March 28, 2014, by Beth Dawson

Online Q&A round-up part 3

Answers provided by careers consultants Andy Smith and Rachel Curley. 

March is flying by and so are our Q&A sessions! If you missed this week’s session, get up to date with our compilation of questions and answers. If you want expert advice direct to your newsfeed, we’re holding the last in our online Q&A series on 3 April – don’t miss out! 

‘How do I apply for publishing and journalism internships?’ (Beth, English)

You’ll need to be proactive, there are many opportunities in this sector that aren’t advertised, so speculative applications are a good way to try and secure work experience. Research the sector and specific companies and get to know the influencers, following them on Twitter is a good way to get the latest news which will help you to tailor your applications. Don’t forget about smaller organisations and areas away from established fiction publishers, such as digital journals or well-established blogs. There are a range of specialisms within the publishing sector such as academic, educational and trade publishing  – it’s important to think beyond books. Likewise, positions are also varied, so don’t restrict your search to just looking for editorial work, there are opportunities in marketing and PR, sales, rights and production.

‘How can I make my CV stand out when applying for creative jobs without it looking unprofessional or amateur?’ (Toby, Architecture)

You may want to consider adding visual impact when applying to any creative field. As an architecture student, you’re in a good position of having a portfolio of work to draw upon, so import visual elements of your portfolio work into your CV to make it stand out. You could also think about utilising themes to make your CV, covering letter and portfolio cohesive. Something as simple as using the same font in all three documents can contribute towards developing your personal brand. If you’re looking for CV inspiration, our arts and design careers page features a helpful ‘Creative CV Guide‘ which contains effective examples of the power of personal branding in a range of sectors.

‘Where can I find opportunities for fashion internships and graduate schemes?’  (Claudia, Geography)

Employers within the fashion industry can range from top designers in well-established studios, to high-end retail outlets, supermarket clothing labels and manufacturing operations. Each of these types of employer will offer different types of opportunities such as design work, buying, marketing and PR, so it’s important to research which area of fashion you want to go into. A good starting point for gaining experience is to contact fashion houses, designers, department and retail stores and supermarket clothing labels to enquire about work experience opportunities. You can find opportunities by searching on the websites of fashion companies, although it’s worth bearing in mind when applying that even though some internships are paid, numerous placements in this sector are unpaid.

In some cases work experience might lead to a permanent job offer, but even if this is not the case, you will be gaining experience in the right field. The biggest retail chains run graduate schemes for managers and merchandisers. For listings of fashion-related work experience and general information about the industry, visit the University for the Creative Arts website.

‘Is it the end of the world if you don’t have any experience outside your degree?’ (Annie, History)

Absolutely not, make the most of the skills you developed on your course and relate them to the positions you’re applying for, being sure to use practical examples to demonstrate these skills.

‘Experience’ is a very broad term and it includes taking part in societies, volunteering and being a course representative. As a history student, your skills, such as written and communication skills, are very much in demand from employers. To further explore skills that you can gain during your degree and demonstrate to employers see Prospects’ ‘Options with your subject- History‘ webpage.

Still haven’t got your fix of careers advice? Why not check out our previous online Q&A round-ups from our first and second sessions. Remember, 3 April is our last Q&A for this series, so if you have a question you want to put to our careers adviser, Pablo, be sure to tweet it to us using the hashtag #AskUoNCareers or post your question on our Facebook wall. If you want to see a careers adviser in person, you can book an appointment through My Career. 

 

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