and healthy lifestyle (sport, sustainability, equality, welfare, etc.)
Information and communication
Cultural Activities
1
Appendix: academic tutoring at the University of Barcelona. Future proposals
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Participation
Political, in associations, social, strategic, cultural, etc.
In academic activities and quality processes.
Cooperation and volunteering
Social and labour insertion
Professional guidance
External placements
Social and commercial entrepreneurship and self-employment
Socioeconomic data, trends, etc.
Labour market transition: professional insertion and professional development
3. Structure and governability
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Reports to the Office of the Vice-Rector for Students and Language Policy
Management
Collaboration grant
Administrative support and documentation
Collaborating unit: UB Associations
Bachelor’s Degree Student Network
Technical Support for Studies team: master’s degree and doctoral students
Experts: Advisory Council and Technical Committee
Bachelor’s Degree Student Network
The Network is divided into Work Groups on different topics of interest to
students or to the institution. Each Work Group has a spokesperson and the
various spokespeople form the Permanent Committee for the Student Network.
Currently, there are Work Groups on the following areas:
• Social and labour insertion2
The aims of the Work Group on Social and Labour Insertion are to analyse the
UB’s employability resources in the employability section of the survey on Living
2
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Social and commercial entrepreneurship3
Academic performance4
Health and healthy lifestyle
Information and communication
Political participation
Socioeconomic conditions
Reform of the UB Statute
Draft of the Guide to the Accreditation of Recognized Bachelor’s and
Master’s Degrees
• Promotion of cultural services and activities
• Language resources
In addition we are also developing a project for a student initiative of the Association of Good Arts called “Pick up steps, build roads! Guide to the Fine
Arts graduates, and now that we? “This aims to collect information directly
alumni that is no longer than three years that ended in order to know their
route once graduated in Fine Arts. In this sense, it is planned interviews or
video graphic text and vehicular interaction between students and graduates
of Fine Arts
Pparticipation in these Work Groups or Initiatives may be recognized through
ECTS for participation activities, external placements, the European Diploma Supplement and final projects.
Technical Support for Studies
Participants include master’s degree students who are carrying out external
placements or their final project, and doctoral students who act as supervisors
of the Observatory Work Groups’ studies and reports.
Conditions and Participation of UB Students (ECOVIPEU), and in the study of data
on labour insertion from the survey by the Catalan University Quality Assurance
Agency (AQU-Catalunya).
3
The Work Group on Social and Commercial Entrepreneurship explores the resources, possibilities and opportunities for entrepreneurship among UB students and graduates.
4
The Work Group on Academic Performance works on the following objectives: a)
academic performance on official bachelor’s degrees; b) analysis of student profiles;
c) analysis of the section on academic performance in the ECOVIPEU survey; and d)
a study of the UB’s Tutorial Action Plan.
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Advisory Council
The Advisory Council is comprised of UB specialists in various scientific
fields related to the Observatory’s core strategies.
The specialists are experts in the following scientific knowledge areas: politics, sociology, education, psychology, health sciences and communication.
The Institute of Education Sciences (ICE) is also involved.
The Council provides advice, training and assistance in drawing up the Observatory Work Groups’ reports.
Technical Committee
The Technical Committee is comprised of heads of student services and of
the services that create tools to establish mechanisms of operation, data and
studies.
Heads of the following services take part: Student Grants and Financial Aid,
the Learning and Research Resources Centre (CRAI), Office for Strategic
Institutional Projects, Student Support Service (SAE), International Mobility
and Programmes, Organization and Support for Students and Centres, Planning and Analysis Service, Teaching Quality, Language Services, The UB
Solidarity Foundation, Internal Control, Risks and Corporate Social Responsibility Unit and the CRAI Research and Innovation Unit.
This Committee carries out training activities, and contributes experiences,
resources, good practices and continuous improvement processes to the provision of student services, as indicators of the institution’s quality.
4. Conclusions
The Observatory on Students and Studies at the University of Barcelona has
opened the door to a new kind of student participation that, in turn, should
lead to the formulation of policies that better meet student needs. The Observatory documents UB services’ good practices in the support and comprehensive training of students, and establishes synergies between research
groups that focus on the same object of study – students – from different perspectives. This is a general project in which all three groups in the university
community play a role. It is a project by the University and for the University.
At a time in which our welfare culture is threatened and the economic situation influences policies, it is appropriate, and even necessary, not to lose sight
75
of the implications of jeopardizing some students’ opportunities to access
studies and continue their education. What would be the effects of reducing access? How can the University find solutions to mitigate these effects?
The Observatory is called upon to play a central role in detecting causes and
searching for solutions. Students have the sensitivity, knowledge and creativity to find imaginative, viable solutions to minimize the recession’s negative
impact. The Observatory must stress the University’s principles of equity, inclusion and excellence achieved through continuous improvement. Through
the Observatory, the University must show its social face; it must return to the
society that surrounds it and for which it works. This will only be achieved if
our students acquire the knowledge and skills they need to play an important
role in society.
5. References
www.ehea.info/
www.student-affairs.eu/home.html
www.campusvivendi.com/
http://observatoriestudiant.ub.edu/
Royal Decree 1791/2010, 30 December, which approves the Statute of the
University Student (Estatuto del Estudiante Universitario) (BOE of 31 December 2010)
Alegre, A. Colomer, M.A. Galiana, D. López, T. Lluch, A. Vallés, A. 1. Servicios de Atención al Alumnado. Module: Servicios de Soporte. Máster de
Política y Gestión Universitaria. Postgraduate Agency of the University of
Barcelona (2008)
Ariño, A. El oficio de estudiar en la Universidad: compromisos flexibles
(2008). Servicio de Publicaciones. Universidad de Valencia.
Ariño, A y Llopis, R. ¿Universidad sin clases? Condiciones de vida de los
estudiantes universitarios en España (Eurostudent IV- 2011). Subdirección
General de Documentación y Publicaciones. Ministerio de Educación.
Jover, G., López, E. y Quiroga, P. La universidad como espacio cívico: valoración estudiantil de las modalidades de participación política universitaria.
Revista de Educación, número extraordinario 2011, pp 69-91.
Merhi, R. Las claves de la participación estudiantil en la universidad española. UNIVEST 2011.
Michavila, F. Bolonia en crisis (2012)
Parejo, J.L. y Michavila, F. Políticas de participación estudiantil en el Proceso de Bolonia. Revista de Educación, número extraordinario, 2008, pp 85-118.
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APPENDIX
ACADEMIC TUTORING
Future proposals
Mercè Gracenea
Secretary of the Institute of Education Sciences
The University of Barcelona laid out the general context of its academic
tutoring activities in the document Informació, orientació i suport a l’estudiant: acció tutorial a la Universitat de Barcelona (2007) (Information,
guidance and support for students: tutoring at the University of Barcelona).
This document describes how objectives set in the Projecte Institucional de
Política Docent (2006) (Institutional Teaching Policy Project) have been met
and how the Statutes (2003) have been implemented. It constitutes a frame of
reference that can be used in decisions about the planning, development and
focus of tutoring. The Institute of Education Sciences (ICE) is responsible for
training tutors and coordinators for the Tutorial Action Plans, and can programme and implement educational activities. In this context, Tutorial Action
Plans (PAT) have been introduced in degree courses. They focus on the role
of the tutor, who is responsible for tutoring to provide information, academic
interventions and professional guidance in group or individual tutorial sessions. However, the implementation of EHEA bachelor’s degrees has shown
that tutors’ functions need to be adapted to new situations.
Students’ acquisition of transferable skills is the most important factor emerging in EHEA bachelor’s degrees. The University of Barcelona has stated that
it will ensure that graduates acquire the skills indicated in the document
“Transferable skills” (2008), which include ethical commitment, team work,
creative and enterprising ability, sustainability and communicative capacity.
Clearly, the acquisition of transferable skills is a gradual, progressive process
in which students advance during a bachelor’s degree course. A transferable
skill cannot be gained in a specific, isolated learning process. In bachelor’s
degrees, we must establish appropriate strategies and design relevant learning scenarios to promote students’ acquisition of transferable skills. We must
ensure that skills acquisition is evaluated and accredited through continu-
77
ous, rather than one-off, processes, which reflect the continuous nature of the
learning process. In this context, academic tutors have a new task: monitoring
the acquisition of transferable skills throughout a student’s learning process.
A tutor will have access to the results obtained by the student in their general
skills pathway at all times, and will be responsible for any actions that are
required to bring about improvement, if applicable. Tutors will also draw up
a final report to contribute to the Final Project, which aims to assess the skills
associated with the degree (Royal Decree 1393/2007, of 29 October, BOE no.
260 of 30 October 2007), including transferable skills.
Certain conditions must be met in this new form of tutoring, including those
described below:
1. Appropriate teaching scenarios must be designed so that bachelor’s degree courses boost transferable skill acquisition, using various formats
in the framework of teaching activities (teamwork, oral and written presentations, etc.), integrated into the different subjects. Transferable skills
will be added to the list of basic, specific and optional subjects that comprise bachelor’s degrees.
2. Monitoring protocols should be established for bachelor’s degrees, in
order to differentiate levels of skills acquisition. In addition, protocols
to evaluate the acquisition of skills (rubrics) should be drawn up.
3. The monitoring process should allow for activities to be carried out, if
required, to improve an individual student’s progress in acquiring skills.
Monitoring should be undertaken throughout the degree course, as skills
are acquired continuously and progressively.
4. The monitoring and accreditation of transferable skills should end with
the Final Project, which must be integrated into the entire process of
skills acquisition and accreditation. Therefore, there should be perfect
continuity in the rubrics for monitoring and accrediting transferable
skills from the start of the bachelor’s degree course to the end of the
Final Project.
5. In this context, it is essential to have one person who is responsible
for monitoring and accrediting a student’s skills acquisition. The ideal person is that student’s academic tutor, who is in direct, continuous
contact with the student. Tutors must have access to the students’ results
for their skills pathway, and are responsible for any actions required to
improve a student’s performance. Tutors must write a significant final
report to contribute to the Final Project.
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UNIVERSITY OF BARCELONA
Speed networking talent workshop
Prof. Virginia Ferrer PhD (University of Barcelona)
Description
External Relations and Student’s vice-deanship of Economy and Business
Faculty and SAE –Student’s Attention Service- organized on March 2013 the
first edition of Speed Networking Talent workshop, divided in three sessions,
with academic recognition it wanted.
Forty students participated on it; the workshop started with a theoretical session to give students skills to prepare their elevator-pitch, and another session was organized for those students who wanted to deep in professional
networking techniques.
On the following session each participant has 1,5 minutes to present themselves and their professional objective to each participant on the workshop.
Among attendees some business recruiters anonymously participated in the
workshop, coming from different companies interested in meeting students
for future selections processes. When the session has finished companies ask
SAE for some students CVs who have participated on the workshop.
Aim of the workshop
This event wants to link university students and companies through this activity called Speed Networking Talent, moreover the workshop has concrete
objectives for students and the companies who participate on it:
For students:
• Learn how to present themselves to companies in a short time
• The possibility to be met by interested companies and give them CVs
• Knew about a recruit technique
For the companies:
• Allow business recruiters would be able to meet in a short time some
university students interested in getting professional internships or a job.
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Adressed to
Students from Economic and Business Faculty.
Schedule
First session: Theoretical session about formation to prepare personal presentation to companies.
Second session: Training session with the participation of business recruiters.
Multiple mutual presentations between students and business recruiters.
Third session: Theoretical session about professional networking for students
who want to deep on networking techniques.
Price and sessions
Complete pack: 18/19 of March for theoretical session, 20 of March for
the dynamic activity and 22 of March for theoretical session of deeping on
networking. Price of 30€
Reduced pack: 18/19 of March for theoretical session and 20 of March for
the dynamic activity. Price of 15€
Results and valoration
40 students participated on the workshop, and using the anonym questionnaire after the sessions, the organisation knows that students were satisfied
for the workshop. Moreover the Economic and Business Faculty dean expressed the positive effect of the event.
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UNIVERSITY OF BARCELONA
“Club de Feina”
Prof. Virginia Ferrer PhD (University of Barcelona)
Aims
Club de Feina of the Servei d’Atenció a l’Estudiant is a program managed
by the university guidance unit team of this service. In the Club facilities is
offered individual advising to help students in the decision – making, to define the professional objective and to design the academic itinerary, different
activities are channelled and resources are provided.
Club de Feina is contextualized in the Servei d’Atenció a l’Estudiant – SAE
depending on the Vicerrectorado de Estudiantes y Política Lingüística of the
University of Barcelona, with the aim of helping students in their professional career design and their academic itinerary elaboration.
The SAE’s university orientation unit has the main function of developing
and invigorating academic and professional guidance programs and actions
in SAE facilities, addressed to all the UB students (Club de Feina, Professional skills formation, Job search strategies), and Orientation actions in the
faculties (orientation conferences and workshops during the grade studies).
Personnel involved
Addressed to all the students enrolled in grade, master or PhD studies.
Team staff formed of 3 careers advisers
With support from external agents: Human Resource Consulting, Job search
strategies experts, Youth mobility specialised entities, Ajuntament de Barcelona, Generalitat de Catalunya.
Development and implementation
Club de Feina opens weekly and have specialized staff in professional guidance who offer individual advising to help students to define their academic
itinerary, to design their professional career and to provide job search strate81
gies. In Club de Feina students are provided of different tools and resources
to facilitate the profession knowledge, to ease the world of work incorporation, to know the labour market demands and the job search channels: orientation documents, bibliography, specializes magazines, work offers information, companies directories…
Monographs of specific subjects are also organized to approach labour market to the students in collaboration with business world experts, public administration experts…
The individual advising, the monograph attendance and the orientation resources use are complemented with some activities which can be academically recognized. The student realizes some exercises in a portfolio that favour the self-knowledge, the professions explorations, and help to define the
professional objective as well as to use the most adequate channels for the
job search.
