Post 18 Study

Applying for a Job

When applying for a job, there are many things to consider. These may include:

Role - your first step should be to consider the type of job you'd like to do. Would you like to work in an office, or do something more hands-on? Would you prefer a creative or analytical role?
Industry - once you've decided on a role, think about the industry you'd like to work in. Many roles are transferrable between industries, for example there are a wide variety of business who have a marketing department.
Hours - would you like to work full-time or part-time? Do you have commitments that require flexible working, or term-time only?
Location - do you want to be within walking distance? Can you drive to work? How long are you willing to travel for each day - including traffic delays?

If you're not sure how to decide on the role you'd like to do, visit the CareersBox for free, work-related film content covering hundreds of different employment and training opportunities throughout the UK

For information on writing a job application, please visit the Prospects website.

How to Find a Job

The idea of "selling yourself" to potential employers can seem daunting, but it's worth remembering that even the most successful business people started where you are now!

If you're unsure of how to go about finding a job, take a look at the article below from Save the Student:

10 smarter ways to find a job

CV, Portfolio or LinkedIn?

In years gone by, a Curriculum Vitae (CV) was the standard way to present your qualifications and experience for potential employers. Normally a text document, this would also include your contact information and a personal statement.

In creative roles, it is common for potential employers to ask to see a portfolio of your work. This could include artwork, photography, written content, videos, and audio files. As well as creating a physical version of your portfolio that you can take along to interviews, you may wish to consider using Behance - an online platform which allows you to create a digital repository of your work.

In recent years, LinkedIn has become a nearly essential tool in applying for work. The online platform acts as a social media network for business professionals, allowing you to create a profile which details the information from your CV alongside endorsements and recommendations from your colleagues and employers.

Guides

Completing your first CV

CV example

How to write a personal statement

Create a professional portfolio

Behance

Useful Links

National Careers Service

I Could

Parent Adviser

All About School Leavers

Downloads

Heading to your first job interview

Staff Contact

Miss L Peach

Assistant Headteacher

lpeach@MoulshamHigh.org

Applying to University

https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/

https://www.whatuni.com/

https://www.push.co.uk/

https://www.theuniguide.co.uk/

https://www.ucas.com/explore/courses

http://www.applytouni.com/

https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/

https://www.savethestudent.org/sixth-form-college

Maximising your chances of getting offered a university place

Choose your course and institution carefully

In the choices section of Apply (the UCAS application website) all your university/college choices (a maximum of five) are to be listed, but remember that you should not mix your subjects. For example, in popular subject areas such as English, History or Physiotherapy, it is safer to show total commitment by applying for all courses in the same subject and not to include second and/or third subject alternatives on the form.

Some courses are very popular. In principle, institutions want the best applicants available so if there are large numbers of applicants the offers made will be higher. For Medicine and a number of other courses, offers in terms of A-level grades are now reaching AAA or A* grades, and sometimes with additional grades at AS, where school policy does not limit your opportunity to take AS subjects (in which case alternative A-level offers may be given). Conversely, for the less popular subjects, the offers can be much lower – down to CCC.

Similarly, some institutions are more popular (not necessarily better) than others: the higher the offer, the more popular the institution. Popular universities often are located in attractive towns or cities such as Bristol, Exeter, Warwick, Bath or York. Because of the intense competition for places at the popular universities, applications to five of them could result in rejections from all of them! (If you are not good enough for one of them you won’t be good enough for the other four!) Spread your choice of institutions.

When you have chosen your courses and your institutions, look again at the offers made and compare these with the grades projected by your teachers. It is most important to maximise your chances of a place by choosing institutions which might make you a range of offers. When all universities have considered your application you can hold only two offers (one firm and one insurance offer) and naturally it is preferable for one to be lower than the other in case you do not achieve the offer grades or equivalent points for your first choice of university or college.

