Internship as Resident Involvement Officer at Birmingham City Council
MSc Human Resource Management (with CIPD Pathway), 2016
Masters programme, year of graduation and current role
MSc Human Resource Management (with CIPD Pathway) - graduated December 2016. I am currently an intern Resident Involvement Officer at Birmingham City Council.
How has your Masters prepared you and given you transferable skills for your current role?
The subject of my masters has been helpful in understanding management, how organisations work and what is needed to successfully manage people. This will all help me progress in my career. The confidence I gained over the course of my Masters has allowed me to trust my abilities and skills. I am more confident in my current role because of the personal development I had during my Masters course.
What support have you had to help you make the move from your Masters to your job? For example from mentors, academics or the Careers Network?
I was a regular at Careers Network during my Masters. I did not take advantage of these opportunities during my undergraduate studies, so the difference I found in the way I looked at careers changed with these courses. While I knew what area I wanted to go into, the workshops helped me with my CV/application, interview help, and action planning that made me more confident in my ambitions when approaching employers.
Please add any tips or advice for postgraduates looking to enter the job market
Take advantage of all extra opportunities during your studies. Careers Network is an underused resource, and greatly helped me to market myself to employers and view my achievements in a new light. The time you put in to both your studies and career planning are so important, and should be given adequate time from the start of your course. Don’t wait until the last minute to get career support!
Birmingham City Council is the largest local authority in Western Europe with 120 councillors representing 40 wards and over 1.1 million people. With 12,000 employees working in a full range of its services, the Council offers a multitude of different graduate opportunities in its range of service lines.