Available resources
CONSULTING
RESOURCES
DIGITAL RESOURCES
USER MATERIAL
1. Information Dossiers:
Job search instruments,
Professional opportunities,
New Jobs, Working abroad,
Professional Associations
1. Business directory:
1. Guidance documents:
2. Specializes magazine
3. Bibliography
4. News about the world
of work
5. Job offers

ACICSA (firms from
Catalonia)

DICODI (firms from
Spain)

KOMPASS
(International Firms)
2. “Antena Porta22UB” Web Barcelona
Treball de Barcelona
Activa (Ajuntament de
Barcelona)
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
CV and cover letter
advices

Job interview
advices

Job search channels
information

Certification
information
2. Informative
brochures of the
academic offer from
other institutions.
Results
Advising visits
525
Monographs participants
535
Total of visits
1060
The users’ number of Club de Feina, during the 2011/2012 course, is hand
out in the following way:
Advising visits: Thanks to the assessment questionnaires, anonymously answered, the following data is drawn:
• More women has recieved advisement than men. This concur with the
demographic features of the UB students.
• The most used service it’s the individual advising, the second one the
guidance documents.
Monographs participants: From the assessment questionnaires, anonymously answered, it’s remarkable the interest from the students to increase
and to improve their professional skills and the job search strategies, specifically those in relation with the international mobility and the networking.
Innovative character
Since 1999, Club de Feina has been considered an innovative project in the
frame of the university guidance for the following reasons:
1. The combination of the different services offered in Club de Feina
makes possible responding the student’s needs: the students who need
an individual attention are advised by and career adviser; the students
can go through the monographs in depth looking for internship opportunities or selection process aspects, and also the students can check the
specific resources of the Club.
2. The portfolio use allows the students to organise and to supervise the
adequate activities for every profile to start the job search at the same
time that the student gets used with the tools and resources.
3. The Club de Feina favour the show of the intern and extern initiatives
of the University for Students who have to search internships, job post,
chose a master or an abroad experience.
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4. Career advisers can divert students to another guidance action named
“Orientation interview”, which allows students to simulate job interviews and analyse deeply job search strategies.
Replayability
Students have assessed satisfactory Club de Feina services throughout its
different editions.
At institutional level, this action has been sustained over time due to: 1) it is
a differential value owing to it guarantees a weekly career advising service.
2) it facilitates permanent updating of new selection techniques and specific
programs, through the collaboration and fluent relationship established with
the extern agents involved.
For all this reasons, this project is replicable in some others universities by
putting into context different realities.
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UNIVERSITY OF BARCELONA
Social startup meeting Barcelona
Prof. Virginia Ferrer PhD (University of Barcelona)
Introduction
A Social Startup Meeting is a weekend encounter where entrepreneur people
from different professional backgrounds, with social concerns, work together
in order to impulse new social entrepreneurship initiatives, normally technology based, which can be developed as a business after the Startup Meeting.
University of Barcelona choose the Startup model for being a successful entrepreneurship initiative focused on maximizing economic profit and rapid
business scalability. But as a University, we wanted to promote a Startup
with a social component because Social Startup aim is dealing with social,
economic, cultural and environmental troubles; Searching for maximize not
only economic profit but also social profit.
Why organizing this event
Organizing and supporting this kind of events we are:
– Promoting entrepreneurship culture.
– Enhancing and promoting social projects.
– Supporting social entrepreneur teams in fulfilling their ideas of social,
economic, cultural and environmental change and transformation.
Methodology and skills
The program has been developed following the “learning by doing” method
proved since 2007 for Startup Weekend in USA, which has been adapted on
social entrepreneurship field. All participants work in groups 54 hours in order to develop a social business plan.
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After the weekend participants should have used and experimented:
– Skills to carry on a social startup.
– Multidisciplinary teamwork in a collaborative way
– Social, business and technology mentoring
– Networking between social entrepreneurship community
Development/timing
Social Startup Meeting schedule is divided in different phases:
Friday afternoon: The first needed elements are ideas, so participants take
part in a brainstorming where each of them can present one or more ideas of
a social business plan; one minute for presenting each idea in which participants may explain the business plan idea and which kind of team is looking
for to develop it too.
After the brainstorming, in an interactive dynamic, participants select some
of the ideas and divided the group in teams, one for each selected idea, which
will be teamworks for all weekend.
Saturday and Sunday morning: Teams should develop the business plan
and ensure the business idea viability. In order to help them in their work and
overcome difficulties they are supported by startup professionals and social
entrepreneurs with experience on the field. On Sunday noon all teams should
have finished the business plan, a basic work plan, a prototype and a commercial plan.
Sunday afternoon: Each team present their startup in three minutes to the
jury, formed for social entrepreneurship experts, who has five minutes to ask
about the startup. Finally the jury give to teams some feedback and evaluate
the startups to decide the best presented ideas.
Addressed to
Social Startup Meetings are addressed to entrepreneur people who:
– Have social concerns and motivation to develop social business
– Have a social business idea and want to developed it on a team
– Want to learn how to generate social entrepreneurship projects
– Have experience and formation on technology based initiatives and projects, software programming, design, marketing or related fields.
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Barcelona experience
The First Social Startup Meeting Barcelona took place in Barcelona on
March 2013, and it has been the first Social Startup event on Barcelona and
Catalonia too.
The event organizers were Comissionat de Participació, Ocupabilitat i Emprenedoria Social of University of Barcelona, Alumni UB, HUB Barcelona
Candidate and LabCoop, with the support of Startup Weekend Barcelona.
In our experience, participants developed ten social business startups, some
of them with solid expectative of success. The three awarded startups had the
opportunity to put work in practice on a business incubator to set up a Social
Café, an online legal service, and an online science volunteer program.
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88
UNIVERSITY OF BARCELONA
Job fair (faculty of Law)
Prof. Virginia Ferrer PhD (University of Barcelona)
Introduction
For the last eight years Office Practice and Employment Law Clinic, reporting to Vice Dean for Institutional Relations of The Faculty of Law has been
organizing a Job Fair to facilitate student’s entry to job market and also help
them to obtain internships. This kind of initiatives approach law’s faculty
students to law firms, public administrations, and all type of companies with
the aim of helping them on their future. The eighth edition took place last 25
and 28 of November 2013.
The fair has two different spaces:
• Stands of law firms, public administrations and companies.
• Conferences of different topics related to job research on the specific
field of law, political sciences and the other studies taught on the Faculty
of Law.
Participants
On the eighth edition more than 300 students participated on the activities
organized.
Stands
On the eighth edition 30 different organizations/companies have participated
on the job fair. Students got the first contact with law firms and other companies and gave them the CVs.
This method has given positive results during the years; it is a really interesting experience for student to meet companies interested in finding students
who match their profiles, not only to get practice on that, but also because it
is a real opportunity for them to find internships and a job after studies too.
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Conferences
On the first day (25th of November) six formative sessions were organized
about techniques on job interviews and also preparations for it:
• How to prepare curriculum vitae and a cover letter. Speakers: A career
adviser of Servei d’Atenció a l’Estudiant – SAE- (Student’s attention
service) and a member of a law firm responsible of professional development.
• How to prepare a job interview. Speakers: career advisor of the city
council and a member of a law firm responsible of professional development.
• Lawyers: access and collective licensing. Speakers: Coordinator of
Masters in Law and a member of the bar association of Barcelona.
• Career opportunities in law. Speakers: young professionals (a lawyer,
notary, registrar, judge, prosecutor, court clerk, attorney and a manager).
• Career opportunities in Criminology and Private Investigations.
• Career opportunities in Labour Relations.
• Career opportunities in Public Administration Studies.
The second day (28th November) will be held two roundtables with some of
the law firms participating in the Forum, where students explain their experiences regarding the curriculum, the job interview, the selection process and
internships, and solve their doubts.
• Roundtable with law firms: curriculum vitae, job interviews, selection
process and internships.
• Roundtable “Speak with Miquel Roca about your future” (collaboration
with Alumni UB).
Conclusion
All editions of the Job fair have been a success and obtained really positive
reviews from students and graduates. The possibility of approaching to so
many different companies, law firms and give their curriculum vitae and been
informed of selection processes, job interviews… has been considered a good
practice for future and as an opportunity to introduce for the first time on the
labour market.
90
UNIVERSITY OF GRANADA
The use of ICT in Employment Services
at the University of Granada
Slava López, Antonio Lozano, Rafael Peregrin
The career office of the University of Granada offers a great variety of services to the university community covering the areas of placement, employment, national and international mobility programs, and guidance among
others. This time we are going to refer to the importance of the use of ICT
in our services.
Any university service focused on supporting students in securing employment (mainly those students about to finish their studies) and graduates
should incorporate to their daily routine a functional link with the information and communication technologies, especially with 2.0 technologies. ¨2.0¨
means fastening and personalizing the information offered and received but
above all, increasing the possibilities of interaction with and among users.
There are different mechanisms to optimize the use of this type of tools in
career services. To illustrate this we are going to describe some of the tools
used in our center, University of Granada Career Centre, taking into account
this is a very dynamic process under continuous change and updating.
Besides this, our concern to deploy this tool was to assist our users no
matter their circumstances:
- Having finished their studies, living away from Granada but desiring
to keep in touch or having access to our services and support.
- Users undertaking (national or international) placement periods that need
some follow up or guidance service.
- Users under special circumstances that does not allow them to get our
center (disease, work, etc.)
- Users that prefer this type of tools all over their different stages of life
due to its facilities and immediacy.
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Aside from this we also consider this service a way to facilitate and maximize our officer’s performance.
1. On-line guidance (Tele-counseling platform)
It is an alternative for guidance, distance guidance that allows university
students to be assisted during their job search process. Since 2006 when
we started this service, we have carried out personal interviews (chat), consultancy, forum, guidance materials repository, links related to employment.
After six years we can say this service has covered users and university
officers’ expectations such as: a) to make guidance accessible to users that
due to personal circumstances (living away, being abroad, handicapped students, etc.) could not attend face to face sessions. b) To develop in our
university students users’ competences in time management in their personal
process of job securing. c) Enhance the use of ICT in the job search process
by university students. In 2010, going further in this service we launched a
training action for employment: Online guidance workshop.
2. Self-guidance service
On February 2010 we open a room in our Centre for Self Guidance in
which students can find different resources to search for a job: press news,
bibliography about employment, ICT equipment with internet access and
an updated system of directories and webs about guidance, training and
employment. The use of these resources and tools is supervised by a career
officer.
By means of this specific tool of database management and using syndication channels (RSS) we offer university students greater possibilities of
personalizing the information they receive focusing it in three areas: information about public employment, job offers (UGR Employment Agency)
and placement offers(UGR career guidance office).
4. Blogs, spaces design to invite opinion
In this case we combine already consolidated tools as the online- guidance
blog, which allows communicating and commenting about the new trends
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on placement, job and training with other recently created, the Magazine,
where news and interviews to important people on these areas allow deepening on the different topics related to employment.
The idea is to offer a 2.0 tool that allows the interaction among our officers
and our users.The magazine will have different section:
– National and international university services experts´ opi- nions
– Opinions, articles and interviews with employment profes- sional and
employers
– Updated information about entrepreneurial and entrepre- neur
– Job market and graduates follow up reports
–News
– Placement/ job offers.
It is related to the sense of being in the community. It is not creating a profile
on Facebook to advertise our services; there are a lot of more efficient
and adequate tools for that purpose. It is to be present on the web since we
want to share what we do so the rest does the same. When we talk about
¨the rest¨ we think of users in general and institutions devoted to activities
similar to ours and that carry out ac- tions focused to supporting students-users-unemployed in securing employment/placement. In short, it is vital for
our services to en- hance interaction among university students, guidance
officers, em- ployment and placement managers.
However, we also use social networks such as FB and twitter to reach a
wider scope of users. This tool will start with a community of 10 000 users.
Here you have some mock-up web pages. We hope you find it useful and
applicable in your context.
6. Icaro Platform
The ICARO online platform is an application used by the Employment and
Internships Promotion Centre to manage internships and employment for students and graduates, as well as for internships mobility.
The enterprises also use this application to participate in the different programs and to make public their offers.
Our staff uses this application for all the management processes for students’
internships, also to gather all the offers of the enterprises, to make a first
93
selection of the candidates and send the proposal to the enterprise according
to the profile requested. The final selection by the enterprise is also managed
from this application as well as the signature of the scholarships granted for
the internship. It is also used to inform the insurance agency and the Labour
Ministry for the economic control of the contributions for management expenditures to the University by the enterprise. Through this application the
staff elaborates agreements between the University and the enterprises, controls the payment management as well as the grant of certificates.
This platform is shared by the Andalusia universities and there some others
interested on it.
7. Junior Enterprises
The aim of Junior Enterprises is to inform about the occupational possibilities of our University degrees through the development of internships and
enhancing of the entrepreneurial spirit
Enterprises are non-profit associations formed by students devoted to offer
services to third parties, being a first contact with the labour world while
studying. In this activity, the students put into practice the theoretical knowledge acquired in classes and they complement their training and gain experience, which is going to be very useful for their future professional career.
They function as an enterprise offering services and charging Money for it.
They are located in places provided by the University. These enterprises are
a lab of business ideas and professional opportunities.
The Vice-rectory for students through the Employment and Enterprises Promotion Centre holds ¨Ideas context¨ every year and grants three awards.
