If you are to be competitive in your applications then gaining experience and selling that which you have, is really important. At the University of Southampton we advertise a range of paid placements and internships that can help you to build up your skills and gain insight into industry. You can also use volunteering as a way to boost your CV and many students find this is a way to fit gaining work experience around their studies.
The Careers & Employability Service can offer advice on how to use these new skills to sell yourself on an application, CV or interview. See our Application Advice pages for advice on how to convey this to a potential employer or visit our Ask the Adviser sessions for individual support.
These can be valuable in enabling you to gain experience whether in the particular industry you are interested in or to simply gain some working experience. The University of Southampton offers a range of programmes that can facilitate this:
Student Ladder - Search for graduate schemes, placement years or internships by sector/year of study
RateMyPlacement - Useful resource offering reviews from those who have worked for organisations. Also a useful job searching tool
Taking a placement overseas can increase your employability through your experiences of a new society and culture. It can demonstrate a range of skills including:
Furthermore, it can help with networking and language skills if you are considering the option of seeking a job abroad when your degree finishes.
The University of Southampton's Study Abroad programme gives you the opportunity to go abroad for a year or just over the summer.
The Study Abroad team provide support for both incoming and outgoing students as part of the programme. Together with Careers & Employability they also run sessions to assist you in using the skills you have learnt to help with getting a job in your home country whether that is the UK or elsewhere.
Volunteering is a great way to gain experience that can fit around your studies. There are a lot of local and national opportunities for you to take advantage of through the University. Whether you choose to volunteer organising national events, restoring artefacts or helping sustain the environment, you could make a real difference, try out career ideas and add some great work experience to your CV. Check our Volunteering page for further information.
There are also plenty of local opportunities within the city of Southampton. Look out for opportunities on MyCareer or try the following organisations:
The Student Enterprise Team at Southampton can support you in developing your enterprising and entrepreneurial skills. Taking part in one of their opportunities can encourage you to be innovative and creative in your approach and will be valuable experience in your applications and working life.
Here are some of the ways you can access the support offered by the Student Enterprise team:
Getting involved in a club or society can be more than just a fun extracurricular activity. It can be a really valuable way of showing transferable skills for example:
With over 200 societies and sports clubs at the University of Southampton, you should find something to interest you. Find out what's on offer on the Students’ Union website.