VacworkLes Waters Cambridge University Careers Service

law34@cam.ac.uk

Why do it?What to do?

How to find something suitable?

Why do it?

• Develop new science skills / knowledge• Help with ideas for a project• Develop additional transferable

skills/knowledge• Try out a particular field / role • Add attractive material to your CV• Earn money• Get a future job offer• Develop networking contacts

What to do

• Hands-on directly relevant science• Hands-off science• Other roles linking to where you want

to go• Something to develop a particular

skill/s• Something to bridge a gap in your CV• Something in the real world of work

How to secure it

1. Apply to advertisements2. Speculative applications3. Networking4. Be headhunted

Finding Opportunities Yourself

• Academia – e.g. UROP• National or international leading

players – national periodicals and journals

• Local firms – newspapers, trade directories, yellow pages

• Professional bodies – e.g. IOP

• Via personal contacts – personal, family, academic

• Self employed?

Effective Applications

• Well prepared CV• Good covering letter• Good application form• Well researched application• Speculative applications –

correctly addressed and make it easy for them to say “Yes”

• Follow-up

Interviews

• Motivation• Skill set and / or knowledge –

often competency based interviews.

• Organisational fit

Key Resources

• CVs and cover letters book• Careers Service Website / Library• Vacancies & Opportunities • Interview practice sessions• Interview feedback files• Gradlink

Key Resources

• Academic labs– UROP– CUED, Cavendish, Oxford, Imperial, Reading

• Other research labs– NPL, UKSPA, www.cambridgenetwork.com

• STEP• Careers Service Bursaries• Vacwork job sites. Exampleswww.prospects.ac.uk ; http://graduatetalentpool.direct.gov.uk; http://www.itraineeship.com/; http://www.student-jobs.co.uk/

Be creative

• Stuff that lots of organisations have that might be of interest to you?

– Technical libraries– PR / Communication departments– IT department– Websites– Health and safety– Standards accreditation e.g. ISO14000, 9000– Technical writing– Product testing– Purchasing– Sales, marketing, market research, focus groups– Finance– IP

Why wouldn’t they take you?• Cost and/or minimum wage

• Staff freeze, ongoing redundancies• Client confidentiality• Health and safety• International students – permission to work in UK• Has a student got the skills we need?• They have no relevant work to be done• Takes too long to train someone• Unable to supervise• Never done it before• Workplace relationships• Too complicated • Can’t get their own HR department to sanction.• Wouldn’t want you to have a bad experience• Likely legacy of problems afterwards• Did it before and it didn’t work