At present, the University of Granada has 10 junior enterprises of different
university degrees and we are on the process of creating 5 more. All the junior enterprises belong to FEJESUR (south Junior Enterprises Federation);
and it is integrated to CEJE (Spanish Confederation of Junior Enterprises)
and CEJE is part of JADE (European Confederation of Junior Enterprises,
located in Brussels).
8. The Observatory
The professional Observatory is a system that intends to have information
about the performance of our graduates in the labour market and their success. For it, we cross management data of the University of Granada with
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the data from ARGOS from the Employment Council coming form different
sources (demands, employment and contracts). That is to say, our study is
based on real data.
This observatory contains a graduate’s follow up report, a set of professional
profiles per university degree and a report on employers’ satisfaction.
9. Plataforma UGR-EMPLEO
The main goal of our platform is to improve the communication with the
students of the university, especially in which concerns to their integration in
the labor market.
Our platform has four main tools:
A - An space to publish news and interviews related with work and professional orientation, as well as internship for undergraduates.
B - The “TELEORIENTACIÓN” service of the University of Granada,
is a distance guidance alternative that allows counselling in the process
of employment search. A service of work orientation which give the user
the opportunity to have interviews with your career adviser, accede to
useful materials and links and also to be part of regular workshops that
will provide the undergraduate with the necessary skills and knowledge
to face and labor interview and in general the current labor market.
In this sense the students can design a personal itinerary with the help of
a career advisor increasing the possibilities of finding an employment.
This service is integrated in the “PLATAFORMA UGR- EMPLEO 2.0”
which was created in 2006 and that offer several possibilities. We gather
all the online information resources available and distribute them by
email according to the professional interest group created.
C - A new tool of diffusion of information through email distribution lists
which offers information about the selection process of public administration (local, regional, national and European) international programs,
employment and placement offers.
At present, we have more than 5 000 users.
D - An space for de diffusion of employment offers of our “AGENCIA
DE COLOCACIÓN”, which is a service in charge of manage the employment offer which involve graduate from the University of Granada.
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96
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In short, we intend this tool not only to be useful, comfortable, and simple
to use by our users but also that it becomes a forum to exchange opinions
and resources among guidance and employment professionals.
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UNIVERSITY OF SALAMANCA
New ways to Search for Jobs
Cristina Pita Yáñez (Vice-Rector for Student Affairs
and Career Development)
Emiliana Pizarro Lucas (Head of the Career Office, Internships
and Employment [acronym in Spanish: SIPPE]) and Teresa Gutiérrez
Bueno (Technician in Work Orientation at SIPPE)
Career Office, Internships and Employment (SIPPE)
University of Salamanca
Abstract: Given the changes that have taken place in the use of both audiovisual and virtual tools in the search for employment, the Career Office at the
University of Salamanca has developed new programs that help its students
and graduates to become familiar with and use these tools to improve their
positioning in the labour market. We organize workshops in which Career
Office staff show students and graduates how to make their video CVs and
how to use professional networks through their job-seeking process.
Key words: Orientation, employment, professional networks, video CV.
1. Introduction
The University of Salamanca has been involved in providing career orientation services to its students since the last decade of the past century. These
efforts led to the creation of SIPPE, which is our Career Office, whose main
aim is to help students and recent graduates to improve their employability
and to find jobs. Its mission is structured around five lines of action: job
searching, professional orientation, internships, advice on starting a business
and training in professional competencies.
These lines of action are meant to be developed in relation to changing labour
market and socio-economic contexts, and therefore we feel obliged to offer
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the most adequate services that our students request at each period of time to
begin their professional career.
Moreover, as it is well known, nowadays companies doing job recruiting
are aware that social networks are a gold mine for finding information about
possible job candidates. And now there are new networks with a professional
orientation, which have become the professional networks in which job seekers can place their CVs. Some of these are: XING, VIADEO, LINKEDIN,
GOOGLE+.
Given this situation, a pressing need was detected to train students and graduates of the University of Salamanca in this new way of job seeking, and
starting in the 2011-2012 academic year we have implemented programs of
action to cover these needs: on the one hand a program of professional networks, and on the other the possibility of innovation regarding job-search
tools, creating a training program in video CVs.
In what follows we explain in more detail what these two programs consist
of:
2. Professional networks. A new way to search for jobs
Objective:
Our main goal is to have students and recent graduates of the University of
Salamanca know of the innovations that are emerging in the labour market in
regard to job searching through professional and social networks so that they
can improve their positioning in professional networks and enhance their employability.
Addressed to:
The program is addressed to students (preferably senior students) and recent
graduates of the University of Salamanca.
Contents:
– What are professional networks? Definition Professional networks are web
platforms that allow users to interact with each other to exchange information and experiences, and to create virtual communities based on common
professional interests.
– What are they for? The theory of six degrees of separation.
They offer the possibility to seek job opportunities and initiate a more spe100
cialized network of contacts in order to establish professional contacts. Based
on the 6-degree theory, which states that any person is connected to any other
person in the world through 6 contacts or less, it is assumed that we can thus
reach a convenient contact.
– How do they differ from social networks?
The difference between a professional network and a social network is that
the former focuses on job searching and the sharing of matters relating to
work and professional development.
– How many kinds of professional networks are there?
Networks can be horizontal (not related to any specific topic) or vertical (focusing on a specific topic)
– How many are there? Some examples: XING, LINKEDIN; VIADEO
Xing: Germany 2003
Linkedin: United States 2003
Viadeo: France 2004
– How should I act as a member? Recommendations.
The basic recommendations are to use key words that refer to a profession,
area or sector.
One should be consistent in the information uploaded to the network, which
should not consist of a mere list of degrees and facts, but rather provide specific information on one’s skills and competencies for the job.
It is advisable to include a photograph because it transmits confidence and
credibility.
Methodology:
The methodological format we use is the Workshop, in order to ensure the
participation of students and the practical implementation of the knowledge
acquired.
Each participant must sign up as a member of one of the professional networks, and they then receive help with filling in their job profile, with the
search for contacts and job offers and with positioning their profile within
the network.
Timing:
The workshop is offered monthly throughout the academic year and sessions
last 3-hours.
Evaluation:
A questionnaire is handed out to evaluate the quality of the workshop and
the satisfaction of those attending. Participants can also contribute with their
comments and suggestions for improving the program.
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3. Video CV. A NEW JOB SEARCH TOO
Objective:
The aim of this program is to introduce job seekers to an innovative tool for
presenting a CV to prospective employers in a visual format that highlights
the candidate’s strong points in a short period of time.
Addressed to:
Students (preferably in their final year of study) and graduates of the University of Salamanca.
Contents:
– What is it? Definition
A Video CV in an innovative and effective tool for presenting a candidate’s
professional profile in audiovisual format to job recruiters and prospective
employers, who can then get a good idea of the candidate in a short amount
of time.
– What are its advantages and disadvantages?
One of its advantages is that some candidates may stand out from others
for their originality; another is that the videos can be shared on professional
networks, blogs, and so on. They also demonstrate the candidate’s communication skills and can be adapted to the profile sought.
Among its disadvantages is the fact that they have to be re-recorded each time
a new item has to be added to the CV.
– Where can I upload it?
Currently there are several possibilities for uploading a video CV: a video
website such as YouTube or Google Videos, or a website specializing in
showing video CVs on the Internet (tu me ves, candidatos con voz propia …)
Candidates can also prepare their own blog or website or record them on a
physical medium to send it directly to prospective employers.
– How do I make it? A good script, good staging.
One recommendation with respect to the script is to structure the information
one wishes to transmit in a certain order: personal information, education,
experience, languages, qualifications and skills and professional objectives.
The video should also be carefully staged: care should be taken with the presentation of one’s personal image, and the location, setting, and audio quality
should be closely monitored. Likewise, special attention should be paid to
length; the video should never be longer than three minutes. Close attention
must also be paid to verbal and non-verbal communication.
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Methodology:
The program format is a Workshop, which permits the direct participation of
the attendees. In the practical part the participants can record a video CV on
a voluntary basis.
Timing:
The workshop lasts three hours and is offered monthly throughout the academic year.
Evaluation:
A questionnaire on quality and satisfaction has been devised on which participants can also make suggestions for improvement.
4. Conclusions
Although these programs have only been offered for the last two years, the
evaluations have been very positive, not only on the part of the participants
(the most important part) but also within the Office itself, since they have
encouraged us to reflect on the aims and usefulness of university employment
offices in general; that is, the meaning, objective and actions carried out must
all be closely linked to fostering the employability of our students by offering
them the most appropriate and up-to-date tools in the labour market.
5. References
• Díaz-Llairó, Amparo. El talento está en la red. Lid. Editorial Empresarial.
2010
www.xing.es
www.linkedin.com
www.viadeo.es
www.tumeves.com
www.candidastosconvozproia.org
www.uncomunnitymanager.es
• Job searching on the Internet: Professional social networks. (http://www.
uncommunitymanager.es/buscar-trabajo-redes-profesionales/)
• 10 pieces of advice for finding a job using the Internet (http://www.uncommunitymanager.es/encontrar-trabajo-internet/)
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As there is very little extant bibliography available on these topics, we navigated the web and complied and structured information from several websites
and blogs. Some of them were collected previously.
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UNIVERSITY OF SALAMANCA
Usalsim external work placement
Simulator
Design and implementation of a Virtual Campus for Work Experience
Cristina Pita Yáñez, Vice-Rector for Student Affairs
and Career Development
Emiliana Pizarro Lucas, Director of the Professional Work Placement
and Employment Service of the University of Salamanca
Juan Cruz Benito, IT Developer and member of the Interaction
and e-Learning Research Group (GRIAL). University of Salamanca
1. Introduction
The USALSIM project emerged in response to the increase of the demand for
internships as a result of the new academic planning due to the implementation of the European Space for Higher Education. The increase in the number
of students who must participate in the different internship programmes and
the greater number of businesses and institutions needed to accommodate
and train them enhance the University-Business relationships and require us
to find new paths of collaboration that will facilitate the employability of
university students. The USALSIM project was financed by the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport within the framework of the Programme
for the Comprehensive Service and Employability of University Students and
created and developed by the Professional Work Placement and Employment
Service of the University of Salamanca.
Through USALSIM we create a virtual 3D environment (a work placement
simulator) which allows us to develop a virtual reality of the professional
world through the use of different job positions and daily situations in business life, as well as active practical learning activities. The process is based
on a constructive pedagogy where students are directly involved in their
training, establish professional relationships, develop transversal and technical competences, and self-evaluate their learning.
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General objectives:
1. Improve the employability of students and graduates of the University
of Salamanca through the use of virtual work simulations.
2. Improve the comprehensive academic-professional services for the students through the use of virtual tools.
Specific objectives:
a) Organize mixed work teams: professors and professionals who use
new technologies and work together towards the common goal of
finding job placements for students.
b) Validate the virtual 3D environments already in existence in order
to carry out training activities required for degree and post graduate
studies.
c) Proceed with the development of a novel tool which simulates virtual work experience for future jobs and also permits tracking and
developing external work experience.
d)Develop simulation tools for virtual external work experience
which facilitates the ability for groups with job placement difficulties and students with disabilities to enter the labour market.
e) Encourage and promote external work placement through a mixed
training model (virtual work simulation and external work experience in the work centre).
2. OBJECTIVES
The USALSIM project aims to respond to the needs created and associated with providing external work experience in a real context. By creating a
“work experience simulator” in a 3D virtual world, we can expand options
and develop new university-business interactions with the common goal of
improving the employability of university students. While it does not make
sense to substitute real experience with virtual experience, we can open new
physical spaces that can complement practical training and develop professional competences within well-known environments.
The starting point of this project is a pilot project developed in the School of
Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology by Professor Ana Maria Martin
Suarez and her team. Together, they created a 3D virtual environment in a
virtual reality similar to Second Life, and put it into practice during the 20102011 school year, creating a Pharmacy Office which won the first prize at the
VI National Conference of Pharmaceutical Services. Developed as part of the
work experience for one subject, this initiative led us to consider the need to
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improve integral academic-professional services for students through the use
of virtual worlds.
Based on the needs found in the new study plans, where external work placement receives greater consideration, and the pilot programme used in the
work experience for one subject, a virtual professional reality was created
to allow our students to understand professional activities and increase their
presence in the labour market. In other words, a 3D virtual reality of the professional world was created for five centres of the University of Salamanca.
Positions were created and professional relationships developed to replicate
the business tasks that are carried out on a daily basis and allow students to
develop their practical training.
This tool allows our students to receive practical training in a mixed model
through the use of virtual reality and external placement. As a complement
to external work placement, training received through the “work experience
simulator” can take place either before or after external work placement, can
be overseen by either an academic or professional advisor, and will count on
the collaboration of a professional guidance counselor to advice students on
their work placement. Students can use the virtual reality to find out about
possible professional activities that they will carry out during their placement
and their future professional development.
This mixed model can accommodate multiple variations such as: the development of professional tasks through a virtual reality environment before or
during the student’s placement in a company; as a complement to the business hours worked in a company; as an evaluation tool for the academic or
professional advisor; as an additional supplement to the theoretical-practical
aspect of their classes; as means of providing advice to the student for entering the labour market; as a new social interaction experience, etc.
This tool is integrated with Studium, which is the Virtual Campus for the
University of Salamanca. It is based on the MOODLE learning manager, a
platform that has been adapted to the specific needs of our University and is
widely used by the student body, not only for distance or blended learning,
but as a support feature for on the job training and as a document-based repository of learning material which is often expanded with additional bibliographical material. The platform is also a direct channel of communication
between the professor and the student as a result of specific tools found in
the 2.0 version, such as forums, wikis or chat rooms, which simplify the
student-student and student-professor interaction. Among the noteworthy
features of this integration: the questionnaire used in the virtual world, the
results of which are saved in the learning manager; the possibility of com-
107
municating with individuals connected in Studium, although not necessarily
in the virtual world; checking links and documents stored in the learning
manager, etc.
