Resilience and adaptability in changing times

In these constantly changing times how are we adapting?  Marc Steward, Careers Consultant gives his thoughts on the challenges faced by students for personal and professional development in these uncertain times and the support the University continues to offer.

Key skills in 2020

In what seems a lifetime ago, but was only semester one of this current academic year, I often quoted a TARGETjobs article to students in my workshops, teaching classes and guidance appointments, about what TARGETjobs predicted the key skills for 2020 would be. Included in this list were adaptability and the need to understand transferable skills.

These skills were key back then in an ever-changing world of work, dictated to by the speed of change brought about by technology. Move forward to the present day and never have those skills looked more pertinent and valuable.

How I got my job: Threat Analyst

Joshua Jervis graduated from Leeds this summer with a degree in International Relations.  He is now working in Leeds as a Threat Analyst with Maxwell Lucas. In this post he explains how his career interests developed and shares his advice for other students.

My Role

I am currently the Asia Pacific Threat Analyst for Maxwell Lucas in Leeds (part of Healix International). My role predominantly comprises of monitoring global news sources and identifying potential threats to business travellers, producing ad-hoc reports and special advisories on regional security threats and researching national issues from crime to health. I am solely responsible for setting the threat and evacuation levels throughout my region based on my knowledge of the country and my perception of whether the security environment is likely to improve or deteriorate.

How I got my job: Economic Development & Project Evaluation Co-ordinator

 

Liam Kennedy graduated from Leeds with a BA in Geography in 2013 and now works for SKIP, an NGO in Peru.  Here he discusses the factors that led him there as well as his tips for others.

 

Doing something worthwhile

Joseph Soloveitchik once philosophised that within every human there are two contrasting beings. He named those beings Adam I and Adam II. Adam I is an ambitious and worldly type, his motives are mainly economic; he wants to climb the ladder, be powerful etc. Whereas Adam II is more humble, he wants to do good and be good; he follows a more moral compass. He stated that these beings are in constant flux, that the winner of this internal battle guides our decisions. I guess this school of thought is what has guided me through my career choices to this point

Adaptability: The (often overlooked) key career skill

How adaptable are you?  Adaptability is an increasingly important aspect of employability.  Here, Careers Consultant Jess Henderson examines some of the evidence and gives advice on how to develop and demonstrate this key attribute.

Whilst adaptability as a career-skill is not a new requirement, a number of recent high-profile reports have served to underline its importance and value in an increasingly dynamic labour market.  This tweet from the National Council for Universities and Business caught my eye

Employers seek 'agile staff who can adapt to rapidly changing conditions' Download our report funded by @HEFCE http://t.co/TIegdwzqtA

— NCUB (@NCUBtweets) April 6, 2014

and led me to their recent report Career Portfolios and the Labour Market for Graduates & Postgraduates in the UK Whilst he whole report makes for interesting reading, the following quote in particular resonated with me;

Commercial awareness and career motivation

Heard the terms commercial awareness and career motivation but not sure what they are?  Here our Director, Bob Gilworth gives us an insight into what these terms mean and how you can develop them.

Consistent feedback tells us that the two most common causes of candidate failure in graduate selection processes are perceived lack of: commercial awareness and career motivation. These are often the key differentiators between applicants who are otherwise similarly qualified with similar evidence of transferable skills such as problem solving, communication and teamwork.

How I got my internship: Design and Communications agency

Sarah Johns is currently a first year student studying a BA in Geography.  She has just sourced her own internship and gives her tips on how this can be achieved.

I have just been accepted onto a one month work experience placement for a design and communications agency based in Leeds and London.

Applying for advertised internships can be a stressful and competitive process. There are other methods though. Prior to being accepted as an intern, no formal application had taken place, let alone handing in a CV.

Google searches of the word ‘internships’ did not get me very far. Instead, I sought opportunities through University to develop skills, volunteer and gain insight into future careers

Skills development with TEFL

This is a guest post written by staff at i-to-i, providing some examples of how they believe TEFL can help you develop and evidence some commonly sought-after skills. If you would like help reflecting on your skills or considering how you can develop them, or information on more skills which recruiters often require, see the make yourself employable section of our website or come in and speak to us.