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Monday, June 30, 2014

Publishing work experience: five things to think about before you apply

Meet Elizabeth Bingham

If you organise them well, work experience placements can be interesting, stimulating and informative. Get it wrong, and you may find yourself stuffing envelopes for days on end. It partly depends on luck; some employers are more clued up than others. But if you want to make sure you get the most out of your publishing placements, there are certain steps you can take before you apply. 

Here are five things I wish I’d known when I started out…




1.       Bigger isn't always better

It’s tempting to think that your career will be made if you get a big name on your CV. That’s definitely not the case when it comes to work experience. Generally you’ll learn more and take on a greater variety of tasks at smaller publishers, since job roles tend to be more fluid – editors may get involved with marketing, rights, or design and vice versa. At larger publishers you’re more likely to be restricted to a single department. Also, it’s easier to get a sense of the business as a whole when you go to a smaller publisher, which will help with your ‘commercial awareness’ – something that recruiters bang on about a lot. But if you do decide to go big…

2.       Keep your finger over the mouse

Or touch screen, or clicky thing on your laptop – whatever it may be. Some of the big book publishing houses’ placements, usually those advertised on Facebook and Twitter, only stay up for a day or so. Large publishers receive tons of applications – one entry level job I applied for got 400. It’s likely that the first, second and third applications received more attention than the 399th and 400th. When you get tired of refreshing your Facebook feed, it may be time to…

3.       Make speculative applications

Smaller publishers don’t advertise much. You’ll need go to them – do a quick Google search, find out what they publish, and send them a CV and covering letter stating your available dates and why you’re interested in them. It might feel a bit strange at first, but it does work. Just because they don’t have a careers page on their website doesn't mean that they don’t take on new staff or offer work placements. But wherever you go, make sure you...

4.       Buy a notepad

Keeping a record of what you've done will help you when you come to write CVs and prepare for interviews. It may also be a good idea to keep a glossary of key terms. Every industry has its jargon and while publishing may not be as bad as…say, law…there are a few things to watch out for. On one placement at an educational publisher I had to help make ‘flat plans’, which are documents editors use to map out the layout of a book. When I came to write it up on my CV, I couldn't remember what they were called. I eventually had to leave that bit off, because I didn't think it would sound too professional if I informed potential employers that ‘I made some things which tell you what page goes where’. Finally…

5.       Mix it up

Publishing is a diverse industry – it spans across books, magazines, social media, websites, academic journals, revision guides and so forth. To put it another way, any business which strings together some sentences for a general readership arguably has a publishing side to it. If you’re not sure which area of publishing interests you, doing a variety of placements will help you decide. Equally, if you think you are sure you may end up surprising yourself - for a long time I was adamant that I wanted to be a book editor, but since starting at TARGETjobs I've realised that there are a lot more options out there.


One last thing I would add is: keep it short and sweet. Work experience placements are rarely paid and you don’t want to spend too much time working for free. I’d recommend you don’t stay in one place for longer than a week; three or four days are really all you need to get a sense of how a business or department operates. Stick around much longer and by the end you may find that you’ve learned more about British postal services than about publishing or media.

Written by Elizabeth Bingham
GTI Media, Editorial Intern

Friday, June 27, 2014

TARGETjobs career advice weekly roundup


Hello, welcome to this week's weekly roundup post.

This week I will be sharing with you all the latest career advice that we have published onto our website. 


Before I begin with this week's upcoming internships and graduate job deadlines, I have an exciting announcement to make.



The BIG announcement


As from 2 July 2014 TARGETfcourses.co.uk will be renamed to TARGETpostgrad.com. 

The reason behind this changeover is to enable more perspective students from around the world find our site and we can deliver you a more interesting service. 





Now, on to the careers advice

This week's upcoming internship deadlines could see you jetting off to the Netherlands with Unilever or to India with Pursue Asia. Whether you're looking for four weeks of work experience or a year in the industry, apply now before it's too late!