Figure 1: Studium, Virtual Campus platform of the University of Salamanca
With regard to constructing the tool, it should be noted that the simulator
includes a complete 3D virtual world in which there are currently six islands,
or regions, each one focused on a distinct function. The islands are: USAL
SIPPE (Professional Work Placement, Training and Employment Services
Island); USALPHARMA (island for the field of Pharmacy); USAL LAW
(island for the field of Law); USALBIO (island for the field of Biology and
Biotechnology), USAL HUMAN STUDIES (island for studies in the field of
Humanities); USAL Q (island for studies in the field of Chemistry or Chemical Engineering).
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Figure 2: View of the Professional Work Placement, Training and Employment Services (USAL SIPPE) Island
Figure 3: View of the USALPHARMA Island
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Figure 4: View of the USAL Q Island
Figure 5: View of the USALBIO Island
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Figure 6: View of the USAL LAW Island
Figure 7: View of the Humanities (USAL HUMAN STUDIES) Island
111
Each of these islands contains one or two buildings where different job simulations are carried out. These buildings are built in the virtual world according to the specific needs for each field of study or practice. They are
equipped with all of the material required for each corresponding job in order
to simulate reality to the greatest possible extent For example, in the case of
Pharmacy Island (USALPHARMA), we can find a real Pharmacy (with its
display cases, storage and other required elements), a multi-purpose building
that contains laboratories to be used for job training, and other spaces for job
announcements and posters.
Figure 9: External view of the Pharmacy
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Figure 10: Internal view of the Pharmacy
Figure 11: Laboratory
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In addition to the islands where the students perform work simulations related to professional work activities using the virtual work placement, we
have also created an island for Professional Work Placement, Training and
Employment Services (SIPPE) for the University of Salamanca. In the physical world, this service offers different services and programmes and aims to
facilitate the process of incorporating students into the labour market and to
improve their future employability. These services have been transferred to
the virtual world; the USAL SIPPE Island currently offers services primarily
related to tele-training and online workshops. These tele-trainings and workshops are carried out by the service career counselors through the actions of
their avatar or virtual personality. They currently refer to topics related to job
counseling and job searches, self-employment and starting a new business.
3. Staff involved
The programme is aimed at the following groups: students, professors and career counselors from the University of Salamanca, and professional mentors
who receive the student trainees:
 Students: the project is primarily aimed at students from the University
of Salamanca. The project was begun in five faculties and with seven degrees (Pharmacy, Law, Humanities, Chemical Engineering-Chemistry,
and Biology-Biotechnology). The five selected areas correspond to each
of the five areas of knowledge that pertain to the university. Humanities
were chosen as it is a field that poses special difficulties with regard to
work placement and has recently incorporated external work placement
as a subject in its study curriculum.
 Professors: the project is also aimed at the teaching body of the university through their involvement in the programme and the dissemination
of the tool among professors from other fields for its future use. The use
of ICT for training purposes is increasingly widespread in the university
environment; however, training should also adapt to the new forms of
social interaction used by the students.
 Career counselors: so they may incorporate new 3D tools and virtual
worlds in their efforts to guide and evaluate students, allowing them to
relate to the students in a new context and through the placements.
 Professional mentors: professional mentors will also work through this
tool, incorporating new training formats.
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4. Development and implementation
The project started from square one with the design and development of an
external work placement simulator through a 3D virtual world. At the same
time a program was developed to advance and promote the simulator among
the different parties involved. Once the program was developed and the work
placements created, the students could access them to carry out and evaluate
the activity. Finally, the usefulness and transferability of the programme will
be evaluated.
From its beginnings to the present, the programme can be summarized in five
phases:
Phase I: Design and development of the simulator
 Design and creation of the complete system that supports a 3D virtual
world. Once the 3D virtual environment was evaluated and its difficulties identified, a decision was made to create a new “job training simulation” product which could be easily transferred to other fields of study
and universities.
 Design, with input from both teachers and professionals, of the different
positions and tasks that will be carried out in the work placement simulator for each of the selected areas of study.
 Design and creation of the virtual environments for the five selected
centres.
 Technical computer procedures that have allowed us to implement this
tool with STUDIUM (Moodle platform for the University of Salamanca), using management tools for activities available on the platform.
Phase II: Advancement and promotion of the work placement simulator
 Promote among teaching personnel in the five centres that are incorporated in the project.
 Promotional activities among the companies which have received the
work experience students and have wanted to participate in this project.
 Promotional activities for the work placement simulator among students
in the five participating centres, allowing them to do external placement
through the simulator.
Phase III: Implemeting the work placement:
 Students from the five centres have done their external placement
through a simulator and have organized virtual forums related to vocational orientation and entering the labour market.
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Use and transferability of the simulator
 Feedback and evaluations are gathered from all persons using the simulator, and the possibility of transferring the simulator to other centres
and/or contexts of the university is evaluated.
Phase V: Report on the evaluation of the project and its dissemination
among various groups
 Project awareness days focused on disseminating information about the
project to professors and job counselors at the University of Salamanca,
as well as any other Spanish university, in addition to business professionals from companies receiving the work experience students. The
aim is to raise awareness of the “work experience simulator”, its use and
transferability to other universities.
5. Results
The project started from square one; that is, creating a specific tool (3D
work placement simulator), defining the positions used to provide student
interns with their training, promoting the tool among the groups involved
in the project. Additionally, the students must then do the internship and the
results must be evaluated. This entire process was carried out and evaluated through the tests, questionnaires and analyses of the pilot version used
for all the groups involved (students, professors, business professionals and
career counselors from the Professional Work Placement and Employment
Service). The result of this analysis allows us to specify the use of the “work
experience simulator” and its possible transfer to other centres and contexts
of the university. The general response from the different groups has been
very positive, particularly with regard to the use of the simulator as a tool to
assist with the training and development of external placements. Moreover,
the project adapts new methods of social interaction used by students in its
training framework.
Conclusions from the gathered data
The working sample was as follows: 139 individuals who registered or tested
the tool in some form or another, of which 118 were students and 21 professors and professionals. Of the total number of participants, 86 evaluated the
tool and the platform. The questionnaire used a rating scale of 1-7. There
were two different questionnaires, one for the professors and professionals
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(with a total of 12 questions) and another for the students (with 9 questions).
The goal was to evaluate the content of the placements, learning on the platform, usefulness of the tool and a general evaluation of the programme.
If we compare the results of the professors and professions with those of the
students, we find enough similarities (with both groups ranking the system
with high scores of 5, 6 or 7) to conclude that this phase of the project has
been a success and a great step toward consolidating and improving the system over time.
In general, comments are very positive with this new proposal for work and
job placements; it was particularly well received by the professors and business professionals. This group showed the greatest interest in aspects related
to time-savings, as well as the ability of students, specifically those on placement in companies, to learn basic concepts on their own, and has, moreover,
agreed to become involved in the improvement and future expansion of the
set of tools.
We can also consider the proposal to have been positively received by the
students, since their general opinion with regard to including this tool during
their placement and learning period of their studies has been quite favorable.
They were also very critical with regard to some aspects related to using the
placement simulator which they believe can be both improved and amplified.
6. Innovative character
We are talking about an innovative and ambitious project in which a work
placement simulator is created and developed in a 3D virtual world, thus
establishing new university-business relationships and adapting to the social
interactions engaged in by young people. We are unaware of any similar initiative having been undertaken by public entities, although we are familiar
with initiatives both in Spain and other countries, such as Second Life or
OpenSim, which have built virtual universities. However, they are not strictly
characterized by a professional or teaching nature; instead, their objectives
are more in line with promoting their own product or carrying out small tasks
in a virtual world.
One of the breakthrough characteristics of this project is the complete proprietary hold that the university has over the virtual world it has created. This is
in contrast to previous cases where various universities (particularly in other
countries) have implemented a virtual world in Second Life whereby all user
data in the virtual environment belong to Linden Research, the creators of
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Second Life. In our case, all data related to the students, professors, companies, etc., and all of the processes that compose the system are stored in a data
base controlled by the University of Salamanca itself. As the specific virtual
world is located in the university’s own servers it does not, therefore, depend
on any services provided by a third party and anything that it may imply.
One of the fundamental characteristics related to this last point is that the use
of free software allows the university to create its own world; there is no additional cost to have the system other than the IT specialists and technicians
required to develop and maintain the system. Additionally, it is possible to
work together in developing the basic software, which contributes to its improvement for all those who use it.
7. Replicability
The USALSIM project is very new and very much alive; its hope is for all
other fields of study in the University of Salamanca to join the programme,
creating new professional relationships through the new positions that enable
the student to more easily join the labour market.
It aims to become a service readily available to all companies who offer
placements to students, not substituting real external placements, but certainly complementing them.
Finally, in light of the functionally that has been observed, this project can
be exported to other universities and institutions, allowing the same process
of defining a virtual world to be repeated, and serving as a model for work
placement and jobs, allowing each university to create its own work placement 3D virtual world.
118
UNIVERSITY OF UPPSALA
Career Coach
A career coaching programme for all third year, master level Enginering
students and second year Bachelor level students by the Faculty of Technology
and Natural sciences, Uppsala university
Charlotte Nordgren
In 2007 Madelene Rönnberg and Mikael Carlsson, study and career counsellors at the
Faculty of Technology and Natural sciences, started a pilot project, with support from
the central Study and Career counsellors Office. The project aimed to strengthen and
support students on their way from university studies to professional life.
The engineering students had earlier, before the Bologna agreement, a compulsory
internship within their respective programme. Later on the internship was taken out
and instead a course, that ran through the entire programme, concerning
employability, should fill the void. The students were not satisfied and asked for more
career guidance.
Career Coach was a success among the students and the evaluations afterwards
clearly showed that this was something the students appreciated and sought after. The
programme provides the students with a uniqe insight into the labour market during
their education at Uppsala university.
The Career Coach seminars and workshops have since evolved and become a regular
part of the education. It has also been recognized as Best Career Development Course
by the Swedish Network of Engeneering Counsellors.
The Career Coach programme combines a series of workshops and lectures and it is
specifically outlined for students in the middle of their education. A compendium
with specific exercises for each workshop is also distributed. Career Coach starts out
and ends with a lecture for the entire group of students. Three workshops led by the
faculty career counsellors are held in smaller groups of students. Feed back on cv:s
and cover letters are also offered throughout the programme.
Programme setup
 Energetic Career Lecture held by a Swedish pioneer in career planning and
coaching focusing on inspiration.
 Creative Skill Assessment- a workshop concerning competence. What is
competence? The students work on a number of exercises in small groups.
Through the exercises the students discuss issues of self inventory such as
skills, values and personal characteristics.
 Effective Field Survey- discussions and exercises concerning mapping your
personal network and the PIE method, with the intention to clarify the content
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of your future professional role. (Based on Porot, D. The PIE Method for
Career Success, JIST Works, 1995)
 Attractive Employment Application – using the information from previous
workshops the students start to work on their cv:s and cover letters. How
should I present myself in the best way? Lay out? At this point the students
have gathered a lot of useful information about themselves and are ready to
document it.
 True Company Spirit – a closing lecture with HR representatives from two
large companies, Sandvik and GE Healthcare, give their view on recruitment.
The Career Coach project is continuously evaluated and comments and reflections are
taken in consideration.
Career Coach not only gives the students hard core tools to ”get that job” but also
makes them aware of their strengths and weaknesses and how to turn this knowledge
into a creative job search. Another important fact is that students often don’t think
about their professional future until their time at the university is almost over and they
are about to graduate. Since Uppsala university does not offer a job centre or
employment agency for students it’s even more important to involve these types of
activities early in their university studies.
Career Coach is offered in the middle of the education the students have the
opportunity to think through their situation and make even more active choices
concerning their remaining courses and possible internships.
Since the programme has been very successful other faculties have become interested
in the concept and the Faculty of Educational Sciences are about to start a similar
activity for their students.
Student voices:
“It’s good that something makes you start to think in the right direction. Otherwise,
you wouldn’t take the time to do it before it’s too late.”
“I think that the course setup is very good! In particular, starting up with a lecture
that enhanced my interest in the subject, and rounding up with another one that made
me feel that looking for a job is exciting and fun. I’m looking forward to it!”
“Great to hear and see how the companies think when they recruit”
“Incredibly important! I really appreciated the opportunity to get professional,
experienced help with my cv and cover letter”
“I learned a lot! I got so much more than I expected”
Below you will find the Career Compendium for the Career Coach Programme
2010.
120
Introduction
Whether your future profession is booming or in recession, it is important that you
provide as true and fair a picture of yourself and your competences as possible, in
order to get the right job or the terms and conditions you are worth. This compendium
provides the tools you need to highlight your academic abilities in an attractive way to
your employer. This will reinforce your competitiveness when you transfer from
studying to professional life.
Issues discussed include:
•
•
•
•
What are my relevant competences?
How do I seek work efficiently?
What information should an attractive CV include?
How do I word a successful letter of application?
The three chapters are specifically designed to suit students, and are largely based on
exercises. By utilising the fact that the work is done in groups, you have the
opportunity to develop by receiving and giving feedback on your work.
In order to place the compendium in a larger context for you as a student, we offer
"CareerCoach2010", which starts with a warm-up career workshop under the
leadership of the well-known career coach Charlotte Hågård from
Karriärcoachakademin.
