Careers Newsletter, Summer term, weeks 1 and 2 – Summer internships, funding for voluntary work experience, business plan competition plus much more

/ Hilary Neary

 

Careers Newsletter, Summer 2014, Weeks 1 and 2

In this issue:

  1. York Award interviews
  2. Opportunity for a career mentor
  3. Start your summer with a paid internship
  4. Get inspired this summer – funding for voluntary work experience available
  5. Do it! Volunteer as a classroom assistant with YSIS
  6. Run it! York Cares charity internships for 2014/15 – apply now
  7. Enterprise internships worth £2000 – open for applications
  8. Plan ENVY – apply for a chance to win £2000
  9. Employability Tutorial – it’s not too late to try it
  10. College news: Goodricke student market 14th June
  11. Summer term Careers events – weeks 1 and 2
  12. Make the Most – what will you do with your summer?
  13. Meet the Team – Kelly McDonald, Careers Adviser
  14. The Wellcome Trust Science Writing Prize 2014 – win £1000
  15. Do you speak Japanese? 
  16. Caught our eye this week

… and more

1. York Award interviews

If you have a York Award interview coming up over the next few weeks, check out everything you need to help you prepare on our website. Good luck! 

2. Opportunity for a career mentor

Don’t miss your chance to apply for the Autumn term 2014 Alumni Mentoring Scheme.

This is a fantastic opportunity for you to develop your career planning with the help of an experienced mentor drawn from the University’s extensive alumni network. Students from any field are encouraged to apply!

Information sessions will be held in Week 4 and 6 of summer term, so come along to get more information.  In the meantime, check out more information about the scheme and details of how to apply.   Please email careers@york.ac.uk if you have any questions.

3. Start your summer with a paid internship

Planned what you’re doing this summer yet? If you would like to gain quality work experience within a structured, project based internship, get ready for the dozens of amazing summer projects that will start to be advertised at the beginning of summer term! For all degree discipline projects log on to Careers Gateway and make sure your email preferences are up to date. Search for organisation ‘Student Internship Bureau’ to view all available SIB opportunities. ‘Like’ our Facebook page to keep up to date with the latest internship news. There are also hundreds of other internship opportunities currently being advertised through the Careers Gateway.

4. Get inspired this summer – funding for voluntary work experience available!

Are you volunteering to undertake work experience in the UK this summer?

Getting relevant work experience is a vital step toward eventually securing a full time graduate job.  Unfortunately not all opportunities in the workplace offer payment for your time, meaning that undertaking voluntary work experience can be a significant investment for many students. If you are in your penultimate year of study and looking to do work experience that will inform your career planning, Careers has secured funding courtesy of Santander to provide financial support to those students who might find this investment particularly difficult. For more information click Get Inspired.

5. Do it! Volunteer as a classroom assistant with YSIS

A YSIS placement provides students with the opportunity to volunteer in schools for a 10-week placement of half a day each week. Applications open from Monday Week 3 to Monday Week 5. If you’re not sure what’s involved, why not attend an Introduction to YSIS presentation to find out about the scheme and ask any questions that you might have? Sessions are in Week 2 and 3. For more information visit our Do it! pages.

6. Run it! York Cares charity internships for 2014/15 – Apply now!

Could you support the work of York Cares, a local independent employee-volunteering charity, bringing businesses, employees and communities together to make York a better place?  Four exciting opportunities will be available in autumn 2014: Team Challenges, Communications, York Children’s University (CU) Programmes or York CU Partnerships. This is a fantastic opportunity for those looking for experience in the third sector, project or event management or communications and publishing.  Apply now via website  Deadline: Friday 9 May (Week 3).

7. Enterprise internships worth £2,000 – open for applications

Do you have a business idea but not sure if it’s possible? Wish you had more time to work on it? This year, the University has a number of £2,000 enterprise internships to enable you to work on your idea over the summer. For more info, please see our enterprise pages. The closing date for applications is Sunday 18 May (Week 4).