It's also time to apply for the many end-of-the-month deadlines for graduate jobs. 30 June in particular is a big day, with more than a dozen employers closing theirs doors to any more applications. Whether it's law, engineering, retail, business or IT roles you're looking for, there are still plenty of options available with popular graduate employers, such as Skanska UK, Centrica and Peel Hunt LLP. So don't wait around - make sure you apply before the month is out.

Sector areas

Law

The TARGETjobs Law team recently visited seven law firms to see what they wanted to tell you about diversity in the workforce. Law firms want to see the best training contract applicants regardless of race, gender or background, but there is sometimes the worry that this message doesn't get across. Here's what we found out: 'What are law firms doing about diversity?'

If you’re considering a career in law and are thinking to apply to Clyde & Co, then remember you have until 31 July to get your training contract applications done. That gives you plenty of time to get researching and plan out what you’re going to say before you send in that final, perfect application. When you need help, check out our guide to selling your skills in a Clyde & Co training contract application

Property

Gerald Eve are currently recruiting for immediate start vacancies, this is a rare opportunity to have! To all those interested in a career within property this is for you. 'Tailor you graduate application form and CV to Gerald Eve' A word of warning: completing this application form will be time consuming, with five applications questions and a covering letter to write from scratch, as well as a CV tailored to the firm. Gerald Eve look for such specific attributes in graduate employees that adapting an application you've made to another property firm will end in rejection. 

Retail

Majestic Wine is expanding and they are seeking to hire graduates from any discipline into trainee management roles. Read our article 'How to become a trainee retail manager with Majestic Wine' to find out more about the retailer's recruitment plans and how you can impress in your application and interview. 

Finance

The Royal Bank of Scotland typically holds two rounds of interviews for its graduate programme: a telephone interview and an interview at an assessment centre. Little can prepare you for these interviews like a heads-up of the types of questions that you may be asked and advice for answering them. Have a read of our article 'Common RBS graduate interview questions and how to answer them' to help you focus your answers and impress on the recruiter.

That's all from me this week.
I hope you all enjoy your weekend and good luck with your applications.
Roxanne

Friday, June 20, 2014

TARGETjobs career advice weekly roundup




Welcome to the weekly graduate recruitment roundup. This is where you find the roundup of all the latest graduate career advice we have written this past week. 

Let's start off this week's roundup with the internship and graduate job deadlines.




Check out our roundup of upcoming deadlines for internships and placements, lasting from 12 week's to 12 months. There are placements available in engineering, IT and marketing, but you'll have to be quick as they all have deadlines coming up over the next week.

Don't miss out on these great graduate opportunities available from targetjobs.co.uk. There are vacancies with imminent closing dates within a range of sectors, including graduate schemes in IT and technology, retail and engineering. Popular employers with application deadlines coming up include the John Lewis Partnership and Royal Bank of Scotland Group. So if you think any of these jobs might be for you, don't wait around - be sure to apply this week!

Now on to the career advice section:

Finance

Would you like to start off you finance career working for a bank like Credit Suisse? Well, I am going to tell you how you can. Credit Suisse requests a covering letter to accompany its application form. This additional layer is intended to weed out the motivated candidates from the unmotivated; the well-researched from the uninformed; and those who genuinely want to join the team from those who just want a job. Read here how to write an impressive cover letter for Credit Suisse and what they expect to see.

To increase your chances at the next stage of the process find out how to tackle the Credit Suisse graduate interviews and questions. Have a read of our article which describes what they look for in a potential candidate and how to beat those interview nerves by researching the company. Preparation is essential with every interview. 

The deadline for the Royal Bank of Scotland Group’s Technology and Change Audit Graduate Programme has been extended until 30 June. This gives you a few additional days to decide what you’re going to include in your online application to persuade the bank to invite you for an interview. Have a read of our article 'RBS's Technology and Change Audit Graduate Programme: how to show you've a good grasp of technology risk'.