A concluding lecture with experienced recruiters from GE HealthCare and Sandvik
provides insight into what happens behind the stage during the recruitment process. It
also provides views and tips on how you, as new graduates, can assert yourselves in
the competition on the labour market.
In between these, there are three seminars focusing on the application process under
the leadership of TekNat's career coaches.
We hope this material will equip you well ahead of your encounter with working life!
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Seminar 1 – Creative competence inventory
An important step towards finding the perfect job is to present yourself and your
competences in a good way. This is not always as easy as it sounds when you try to
put it down in words. It is not unusual, even though you may have got a recent and
good university degree, to be totally lacking in solid work experience. Instead, you
have to find other gold nuggets to highlight in order to be selected for the hotly
desired interview. Nina Holst writes in her book "Stegen till drömjobbet" (The Steps
to the Dream Job) that your goals and a connecting theme in terms of choice of
courses and extra jobs can also provide a clear career profile on your CV. We will
come back to these concrete tips during the third seminar.
The objective of this seminar is to use exercises to put down in in writing who you are
and what you know and can do. You will now hopefully be laying the foundation for
creating a rounded CV, creating a personal letter to accompany an application and
having something other than standard phrases to express during a future job interview.
Some of the exercises overlap a bit, but the idea is that you in this way will have a
broader base to start from when you are ready to put your CV into words.
Exercise 1 – Competence inventory
Competence consists of several parts. The definitions vary a bit, but recurring
ingredients are Knowledge, Skills and Experience.
The differences between knowledge, skills and experiences are fluid, but in this case
you have documented ability within knowledge, skills are something you are able to
do, and in case where you have also practised these skills, you can list that as
experience.
In order to get started on your competence inventory, an exercise may be a good idea.
In the "flower" below, you should fill in the petals with everything that is correct for
you within six areas. Start with "Knowledge" and continue clockwise. We will be
looking at some of these petals in greater detail during this seminar.
Knowledge – I have read courses within programming and project management
Skills – I would be able to use my above knowledge to manage an IT project
Experience – I have worked as a project leader at Accenture
Knowledge – I have read courses within chemistry and hydrology
Skills – I would be able to use my knowledge to investigate pollution in water
Experience – I have worked at the local sewage treatment plant with sampling and
analysis
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Fill in all you can think of in the competence flower, and then go back and
supplement it when you have completed the rest of the exercises for this seminar.
My competence
Knowledge
Social talent
Skills
Attitude/
values
Experience
Motivation/
driving force
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Exercise 2 – Skills
It is important to put your skills into words when you are marketing yourself. When
faced with a job application, you often feel that you lack specific skills. It is therefore
important that you manage to locate you key skills and then build your marketing
around them.
On the next page, you will find a list of different skills, some of which are sure to fit
you. The purpose of the exercise is to identify and write down your 10 most important
skills in priority order from 1 to 10.
1. Circle all the skills you think fit you.
2. Then underline those you are good at.
3. Prioritise the underlined skills and select the 10 foremost.
4. Describe in your own words your meaning of the skill.
You can work in pairs, as it makes it easier and more fun if you can discuss and
exchange opinions and inspiration with each other.
Once you are finished, you will hopefully have ten reasons why someone would want
to employ you expressed on paper and ready to use.
My Top Ten skills:
1. ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
6. ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
7. ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
8. ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
9. ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
10.______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
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Skills
Educational
Structuring
Educating
Training
Instructing
Clarifying
Reworking
Communicating
Guiding
Planning
Explaining
Encouraging
Motivating others
Inspiring
Informing
Helping others
Teaching
Leading
Planning
Summarising
Asking the right questions
Performing before others
Working out
Supervising
Creative
Creating
Decorating
Developing
Composing
Cooking
Inventing
Constructing
Illustrating
Drawing
Painting
Developing
Creating ideas
Sculpting
Artistic work
Designing
Sewing
Helping
Nursing
Treating
Caring
Advising
Coaching
Assisting
Teaching
Guiding
Listening
Mediating
Motivating
Showing empathy
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Communicative
Selling
Discussing
Marketing
Informing
Lecturing
Instructing
Bringing forward
Negotiating
Motivating
Developing
Creating images
Visualising
Creating dialogue
Conversing
Networking
Making new contacts
Convincing
Making selections, recruiting
Writing
Interviewing
Arranging
Editing
Publishing
Debating
Formulating
Leading debates and discussions
Preaching
Practical
Dexterity
Physical coordination
Driving machines and vehicles
Assembling
Installing
Operating
Maintaining
Repairing
Preparing/cooking food
Constructing
Building, rebuilding
Cultivating plants and gardens
Caring for/looking after animals
Renovating
Collecting
Loading, unloading
Checking
Constructing and planting gardens,
parks and flower beds
Using tools/instruments
Lifting
Measuring
Ironing, starching, folding
Joining
Fitting
125
Creating crafts
Training animals
Technical
Calculating
Constructing
Forecasting
Producing
Programming
Manufacturing
Designing
Navigating
Making drawings
Combining materials
Using spatial ability
Creating models
Financial
Budgeting
Auditing
Invoicing
Forecasting
Administrating
Controlling
Calculating
Pricing
Reporting/scrutinising
Trading in securities
Balancing
Following up
Assessing
Distributing
Saving
Earning
Developing
Analysing
Administrative
Arranging
Sorting
Classifying
Archiving
Purchasing
Editing
Sorting into tables
Organising
Gathering information
Registering
Coordinating
Proofreading
Cataloguing
Structuring
Planning
Writing out
Layouting documents
Exercise 3 – Characteristics
Your characteristics are part of your competence, and it is therefore important to
present as many useful characteristics as possible. One way of doing this is to start by
going through the list on the next page and circle the characteristics that fit you. Then
draw an upwards arrow next to the characteristics you want to develop and a
downwards arrow next to those you think it would be good to tone down – because
unfortunately, not all characteristics are positive. If you cannot find a characteristic,
please feel free to add it.
Then choose the five characteristics that you judge are the most important and fill
them in below, together with a brief description.
1. Circle
2. Mark with arrows
3. Select your key characteristics
4. Describe your meaning
My five key characteristics:
1. ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
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Characteristics
Abstract thinking
Acting on impulse
Ambitious
Analytical
Adaptable
Responsible
Polite
Authoritarian
Relaxed
Controlled
Decisive
Indecisive
Determined
Good at cooperation
Detailed
Particular
Diplomatic
Direct
Disciplined
Discreet
Keen to discuss
Distant
Dominant
Driving
Dynamic
Considering
Elegant
Energetic
Engaging others
Enthusiastic
Stubborn
Imaginative
Make things happen
A fixer
Flexible
Focused
Supple
Formal
Sensible
Careful
Confidence-inspiring
In-depth
Sensible
Sensitive
Generous
Thought-through
Thorough
Energetic
Devoted
Polite
Humorous
Idealistic
Questioning
Improvising
Impulsive
Introspective
Informal
Enterprising
Entrepreneur
Innovative
Intuitive
Keen
Even-tempered
Sentimental
Charismatic
Wise
Makes contacts easily
Full of ideas
Communicative
Consistent
Controlling
Controlled
Creative
Chilly
Just right
Expressive
Easily bored
Leadership
Lively
Logical
Loyal
Calm
Sensitive
Listening
Goal-orientated
Interested in people
Methodical
Brave
Negative
Content
Curious
Objective
Observant
Inflexible
Considerate
Optimistic
Unafraid
Organiser
Insecure
Dependable
Pedagogic
Pioneer
Planned
Positive
Pragmatic
Practical
Punctual
Restless
Rational
Realistic
Representative
Reserved
Risk-taking
Funny
Factual
Convivial
Serious
Self-propelling
Self-confident
Independent
Creative
Sceptical
Sloppy
Smooth
Social
Economical
Spontaneous
Enthusiastic
Stable
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Steady
Strong
Strong integrity
Supportive
Strategic
Unflappable
Structured
Sound
Systematic
Patient
Temperamental
Time-optimist
Reserved
Affectionate
Obliging
Tolerant
Faithful
Secure
Tough
Inventive
Attentive
Sincere
Extrovert
Persevering
Well-prepared
Well-spoken
Ordinary
Weak
Strong-willed
Likes variety
Visionary
Adventurous
Humble
Open
Exercise 4 – SAR stories
As employers often ask about your experience, it is important that you can provide
concrete examples during a job interview. These do not have to be marvellous
achievements in working life, but can just as well come from your student life or the
scout camp. SAR stands for Situation Action Result, and shall be short and concise
descriptions. The advantage of writing down a number of success stories, preferably
more than ten, is that you can read through these stories and find inspiration and
motivation ahead of a job interview or when your creation of an application letter has
come to a standstill. Use the list of active verbs on next page to find clear, useful and
cogent words for your stories.
Example:
Situation: During the foundation course in operating systems, many students felt that the laboratory
lessons took far too long due to lack of knowledge about the programming language C, which differed
quite a lot from those we had learnt before, in particular in terms of memory handling.
Action: I communicated the problem to our Director of Studies. I and two fellow students developed
and implemented our """own" introduction to C" in order to facilitate the work for next year's
students.
Result: The laboratory lessons worked better and were no longer felt to be as time-consuming. The
course evaluations were positive and the introduction was later brought in as a standard part of the
course in program construction.
Situation:
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Action:
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Result:
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Situation:
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Action:
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Result:
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Active verbs to support the construction or SAR stories
administrate
activate
analyse
confide
adapt
connect
employ
use
work carefully
arrange
assist
determine
terminate
balance
assess
promote
retain
confirm
calculate
enrich
describe in detail
decide
prove
budget
build
change
centralise
computerise
decentralise
define
decorate
issue
delegate
participate
demonstrate
design
diagnose
distribute
document
draw conclusions
increase efficiency
unite
recognise
establish
experiment
export
finance
change
improve
prepare
prevent
unite
simplify
propose
refine
negotiate
explain
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form
research
reinforce
defend
clarify
anticipate
acquire
foster
photograph
question
describe
guarantee
give rise to
carry out
continue
complete
approve
guide
handle
help
give a speech
persevere
identify
illustrate
import
improvise
index
introduce
inform
intervene
accommodate
realise
inspect
inspire
install
instruct
confirm
invest
forecast
catalogue
classify
combine
communicate
compose
concentrate
consolidate
construct
consult
contract
control
converse
coordinate
copy
purchase
drive
correct
qualify
close down
mend
learn
read
proofread
lead
look for
deliver
solve
manoeuvre
market
match
measure
mediate
motivate
navigate
observe
rework
reorganise
restructure
prescribe
organise
influence
plan
present
produce
program
plan
publish
advise
calculate
report
justify
edit
reduce
regulate
rehabilitate
recommend
recruit
repair
represent
reason
audit
revitalise
draw
see opportunities
ensure
sell
cooperate
gather
summarise
assemble
serve
create
create models
care for
write
129
sculpt
protect
combine
sort
record
standardise
stimulate
structure
study
direct
summarise
speak
compete
test
implement
add
supply
manufacture
initiate
interpret
train
transform
transport
entertain
facilitate
investigate
update
encourage
achieve
appreciate
discover
educate
execute
carry out
express
evaluate
develop
expand
select
chair
assess
recruit
verbalise
verify
action
vitalise
recreate
change
increase
discuss
translate
convince
deliberate
monitor
Exercise 5 – Values
Behaviou
Values, attitudes
Personal
characteristics
Figure 1 – Values
Your behaviour is how you present yourself to your surroundings. You adapt the
behaviour, and can largely control it yourself. A good example of varying behaviour
can be to hear the difference between how a friend talks to his girlfriend or her
boyfriend on the telephone, compared to how he/she usually talks to you.
Your values, on the other hand, are not as obvious and are more fixed, even if these
too change continuously throughout life.
Your personal characteristics are more or less constant from your teenage years.
As it is values and attitudes that direct behaviour, it is a good idea to increase your
awareness by clarifying this. One way is to carry out a role play in pairs according to
the example below.
Ask your partner:
"What do you most like to do at work/university on an ordinary day?"
Your partner answers....
Then ask the follow-up question:
"Why is this important to you?"
Continue with the follow-up question "why..." for as long as you can,
then change!
In this exercise, it is incredibly important that the "questioner" uses exactly the
expression used above. After a few goes, your creative streak will be shouting at you
to vary the question, but you must resist this!
My Values (What is most important to you?)
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
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Conclusion – Seminar 1
Our hope is that you can now go back to your competence flower and fill in the petals
with more information.
There should not have been any great surprises, but by writing down your competence
and experience on paper, it is easier to remember the real gold nuggets.
We will come back to these results during seminar 3, when you will be practising
putting together a CV and writing a personal letter.
When you will be seeking a job in future, you can then read through this seminar
again. The SAR stories in particular are useful ahead of an interview.
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Seminar 2 – Effective professional infiltration
During the first seminar we highlighted our characteristics, skills, competences and
values. Now it is time to look outwards towards working life. How realistic is your
image of the profession you are looking to join? When you look a bit closer at a job
advertisement, you will discover that they are asking for much more than professional
qualifications, but what do all the words mean? The only way of finding the answer to
what is said between the lines of a job description is to ask the right person, that is to
say someone who currently holds the type of job you are interested in. What are the
actual tasks? What competences, characteristics and skills are required in order to
carry out the work? And how do you "join" the workplace?
In the American best-selling career manual "What Color Is Your Parachute?", Richard
Bolles describes how important it is to use efficient methods when looking for a new
job, as the process is both time-consuming and energy-consuming.
Bolls considers that the most efficient ways of looking for a job are:
•
•
•
•
•
Using your personal network (33% hit rate)
o "Do you know if there are any jobs vacant where you work, or
somewhere else?"
Knocking on the door and presenting yourself (47% hit rate)
o Meeting an employer face to face increases the chances considerably
compared to just sending a CV.
Ringing companies within your sector yourself (69% hit rate)
o By using a telephone, you can reach out to more potential employers.
Creating a Job Club (84% hit rate)
o Cooperate with other job seekers, pep and inspire each other. Any
competition within the group is compensated for by increased
efficiency.
The PIE method (86% hit rate)
o Preparing properly and carrying out short information interviews in
workplaces has the greatest change of a hit.
The ranking in the list above is based
on American statistics and their labour
market differs slightly from ours, but
the figures are close enough even for a
Swedish context. Bolles also points out
that different sectors vary, but not so
much that the ranking changes. Those
who carried out the study also think that
the best way of reaching the labour
market is of course to combine the
methods, but not more than four of
them.
The least efficient way of looking for work:
Recruitment sites (4–10%)
The Internet is full of stories of people finding their
dream jobs, but few of all those trying have found
jobs.
Spontaneously sending out CVs (7%)
According to research, as many as 1470 CVs needed
to be sent out in order to get a positive answer.
Advertisements in local paper (5–24%)
The chances of finding a job using only this method
are greater if you are looking for a low paid job.
Labour exchange (5–28%)
Here too, low paid jobs are favoured.
The same study shows that the perspectives for how the employer and the job seeker
want the recruitment process for a vacancy to be carried out differ significantly. The
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employer likes to use his/her network to find the right person, while the job seeker
prefers to start by sending his/her CV, and then wait for a response. In the figure
below, the triangle shape illustrates the probability of getting the job using the method
chosen.
Most employers look for job seekers in exactly
the opposite way to how job seekers look for jobs.
How a typical employer prefers
to fill a vacancy
Internally: Promotion of full-time employees, promotion of current parttime employees or employing a previous consultant or similar. "I want to
employ someone whose work I have already seen."
Investigate if there is an opportunity to do a locum job or other temporary
employment, and aim for permanent employment later.
1
Using proof: Employing an unknown ability who can clearly
show what he/she can do within the area desired.
Bring examples of what you have performed previously.
2
3
4
Using a friend or business acquaintance:
Employing somebody on the
recommendation of someone you know.
Find someone who knows a person who
is party to the recruitment at the target
company and who knows what you have
f
d
i l
Using a recruitment firm or
labour exchange.
Using an
advertisement in a
newspaper or on
the Internet
5
6
Using a CV.
6
5
4
3
2
1
How a typical job seeker
prefers to fill a vacancy
Figure 2 – Recruitment perspective
The objective of this seminar is to use the PIE method to network tactically in order
for you, as a new graduate, to build up a contact network in your future profession.
Through exercises and discussions, you will be mapping your personal network and
learning a useful interview technique.
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Professional espionage
Professional espionage, also called the PIE method, aims at getting you to talk with
the person who currently has the job you want. By interviewing a possible future
colleague, you gain more knowledge about a specific position at the same time as you
network. The method originated with John Crystal, a former spy and later
employment agent in England in the 1950s. The method was later refined by Danier
Porot, one of Europe's foremost "job seeking experts". In brief, the method can be
described as follows:
P
I
E
as in Pleasure, a way of practising the question structure
and discovering its simplicity and efficiency.
as in Information, the only purpose you should express
towards the workplace is that you want to find information.
as in Employment, something this may lead to in the long
term – but a motive that you must not express at the first
meeting!
Just like a secret agent, infiltrate the workplace in order to arm yourself with useful
information about a specific job. This information will never emerge in a job
advertisement or company presentation. Using interest interviews, you increase the
chances of looking for a job that you really want. During this seminar, we will be
practising the PIE method by interviewing each other about our favourite hobby (P
interview). After completing this seminar, you are armed for going out and trying the
method for real (I interview).
Exercise 1 – Hobby interview
Work in pairs and interview each other about your favourite hobbies. Try limiting the
time to 15 minutes. Start with the following questions:
1.
How did you start with your hobby?
_________________________________________________________________
2.
What do you like best about your hobby?
__________________________________________________________________
3.
What do you like least about your hobby?
__________________________________________________________________
4.
What competence and experience is required to be successful within your
hobby?
__________________________________________________________________
5.
What are the opportunities for development?
__________________________________________________________________
6.
Can you give me the name of someone else involved in this hobby?
__________________________________________________________________
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Tip!





Ask the person doing it!
Interview persons doing the work that you are interested in
working with in the future.
Ask if you may take notes and put your pen down if the
interview becomes more confidential...
Make an impression, and do not forget to send a thank-you
email afterwards!
Be flexible!
Analyse afterwards
Once you have carried out the interview and found out the requirement specifications
and prerequisites for the work, do an analysis.
You can start with the following questions:





How did you get hold of the person to interview?
What did you find out?
Do you want to/Can you do such a job in the future?
Where are you currently, what supplements do you need, and what is your
next step?
What have you brought back from the interview?
Please bring your experience to the next seminar...
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Exercise 2 – Information interview
Carry out the exercise on your own or together with a friend. Go out into the labour
market and interview somebody who has the job you would like to have.
Establish contact
For example, ring the company's switchboard and ask to speak to someone with the
position you are interested in. Do wait to be connected, but do not forget to write
down the name and extension of the person suggested. Do use your existing network
if possible.
Name:____________________________
Telephone:___________________________
Book an appointment for a 20 minute meeting.
Have some suggestions ready for times that suit you. Remember to emphasise that
you are only looking for information about a professional role. Do say that you are a
student and what you are studying.
Questions you can ask during the information interview:
1. How did you join this profession?
_______________________________________________________________
2. What are your tasks?
_______________________________________________________________
3. What do you like best about your work?
_______________________________________________________________
4. What do you like least about your work?
_______________________________________________________________
5. What competence and experience is required to be successful in your
work?
_______________________________________________________________
6. What type of education/degree is suitable for this profession?
_______________________________________________________________
7. What are the development opportunities in this profession?
_______________________________________________________________
8. Three names of persons I can contact for more information!
_______________________________________________________________
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Exercise 3 – My personal network
As already mentioned, the PIE method is a form of "professional espionage". At the
same time as you take on the role of interviewer, you are infiltrating the workplace
and thereby expanding your network with the person you are meeting. Through
his/her reference to further persons, the network is expanding further. These contacts
may in the future lead to employment.
Sometimes it can be difficult to know who you should interview, and the question is
then how to find the right person. Making an inventory of your networks may be a
good place to start. Who are currently in your network? Fill in the figure below, and
start with family, friends, fellow students, summer job colleagues, etc...
My network
Now that you have mapped your network, you know at which end you can start when
you go out looking for a summer job, a degree project, or a job.
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Conclusion – Seminar 2
Contacting an employer direct is an excellent way of showing your initiative as a job
seeker. Those who have already tried are sure to have noticed that it is sometimes
difficult to ask the right questions in order to appear to be the right person for the job.
Just think what an advantage it would have been to have seen the workplace and
talked to someone working there before the contact with the recruiting manager.
In our experience, these interviews are often very pleasant and give extra selfconfidence to the job seeker. Another experience is that it is difficult to get started.
Even as experienced teachers, we hesitate before ringing the switchboard of a large
company, which means that surprisingly few people use this tactic, which is a good
thing for those who dare!
Photo: Utnarm 2008
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Seminar 3 – Attractive application documents
During this seminar, you will be putting together your own CVs with the help of the
previous exercises. Even those who already have experience from this will add greater
width to the existing CV. We will also spend time on writing a personal letter, which
often causes problems to inexperienced job seekers.
Different types of CVs
What suits you best? Two types of CVs are usually mentioned, namely chronological
and functional. When you imagine a CV, it is usually the chronological type you think
of. This lists your relevant professional experiences in time order. Unfortunately, as a
new graduate you are usually lacking a totally straight career ladder. A functional CV,
on the other hand, highlights competences through performance descriptions. In this
seminar, we will be focusing on a functional CV.
When you create a functional CV, you make sure you highlight the performances that
best match the job you are seeking. It is a good idea to use the result of the exercises
from the first seminar. Do not limit yourself just to professional experiences, but
instead include golden nuggets from your studies, leisure occupations and life
otherwise organised under headings of your choice. It can also be a good idea to
combine a functional and a chronological CV by listing education and professional
experience in time order.
There are many templates for how a CV should look, and there are examples both the
Job Guide and later in this section. We will first focus on the content, and you should
thereafter let your creativity flow and try to find a layout that reflects your particular
personality.
Example:
According to Nina Holst and Marina Nilsson in the book ""Stegen till
drömjobbet", a CV shall include the following:
Goals
Computer skills
Professional experience
Professional qualifications
Language skills
Education
The following five items must always be included as well:
Your age
The date of the CV
Whether you have a
Mobile number
driving licence and a car
Any termination period
Avoid including:
Salary requirements
Ethnic origin
Marital status/family
Sexual orientation
Religion/faith
Named references
Tip!
Surf the Internet and search the word "CV" to see how others have
done it. Bring the good ideas with you when you draw up your
own CV.
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Exercise 1 – My first draft CV
Use the results from the exercises in the previous seminars to put together a draft new
CV according to the advice on the last page, or choose the model that appeals to you.
You can write it down by hand, but make a fair copy on the computer. If you already
have a CV, use this as your starting point. Focus first on the content and then on the
layout as time allows.
Career Compendium 2010
140
Exercise 2 – Assessment by others
The views of others are of great help when writing a CV. You should therefore use
the opportunity to get easy feedback on your result to date. Ask your neighbour to fill
in the form below based on what you have written. Remember that these are just
suggestions, and that in the end you are the one who decides whether to make any
changes.
Aspect
Mark
Improvement
Overall impression
12345
The CV is clear and easy to read
___________________________
Layout
12345
The layout looks professional
___________________________
Length
12345
___________________________
The right length without unnecessary digressions
Factuality
12345
Only relevant information
___________________________
Style and language
12345
___________________________
The text reflects the personality of the applicant
Focus on results
12345
___________________________
The contents are professionally relevant
Exactitude
12345
___________________________
The information is specific and not general
Most important
performances/results
12345
___________________________
Clearly described performances/results
Completeness
12345
___________________________
No information appears to be lacking
Goal orientation
12345
___________________________
Fulfils the purpose and creates interest
Other suggestions for improvements:
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Career Compendium 2010
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Examples of CVs from Studenter & Arbetsmarknad
Curriculum Vitae
A CV should be clear and it should be easy to see when, where and how the knowledge/experience was
acquired. All information should be clearly categorised with headings The language should be formal,
with short phrases and not full sentences.
Remember:
– Should not exceed two pages.
– Always state a permanent address. An employer may try to get in touch with you long after you have
sent in your application (CV).
– Always start with the latest education and the latest job (reverse chronological order).
– Include education back to and including your upper secondary school certificate.
– When you describe you education and previous work experience, try to find key words that briefly
describe what you were doing. Examples of such key words are: worked with, the tasks were, was
responsible for, cash responsibility, developed, personnel responsibility, initiated, improved, informed,
etc. For education, you can state the specialisation and special courses you want to highlight.
– References should be asked before you give their names. References can also be provided on request,
e.g, during an interview, and then you can state this also under the heading References.
– If you want your photo on your CV, you should scan it and put it into the document (CV).
Contents: The following headings should be included in a CV:
PERSONAL INFORMATION
– name
– address
– postcode and town
– year/date of birth (not the last four digits of your personal identification number)
– telephone: home and mobile
– email
– marital status/family. Not necessary to state, but may be of interest to an employer in the event of a
move.
EDUCATION
– state the beginning and end of the education, such as 1997–2000, 1999– (continuing) or 9709–0006.
– university and college studies (university name, degree, specialisation, etc.). University studies can
be divided up into programmes and individual courses that are not included in a degree. If the
education has not been completed, please state when it is expected to end.
– upper secondary studies (programme, school name, town).
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
List previous jobs (profession/position) and employers in reverse chronological order (start with the
current/most recent). Describe the tasks briefly. Use key words. State the start and end times.
LANGUAGE SKILLS
State the languages you know and your level of skill. You can differentiate between your abilities to
read, write, speak and understand. For example, "English – fluent", "Spanish – very good ability to
speak and write", "German – communicate and read well", etc.
COMPUTER SKILLS
State the programs you know and your level of skill. For example, "Good knowledge of Excel", "Basic
knowledge of PowerPoint", "Very good knowledge of C++", etc.
ELECTED POSITIONS or ASSOCIATION ACTIVITIES
State the positions elected to or association activities. State the timings as well. Students' union, sports
clubs, etc.
OTHER
Here you can add any qualifications that do not fit in under the other headings. These could be
scholarships or other qualifications (such as sporting), driving license, long periods spent abroad (this
could be a separate heading), elected positions unless these are under a separate heading.
INTERESTS
What you do when you are not working or studying.
REFERENCES Title/position, name, contact information and the person's relationship to you.
References may also be provided on request.
Career Compendium 2010
142
Letter of application
Which advertisements should I respond to?
Unfortunately it is not always very easy to determine the competence requirements in
a job advertisement. A good start is to learn to identify the requirements and the
wishes. The requirements should be fulfilled and be clearly addressed in the
application. They are often written as "you are...", "you should...", "we want you to..."
or "you are expected to...". The wishes are not mandatory for the candidate, and you
can recognise them by expressions such as "it is a plus...", "is regarded as positive...",
"....a strong merit", "it is an advantage if...", or "we appreciate if you...".
