Hello I'm Sonia Kumari, the Postgraduate Taught Employer Liaison and Development Officer here at the University of Birmingham. I work as part of a dedicated Postgraduate Team in Careers Network, we are here to help you make the most of your postgraduate studies and prepare you for your next steps.
You might be wondering why it's important to think about this when you've only just started your course. If you're interested in a graduate scheme many employers are ready, recruiting for the 2022 intake. Your Masters year will fly by so getting started early will help you get the most out of it and be ready for your next steps at the end.
Our Careers Connect portal is a great place to start. It has a jobs portal as well as being the place to go to book spaces on events or to book appointments with a Careers Adviser. We have a Canvas site which is your one stop shop for all things related to your professional development during your Masters. Sign up to access range of resources and to get regular announcements, with the latest opportunities and tips.
The Canvas site is also home to our brand new Postgraduate Professional Development Award. The award offers opportunities for you to engage with your own development throughout your postgraduate studies with flexibility at the forefront. You can set your own goals and create your own pathway to gain recognition of your commitment to employability selecting from a range of career development must classes and activities delivered by Careers Network. On completing the award you'll be equipped to make career decisions and present your skills and experiences professionally.
We'll be running a range of master classes to support your employability and provide information about different activities, you can get involved with to help with your professional development. And if you want to get some recognition for your efforts, you can submit your portfolio to complete the Postgraduate Professional Development Award. Find out more on the Canvas site.
You might also be interested in our PG skills series run by employers and experts these sessions focus on helping you develop key skills which are in demand in the jobs market, which has become challenging in recent times. The sessions count towards your professional development activities for the Postgraduate Professional Development Award.
We also run an annual Masters Consultancy Challenge which takes place in June, you can have the opportunity to work in inter-disciplinary teams on a real world business problem set by an employer. Previous partners have included Mars, Aurora and Accenture. It's a great opportunity to gain valuable transferable skills and work experience examples for applications and interviews. Registration will open in the Spring term and this can also be used as a professional development activity towards the award.
If you're in an international student or if you're seeking work abroad, we have dedicated support for you, including a range of resources to help you search for jobs and work experience internationally.
As Postgraduates, you can also access the range of support on offer from Careers Network. This includes one to one careers guidance, help with your job or further study applications access to online tools such as our CV checker and ShortlistMe video interview software, regular opportunities to meet employers, including careers fairs, our Alumni Mentoring Scheme, and specialist support for international students. The University of Birmingham is very much seen as entrepreneurial university and offers support with starting a business and enterprise boot camp events.
To find out more please go on to our website.