Recap - top tips for students

Show commitment to your subject – don’t mix your course applications
Spread your choice of institutions – don’t just pick the most popular locations
Review your offers against your predicted grades – make sure you have a good range for unexpected results

Content generously provided by Indigo Trotman.

Information from HEAP 2019 The essential guide to winning your place at university

By: Brian Heap
ISBN: 9781911067887

Tips on responding to offers

Here are a few tips to help guide you through the decision process.

Decisions will arrive in a random order, possibly beginning a few weeks after you apply, so you should log in to Track periodically to check the status of your application.

There are three main categories of decision:

Unconditional offer: no further qualifications are required. If you accept this offer, and meet all non-academic requirements (DBS and health checks for example), you are in!

Conditional offer: you still have some work to do … but if you accept the offer and achieve the conditions in the examinations you are about to take, a place will be guaranteed.

Unsuccessful: sorry – no luck. However, it may be that you receive an offer from one of your other choices. If all decisions are unsuccessful, you should not feel discouraged, as there is still the option of applying to courses through UCAS Extra and Clearing.

Replying to offers

You will be asked to reply to any offers you receive – and you must do so – but you do not have to reply until you have received decisions from all the universities and colleges to which you applied. You must reply to each offer with one of three options.

Firm acceptance: if you firmly accept an offer (either as an unconditional offer or as a conditional offer), this means that you are sure that this offer is your first preference of all the offers you have received through UCAS. If you get the grades, this will be the higher education course you take. You can make this reply only once; you will not subsequently be able to change or cancel your reply.

Insurance acceptance: if you have firmly accepted a conditional offer, you may also hold one additional offer (either conditional or unconditional) as an insurance acceptance. This is your fall-back, in case your grades are too low for your firm acceptance.

Decline: if you decline an offer, you are indicating that you definitely do not wish to accept it.

Tips on making your replies

Do not worry if people you know receive replies before you do. This does not mean that you are going to be rejected. Some admissions tutors, for various reasons, take longer to deal with applications than others.
Consider your replies very carefully. Ask for advice from your school/college tutor or careers adviser.
Do not accept an offer (firm or insurance) unless you are sure that you will be happy to enrol on the course. The decisions you make are binding; you are not permitted to alter your choices at a later stage unless you find that you have done better than you expected at exam results time and have higher grades than those required by your firm choice. You may then choose to use Adjustment.
It is advisable to choose an unconditional offer as your insurance acceptance or one with conditions that are easier for you to meet than those of your firm acceptance.
Do not include as an insurance acceptance a course that you would be unwilling to take up. If you are not accepted for your firm choice and the insurance offer is confirmed, you are committed to going there. It would be better not to hold an insurance acceptance than to hold one you would not be willing to take up.
Bear in mind the precise requirements of the offer. For example, if a BCC offer requires a B in a subject you are not very confident about, but an offer requiring higher grades overall does not specify the B in that subject or perhaps counts general studies, then your firm/insurance decision needs to take these factors into account.

What if you don't get any offers?

Do not worry if you are in this position as you will be able to make a further application in UCAS Extra.

Content generously provided by Indigo Trotman.

Content from How to Complete your UCAS Application 2019 Entry, 9781911067863.

Studying Abroad

In recent years, more UK students have chosen to study overseas and, even after the results of the recent EU referendum, interest in studying abroad doesn’t appear to be waning.

Wherever in the world your students go, they should expect some changes from the system we are used to in the UK. Carrying out thorough research and planning ahead is key to avoiding too many nasty surprises, as even our closest neighbours have some differences in their higher education systems.

Applying

The UCAS system is unique. In most countries, students apply direct to their chosen universities. Some countries have partially-centralised application systems, but there’s nothing quite like UCAS, where every undergraduate application is processed in the same way.

Entry Requirements

UK university offers are all about the grades, whereas US universities might take a more holistic approach, looking to find a match between student and institution. Admissions tests like SAT and ACT are to be expected when applying in the US, so potential applicants will need to practice these multiple-choice papers.

Many European universities offer a more-or-less open door to applicants who’ve completed their upper secondary education. In some cases, particular subjects are required at A level (or equivalent) but grades can be less of an issue. Consequently, students will need to knuckle down and word hard as soon as they start university, so they can demonstrate that they are good enough to stay on into the second year.

Costs

If UK students opt for a full degree overseas, then they need to know that their UK student loan will not be going with them. Having said that, some Scottish students may be able to take advantage of the Scottish Government’s Portability Pilot.

Students should consider how they will fund their studies: from savings, part-time work, scholarships, bursaries or financial aid.

UK students in Europe have the right to work and, in some cases, may receive student funding from their host countries. Of course, if the UK Government fails to secure any special deals as the UK disentangles from the EU, these benefits may well disappear.

It is worth remembering that, even if the UK leaves the EU with no special rights and UK students start to be charged international fees, some countries’ fees will still be lower than the £9,000 per year charged in the UK.

Teaching and learning

"I had to learn to write in a more concise way."

"I got to choose the way in which I was assessed."

"I studied a range of subjects before deciding what I wanted to specialise in."

Students need to be prepared for a different learning experience. In some cases, this is a major draw for students considering studying abroad, but it can come as a shock. Applicants will need to look closely at the approach their chosen country or university takes before deciding whether to apply there.

Student Life

Although some universities in Ireland, the Netherlands and the US, for example, share many traits with UK campuses, across much of the world there can be major differences. No halls-of-residence; less of a drinking culture; older students; and fewer clubs and societies are some of the differences experienced by UK students. It is always worth asking university staff or students about student life before taking a leap into the unknown.

Students would be wise not to make too many assumptions about what they will experience during their degree abroad, but with careful research and a few reality checks, studying overseas can end up exceeding expectations and even changing lives.

Content generously provided by Trotman.

Content from Studying Abroad, 9781844556403.

Writing your personal statement when apply for Business and Economics

You’ve decided that Business & Economics is the course for you, you have managed to whittle down your choices to your top five and are in the process of writing your UCAS application. Probably the most important part of your application is your personal statement. You are introducing yourself to the people that may be teaching you for the next step in your education, therefore you need to show them the best parts of yourself and your seriousness about the course. This is due to the fact that the university will assess whether your personal statement is applicable to the particular course that you have applied for.

What do you need to achieve in your personal statement?

You need to show the universities that you are serious about studying the course.
Make sure you have researched the options that are available to you and the degree course as well as your future career.
Explain how you are suitable for the course.
Show that you are a well-rounded individual that will be able to contribute to university life.

What should the structure be?

Why have you chosen this course?

Illustrate what got you first interested in Business & Economics, i.e. article in a newspaper, feature on the news, personal experience such as work experience or a family business.
Offer them information on your future career plans.
Provide a combination of interests and academic skills.

How have you investigated the course suitability for you?

Researched books, looked through websites and periodicals.
Work experience that you have gained.
Lectures that you attended on Business & Economics courses.
The skills you have gained from your A-Levels.

What makes you stand out from the other applicants?

Present your academic achievements such as, prizes, certificates and awards.
Describe some of your extracurricular activities.
Inform them of the work experience you have gained and what you learned from the placement.
If you have any responsibilities, such as; captain of a sports team, house prefect, any voluntary work.
With business & economics, you will be expected to work as part of a group so give evidence of teamwork that you have been involved in.

Is there any other information that you feel is necessary?

You need to let the universities know whether you are planning on taking a gap year.
You should also inform the universities of any personal circumstances, such as having to look after a family member.

The 7 Rukes for a Successful Application

Make sure you research the course content.
Know the entrance requirements for each university you are applying for.
Find out your grade predictions.
Check over your personal statement, ensuring that it has a focus on the Business & Economics course.
Include enough detail in your personal statement so that you will stand out.
Give examples and evidence to all the points that you have made in your statement.
Remember, there is a character count for you personal statement so don’t use complicated language.