Responding to an advertisement that does not suit your competence is a waste of both
your and the recruiter's time. On the other hand, it can happen that the person writing
the advertisement has not thought through the position properly. If you really want the
job, you should apply for it in any case!
Drafting the application letter
Once you have chosen the advertisement, it is time to draft the application letter. Here
you cannot get as much help from a template/example, as your application needs to
stand out from the crowd and also match you to to the advertisement in a personal
way. We will now focus on how you can address/reflect the wishes stated in the
advertisement.
Reflecting advertisements
Read the advertisement carefully and look for expressions such as
"The role as xx entails...", Your areas of responsibility will be...",
"The position includes..." as this is the job description for the
position. Then address these as far as possible with creativity and
without too much humility. As a new graduate, you can use SAR
stories and experiences you have learnt in Seminar 1, in case your
formal experience is not sufficient.
Exercise 3 – My first draft letter
Start by creating a temporary job seekers' club together with three/four fellow
students. Choose a job advertisement and together look for key concepts in the text.
Then draft an application letter. You can find suggestions for such a letter from
Studenter & Arbetsmarknad in this compendium.
Career Compendium 2010
143
Exercise 4 – Assessment by others
Use the form below to provide feedback to each other about the personal letter.
Aspect
Mark
Improvement
Overall impression
12345
___________________________
The letter feels clear and creates interest
Layout
12345
The layout looks professional
___________________________
Length
12345
The content is to the point
___________________________
Factuality
12345
The information is relevant
___________________________
Style and language
12345
___________________________
The text reflects the personality of the applicant
Focus on results
12345
___________________________
The contents are relevant to the position applied for
Exactitude
12345
___________________________
The information is specific and not general
Completeness
12345
___________________________
No information appears to be lacking
Goal orientation
12345
___________________________
The letter fulfils its purpose and creates interest
Other suggestions for improvements:
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Career Compendium 2010
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Example of an application letter from Studenter & Arbetsmarknad
Application letter
First name Last name
Address
Postal address
Telephone/Mobile
Email
Date
To the recipient of the letter
Reference to information source/advertisement
THE JOB YOU ARE SEEKING/NOTICE OF INTEREST
(Do not start by writing "Hi, my name is XX XXX and I am 24 years old".)
State the job you are seeking, where you got the information, why you want the job, that you are
interested in the tasks and what you have to offer. (Try entirely erasing the first sentence you have
written!) You must already now assure the recipient that it is worthwhile reading your application. Try
to create interest, but concentrate on WHY you want the job. If you are applying for many jobs, you
should still try to put effort into the wording of each individual letter.
Present yourself, your knowledge, experience, qualifications and other characteristics briefly and
concisely. Avoid empty rhetoric, such as "keeping many balls in the air". You can supplement the facts
shown in your CV by using a more lively and story-telling format.
"Address" the requirements stated in the advertisement by explaining how you fulfil them. NEVER
state any salary requirement, even if this are requested. Instead, write that you would like to return to
the subject at a later date.
Try to make your personality "shine through" the letter. Be careful about using humour! Do not write
anything negative about previous employers, and do NOT say what you are bad at.
Conclude with a suitable "drum roll" and add that you would like to visit to continue the discussion.
Yours sincerely,
Signature
Career Compendium 2010
145
Conclusion – Seminar 3
Making a start on applications is felt to be a challenge by many. Your flight behaviour
easily takes over, and time runs away. It feels unusual to disclose so much about
yourself, for others to assess.
However, it is important that you make a start, and it is better to send in a clumsy
application than no application at all. Learning to bicycle was difficult too, to begin
with, but just like in many other areas, practice makes perfect.
The problem here is to get feedback on your applications. When you bicycled into the
neighbour's fence and cut your arms and legs open, you knew what you had done
wrong, but in this case you usually just get a brief "thanks, but no thanks". Our tip
here is to make a habit of ringing or writing and asking for feedback from the
recruiter in order to continuously improve.
The Job Guide – Gold nuggets
The chapter Before the interview includes 53 common interview questions, with a
brief description of why they are asked.
Stamped with "Secret" is an interesting chapter, where recruiters answer questions
and provide concrete tips.
More reading tips
Bolles, R Nelsson. What Color Is Your Parachute?
Holst, N. Nilsson, M. Stegen till drömjobbet
References
Bolles, R Nelsson. What Color Is Your Parachute? Ten Speed Press, 2008
Holst, N. Nilsson, M. Stegen till drömjobbet. Liber, 2007
Hågård, C. Bli din egen Coach. Newstart Nordic AB, 2005
Hågård, C. CV-boken. Newstart Nordic AB, 2005
Hågård, C. Ansökningsboken. Newstart Nordic AB, 2007
Kinding, A. Din Yrkeskarriär: En Handbok För Villrådiga. Uppsala Publishing House
AB, 2003
Porot, D. The PIE Method for Career Success. JIST Works, 1995
Studenter & Arbetsmarknad, Uppsala universitet. www.uadm.uu.se/jobb/
Career Compendium 2010
146
UNIVERSITY OF GRONINGEN
Energy Internship and Career Plaza (EICP)
Elise Kamphuise (University of Groningen)
The University of Groningen delegated career services to the faculties and
outsourced some career activities like job interviewing, networking. The outsourced career services are accessible for all students. Next to the outsourced
career services each faculty has to some extent its own careers service policy.
Some faculties have an internship office, some a career office and some part
career services completely or partly with study associations or student faculty
associations. This decentralized careers service policy explains why some
best practices originate from one or a few faculties. It also means that best
practices can be adopted by other faculties so that in the end the practice can
become accessible for all students. As best practices we choose for:
1. Preliminary Career Day for Bachelor students of the Faculty of Arts
2. Energy Internship and Career Plaza
3. Lessons learned from internship testimonials.
1. Preliminary Career Day for Bachelor students of the Faculty of Arts
The Faculty of Arts of the University of Groningen offers students the possibility to undertake a placement in their bachelor degree programme. There
are three conditions to this placement possibility.
• First, the student needs to have 120 ECTS (credit points), to proof that
he/she is in his third year.
• Second, the duration can be as off seven weeks fulltime. But part time
placements are possible, as long as the placement is taking 280 hours or
more. The placement offers the student 10 ECTS.
• Third, the student needs to do an obligatory Career Day. The Career
Day does not give the student credit points, but has the goal to teach the
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student how to access the labour market. The Day is about how to know
your competences, how to present them to employers and how to look
for a placement in general. This kind or obliged condition is unique as
far as we know.
2. Energy internship and career plaza (www.energycareerplaza.nl)
Introduction
The annual Energy Internship and Career Plaza (EICP) is an initiative of
internship coordinators of different faculties and
organized by the Career Office of the Faculty of Economics and
Business in cooperation with Energy Valley Foundation, Energy Delta Institute, Hanze University Groningen and student association ESN. The event
is a meeting place for companies and prospective trainees. The international
set-up combined with the theme ‘Energy’ makes this event very special; the
EICP introduces students to the energy sector and vice versa. The EICP is
unique because:
1. Its focus on the energy sector
2. Its target group, namely students from different programme de- grees
3. Its international scope, i.e. the use of English and the high per- centage
of international students.
Focus on Energy
EICP is a part of the annual organized Energy Delta Convention, a high-level
event with a unique interdisciplinary platform for senior business, science
and government energy experts. The Energy Delta Convention is an international conference with clear links to the Northern region in the Netherlands.
Energy is one of the core issues of the University of Groningen and it is also
one of the governmental policy ‘peaks’ to concentrate energy in the Northern
part of the Netherlands, the Energy Valley region. This provides students internship and career opportunities in the international energy field. Therefore,
companies and organizations in the energy sector are invited to introduce
themselves to the students with internship offers, management traineeships,
job opportunities, or with presentations and/or workshops.
Target group
It is not always clear that the energy sector offers career perspectives for natural science students as well as for law, art, psychology or
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business students. Energy careers are not always in the minds of these students. The EICP informs students with different backgrounds about career
possibilities in the energy sector and visualizes their career perspectives. Students from different higher education institutions and degree programs are
welcome to participate in the EICP.
International scope
Approximately 2300 international students study at the University of Groningen and more than 1400 at the Hanze University. They are in need for
good information about the energy labour market. Many of them are required
to do an internship and are keen to do. International students are especially
interested in internships and research projects in our region: being here, they
are already abroad and they do not always have the financial resources for
travelling far.
The event also acts as a meeting place for students and international companies. Approximately 50% of the students at the University of Groningen and
100% of the students of the Hanze University of Applied Sciences do one or
more internships during their degree programs. A student who would like to
do an internship abroad often spends a lot of time finding a suitable company.
By acquainting students with international companies in an informal way, it
is easier for them to find out what kind of organization matches their talents.
Evaluation EICP 2009
• Example of companies who attended the EICP: Shell, Energy Valley,
KEMA, NAM, PwC, IBM, Nuon, Alliander, China-EU Growth Foundation
• About 150 students participated and 1000 energy professionals attended
the Energy Delta Convention and thereby also the EICP.
• 70% of the students were master students and half of them were international students.
• Students from 10 universities joined the EICP
• Students rated the EICP with an average mark of 7.8.
• More than 80% of the student respondents enjoyed the EICP, would recommend it to their friends and considered the event to be well organized.
Almost half of the respondents indicated that the EICP increased their
chances to get an internship/job in one of the companies presented at the
EICP.
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3. Lessons learned from internship testimonials Introduction
The Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Economics and Business present internship testimonials on their website, so that students and recent graduates
can share tips and tricks about doing an internship.
This way employees, potential interns and internship coordinators can learn
from the experiences of interns. The testimonials form a lively in continuously development internship guide. This paragraph shows some actual testimonial tricks, tips and experiences. From this collection of tips and tricks we try
to distillate some internship guidelines. This way internship guidelines can
be derived from practice. First, the procedure about getting and collecting
testimonials will be explained.
Procedure
Our experience is that students do not send in a testimonial by themselves.
You have to approach them personally or approach them
by their lecturer or by the company. This is also why we interviewed students
for the first testimonials and wrote these testimonials
ourselves. We also offered the students for free a picture by a
professional photographer. The students loved to have a picture taken by a
professional photographer and at the same time we had a professional picture
for the website or flyers.
Although the interviews provided a lot of interesting information, they also
took a lot of time, due to travelling, scheduling, etc. This is why we don’t
do the interviews anymore, but instead ask students to write a testimonial
themselves. To take care that the intern writes an interesting testimonial we
emailed some instructions and asked them to handle some of the following
issues in the testimonial:
1. Name, education, period of the internship, internship assignment and the
organization where you did the internship.
2. The length of the testimonial may not exceed 300 words. In your blog
you can deal with one or more out of the questions below.
a. Why did you choose for an internship?
b. What did you learn from your internship?
c. What tips do you have for students willing to do an internship?
d. What did you like about doing an internship?
e. Do you think that the internship prepared you for the labour market?
f. What pitfalls did you meet?
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g. What was your biggest blooper?
h. Did you succeed to link theory to practice?
i. Did the internship help you to find a job? If so, how?
Bits and pieces
Because the testimonials consist of about 300 words, we only publish bits
and pieces in this section. The focus is on the first three questions and on the
testimonials from:
Franke Jan, MSc Controlling, AkzoNobel; Nicoline van Gerrevink, Mac International Economics and Business, French Embassy in the Netherlands;
Bjorn, Mac Marketing, L’Oréal, Zhida Xu, Chinese students, Mac Operations & Supply Chains, Wavin N.V; Gregor Schneider, German student Mac
Technology Management, Gasunie; Bettie Haisma, Mac Human Resource
Management, Municipal of Leeuwarden; Marie-Eve Menger, German student, Mac International Economics and Business, pharmaceutical and chemical company in Germany, Lita de Wilde, Mac Technology Management,
Arriva; Arjan Kamperman, Mac Business & ICT, Indutech, South Africa,
Carlijn de Boer, Msc Operations and Supply Chain, Waterbedrijf Groningen
(Water Company); Jeroen Fidder, Mac International Economics & Business,
Eneco; Sabine Klok, Mac Economics, Dutch embassy in Paramaribo, Bram
Havekes, Mac marketing, LU General biscuits, Belgium, Thomas Mosk, Mac
International Economics and Business, Conference Board, Beijing, Evelien
Okken, Mac Change Management, Project Team Work, Jochem Schipper,
Mac controlling, internship at ABN-AMRO, Quirien van Straelen, Mac Arts
UNDP, Sierra Leone.
What are the motives for students to do an internship?
Frank-Jan: I wanted to learn more about the way my field of research is applied in real life and to experience the interaction with people from other
disciplines.
Nicoline: to fill in a ‘gap’ in my studies.
Bjorn: to take a closer look at the activities and practices outside the university landscape, inside a real business environment.
Zhida: I would like to put theories into practice and to prepare myself for the
labor market.
Gregor: gain some professional work experience and link theory with practice.
Eve-Marie: I had collected much theoretical research experience, so I wanted
to write a more practice-oriented master’s thesis.
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Lita: during my study I sometimes missed the link between literature and
practice.
Arjan: I decided to go abroad, because I believe it is a unique experience
to completely rely on your own capabilities and the best possibility to meet
many new people.
Carlijn: to combine theory and practice and it is a good stimulus for being
actively busy with writing the master thesis.
Thomas: to figure out whether I wanted to pursue my career in research.
Quirien: find out if I was equipped to working and living in a developing
country.
What can students learn from doing an internship?
Frank-Jan: to find out what things you value in a professional environment, to
get experience in your field of interest. Both are very useful when choosing
an employer, you know what you like and you know what you are talking
about.
