Hey guys! Hope everyone’s good?!

Hope everyone’s settled in properly by now. I’ve spent the last week trying to wrap my head around the fact that I’m now a Master’s student. Like really, where does the time go?

So, with the threat of life after uni looming, today’s blog is about careers. One thing I realised is that it’s never too early to start thinking about and improving your employability. I’m not trying to say you need to make up your mind ASAP about what exactly you want to do, because really, we can plan but anything can happen. All I’m saying is start with the little things now, so that when the time comes, and you’ve made up your mind, it’s a little bit easier.

Luckily, when it comes to employability and career’s, Surrey’s got you covered. Did you know we ranked 1^st in the UK and 7^th in the world for work placements and research partnerships by the QS World Employability Rankings 2019? (#SurreynotSorry). It also placed 18^th in the UK for overall employability. Tbh this doesn’t really come as a surprise considering the amazing support facilities by the Career’s centre. This comes in the form of CV/Cover letter checks, mock interviews, guidance sessions and so on. Next week Wednesday is the biggest career’s event of the year, The Autumn Careers and Placements Fair. It’s an opportunity to mingle with about 140 companies and employers advertising available roles; whether placement or graduate. Just last week was the annual Chemical Engineering Industry Day organised by the department in conjunction with the careers centre. It was great to listen to so many employers and placement students talk about the experiences they had and give a general feel of the opportunities available across so many sectors.

There are so many opportunities and employers keen to take in Surrey students, but ultimately it’s up to you to ensure you make the most of it. This is where thinking ahead gives you an advantage. There are always things you can get involved in to improve your chances, these include:

• Part-time work: The holidays, especially summer, are a perfect time to gain valuable work experience. They don’t necessarily have to be internships at big companies. It can be on a much smaller scale. This would really help you gain new skills, not to mention build your network and boost your CV.
• Volunteering: Yes, it can be hard finding summer internships so another way to go is to volunteer. This can be throughout your holiday or while at school. It helps to show employers that you can take initiative and are passionate about other things outside academics. Again, it’s a good way to boost your CV and accumulate a wealth of transferable skills, while also giving back to the community. The SU has a website for volunteering opportunities that you can gain access to: https://www.surreyvolunteering.com/
• Joining a society/sports club: Although this one isn’t exactly career related, it’s still a positive addition to your CV as it helps to show that you’re a well-rounded individual and you have interests outside of your academics. It’s a great opportunity meet new people, build your network, gain leadership skills (if your go for a position on the committee, and have fun.

More info on the range of sports and societies available at Surrey can be found here: https://www.ussu.co.uk/getinvolved/sports-and-societies.

I encourage everyone to check out the Employability and Careers website, https://www.surrey.ac.uk/employability-and-careers, for more info about the services available (if you look closely at the picture, you’ll notice that the back of my head makes an appearance, so yes, I’m practically famous) or alternatively, keep up with their blog here to know about general happenings: https://blogs.surrey.ac.uk/careers/

Well that’s it from me today guys.

Till next time!

Fawziyyah.