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Plan your development
This year will be busy; being organised is key. Employers want students with good academics and work, internship, extra-curricular and voluntary experience. Focus your priorities by creating plan. Start by identifying where you are now; complete a SWOT analysis, note your: Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats Consider how you can utilise the opportunities to address your weaknesses and create a termly action plan for your academic and personal development - this timeline will help. -
Become a course representative
Most LSE courses have a course representative from the student body who will represent their peers at formal meetings with tutors and other staff members at LSE. Become a course rep and you'll gain valuable experience of liaising with senior members of LSE and articulating students' views, all important employability skills. Ask in your department for information about how you can get involved. -
Join an LSE club or society
Being part of an LSE club or society is a great opportunity to meet people with similar interests and to gain important employability skills. Employers regularly inform LSE Careers that they look for and greatly value students who have gained skills from outside education and work. Visit the LSE Students' Union website for information about LSE clubs and societies. -
Attend careers fairs
Fairs are an opportunity for you to speak directly to employers from a variety of sectors about their recruitment activities and company. Each academic year LSE Careers runs careers fairs for a variety of sectors, including: Volunteering
Consultancy
Finance and banking
Internships
Public sector and policy
Business and management
Law
Marketing, media and communication Fair dates and information will become available via Career Hub closer to the event. -
Research companies and sectors
Research is an important part of career planning. The more you know about a sector and the related companies the more targeted, and therefore successful, your applications and interviews will be. More information and resources available at Employment sector information. Unsure what you want to do or want your application checked? Book a careers discussion with LSE Careers, via Career Hub from 9:30am on the day you want the appointment. -
Record application deadlines
The closing dates for graduate training schemes vary between sectors but can be as early as October the year before you want to start and as late as February during the start year. Research company schemes and make a record of their deadlines. More at Employment sector information. Want your application checked or undecided about your career path? Book a careers discussion appointment from 9:30am on the day you'd like it via Career Hub. -
Apply for a part time job
Many LSE students help fund their studies through part time work, in a local shop, pub or restaurant, an office or related to the sector they want to work in after graduation. Any part time job will equip you with employability skills, useful to draw upon when applying for full time roles. Vacancies are on Career Hub. LSE recommends students work a maximum of 15 hours during term time. International students are advised to speak to ISIS if they are unsure about any visa restrictions. -
Apply for graduate schemes
Graduate training schemes give graduates the chance to gain hands-on experience in a company and sector aligned with their professional aspirations. Research companies and schemes that interest you; remember, fewer detailed applications will be more successful than many with no tailoring. Deadlines for grad schemes vary for sectors/companies, so check carefully. Visit CVs, cover letters and applications for more information, or have a careers discussion to check your applications. -
Attend careers seminars
Careers seminars are run throughout the academic year by LSE Careers and cover topics such as how to write an effective application form, CV workshops, interview preparation and sector specific presentations. They're a great way to gain relevant knowledge and can be helpful if you're applying for full time, part time, internship, summer or voluntary opportunities. Visit Career Hub for dates, seminar descriptions and how to book. -
Have a careers discussion
A careers discussion is an opportunity for you to discuss anything career related with our careers consultants, whether you have no idea or know exactly what you want to do. You can have a careers discussion throughout the year, inside and outside of term time. To make a 15 minute careers discussion appointment log into Career Hub from 9:30am on the day you want the appointment. -
Volunteer
Volunteering is recognised by 94% of employers as equipping you with relevant employability skills. It can also enable you to do something worthwhile for those less fortunate than yourself, allowing you to give back to your local community. At LSE the Volunteer Centre is active in sourcing voluntary opportunities for LSE students. More information at LSE Volunteer Centre. -
Get CV advice
Once you've attended a CV careers seminar (see Career Hub</a> for seminar dates) and tailored your CV to a specific position, get feedback on its style and content in a CV and/or cover letter appointment. Book a 15 minute appointment from 9:30am on the day you want it via Career Hub. Information on CVs can be found at CVs, cover letters and applications. -
Attend LSE public events
LSE has a varied schedule of public lectures and events throughout the academic year. LSE students should attend to improve their general knowledge, commercial awareness and to hear from inspirational and influential people. More information can be found at Public events. -
Improve commerical awareness
Commercial awareness is extremely important in the work place and is one of the areas employers tell LSE Careers that students lack at interview. Having commercial awareness shows genuine interest in an area, an understanding of the industry and the influence of external factors on business. Set up email alerts and RSS feeds to receive relevant news from newspapers, trade publications and professional bodies right to your inbox/phone. -
Arrange a departmental social event
Organisational skills are highly valued by the majority of employers. Organising a social or academic event for your department is a practical way of gaining this skill, in order to demonstrate this competency to potential employers. Other competencies will be used whilst arranging the event, including liaising with your peers, decision making and communication skills. Plus, you'll have the chance to socialise with people in your class! -
Assess your development
Use your SWOT analysis and personal development plan from the start of term to assess if you have reached your goals for this term. Have you joined a club or society, volunteered, etc? If you met your targets, well done! Add your experiences to your CV. Now check your plan for next term, and see what you need to do to meet those targets. If you didn’t meet your targets, adjust your plan for next term and decide how you'll meet the new targets. -
Book a mock interview
Practice your competency or case study interview technique by having a 30 minute practice interview at LSE Careers. Designed to help students who have an upcoming interview these appointments are available throughout the year. Book online via Career Hub as soon as you know your interview date. LSE students can book one competency or case study practice interview per term. Interview resources available at Interviews, assessment centres and psychometric tests. -
Have a careers discussion
A careers discussion is an opportunity for you to discuss anything career related with our careers consultants, whether you have no idea or know exactly what you want to do. You can have a careers discussion throughout the year, inside and outside of term time. To make a 15 minute careers discussion appointment log into Career Hub from 9:30am on the day you want the appointment. -
Assess your development
Use your SWOT analysis and personal development plan from the start of term to assess if you have reached your goals for this term. Have you joined a club or society, volunteered, etc? If you met your targets, well done! Add your experiences to your CV. Check your plan for next term; what do you need to do to meet the targets? Otherwise, adjust your plan for next term and decide how you'll meet the new targets. Be realistic about your personal achievements as your academics become priority. -
Attend summer careers events
LSE Careers runs a programme of careers workshops and seminars throughout the summer. Attend sessions on CVs, cover letters, applications forms, job search technique, and more. Careers discussion and CV/cover letter appointments also run throughout the summer. Seminar dates and descriptions available on Career Hub. -
Attend the jobs fair
Employers recruiting for full-time, part-time, internship or graduate scheme vacancies attend this fair, looking to fill their positions with LSE students. Attend if you are graduating in 2013! Details of this fair will be added to Career Hub closer to the event. -
Assess your development
Use your SWOT analysis and personal development plan from the start of term to assess if you have reached your goals for this term. Add your experiences to your CV. Whether you’ve found a job or are looking for that perfect post you can still book careers discussion appointments with LSE Careers for up to two years after your graduation date. More at LSE Careers: Information for alumni. -
Graduate!
The past year of hard work has come to an end; now enjoy your graduation day... congratulations! As an LSE graduate you can use the LSE Careers appointment services for up to two years after your graduation date. More information about the careers service for LSE alumni can be found at LSE Careers: information for alumni.