Law

Don’t miss that 31 July training contract application deadline! If you’re applying for a training contract that begins in 2016, you need to get your application completed. We’ve provided help on answering those tricky commercial awareness questions, presenting your experience and what you need to research about the firms. See the links below to get tailored help for RPC, Shearman & Sterling and Mayer Brown, or check out TARGETjobsLaw.co.uk for more information on how to get from application to interview and beyond. 

Calling future solicitors! As some of you will be all too aware, 31 July is the training contracts deadline for the vast majority of commercial law firms. We've had a look at the following firms’ application forms and offer our tailored advice on how you can best answer their questions: 
Retail

Interested in a managerial position at McDonald's? Have a read of our article 'Interview tips for McDonald's trainee manager job'.

Get the inside buzz

Get the inside buzz on what it’s really is like to work for top employers from those in the know. Recent graduate employees give their view on culture, training, salary and benefits and their overall satisfaction

  • What employers say: their company information, jobs, internships and more
  • What we say: our own top tips on how to get hired written by our expert careers editors
  • What employees say: get the feel for working life from those in the know.
That's all from me this week, I wish you all the best of luck in your applications!
Have a great weekend.





Vocation, vocation... location?

It’s not something we really consider when we've got our eyes on the target. Job-hunting tunnel vision means we end up focusing more on that joy-upon-joy goal of actually getting a decent job when we graduate, rather than ponder the practicalities of which bus route we’ll need. 
On the move again, find my way around Scotland
These days, more graduates are taking the big steps, or rather several plane journeys, to go abroad for work and most of us wouldn't bat an eyelid at the thought of moving to a new town. I do think employers appreciate flexible candidates who will consider relocation, but for many jobs, it’s not a matter for consideration but a standard requirement: Oxford is the publishing ghetto and everyone knows London is the natural habitat of bankers and brokers. I guess I've been a bit unconventional by living abroad so much but I've learnt a fair bit about relocation along the way.

Friday, June 13, 2014

TARGETjobs career advice weekly roundup





Welcome to the weekly graduate recruitment roundup. This is where you find the roundup of all the latest graduate career advice we have written this past week. 

As always I will start off the roundup with next week’s internship and graduate job deadlines.

Last chance to apply! These summer internships and graduate work experience placements are going, going, gone.. Apply now!

There's a busy week ahead for deadlines for graduate schemes and jobs on targetjobs.co.uk, with application closing dates coming up fast for vacancies with popular employers such as the John Lewis Partnership, Heineken and Tata Steel. If any of these opportunities catches you eye, act now to your application in before it's too late. Apply now.

Careers advice

To become a Doctor there are three stages that you will need to go through to achieve that goal. These three stages consist of medical school other wise known as University, foundation training and speciality training. If you want to work as a Doctor within a hospital here is what will be required of you 'Doctor (hospital) : job description'.

CVs for a graduate scheme with an investment bank usually fall into three types: straight and narrow, everyman and wildcard. Want to know where your CV fits and how to improve it? Have a read of our article 'Compare your investment banking graduate CV to the competition'.

Calling all aspiring trainee solicitors, applying for a 2016 training contract this July.  Keep our helpful list of application deadlines to hand and you won’t miss the boat: click here to find out the contract deadlines for each law firm.

And if you’re applying to regional firm, Osborne Clarke, you’ll need to tell the firm how 'your hobbies, interest and work experience will ensure that you are a successful trainee solicitor' Read our advice on how to tackle this application form question, and others. 'How to complete your Osborne Clarke application form'.

TARGETcourses

Getting funding for a postgraduate course is a little more complicated than for an undergraduate degree, principally because there isn't a graduate student loan system in operation. Have a read of our article 'Introduction to postgraduate funding in the UK' for more information.

That's all from me this week,
I wish you all the best of luck on you applications!

Have a wonderful weekend,
Roxanne




Friday, June 6, 2014

TARGETjobs career advice weekly roundup



Hello, and as always welcome to our weekly graduate career advice and news round-up. I have a few introductions for you today, to welcome the new editorial interns Jessica, Katie, Claire and Liz. 

The new editorial interns will be blogging for us so watch out for their posts.




Just a few words from our interns before I start on this week's roundup post.

