job SOURCING

Thought I would refresh my memory on job sourcing this summer, whether exclusively for the holidays, a sandwich job, or your first step on the career ladder (ie. you're doing a Criminology degree and decide to do admin for the Police Department).

As far as I know both Child and Adolescent Studies, and Criminology have lectures/seminars themed around job hunting, interview skills etc, in their 2nd year. An assignment where your CV, cover letter, Personal Development Plan (look below at my sample of a PDP) and job research is graded. I'm not rubbish at CVs, but it was a good way to know I was on the right track, giving me confidence in my interview skills, and analysis of a job is something I'd never done professionally before.

The UoB has a great page for CV and cover letter writing (click right here) but not only that they offer a free drop in session at Career Services on the ground floor of I block. I found this terrifically useful in the assignment, with proof reading my CV and PDP, and one of the advisors even gave me a good hour and a half for some career guidance. They also do a similar certification called the EDGE. 

Having said all that, I'd like to put it out there that the formal "job hut" and CV saturation of your entire town/city, isn't always going to be YOUR route to the job you're after - in fact we may often find ourselves somewhere better than our dream job. For example, when I first signed up to university and was looking for work, I signed up as a Nursery Nurse with a local recruitment agency, staffing nurseries and creches when needed. This led to me staffing schools when Teaching Assistants were absent, which then ended up with my being employed in one (I went through the external interview process but from knowing the school I was much more confident). Now I am seeking what avenues I can pursue to benefit my experience and career, whether it's after-school-clubs, interventions, parent workshops - might end up doing a PGCE yet.

I will be honest and say I don't know where I'm headed, but if you keep asking questions, keep throwing yourself out there, you are bound to end up somewhere very interesting and possibly the best thing that could happen to you. Now to keep my eyes peeled and myself at the ready this summer holidays ….

read a little, live a lot

As I mentally prepare my reading list for the months before October term begins, I consider what type of reading I want to partake of.

Academic texts, a no brainer of course I must read this dreaded stuff, and make notes and arguments, and reference correctly and get what studies have been found to back up my arguments,

BBC News and other independent but reliable sources, yes I would like to stay connected with present day affairs and political impacts. The Metro, seeing as I don't read the celebrity tabloids and political inclined papers such as the SUN (Conservative), Guardian (Labour) (please see BBC News analysis of paper politics), the Metro is concise with it's stories and covers a wide variety including strange stories that local councils have to deal with.

Blogs have a wonderful ability of giving a view through an individuals eyes, which is fascinating regardless of what is happening and why, it's about how it impacts the common man and what us civilians live with daily.

Novels okay these are NOT going to benefit your reference list or your research arguments, BUT, they will benefit you. As the linked article explains (Why Readers are the Best People to Fall in Love With), readers are a dying but vital breed of people who know what it's like to touch a thousands lives, emotions, concepts and realities. Yes, a lot of novels are nonsense, but it is imaginative nonsense! And I truly believe that taking time regularly to read something completely opposite to academic will awaken integrity and the creative side of me.

And don't forget to reflect, as taking notes from academic sources are important so as not to lose what you have concluded, so is keeping a notepad or journal to documenting the findings and development of your own mind. I know I intend to.

Renting in Luton

I know some friends who've been moving into private accommodation this last month. After being lucky enough to benefit from the halls of residence that the UoB offer, it's no small task to figure out the game of renting rooms, flats or houses. Having lived in Luton and rented over the last 4 years, I've had the good, the bad and the ugly, but yeah usually the ugly.

Firstly with going through a property agency or a private landlord, renting is NEVER going to be easy, and you will always get surprises and expenses thrown your way, but here are a few things to remember that will make it a little easier. 