Nicoline: I have learned a lot about working for an embassy which is very
different from working in a commercial company, I improved my French in
speaking and writing and it helps you to orientate what you’re interested in
and what kind of job to ‘go for’ after having finished studying.
Bjorn: discover the work that really ‘fits’ your personality. It contributed to
both my personal and professional development. Zhida: to communicate in
the work environment. I am the only Asian face in that building. I need to
prove myself through my work, the internship prepares me for the labor market, and it provides me lots of knowledge and skills for the business and the
work environment, both during the job and the social time.
Bettie: it gives you more insight of everything that is going on in a business
in practice.
Marie-Eve: having access to company data and interviewing managers have
really given me a good insight into the matter and let me savor some real
working life experience.
Lita: learned a lot about working within a large organization.
Arjan: I learned to work with locals and I really experienced the life abroad,
by both working and travelling in a new country.
Carlijn: being present in a business environment is very instructive. Jeroen: It
helped me get results otherwise unattainable and to figure out what I wanted
to do after my studies.
Sabine: I improved my research, writing, communication and presentation
skills. I learned a lot from the contacts with people of another culture (my
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intern supervisor was Surinamese). It made clear to me that I want a career
in the public sector.
Bram: I discovered in practice, which was in contrast with theory: there was
no goal-setting at all for promotions.
Thomas: it gave me a lot of valuable insights for my next steps after graduation.
Quirien: you are the only person who can create the circumstances wherein
your internship will be rewarding.
Do you have tips for potential interns?
Nicole: take care of a consistent CV that matches your interests and competences so you choose the right kind of internship/company.
Zhida: if you don’t speak the language you have to be active and show initiative. Choose an appropriate strategy to target the vacancy. Try to get contact
with the recruiter and show your motivation for this job and your competence
that you can get it done. You need to develop yourself. People are very kind
to teach you, but only if you show initiative and tell them what you want to
know. You are the project manager of yourself.
Bettie: spread the word to everyone you know that you are looking for an internship place. It is easier when you get recommended by a relative or friend
to get inside an organization
Marie-Eve: getting in touch can often be done through previous contacts
from internships, master classes, or recruiting events.
Lita: I recommend all students to do their final research within a company. It
is much more fun. It is always pleasant to have some colleagues to talk with.
Arjan: you really need to take care of everything yourself, but with good contact with your supervisors abroad and in the Netherlands, you can really make
a good academic thesis. It is very important to make thorough preparations
before you leave.
Carlijn: since you work for a company, an internship is a good stimulus for
spending the necessary time for the master thesis, since you need to be present anyway.
Jeroen: start looking for an internship three months before you want to start
your Master’s thesis, and aim for three assignments to pick from. Pick the one
at the organization where you think your added value is the highest.
Sabine: to combine successfully your master thesis with an international internship it is important to fine-tune your research proposal with your supervisor of the faculty before you go abroad. Bram: ask questions, make sure you
are doing things you like and… enjoy the time abroad, it is going fast!
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Thomas: doing an internship abroad requires some extra flexibility Quirien:
take your time looking for an internship; it can take up to a year if you’re
looking for one abroad. You’ll have to write plenty of emails. Ask around
in your network for email-addresses. And when applying at mayor organizations, try emailing the heads of the department personally. Often they will
be able to help you more, than the person who receives all the emails at the
standard info@.... Email address. Make a list of all the organizations you
would like to work for and mail these. And finally, follow up on these emails.
If you don’t get a reply, call or email again. I got my internship by being
prompt in my replies, persistent, and flexible, and had an amazing experience
because of this.
Guidelines derived from the testimonials
The main motive why students opt for an internship is that they would like to
learn more about the ‘real life’ and how they could use
their study in practice. One could derive from the internship tips the following guidelines:
To find the right internship, you have to:
1. start in time with the searching process, at least three months before you
wanted to start an internship in your home country;
2. prepare thoroughly, especially when you go abroad. To get the most out
of your internship, you have to:
1. be active, take initiative and ask questions;
2. build a good relationship with your supervisor at the university. An internship provides you:
1. work experience;
2. insight in who you are and what you want.
For an overview of the complete testimonials, please check www.rug.nl/let/
stagebureau for the testimonials of the faculty of Arts and check http://ber03.
housing.rug.nl/internship-blog for the testimonials of the faculty of Economics and Business.
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OXFORD UNIVERSITY
Internship Programme (OUIP)
Tracey Wells
Oxford University Careers Service
Abstract: Oxford University Careers Service runs a successful internship
programme, whereby Oxford alumni, and business and education partner organisations offer internships to current Oxford University students during
the Summer vacation. Starting from an initial pilot in 2008, growth has been
rapid and in 2013 more than 400 internships have been available to students
through the programme. The vast majority of these internships are newly
created internships for the programme, which would not otherwise have been
on offer to students.
Key Words: internships, alumni, international.
1. Introduction
As part of creating a more international experience for our students, the international internships part of the programme offers global summer internship
opportunities in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors in a wide range
of countries mainly in Asia, Africa, Europe and North America including:
China, India, Japan, Brazil, Russia, Malawi, Canada, and the USA. There are
also a number of internships in the UK. From International Development in
Africa and India, to scientific research in Europe, and the charity sector in the
UK, there are lots of potential opportunities for our students.
The programme started as a pilot in 2008, with just a handful of internships,
which are largely sourced from Oxford University alumni. Alumni are encouraged to offer an internship in their organisation, which comprises the
following common elements:
• Full-time work for 8-10 weeks (this year between 17th June and 4th
October 2013)
155
A defined project, which creates real value for the sponsoring organisation and a valuable learning experience for the student
• Interaction with an assigned supervisor or mentor within the sponsoring
organisation
• A stipend, or some assistance with travel or accommodation
• An international experience, ideally outside the student’s country of citizenship
Our aim is to source new internships in organizations that might not have a
history of providing internships. Very few Oxford University students have
a placement as part of their course, so demand for internships in the summer
vacation is high.
•
2. How the programme is managed
The Careers Service Internship Office discusses each internship opportunity
with the provider, and handles all the applications centrally, which are then
collated and forwarded for selection. Each student applicant completes an
application form, provides a 1-page CV and has to get permission from their
College or Department if they are not in their final year of study.
For internship providers:
The Careers Service publicises the internships to all students with a common deadline. Particular internships are targeted at relevant students through
Colleges and Departments, through student bodies, and through the Careers
Service mailing lists.
In addition we provide:
• One-to-one sessions with employers concerning the nature of the programme
• Customised programme material
• Support filling in the online form
• Online access to examine the applications
• Advice on the selection process
• Assistance in setting up interviews
• Assistance in sending out acceptances and rejections on behalf of recruiters
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For students:
All current students are eligible to apply for the internships, and placements
are suitable for undergraduate and post graduates alike.
The Careers Service provides the students with easy access to the sourced
internships with a comprehensive online database. All applications are made
online. We promote the programme throughout the University and hold a
number of information sessions, in both University departments and careers
fairs, to give information about the opportunities on offer.
In addition we provide:
• Dedicated drop-in sessions at the Careers Service for information and
queries about internships
• General drop-in sessions with a Careers Adviser in which internship applications can be discussed
• One-to-one sessions with the Internship Office staff
• Pre-departure support and information to students
• Email and phone replies to student queries relating to:
– The application process
– Travel, funding, accommodation, stipends
– Letters of support for college grants, embassies
– Academic or personal issues
– International Resources at the Careers Service
Student Feedback
All interns are expected to complete an extensive feedback form once they
have finished their placement. This is used to create an online Yearbook,
which can be viewed by next year’s applicants. The 2010, 2011 and 2012
Yearbooks are viewable on www.careers.ox.ac.uk/work-experience-and-employability/the-internship-office/international-internships/.
3. Funding
One of the main barriers for students to undertake an international internship
is securing the funding to enable them to pay for travel, insurance and living
costs.
Due to the high profile of the programme, and its success, a number of generous endowments have been granted to the University of Oxford to support
157
the programme. They provide scholarships and awards for students to undertake the internships on offer. We constantly seek opportunities to increase
the funding available to students, and work closely with the University’s
Development Office to bring this to fruition. Further details about some of
the scholarships on offer are outlined at www.careers.ox.ac.uk/work-experience-and-employability/the-internship-office/international-internships/#section3.
4. Conclusions
The internship programme has many benefits for individual students, the organisations, and for the Careers Service. As well as the impact on the students’ future careers the experiences make, some of the students have been
offered permanent positions from the internship providers.
The Internship Programme makes a significant impact on the overall footfall
at the Careers Service as the programme encourages students to start thinking
about the type of placement they would like to engage in during the Summer
vacation and what career choices they would like to pursue. A significant
percentage of students who come to the Careers Service advisory drop-ins
in January and February come to discuss which internships might suit their
skills, needs and aspirations, and to review their applications and CVs – the
first deadline for the programme is mid-February.
Internship providers value the programme as it enables organisations to raise
their profile in the student body, receive targetted complete applications from
students, and access valuable skilled interns with minimal administration –
there is no cost to the organisations to participate in the programme. Alumni
offering internships feel a greater connection to the University, as they are
able to “give someting back” to current students via the programme.
Bibliography
For more information on the programme see www.careers.ox.ac.uk/work-experience-and-employability/the-internship-office/
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OXFORD UNIVERSITY
The Student Consultancy Programme (TSC)
Tracey Wells
Oxford University Careers Service
Oxford University Careers Service runs a Student Consultancy programme
to enable current students to develop their employability skills alongside
their studies. The Student Consultancy (TSC) is a programme of learning
and development activities that links University of Oxford students to local
Oxfordshire businesses and community organisations.
Key Words: work experience, employability, skills development.
1. Introduction
The Student Consultancy (TSC) is a programme of learning and development
activities that links University of Oxford students to local Oxfordshire businesses and community organisations.
It is an innovative and unique programme, in that it provides employability
skills training and work-based experiences to students and an opportunity for
local SMEs, charities and community organisations to access free consultancy services.
Students from all disciplines and year levels participate in the programme
and work in teams to address a strategic issue or business problem affecting
the organisation. The time commitment required from the students varies, but
the programme takes place alongside usual academic commitments during
the 8-week term.
2. Outline of the programme
The Student Consultancy is a chance for students to help out local businesses
and develop key skills for their future careers. Whether the students are in159
terested in working in management consultancy, museums and galleries, the
voluntary sector, public service, law, international development, or anything
else, The Student Consultancy provides real experiences to:
• contribute to the local community and gain solid work experience
• tackle strategic business issues and concerns
• develop key employability skills such as self-management, team working, business and customer awareness, problem solving, communication, entrepreneurship and enterprise
• gain an awareness of the professional, social and behavioural contexts of
the business environment
The programme is open to students from any discipline, and selection is
based on:
• creativity in finding solutions
• approach to business situations and commercial awareness
• motivation to support the local community
• community or volunteer experience
• teamwork and communication skills
We provide an intense week of training sessions to prepare the students for
their projects. Sessions cover an introduction to consulting, key business issues, and how to go about solving them, market research, interviewing techniques, making recommendations and reports.
Students are then assigned a team and a project. Each team consists of four
members including a Team Leader. The role of the Team Leader is to coordinate meetings, ensure the project is on track and to act as the key point of
contact for the client, mentor and Careers Service.
The clients for the projects may be a small business, charity, arts organisation or University department. The client will have a key business issue they
would like the team to explore and find solutions to. Past projects involved
marketing and promotion, website design, audience analysis and evaluating
fundraising initiatives. Clients have included the Access Office, Belu Water,
Bodleian Library, Eco Concierge, Eve, Happen, IBM, Minervation, Modern
Art Oxford, Oxfam, Oxford City Council, Oxford Limited, OxFizz, Oxhub,
Pegasus Theatre and the Playhouse Theatre.
The programme runs each term throughout the year. Last term 108 students
participated in a total of 27 teams. More than 750 students have taken part
since the programme began.
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3. Benefits to the clients
The clients come from a range of sectors, and organisations are mainly based
in the local area. By participating in the programme the organisations:
• gain an innovative, outside perspective to a business challenge
• benefit from students’ enthusiasm, creativity, fresh ideas and up-to-date
knowledge/skills
• receive insightful recommendations produced by the students, with the
guidance and support of project mentors
• share their expertise and knowledge about their industry with eager students
• provide feedback to students and programme management about the
project
Each team has a business mentor to help them shape their work and provide
the organisations with useful recommendations. The organsiations have no
obligation to take action on advice and recommendations.
4. Conclusions
Students gain a wide range of skills and experiences:
‘A sense of achievement in taking part in a real life business project
whilst also studying”’
• ‘Teamwork skills, new perspectives on solving problems’
• ‘ Real business experience which was completely unique.’
• ‘Experience of working with a business and particularly online experience since the project was about Oxfam’s website and I now work for a
large e-commerce retailer.’
• ‘ Commercial awareness, and an experience of the kind of job I could be
doing in the future.’
‘It really taught me how to think in a different way and communicate effectively with all sorts of people.’
•
Students use their Student Consultancy experience to great effect in interviews and job applications:
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‘I interviewed for BCG, McKinsey, Bain and Oliver Wyman, and used
examples from the student consultancy at all of them. (I received offers
from all four)’
• ‘I often write about it in job applications to tick boxes like working in
a mixed discipline team, consultancy, management, knowledge of business, entrepreneurial spirit and so on.’
• ‘ The [student] consultancy was an excellent example/experience to cite
when describing community involvement and group work experience.’
• ‘It’s a very good example to talk about in relation to taking ownership of
a project that provides real value add to a business. I think I brought it
up when asked about team work and problem solving.’
•
Bibliography
For further details see www.careers.ox.ac.uk/tsc
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