Welcome and Welcome Back!

What a fantastic start to the new academic year it has been, seeing our campuses so full of life and we, in the Employability Service, are looking forward to meeting you all.

During the summer, the team has been busy updating and re-vamping the Career Centre, your one-stop shop for all careers resources. It has a new look that helps you identify the best resources for you, whether you are exploring, developing, pursuing, or advancing your career plans. Look out for an email from your Employability and Careers Adviser in early October for some personalised recommendations of things you can do this term to elevate your future.

Back again for its 3^rd year is Futures Festival – two weeks (30^th October – 10^th November) packed with events, employers, and workshops to help you develop your career ideas, identify work experience and graduate opportunities as well and make industry connections. The programme is being finalised as I write, and you can see all the events here.

As well as the fantastic Futures Festival there will be many other events during the year to choose from and book onto, some specifically linked to your course/degree and areas of interest.  Others, such as our LinkedIn Masterclasses, will take the strain out of preparing your self-marketing and give expert advice on making the most of your skills, knowledge and experience.

Activate your Handshake Account by 13^th October and be entered into a prize draw! Activating your account will give you access to the many events we are running as well as appointments with your Advisers and job and placement opportunities being advertised by our employer partners.

Prizes for activating your handshake account by the 13^th include.

• 1 Macbook
• 2 pairs of Air Pods
• 3 £50

Coming out of the pandemic, Businesses are experiencing skills shortages and changing workplaces and they are looking for graduates to help them navigate the complex challenges they face. Your Employability and Careers Advisers work closely with these organisations to ensure the support we provide reflects those changes and equips you with the tools you need to succeed in your career aspirations.

And if you’re not sure what those aspirations might be just yet, or you have some ideas and want to explore further, then book a Career Planning appointment and talk through interests and options with a qualified Careers Adviser.

Come and see us at Drop In for those quick queries or help with your applications, job/placement search/interview support etc. You will find us between 11am and 2pm Monday-Friday at Cambridge (Open Access Area, 1^st Floor, LAB) and Chelmsford (ARU Temps, Queen’s Ground Floor) and in the Student Support Centre at Peterborough on Tuesday and Thursday.

Remember, this blog is for you – ARU students. Please share your thoughts with us and if you have some interesting or useful information regarding employability and careers that you can share with your peers, contact us on [email protected].

Good luck for the new academic year and we look forward to seeing you soon! 

Amanda Crouch, Head of Employability & Careers

Our Employability Service works with students throughout their time at ARU and after they graduate. The Service offers careers advice, online resources, and help with job searches, applications and interview preparation. Our Employability & Careers Advisers may mention some of these resources and services in their blogs, to give you an idea of the careers support that's on offer at ARU. Some of these resources sit behind a log in and can only be accessed by current students.