Presentation for HEA-funded workshop 'The employable accounting and finance graduate – Make your work experience count' The event was a practical workshop which focused on the employability skills looked for within graduate accounting market. Although, it was not grounded in academic research, the event was an opportunity for students to hear first-hand what employers recruiting accounting and finance professionals are looking for. This presentation forms part of a blog post which can be accessed via: For further details of HEA Social Sciences work relating to employability and global citizenship please see: http://bit.ly/17n8Knj

1. Stand out from the crowd
Developing your Employability
Lesley Dennison & Stephanie Brockbank
Employability & Placements Unit
Faculty of Business and Law

2. Why are you at university?
• To improve my job prospects
• You are investing in yourself but how can you
do that?
• How can you get a head start?

3. How can I get a head start?
There are a range of skills, knowledge and
attributes that every employer is looking for in new
recruits:
Employability skills
Essential building blocks to get your first job and
the next whatever your degree or your career
choice

4. What are the Employability skills?
• Positive attitude
• Problem solving/Decision
making
• Team working
• Self management
• Communication
• Planning and organising
• Commercial and customer
awareness
• Networking
• Numeracy
• IT literacy
CBI/NUS Survey 2010

5. How can I develop them?
•
•
•
•
In my course
Placements
Volunteering
Temporary work
• Work related learning
• Internships
• Student union roles

6. Who can support me?
• Jobs and Careers
www.leedsmet.ac.uk/studenthub/career-advice.htm
Student Hub : Employability resources/Employability skills
Prospects @ Employment Team
Employability Resource Online (ERol)
•
X-stream – Employability tab
https://x-stream.leedsmet.ac.uk/
• Employability and Placement Unit
www.leedsmet.ac.uk/fbl/placements.htm
• Volunteering
www.leedsmet.ac.uk/studenthub/volunteering.htm

7. After the experience………
•
•
•
•
Record the activity
Reflect on the experience
What did you learn?
Build evidence of your developing skills
Sell your employability skills to prospective
employers to stand out from the crowd at
interview

8. Your Placement Year – Don’t Miss It!
A fantastic
opportunity for you

9. Benefits for you?
• Employers prefer graduates with work experience
• You will gain real-life practical work experience
• Think of all the contacts you will make and
networking opportunities you will have
• You will perform better in your final year
• You will be paid a salary
• An extra module in your final year already
complete

10. What does the Placement involve?
• 12 months valuable work experience in a
business
• The work must be relevant to your course and
at a level allowing some responsibility
• Full time employee of the company, retaining
student status
• Undertaken in your third year. Can commence
any time between June & September

11. Where have BAAF students been
placed?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Warner Brothers
Audit Partnership
NHS
Redmayne Bentley
UKAR
Asda
Walt Disney
Marks & Spencer
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
GE Capital
House of Commons
IBM
HM Treasury
Pearson Jones
Panasonic
Cummins Engine
Company

12. Numbers taking up the opportunity
Students
enrolled
Students
registered
% students
registered
2011/12
255
54
21%
2012/13
146
96
66%
2013/14
92
64
70%
Year

13. A tough challenge but it is worth it!
•
•
•
•
Finance sector crisis
Supply of placements
Desire to graduate in 3 years
Limited mobility of students
Help is available – you will not be alone!

14. How will we help you?
A dedicated team of staff to help you on your
journey
Help with:
•
•
•
•
•
CVs and Letters
Application Forms
Interviews
Assessment Centres
Psychometric Tests

15. How will we help you?
• A website advertising 12 month and short term opportunities
• Testimonials from students and employers
• Timetabled support sessions
• Useful resources to help you get a placement
• Knowledge of businesses that have taken our students before

16. Stand out from the crowd
• http://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/fbl/placements.ht
m
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aq6y3RO
12UQb

17. Employability and Placement Unit
www.leedsmet.ac.uk/fbl/placements.htm
E-mail: placebiz@leedsmet.ac.uk
Tel: 0113 812 7510