My Work Experience at Wingham Wildlife Park

Wildlife Conservation is a multidisciplinary subject and requires one to be able to view issues from every stakeholder’s position if we want to have any chance to solve the issues we face.  I believe that one solution will not solve all issue, and it is better to have a toolkit approach to help with a wide variety of problems. I wanted to gain some experience working with animals, which can be quite restricting as there aren’t as many opportunities as there are in other fields. I lucky enough to start volunteering at Wingham Wildlife Park, which was great as it was closest to me. With no experience in this sector, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but after a few weeks, I was able to get on with my tasks independently without too many questions. After a few months, I was helping new volunteers learn what I had.

I think it is important to be able to work independently but also have the ability to work as a team player, helping when it’s needed. I believe this is invaluable experience and these are traits that will help me in my future career. I feel being at Wingham has made me more aware about how much zoos really do inspire children: even on quieter days you can never fail to see (or hear!) children getting so excited about the animals and always want to ask so many questions. I think this is really important because although they are now children learning about the world, soon enough they will be in positions of power and authority where their decisions will most likely impact the environment in one way or another! Giving them positive experiences now will hopefully impact the ones they make in the future. If I hadn’t have volunteered at Wingham I wouldn’t have known to this extent how much the public benefits from these sorts of places and might have overlooked them in the future but now I am sure that I won’t.

The University of Kent Work Experience Bursary will enable me to volunteer without putting extra pressure on myself to find the money for the items I need to volunteer. This will benefit me as I will be able to go in every week and not feel it to be a burden – I will be able to enjoy going knowing I am not missing out on other things due to my volunteering. I believe with a clear positive mind I am more likely to learn and retain information much more efficiently which benefits all aspects of my life. Wingham has given me more confidence and I have been able to relate my course to Wingham and vice versa, which has solidified ideas from my course in my mind which will really benefit me in the future of my time at UKC. Volunteering shouldn’t be a burden, it shouldn’t make life harder and The University of Kent Work Experience Bursary has made this possible for me to volunteer and enjoy volunteering, even a year on!

 

-Wildlife Conservation Student 

 

To find out more about the Work Experience and Opportunities Fund, click here!

Work Experience within Law

Take a look at the stories of two Kent students that gained work experience within the legal sector in two different ways – traditional placement opportunity at a legal company, as well as a networking event. Both gave different insights and skills – you may want to keep an eye out for upcoming networking events, as they can give you the skills and contacts to gain more competitive placement opportunities. Gintare and Chloe have shown how the work and opportunities fund helped in enabling them to undertake these experiences. Find out more information here.

 

My two-week work experience at Fleetcor’s European headquarters was an amazing opportunity. I had the chance to work with both the in house lawyers, as well as the business directors. Working in such environment helped to enhance my legal knowledge as well as my wider business knowledge, as I had to work and interact with two sectors of the business at the same time.

The work experience was not easy from the start as from day 1, I was already involved in substantial tasks of the business. My role included being a legal assistant which consisted of proof-reading, amending and drafting over 50 non-disclosure agreements. This required a very strong attention to detail. I also had the opportunity to communicate with senior people within the business both face to face and through emails/telephone, by taking instructions and presenting my own ideas and findings.  This has boosted my communication skills as I had to present my ideas in a clear and coherent style.

I was also involved in a project which is very important to Fleetcor, called GDPR. The project both tested my legal knowledge, as well as enhanced my commercial awareness. The project consisted of reading terms and conditions of every business with a contract with Fleetcor (which was over 500) and constructing and adding the necessary information onto the database. The information included identifying what personal data is collected by each business, how it is stored, what obligations each party are obliged to perform, how personal data is stored, whether personal data is exported outside the EEA area and etc. The GDPR is new legislation passed in mid-2018 which has had a huge impact on every business. As a result, caution must be taken by each and every business which deals with clients and their personal data. Therefore, being aware of such information helps to protect the businesses in questions, as well as the clients whose personal data is used. Equally, customers are better protected under such legislation as they are now able to access and request information about their personal data much easier than with the previous legislation.

I would like to give a big thank you to the UKC Careers and Employability Service for making bursary available. It is expensive to travel to London, especially as a student, and without such funding, it would be very difficult to gain any work experience and enhance legal knowledge. This work experience has really exposed me to the real business world as the only way you can decide if this is for you is by working with the business on real-life matters and being part of it, even if it is for a couple of weeks.

–Gintare Baranauskaite

 

Having attended the London based LawCareers.NET LIVE event on Friday 30th November 2018, I can certify that it was a valuable and insightful law focused event which has given me a better understanding of the application processes in regard to training contracts as well as vacation schemes. By going to this event, with the opportunity to personally network with a plethora of top city law firms, such as Baker McKenzie and Howard Kennedy LLP, I was able to strengthen my personal network of industry contacts. A representative of Howard Kennedy LLP, in particular, approached me and discussed applying to Howard Kennedy in the near future as they could see my potential in me to do well all of which gave me the confidence that I lacked before the event.

Furthermore, I gained communication skills as a result of this event. I felt very much out of my comfort zone, as I have always perceived those that are in a greater hierarchical position as intimidating and so I would refrain from making conversation. However, the solicitors, lawyers and partners from each of these commercial law firms have shown me that this stereotype is not applicable to all who work in law firms. Therefore, I feel as though I can confidently apply for not only these firms later in my degree, but for other firms too in various areas. Also, during my second workshop with Howard Kennedy LLP, we were categorised into different groups with students from varying universities. This allowed me to make further connections as we have all decided to keep in touch with one another so that if anything challenging comes up during our degree, we can discuss the issue with one another and support each other where necessary so that we can obtain the best possible mark overall.

Moreover, I got given some advice on how to cope with my anxiety from a solicitor at Sidley. This has also contributed to my confidence as the mechanisms that they have given me have also helped me to approach my seminar leaders and ask them for help where necessary which I would not have done during my first year of study. Therefore, I have much more belief in myself. Due to this, I will be able to assert my confidence in future interviews which will increase the likelihood of me getting into the law firm of my choice. Overall, this networking experiences has opened up many doors for me in the future and I now know how to make the most of opportunity that will come my way.

–Chloe Mortimer

 

 

Careers Fair Top Tips

With the University of Kent Employability Festival Careers Fair fast approaching (Tuesday 16th October 10am-4pm), I have compiled a list of top tips just for students. As a student myself I have attended the Careers Fair, and can therefore honestly recommend taking a couple of minutes to do some preparation, as it will really help to get the most out of what can seem like a very daunting experience.

Proposed Access Hour by Careers and Employability Service – © University of Kent

 

1.Do you find the prospect of a busy, noisy room full of people daunting? Please consider our Access Hour (10-11am). No booking or prior disclosure is required. Click here for more information on the access hour. 

2. The careers fair is not just for 3rd years looking for graduate jobs. Any student has got to start somewhere, and there are also many employers offering undergraduate opportunities. 

3. What do you want from the careers fair?

Your Future | by Free For Commercial Use (FFC)

a. If you haven’t got a clue when someone asks ‘what do you want to do when you leave uni?’, the careers fair is the perfect place to start to figure out this out. This link shows the companies that will employ students from any subject. You should also have received an email from the Careers and Employability Service with the list of employers related to your subject.

 

b. If you know what career you would like to pursue and the relevant companies,  you can look up the employers that will be at the careers fair using this link to make sure you don’t miss anyone on the day and can use your time more wisely.

4. Research some of these employers beforehand if you really want to impress them on the day. It is also extremely useful as you can approach employers with specific questions that you need answering – they will probably be very busy!

5. Prepare a brief introduction about yourself to start a conversation with an employer. This will help them know what information is relevant to you, and how they can help. e.g.  “Hi I’m Grace, and I’ve just started my second year in Politics and International Relations here at the university. I have enjoyed my work experience in the charity sector and I am looking to develop my skills further in the field of politics. I noticed from your

Book a quick advice session through ‘find appointments’ on Target Connect

website that you take on students within your company. Can you tell me more about your scheme and what it involves?”

6. Take a few printed copies of your updated CV or business cards, but remember that not all employers will be willing to take them – why not get your CV checked at the CES beforehand? Book an appointment here.

 

7. Bring a pen and notebook to take notes when talking to employers – not only does this help you when you get home from a long day, but shows employers that you are organised and care.

8. Bring something to put all your leaflets and business cards in so you don’t drop them everywhere! (definitely not talking from experience…)

9. Smart casual is the safest bet dress wise – clean and tidy is essential 

 

Careers Fair by Careers and Employability Service – © University of Kent

10. Start the application of any companies you would look to apply for so that you can
get any questions you have about the process answered in person

 

11. Smile! Employers at the festival won’t bite, they are there to help you

12. Visit your top priority employer once you’ve talked to a couple of others, this gives you a chance to warm up and build your confidence

13. If you can handle it without a friend, visit employer stands on your own. It is unlikely you will both be looking at the same companies so you can use your time better, and it shows that you are an independent and capable individual.

Sticky note – you can do that! | by http://tvorbaweb-

The value of networking with industry professionals (Finance; Trading; Cryptocurrencies)

With more high achieving and qualified graduates entering the job market after finishing their University degrees, the Finance sector is becoming an industry with a stiff competition. Students with more experience and employability skills will always be ahead of those that don’t. My goal was to gather as much relevant work experience as possible in order to increase my chances of landing a successful job at the end of my studies; so when the chance to attend the London Forex Show showed up, I knew that it was my chance to learn and network. It was an opportunity to increase my existing knowledge and skills in trading, but more importantly, a chance to network with existing firms in the industry.

The event revolved around a large auditorium with around fifteen different firms showcasing their products and services. This gave me a brilliant opportunity to chat and get to know many employees from these firms, and express my interest in gaining experience with them. From the day I came away with three different contacts from companies who were interested in talking further about internships and experience at their firm, including the London based firm Bitstocks, who specialises in Cryptocurrency trading. Those companies receive hundreds of applications, and thus it would have been extremely difficult to get the contact details of people in charge, have I not attended the event.

The day was also broken up with around twenty different talks on Forex and Crypto trading. Being able to have a competent understanding the area that you are interested in is incredibly helpful, particularly during interviews. I gained an extremely useful knowledge from industry experts such as Alpesh Patel, a very successful hedge fund manager, as well as other highly regarded traders.

One of the most positive aspects of this experience was the motivation this event has sparked in me, which made me even more determined towards my studies and meeting my long-term goals. The BKEW, apart from networking with professionals from the industry, made me realise that in order to be hired by one of the companies at the event, I need to put my head down and achieve the best possible grades during my studies.

Overall, the BKEW gave me a brilliant opportunity to increase my awareness about the industry, to network and most importantly to get a better insight into the industry as well as people who will be very likely be interviewing me one day!

– Joshua Green is a 1st year Economics with Econometrics student 

Have you found some unpaid work experience? You could be entitled to the BKEW bursary – apply today!

Inns of Court and the world of Barristers.

As an international student who had little knowledge regarding the culture or purpose of the various Inns of Court, the opportunity to attend the mixed dinner at Gray’s Inn was an invaluable experience. It was an excellent opportunity to network with barristers who are both experienced in the profession or currently undertaking the BPTC. By speaking to various members of Gray’s Inn, I was granted a new perspective of what my future career at the bar will entail and how to best approach the daunting task of obtaining a pupillage.

I also had the opportunity to hear a guest lecture from the esteemed Neil Block QC who discussed his area of practice, clinical negligence. It was quite fortuitous not only in that I had the ability to learn more about the area of law I wish to practice, but also that I got a chance to speak with Neil Block after his talk regarding a moot on medical negligence which was taking place the following day.

Furthermore, it was quite entertaining to learn about some of the unique customs that occur at Gray’s Inn – such as, following Neil’s lecture, the junior member of the inn seated directly across the room from the speaker, must stand on the table and give a speech which he wrote in response to what the speaker has said. I would highly recommend any student who is considering undertaking a career at the bar or is in the process of joining an Inn, to attend a mixed dinner to get acquainted with your future fellows and the unique culture of the place.

– Keegan Adsett-Bowrin is a 3rd year Law student

Have you found some unpaid work experience? You could be entitled to the BKEW bursary – apply today!

 

London Stock Exchange and meeting the big sharks.

From my recollection, I cannot categorically say that I have had a better day in my life. The day began with a trip to the London Stock Exchange. Unfortunately, it was the policy in there to abstain from taking pictures, due to the sensitive nature of the activities and information that is open and on a constant display. Yet, that did not make the experience less satisfying or nourishing. We were led into the boardroom, we were given a tour of the building, at least for the places we were permitted to enter, and we engaged in a productive discussion on how the LSE operates, the challenges it faces as a Stock Exchange, and the diversity of its workforce. I was fascinated by the opportunity to have had the discussion in the boardroom; something I never thought I could have dreamt of.

The day got even better with the lunch we had. A surprise guest came in to meet and converse with us at the restaurant. He was a big-time management consultant, running his own consultancy and handling business in developing countries. His narration of how he got into the business, different employers he’s worked for, and the route to career progression without committing career suicide was particularly insightful. As an individual who is hoping to run his own business, and also wishes to gain employment in the meantime, I had a particular appreciation for his advice.

Subsequently, it was from this point onwards that I began my ascent into the crescendo of the day. A mock interview had been set up for myself, which I had to prepare for, as a Management Consultant for the Professional Services firm, Accenture. It was 10 minutes away from the restaurant and I found my way to the location – with the help of Jayne Instone – to regain composure and to wait on my interviewers. As I rightly predicted, it was another great experience. I was grilled for 35 minutes, I also asked questions for 15 minutes and it became more of a conversation than an interview in the end. I was also interviewed by a member of HR; of which I never knew was a thing. I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed the pressure. I felt that I demonstrated listening and communication skills during the fast-paced interview as well.

And finally, it was time to meet with the man himself: Sheyi Nicholas Lisk-Carew. He invited us as his guests into his private club, The Ned! It was definitely a daunting and intimidating period for me. I had never been surrounded by the character of people that I saw that day. It got even better when he narrated his life and career progression to us asked us ours and gave specific feedback to us as well. I mean, he really cared to make sure we do not sit back and let our ambitions die. As he memorably said: just do it! I made sure to keep contact with him and I especially appreciate Nithin Bopanna for this opportunity.

I would have never gotten the backing of Kent Law School, the B-Kew Bursary Scheme (that took care of our transport and feeding expenses) and some of the reputable individuals I met on that day; if I had not met Nithin.

So, there it is folks. Networking is a gem and I saw its worth on the 23rd of March.

– Chukwuka Harrison Okoye is a 3rd year Law student

Have you found some unpaid work experience? You could be entitled to the BKEW bursary – apply today!

Together in electric dreams

Today I am going to tell you the story of how I got offered my dream job. But first a little introduction. My story starts two and a half years ago when I first came to the University of Kent. I was keen and passionate fresher that couldn’t wait to start learning about film, but I was clueless when it came to how I was going to get it and who was going to give it to me. It is basically the endless dilemma of the chicken and the egg; you need experience to get a job, but you get a job if you have experience, which you can only get if you have a job… You understand the problem, don’t you?

But that still doesn’t explain the dream job thing does it? Well, this is how I did it. A few years ago I watched a film, I enjoyed the film and googled the production company, I promptly foundthem on FaceBook and liked their page. (The seed was planted.) After a year I contacted the company for an internship, I called them up on the number on their website and got the email of a producer. I emailed them and told them who I was and asked if I could intern there. I was rejected. Obviously this seemed like the end of the world at the time, but as the world has a habit of doing, it kept going. My already budding love for documentary pushed me to go to a Documentary Film Festival, the largest in the UK; looking over the program I came to a realisation, one of the films being shown was from the production company I had contacted so many months ago. So what did I do? I emailed the producer, because rejection number one should never make you
lose hope. I asked them how they were and said that I was also at the festival. They happily set up a meeting; and I realised that employers are human after all. We had a great chat and they invited me to contact them after the summer to arrange work experience. I made sure to do just that. We set dates and I went off to London and had one of the best experiences of my life; learning the ropes, researching, pitching ideas, editing in mandarin and drinking strong coffee. I worked
on two inspiring projects and got the contacts that will help me out after I graduate. In fact, one week after I got back to ‘the real world’, one of the directors contacted me to offer me a place to work on their next film; It is still in very early stages, but this is how I got offered my dream job.

Who got me the job? Well, I need to thank my family and friends for always encouraging me. I need to thank the Careers and Employability Services for giving me the confidence, improving my CV, and giving me professional and caring help and advice, I need to thank BKEW, because travelling in London is expensive, and knowing that my experience was important enough for them to fund made me work all the harder. And finally I am the one that got myself the job. You are always the harshest judge of yourself, if you put in the work and demonstrate your passion, you can do anything.

– Elena Morresi is a final year Film student at the University of Kent

Students and graduates: Why use professional networks?

Finding a job in line with your studies is something you might not start thinking about until university is over, and when you do, the first thing you will probably do is type “graduate jobs” into Google and trawl through the jobs on offer. This is the most obvious way to go, but there is another way of improving your chances of finding a job which you may or may not have already thought of: professional networks.

But what is a professional network? Put simply, a professional network is a social network (like Facebook) that focuses solely on interactions and relationships of a business nature, rather than personal interactions. LinkedIn is probably the first name that springs to mind when professional networks are mentioned, but there are also other options available. Wizbii, for example, is a professional network designed specifically for students and graduates, with jobs and internships requiring little or no previous experience – the maximum experience required for jobs is 2 years. Professional networks aren’t just for graduates looking for their first professional job after university. It’s a good idea to sign up and be active whilst you are studying to build up your professional network, have access useful career advice and find internships and other work opportunities. Having a profile on professional networks also shows that you are serious about your career.

Why are professional networks useful?

Professional networks allow you to be headhunted by recruiters who are looking for employees with your particular skills and background, which could save you a lot of time and effort. Like traditional job search sites, you will also be able to search for jobs directly and find opportunities in your desired sector. Wizbii lets you know if any of your contacts have worked at companies you wish to apply to who could therefore give you some useful tips. The social aspect of professional networks is yet another great advantage. You can join public groups, share information on subjects that interest you and read news and articles shared by other members. These interactions will allow you to make new contacts and expand your professional network. And you never know, these contacts could be very useful for your job search and could help steer you in the right direction.

Introducing the first KEW-NET Star Mentor!

Economics alumnus Aniq Ahmed (Eliot 2008) has been commended for his ardent support of Kent students as a mentor through e-Mentoring platform KEW-NET when he was named ‘Star Mentor’ at the end of February.

Aniq, who is currently working on building treasury capabilities for a specialist lender and previously was Banking and Capital Markets Manager at global consultancy firm Deloitte, signed up to take part in June 2014, and has since offered professional advice and guidance to three students from the School of Economics, Kent Business School and the School of Physical Sciences, one of whom may be joining Deloitte for an internship this summer.

“Aniq has been a great mentor so far, helping me with applications in the banking industry and more specifically asset management” said Economics student and mentee Arjun Jain. “I can’t thank him enough for the irreplaceable time that he has given me.”

Astrophysics student Will Heaton found out about KEW-NET from the Careers and Employability Service and started looking for mentors: “I noticed Aniq worked in finance, which is what I was applying for, so I dropped him a message. He got back to me quite quickly, and helped me break down the problems I was having and narrow down the things I was applying for.” Will was pleased to hear that Aniq had been named a Star Mentor: “Aniq really helped me when I was applying for internships earlier last term. He was open to offering advice and help whenever I wanted, so I’m not surprised”.

350 alumni from across the world have signed up to KEW-NET so far, sharing advice and experience with the 500+ current students registered. All users of the system can be both a mentee and a mentor and can offer a multitude of services from CV and interview advice to work-based opportunities. As all interactions are hosted through the platform, getting in touch is simple and secure.

Jailhouse Rock – student case study

This year I was fortunate enough to be selected for a work experience placement with Kent Legal Services, spending 2 weeks with them at the head office of Kent County Council in Maidstone. As with anyone seeking to begin a career within the legal profession, having work experience is essential when applying for vacation schemes, training contracts, or paralegal roles.

During my 2 weeks I was based within the Civil Litigation, Education and Employment department, but was also working alongside solicitors working on Dispute Resolution, Criminal Law and Social Welfare, giving me a breadth of exposure to distinct areas of practice. Some of my work involved research into particular issues within current cases the team were working on, and by having the opportunity to look into an Education Act issue for a client and discussing it with my supervising solicitor I learnt a lot about an area of the law new to me and it really built my confidence knowing that I independently came to the same conclusion as my supervising solicitor.