by Emily Peacock, BA English with Creative Writing 2023 graduate – © via Unsplash by Shahadat Rahman

What was finding a graduate opportunity like?

Every experience is different when it comes to building experience. Personally, I found securing a graduate position quite challenging: applying on job sites, reaching out to companies, finding internships and volunteer work to elevate myself in the professional world. I had just finished my dissertation and I wanted a company to see my potential, it was not long after that I received word about an exciting temporary job with Digital and Technology Services.

About the role

Before graduating, I received an email from a UoN member of staff about a position in IT that suited me very well and I was encouraged to apply.

The interview process felt instantly positive, and the team were very friendly towards us. They wanted to know each candidate well and explained in detail about their role as well as explore the position listed. Three days after my graduation, I headed over to Kings Meadow Campus to start my position as an IT Service Desk Analyst with a great team.

The benefits of the role

As I stayed in Nottingham after my studies, I had a short commute to the UoN campus and the job came with lots of perks including hybrid working, team social activities and amazing training opportunities. I thoroughly enjoyed what the university offered to me.

My leadership skills improved tremendously in this role as I felt confident and knowledgeable through the service desk training; they made the content easy to remember and I had the support of lots of team members when I needed their guidance.

This role has set myself and others apart from other candidates with evidenced troubleshooting skills, communication skills, and experience in higher education, aiding my application to another higher education role.

My review of the position

I found the job very rewarding as the position requires you to help students with IT issues and queries. The teamwork was incredible, and the management were amazing to work with. It was great to give back to the staff that supported me for the three years that I had studied as an undergraduate there.

I would highly recommend applying for any role within the DTS team and any other temporary jobs offered by the university as this was a position that I look back on and remember being so beneficial in working my skills to the next level.

I would say that these are the skills that the DTS team look for:

• Customer service experience
• IT knowledge/experience
• An understanding of systems such as Moodle and Echo 360
• Admin training or experience

I have worked in retail, customer service and sales part-time for many years, though what they are looking for are motivated candidates with lots of potential to grow within this role.

Are you interested in building your experience through temporary work in and around Nottingham? Visit the Unitemps website to see the temporary vacancies they have available.