how to find a work placement - university of exeter...emma gerrard, meng renewable energy “i...
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Jenny Clark, Careers Consultant
Employability and Graduate Development
www.exeter.ac.uk/careers
Tel:01326 253735 Email: [email protected]
How to find a Work Placement
Renewable Energy
www.exeter.ac.uk/careers
Aim / Learning Outcomes
Aim:
To look at strategies for finding work experience/work
placements summer 2013
Learning outcomes:
By the end of this session you will be able to:
Identify methods of finding work experience
Understand how to prepare for work experience including
health and safety requirements
Identify resources available
www.exeter.ac.uk/careers
What are employers saying about
the value of work experience
Adam Longfield, Renewable Energy Engineer,
Natural Generation Ltd:
“Try to obtain a second year work placement that will
best demonstrate your skill set - they may want you
back after graduation. It’s important to begin looking for
employment / placements several months before
graduating as this is when most employers will begin
advertising. Be pro-active about finding a job; don't
expect one to come to you.
Emma Gerrard, MEng Renewable
Energy
“I completed a summer placement with Less CO2, a wind turbine installation company. I really enjoyed my placement, and I’m still in contact with the company and doing a bit of work for them. I especially liked that my placement was fairly unique, as it was with a very new company, and involved a lot more office work than I had expected, which helped me to view the business in a different way. I also went on site, on two installs and a couple of private contracts, and that was the best bit for me, as I want to go into construction eventually, so to actually be on site reaffirmed for me that that’s what I want to do.”
Shawn Brown, BEng Renewable
Energy
“I worked for a company called Dragon Electric Vehicles, who design, build, and mainly convert vehicles from petrol and diesel to electric. I also got to race the only electric vehicle in the UK that competes against other non-electric vehicles. The photo is of me sat in that car! I think renewable energy students should definitely do a work placement, I think that everyone in my year who did enjoyed themselves and thought it was a valuable experience”.
www.exeter.ac.uk/careers
How to find work experience
Step 1: Think about what you want to get out of work experience Step 2: Think a bit about yourself – your likes and dislikes Step 3: Explore the options out there Step 4: Make a decision – reflect back on what you want to get from work experience to help you decide Step 5: Take action – apply for advertised schemes or apply speculatively to create your own Step 6: Reflect on and learn from your experience afterwards
www.exeter.ac.uk/careers
How to find that Work Placement
Company websites
Speculative applications
Networking – Presentation evenings
Via your lecturers
Earth Works
Regen SW
Work placements will not fall at your feet!
www.exeter.ac.uk/careers
Pay !!
•Some students may have to accept an unpaid work
placements.
•Access to Internships - £500 subsidy for SMEs
http://www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/internships/access/
www.exeter.ac.uk/careers
Where did the students go in 2012 •Mott MacDonald – Paid •Clean Mobility, Singapore – paid •REG Windpower, Truro – paid •Green Peninsula, Helston – unpaid •Fred Olson Ltd, Ipswich – paid •Green Evolution Capital, London – paid •Less CO2 Limited, Staffordshire – paid •DECC – paid •Wardell Armstrong – paid •TJ International, Padstow – paid •Mercedes Benz, Milton Keynes – paid •Clean Earth Energy, Wadebridge - paid
www.exeter.ac.uk/careers
When to start applying
From January onwards
Speculative applications
Make speculative applications to employers directly (via CV and covering letter), rather than wait for advertised vacancies.
Beforehand, you need to be clear about:
What type of experience you are seeking
Why you are approaching this organisation
What skills and experiences you can bring
When you are available
www.exeter.ac.uk/careers
Remember
There is often scope to negotiate what you want from the work placement.
Some companies will have a clear graduate placement structure others will
be more flexible.