Don't forget your deposit, which could be 1 month's rent or up to 1 and 1/2 month's rent. When renting your deposit is required by law to go into a rent deposit scheme which cannot be touched unless agreed upon by both parties. If going through a private landlord then they may not offer this, so it's up to you if you are comfortable with that setup, but the law is there to protect you should you encounter problems when leaving, differences of opinion on property damages, responsibilities, or general landlord's that sometimes don't communicate and take matters into their own hands. I have learned however that you will never get 100% back, so bear that in mind.

If going through a property agency, this usually incurs an extra charge. I'm still baffled as to why! Something about credit checks and administration, which can make up to £150 per person but some as low as £50 - just remember cheap isn't always a bargain, you'll often end up paying for it later. Some only ask for this initial charge once at the beginning of your tenancy, others charge it to renew or on an annual basis. 

When renting a room in a shared house, this will usually include all water, gas and electric bills, and sometimes an internet connection. Shared house renting has it's perks but also it's downsides and personally I hated it, but then if you're living with friends it could be fun (if you remain friends!). When renting studios, flats and houses, it's generally up to the occupying to pay for all utilities and even the installation charge of internet. Council Tax is free but you'll have to get the necessary paperwork from SiD down the the Town Hall to get it setup otherwise you'll get bills soon enough.

If I tell you anything, I will HIGHLY recommend getting a really, really good look at the whole property, in the cupboards, in the drainage, check all the plumbing works, and watch out for mould which can get out of control in the winter due to lack to ventilation and humidity. I once had a property that was pretty much built of marsh land so when the windows were closed it was like a rainforest inside! For health reasons you should always keep the air flowing but in the dead of winter this is a real issue as you don't want to pay for extra heat with open windows because that's what the landlord says will sort it! If you see something that you've decided should be sorted before moving in (like a new mattress, or a fixed window) have them do it BEFORE moving in. It's a great incentive for property owners as they know they will get a tenant once it's done, and is so frustrating to be waiting for something weeks into a tenancy, which so often happens.

Any questions, please leave a message below in the comments!

Now and Then

from a BIG Disney fan I teach you about university perceptions…

Follow this link …

What Disney Teaches Us About College/University

Summary of Easter Break and what's to come ...

Go Professional!

This week the university also held our 'Go Professional Event' - an opportunity to gain some knowledge and make some connections for your career future.

I'm unsure how this played out across other degrees, but for yours' truly we were honoured with a question panel on the morning of the 5th February. We had guests from the probational service, women's aid, and a few other human services, all sitting there for an hour just to answer any questions that we could think of to send some light on their jobs and how they got into them.

During our workshops there were speakers on some of the Postgraduate Degrees available in the university. I attended the Social Worker MSc and found her to be a fabulous speaker, not just letting us know that the course had to offer, but on some of the routes and specialities of social work. Very valuable information if you're like me and beginning to think about what you want to do rather than just a vague title.

Sadly I was too busy to take photos that day, but the main floor was packed with charities and organisations ready to talk to about their work and ways that you could get involved and gain some experience volunteering. Some of which were:

• Keyring
• Humanitas Charity
• Tokko
• Families United Network
• Access2books
• Luton Culture
• Khayaal Theatre Company
• Stagenhoe – Sue Ryder
• Bedfordshire FA
• Noah Enterprise
• SOS Bus
• Voluntary Works
• Alive N Kicking
• Save the children
• Enactus Bedfordshire
• Carers in Bedfordshire
• MS Society
• Community Resettlement Project (CRSP)
• HealthWatch Luton
• FOBE - Friends of Bright Eyes
• GreenHouse Mentoring
• Volunteer general stall
• Girl Guiding Luton
• Changing Lives
• Guide Dogs for the Blind
• Cancer Research UK
• UpRising
• Luton Borough Council
• Leonard Cheshire Disability
• Keech Hospice Care

So you can see how diverse the opportunities were! And all localised branches which makes it very convenient for students. If you're someone like me that feels they already have their plate full, then consider the summer when there are no lectures or workshops; I know that will give me two extra days a week for over 6 weeks when I won't be working, definitely an opportunity not to be missed. Or maybe that's the time you can use to look for an foundational job within the organisation you are dreaming about working for. Who knows what that time can offer you.

