If you’re reading this blog, then presumably you have some interest in employability and your career planning, so hopefully you’ve already had a look at our online resource centre Build My Career with its huge collection of careers-related content available to all our students and graduates. Don’t worry if you haven’t had a chance yet though – today’s a great day to start, and here’s our pick of five things to look out for:
1- Interview Simulator
You can do loads of prep and research for an interview, but it can still be difficult to transfer that into well-structured, interesting answers without too much waffle. That’s why we’d always recommend that you practise your answers out loud, either with friends, with a career consultant, or by using this really useful interview simulator.
You can browse a range of common questions which each come with an explanation of what employers are actually looking for and tips on what to include in your answer.
You than can choose from a general set of questions, or a custom selection that you can pick yourself. The interview gives you the option of timed questions (good if you are preparing for a video interview) and either written, audio or video recordings which you can then review and playback to see how you come across and potential areas for improvement. You can also go over the advice again to see how your answers compare with employer expectations.
2- Assessment Centre Tool
Assessment centres are a popular recruitment process for graduate level roles, and this mini course has a series of videos to explain why they are used, and what is expected of you as a candidate. Next is a breakdown of the most common activities with tips for how to succeed.
They also have insight into 25 different companies and their assessment processes, all of which provide good general advice, but particularly good if you are applying to one of the specific organisations mentioned.
Finally there is a test to challenge yourself on your assessment centre knowledge.
3- Fastclass videos
These short videos on a variety of careers topics are great as an introduction to understanding and feeling confident about all aspects of your career planning.
4- CV and Covering Letter Builder
If you’re starting from scratch on your application, these step by step guides take you through each section of a CV and covering letter with advice on what makes an effective application as you progress. You can then download them as a word document and edit and reformat as necessary. CV Builder link / Cover Letter Builder link
5- Career Assessments
Understanding your values can help you plan your career and identify organisations and roles where you would thrive. These tests aren’t definitive but can give you an idea of your potential strengths, interests and motivations and may suggest types of roles you haven’t considered. You can always follow up on these with a career consultant appointment to discuss your career options in more detail.
All these great resources and more can be found on Build My Career, but remember that this info is designed to complement all the information on our website and SharePoint that we create especially for University of Bradford students and grads, and you can always come and have a chat with us for some face-to-face advice, we’re open every weekday and located in Student Central.
If you’re a graduate who would like access to Build My Career, please email us with your UB number and course and we’ll set you up with an account.