Its not what you know but
who you know - networking
Don’t forget importance of networking – you may be able to find something through family, friends etc
Employer presentations and events e.g. The Renewable Energy Marketplace – 10-4pm March 19th Westpoint
Exepert scheme – alumni offering advice to current students. Register on line: www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/research/exepert
Attend Networking 2 hour skills workshop
http://www.regensw.co.uk/information/login-join-us/members
Work Placement Health &
Safety
An overview of what you will need to do…
The Health & Safety Process
• You secure your placement
• Placement is checked for appropriateness
& safety by Ken O’Brien
– You must give Full Details of your Placement
– You must carry out a Risk Assessment
• You, the University and the Employer
signs an agreement
Once you secure your placement
– Let your employer know that as you are doing it as part of your degree, they will be contacted by the University with information about expectations.
– Get as much information as possible about what you will be doing on placement and information about the health & safety provision at the company (training, PPE, policies, supervision, evacuation procedure etc.)
• YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO COMPLETE YOUR RISK ASSESSMENT WITHOUT IT!
Working in the UK
• Many Renewable Energy students do a
placement with smaller companies in UK
– Check Employers Liability Insurance, and
Public Liability Insurance (even if taking
unpaid placement)
– Ask me if not sure!
Overseas Placements – You CANNOT do your placement in a country or
part of a country where the Foreign Commonwealth Office advise against travel to – CHECK: fco.gov.uk
– You MUST purchase adequate business travel insurance
– Consider whether or not the company provide insurance while you are working & what it covers & at what level
– Consider if you need to purchase your own insurance to cover you whilst working
– Research the country & have a good understanding of where you are going
– Consider the Visa process for countries are considering – check the Embassy website
Key Messages
• Get as much info as possible about your
placement
• Leave lots of time to get the paperwork
completed
• Contact [email protected] as soon as
you have secured a placement
• We are looking to arrange a fuller briefing on
placement health & safety towards the end of
term. Attendance will be COMPULSORY
Employability Assistant for Mining Engineering, Geology and Renewable Energy – Sarah Vining ([email protected])
Facebook.com/collegeofemps
@CollegeofEMPS
All CSM students will also have ‘EMPcareersandemployability’ listed as one of their courses on ELE – please log in and have a look at the resources available.
www.exeter.ac.uk/careers
Are You Ready ?
Do you have an up to date CV?
CV workshop 4th February 3-4pm DDM Sem I
www.exeter.ac.uk/careers
How can Careers Zone staff help
1:1 appointments to go through your CV/e-guidance
Attend a psychometric / Interview career development session
If you have a Skype interview we can arrange a quiet space
Careers Zone - website
http://www.exeter.ac.uk/careers
www.prospects.ac.uk - website
Useful websites
• Utilities companies www.utilityjobsearch.com
• www.windindustryjobs.com
• www.endsjobsearch.co.uk/ - environmental consultancies
• http://www.ursglobal.com/ consulting engineers
• http://www.amec-ukenvironment.com/index.html environmental
consultancy
• http://www.mygreendirectory.info/index.php
• http://www.prospects.ac.uk/energy_engineer_vacancy_sources.htm
• http://www.peprenewables.com/index.php - based in Helston
• http://www.rwe.com/web/cms/en/284070/rwe-npower/about-us/our-
businesses/renewable-energy/
Other useful websites
• British Wind Energy Association www.bwea.com – job
vacancies
• Centre for Alternative Technology www.cat.org.uk (does
have short term vol placments)
• http://www.exeter.ac.uk/employability/careerplanning/sec
tor/environmentalworkandanimalcarebehaviour/
• www.acre-resources.co.uk – job agency specialising in
the environmental sector
• www.earthworks-jobs.com includes section on
renewable energy jobs
Employability & Graduate Development
www.exeter.ac.uk/careers
Career Zone, The Compass Phone: (01326) 253735 Email: [email protected] Web: www.exeter.ac.uk/careers Opening hours: Term time: 9.00am-5.00pm (Monday - Friday) Vacations: 9.00am-5.00pm (Monday-Friday)