Go Global!

As previously mentioned, I had the great honour of participating in Go Global, a student exchange program with the university last July where I visited Beijing, China for two weeks. Definitely one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life, with some wonderful friends made because of it. So go! I say go! Yes you may find it a weird and out of your comfort zone, definitely a world away from our western European culture here in Bedfordshire, but you will learn so much seeing things from the other side of the world, and definitely have a story or two to tell the grand children - for example the time you tripped and fell while strolling along the Great Wall of China! Now that's got a punch to it!

A lot of our days were taken up in the classroom, so prepare yourself for that, learning about Chinese literature, history and language, and then out and about to practice that Mandarin! We visited the great Wall of China, the forbidden City, Summer Palace and more beautiful places with the individual flavour of China's rich historical culture. Alongside this we dined every day in a Chinese university and met with the students, thus getting the tourist as well as the real world of Beijing.

The application is straightforward until you come to the personal statement, and once again you must sell yourself! Think of every deep, intelligent reason why going abroad would be a great experience for your personally and career-wise, how you appreciate and want to learn about other cultures, and can apply this stepping out, exclusive experience to your psyche. And…here's a suggestion, even if you don't get on the trip, keep applying, or perhaps push yourself into taking your own trip abroad, doing some volunteering or staying in a hostel with some friends; university is unlike any other time of your life so I recommend making the most of it.

As my shot above represents, this year they are having two trips, one to China and the other to Vietnam, as well as the opportunity to report on your trip and achieve a Global Leadership Award, a fabulous plus.

Pictures speak louder than words so here are a few shots I took during our fantastic trip - thanks UoB!

Merry Christmas!

Whether you are someone who celebrates the Christmas season or not, the holidays are all the more sweet after your assignments in December. In speaking to students from other courses, I believe I am right to say that following Block 1 in Term 1 your tutors love to give you a nice big assignment to hand in…or two…or three! I was almost in tears this end of term, simply because I was so happy to have it all done and dusted and be able to travel home to see my family and take a couple of days to think about something else. If you aren't local to your university, it's precious time to go and see loved ones instead of just texting them every now and then to tell them how stressed you are (that would be me). But then I have a sneaky suspicion that in the third year of university you do not get the luxury as many of my third year friends tell me they will be working hard over the break to be ready for assignments once they return, so make the most of it!

As someone who likes to enjoy Christmas to the full, I was really happy to hear that the TreeHouse Faith and Community Centre were hosting a Carols by Candlelight service this month, in our beautiful St Mary's church which is right next to the Luton Campus. This is the second time I have gone, with mince pies and mulled wine it was a great excuse to go and soak up the essence of Christmas with traditional carols and thoughtful words that warm your heart in this icy, bleak time of the year. And it is bleak, with very little sunlight, heavy winds and dark, cold nights, you need a little pick-me-up to lift your heart and remind you that you are not alone.

The TreeHouse is located on the ground floor of the business centre, and offer  quiet and cosy rooms to pray, relax, meditate, or just make friends whatever your beliefs  With tea and coffee, couches and even their own real tree house, it's a great place to nurture that other part of your mind and heart. Coordinated by Reverend Andrew but run on the ground by other student volunteers, involved with happening events such as the Mandela Tribute earlier this month. I would definitely recommend this place if you need a little boost and friendship from like-minded people. Here are some of their details:

sign up:http://eepurl.com/bcrew

online: www.tree-house.org.uk and: www.beds.ac.uk/treehouse

on facebook: http://on.fb.me/uobtreehouse

on twitter: https://twitter.com/UoBTreehouse

Do forgive me for not wishing some of you a Happy Christmas in time, but I hope you all enjoy a terrific and exhilarating new year!