As you begin your time at Queen Mary, you will be shaping your future employment as well as your academic life. Take this time before the start of the year to think about the ways in which you could do the following two things, which will make you a more impressive candidate when applying for jobs after graduation:
1) find an extra-curricular activity that you enjoy and use it to develop your skills. There are a huge number of opportunities available through Queen Mary Students Union: get ideas at www.qmsu.org and www.careers.qmul.ac.uk/workexperience
2) In additional to any part-time work that you do, undertake at least 100 hours of work experience in a professional organisation before you enter your second year. This could be in any area of work, paid or unpaid, and needs to challenge you, demonstrating your initiative and a couple of other skills. We can help you find work experience through your own networks or our work experience hub: www.careers.qmul.ac.uk/qmprojects and www.careers.qmul.ac.uk/qrecruit
We can assist you with finding and applying for part time work or work experience through one-to-one appointments in the Careers and Enterprise Centre and activities in your School run by your School Careers Consultant. See our website for more information www.careers.qmul.ac.uk.
If you envisage making your career abroad, the year abroad can be put to especially good use. Take advantage of it to make valuable contacts, and find out where to go and what to do once you graduate. The School organises a personal development planning session at the start of your final year, in conjunction with the College’s Learning Institute, to allow you to consider the benefits you have gained from the time spent abroad.