We’ve been shortlisted for the 2020 WhatUni Student Choice Awards ‘Job Prospects’ category, showing all the hard work our Careers and Employability team put into helping our students. Here's Heather's experience...
The career support at Chester I have found to be excellent. In my first year I was timid about approaching the team due to being quite a shy person, however they send out emails with information for events which are happening and have leaflets over all the Chester, Warrington and Shrewsbury campuses to help engage students. I found this good personally, as it helped me to understand about the Chester Difference Award (CDA) through the leaflets and posters I read and through the emails I received. Due to this I was able to start completing the award and get involved with the events they put on to help you complete it, such as the Enhancing Your Employability (EYE) sessions, which encouraged me to go to more. Now I am studying my Master’s and am always using the career service as much as possible.
Due to the engagement I have experienced with the Careers and Employability team, I undertook my Work Based Learning (WBL) with them which enabled me to learn even more about the services they offer. But whilst working their I grew a close rapport with the team who were friendly and supportive to me at my time working with them and beyond. I found this improved my experience with the careers team as it allowed me to grow as an individual and to experience more activities which have helped me improve my employability skills.
So, what do they have to offer?
There are a variety of programmes offered to students, which whilst doing my Master’s I am still taking advantage of. The Venture Programme helps students to understand the skills needed to start their own business and offers them the chance to win funding which contributes towards the start-up of a business. The Santander funded internships are also advertised through the career website are offered in a variety of subjects in different locations. Unijob offers students the chance to get a job on campus whether it’s working in the library sorting books or at a reception helping other students, providing them with the opportunity to gain skills for their CV and to make new friends, beyond their course and sports and societies.
How does this help outside of studies?
Ask, Shape, Kickstart (ASK), the ASK programme provides students with the opportunity to speak to employers within a field they are interested in to give them the chance to network and even potentially gain work experience with employers. This could lead to potential experience within this field outside of university and to continue to help boost that CV. EYE sessions give the opportunity of developing skills whilst studying at university and also for your future, whether through volunteering or working in a job.
For me, this has helped me outside of studies as I have developed skills, including presentation and negotiating skills, which I’m using in seminars to continue to improve my presenting skills, whilst the negotiating seminars will help me in my future employment. I value these sessions as they are helping me become more employable whilst engaging with the Careers and Employability team, and making new friends.
How can you contact the team?
The University of Chester website has a Careers and Employability section which you can access to find out more information about the services which are offered and can be found here.
You can also find them on social media:
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Heather is one of our online student ambassadors, so you can ask her any questions you may have, or chat to one of our other students: chester.ac.uk/ask