"My names Katie, in between stressing about my dissertation and trying to get the most out of university while I still could, I spent a considerable amount of time trying not to think about life after my final exam.A lot of the friends I made at Nottingham Trent University already seemed so set on what they wanted to do post education, and this filled me with dread because I still didn’t have a clue. But that didn’t stop me from getting everything I could out of university.
Now, as an editorial intern at TARGETjobs, I’m finally okay with being undecided. I’m enjoying learning about publishing and I know that somewhere along the line I will have that light bulb moment.I might officially be in adulthood now that I’m a 21-year-old graduate, but I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up."            Katie Lloyd 
"My names Jessica, I've done a degree in Linguistics and Spanish Studies at Lancaster University. I’ve started a baking society. I’ve taught dozens of hyperactive children and hormonal teenagers – I even lost six of them in London for two hours. I’ve lived in Spain and the Netherlands. I’ve spoken at a Linguistics conference and used the ‘c’ word repeatedly (thankfully, the topic was the history of swearing in English). I travel to an excess, clocking up numerous hours on public transport and visits to world heritage sites. I love anything wordy and I’ve slept (pretty unsuccessfully) on a crab-infested desert island near Singapore. Despite all of this, I’ve never had a permanent, full-time job. Still, as an editorial intern working on TARGETjobs I think I’m on my way there. In an ideal world, I’ll be sailing up my career ladder to an editorial role working on educational, academic or language resources.
 For now, I’m enjoying my internship here; I spend a lot of time fact-checking, proofreading, writing and tweeting. I’m also trying to keep up my Spanish and my blog wordoriginstories.wordpress.com after my nine-to-five-thirty working day." Jessica Jennison
"Hello, I'm Liz. I've just finished my degree in English Literature at the University of York and I'm working as an editorial intern here at TARGETjobs over the summer. In my spare time at York, I wrote film and theatre reviews for the student papers, I got involved with an anthology which publishes students’ creative writing and I interviewed local residents for a community project.
I’ll be going on to do a Masters in 18th century literature next year, which thankfully means I can put off making my career decisions for a little longer! That said, I have known for a while now that I’d like a career in publishing, and I've done work experience placements with a couple of book publishers. TARGETjobs is quite different from other places I've visited though; most of the content here goes online and there aren't any books in sight. I’ll keep you all updated about my experiences and I may also say a few things about the differences I've noticed between GTI Media and book publishing houses."                                                                Liz Bingham

Now, let me start this week's careers roundup with next week's internship and graduate job deadlines:
 Graduate jobs and schemes
Let your graduate career start here! Next week's application deadlines for graduate jobs and schemes.

Teach First and many more: next week's work experience deadlines, apply here
On to our latest career advice articles...

If you’re looking for a glamorous career in PR, you’ll need to know how to get a foot in the door. Before you can really get stuck in to hosting major events, drinking swanky cocktails and schmoozing local journalists, check out what you can do as a bright self-starter with the TARGETjobs guide to entry-level routes into public relations

To all law students, before applying for 2016 training contracts by the 31 July deadline, make sure you fully research the firms you're targeting. We show you how in our article 'How to research training contract applications'

According to new research carried out by the trendence institute, male undergraduates are much more willing than their female peers to overlook a company's image if an attractive salary is on offer. Click here to read more.

Job opportunity

GTI Media are hiring! Marketing and PR assistant wanted.

The role:
The Marketing Assistant will work with all members of the Marketing Team to provide administrative support, as well as having the opportunity to take responsibility for their own projects. 

The successful candidate will need to demonstrate excellent organisation and time management skills, be a quicker learner and have a strong team work ethic. 



As you will be involved in both B2C and B2B marketing, you should be confident in both verbal and written communication, be a creative thinker and have an eye for detail. 

This role is an excellent opportunity to develop your marketing skills within a small, busy marketing team working across the GTI portfolio and TARGET product range.

If you think this role suits your career aspirations why not apply now.

That's all from me this week!
Enjoy your weekend and best of luck in your applications.
Roxanne