8. Plan ENVY – apply for a chance to win £2000!

As the application deadline for Careers’ annual business plan competition, Plan ENVY, is Friday 9 May (Week 3), you still have time to apply! If you think you have what it takes to plan an Exciting New Venture at York, and think your great idea could be the next big thing, submit your business idea – no matter what stage it’s at – and you could win £2000! Apply as an individual or as a small team – and if you’re a recent graduate (within two years) you can take part too! Find out more and download the template. 

9. Employability Tutorial – it’s not too late to try it!

Last term over 1500 students used the Employability Tutorial to help them think about their skills, career ideas and long term goals. Whether you’re a first year or a final year, the Employability Tutorial provides you with an online tool with areas to guide everyone. With a range of sections such as finding things to get involved with at York, thinking about what’s important in your career or learning how to enhance your skills, it’s never been easier to start planning your options and career goals. Take advantage of everything that the Employability Tutorial has to offer and try it this term. Follow us on Twitter for #ETWednesday tips and advice!

10. College news: Goodricke student market 14th June

As part of Goodfest 2014, there will be a student market from 2pm – 7pm on the 14 June (Week 8) at Heslington East). Stalls cost £5.00 which will go to Mencap, Goodricke’s RAG charity. If you are interested in a stall, please email Shaunna Edwards at se631 stating what you plan on selling and the approximate price range by Friday 9 May. Shaunna will then let you know if you have been successful in getting a stall by Wednesday 14 May (Week 4). [All enquiries about this event to Shaunna Edwards – se631].

11. Summer term Careers events – weeks 1 and 2

Week 1:

  • 22 April, from 8.00am: Sign up opens for Introduction to British Sign Language via the Online Store  The course starts in week 3.

Week 2:

  • 28 April, from 10.00am: Sign up opens for Perfect Presentations. Come into Careers to sign up. The course starts in week 4.
  • 28 April, 4.00pm: Introduction to York Students in Schools (YSIS)
  • 29 April, 2.00pm: CV Basics
  • 30 April, 4.00pm: Write On! Written communication skills
  • 30 April, 4.00pm:  Alumni Mentoring Scheme Briefiing
  • 1 May, 1.00pm: From Graduate to High Flyer – A Career in Credit Risk

Full details of these events and many others on our website and via Careers Gateway

12. Make the Most – what will you do with your summer?

If this is your penultimate year at York, then Summer term and the long holiday following it is your chance to really make the most of your time at university before you enter your final year (and take on the gruelling work that comes with it!)

Autumn will see the start of the graduate recruitment cycle for summer 2015 jobs, graduate fairs and your last year at university – in fact some companies will open their recruitment during summer 2014 for the following year. Here at Careers we want to make sure you’re as ready as you can be for the start of Autumn Term.  With plenty of online resources to help you prepare for your final year and life after graduation, do more to make the most of your summer term and vacation – why not apply for an internship with the Student Internship Bureau? The summer internship programme has now launched, so keep an eye on our website for upcoming opportunities, pop into Careers, or follow us on Twitter – @UoYCareers – for #MakeTheMost updates!

13. Meet the Team – Kelly McDonald, Careers Adviser

You may have seen Kelly in Careers appointments or out and about at our events. Read more about what her work involves in our regular Meet the team feature.

14. The Wellcome Trust Science Writing Prize 2014 – win £1000

The Wellcome Trust in association with the Guardian and Observer newspapers have launched a science writing competition.

They are looking for short articles (800 words) that address any area of science and would be suitable for publication in the Guardian or Observer.  There are separate categories for:

  • Professional scientists of postgraduate level and above
  • Anyone with a non-professional interest in science

Your article must demonstrate that you have thought about and understood your audience and that you can bring a scientific idea to life.

The winning articles from each category will be published in the Guardian or the Observer and they will also win a £1000 cash prize. Find out more online

15. Do you speak Japanese? 

Graduate job opportunities and graduate careers fair in London with leading Japanese companies coming up. Check out full details here.

16. Caught our eye this week:

  • Glassdoor – Information and company reviews from employees and interviewees. Searchable by job titles, company, salary and interviews.

17. Information about Careers: