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SMS MSc Student Handbook 2018/19 Draft original

25. Careers and Personal Development

Queen Mary wants you to make the most of your student experience. For that reason, we want to help you identify the opportunities that exist to develop your graduate attributes. These attributes reflect the location and profile of the student body and the research-intensive nature of the institution. They are detailed in the Queen Mary Statement of Graduate Attributes, which consist of 32 attributes grouped into 7 themes that will help you prepare yourself for your future employment.

Careers and Enterprise

Looking for part-time work or an internship? Need help with your CV or a job interview? Want to find out about your options when you graduate?  Thinking about starting a business?

The QM Careers and Enterprise Centre Team provides information, advice and employer events to help you get the best opportunities.   We provide students with access to work experience, support with starting a business, employer networks and self-presentation skills for the recruitment process.

Students in every School are able to participate in a diverse careers programme. This might include in-curriculum lectures, lunchtime workshops, professional career options panels, 1-to-1 careers guidance, application feedback appointments and mock interviews. This is supported by a wealth of careers information online. 

Get the latest news on social media, search jobs on our online jobs board, read our jobs blog or website for advice and insights and use our practice interviews and psychometric test software.

We host over 160 events per year, from alumni career option panels to CV and interview workshops and large scale recruitment fairs.

Our enterprise programme assists aspiring entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs to set up their own businesses.

You can

  • Book an appointment for one-to-one careers guidance. Book by phone (020 7 882 8533) or in person up to a week in advance, or drop by on the day – we may have appointments free.
  • Find out more about the world of work from employers and former students at our careers events http://www.careers.qmul.ac.uk/events/
  • Attend workshops on job applications, interviews, assessment centre techniques and a range of graduate skills – from leadership to commercial awareness.
  • Find a range of part-time, and full time job vacancies on our website www.careers.qmul.ac.uk/jobs
  • Use our work experience hub, where you can get placed into an internship, temporary work or local work experience placement https://qmjobsblog.wordpress.com/category/qrecruit/.

Engage fully in your degree programme

Make sure that you identify where in your degree programme the opportunities for developing graduate attributes occur and engage fully in these learning activities.

Engage in work experience and other forms of extra-curricular activity

Make sure you take up some of the wide range of opportunities open to you, such as work experience, volunteering, and enterprise education and entrepreneurship opportunities.

Enhance your ability to reflect on your learning and monitor your progress for employability

Sign up for an award or certificate designed to ensure you gain the most from your student experience.

Be active in your career decision making and preparation for employment from your arrival at Queen Mary

Make sure you attend the Mathematical Sciences careers programme and other Queen Mary careers activities.

Make employability information work for you!

Look at these resources early on and plan ahead:

Students in the Maths Lecture Theatre

QM Careers and Enterprise Centre

Throughout your studies, you will have access to a wide range of events and support offered by the QM Careers and Enterprise Centre.

Examples of events and activities happening throughout the year are given below. You will benefit from content and insights targeted to meet your needs as a postgraduate student, with regular input from experienced industry professionals.

  • CV workshops.
  • Winning Interview workshops.
  • LinkedIn workshops.
  • Individual careers support is available year-round to help with career decisions, making great applications, mock interviews and any other career-related topics. To book an appointment contact Careers on 020 7882 8553.

Resources relating to the above and more can be found on the Queen Mary Careers and Enterprise Centre website at www.careers.qmul.ac.uk

The main ways you should try to keep informed of what’s going on are:

Internships and work experience

The Queen Mary Careers and Enterprise Centre Team are here to support and encourage you with gaining internships and work experience. Look at this link for opportunities co-ordinated by Careers: https://qmjobsblog.wordpress.com/category/qrecruit/.

International students

These two resources are among those that are useful for international postgraduate students.

Exemptions and Professional Bodies

There are various professional examinations in accounting and actuarial science for which some of our programmes or modules may provide exemptions. Details can be found under the title 'Professional exemptions and accreditation' here.

We also have close relationships with the two major UK professional societies for mathematics, The London Mathematical Society and The Institute for Mathematics and its Applications. Many of our staff are members of one or both societies.

The London Mathematical Society was founded in 1865 and has a national and international membership of around 2,300 professional mathematicians. For further information please visit: www.lms.ac.uk/. The Institute for Mathematics and its Applications was founded in 1964 and awards the Chartered Mathematician, Chartered Scientist and Chartered Mathematics Teacher designations, visit their website to find out more: www.ima.org.uk

Both of the above societies support mathematics in many ways, such as producing journals, organising conferences, engaging with government and promoting public engagement.