UCL CAREERS SERVICE

Through the Skills4Work programme, a range of graduate recruiters have volunteered to offer 1-1 coaching on writing CVs, cover letters, personal statements and/or application forms.

Even if you're not applying to their company, you can get a recruiter's view on any application you've written* and they'll suggest tips for improvement in terms of what recruiters generally look for in applications and what will make yours stand out from the crowd. 

*Some employers will review any application while others may only look at a specific type of application, (e.g. a CV or an application form but not both), based on what's common practice at their company.

The Recruiters will not write your application for you so you should use the resources and/or events suggested below before booking to ensure you have a well written draft before booking a slot.

Spelling and Grammar
As the guidance and feedback concentrates on the content and relevance of an application for a particular job or sector, while the employer may point out grammatical or spelling errors in passing, they wont proof-read applications, nor give detailed feedback or coaching against English Language competency. Such coaching falls beyond the remit of our specialist area.

If you're concerned about the standard of English in applications, you can make use of the wide range of English language courses offered by UCL Language Centre. Our downloadable Spelling and Grammar Guide can also help with common errors.

Checking and re-checking
In line with this, the sessions also aren't designed for repeated checks of the same application to make it word perfect.

Before booking a slot, you will need to write a draft application, (CV, cover letter, personal statement or application form), for whatever it is you're applying for. If you're unsure about your career or further study options and don't yet have an application for something specific, a Short Guidance session to explore options will be more useful for you.

Use the Writing Applications section of our website for advice on how to write the draft application. It provides a range of general resources on writing applications and also give suggestions for sector / occupation specific guides which highlight what recruiters look for.

We also run a range of events through which you can get information and advice on how to write effective applications including:

• Skills4Work Panel Talks / Workshops (Employer Led)
• Talks for International Students (Careers Adviser Led)
• Talks for Masters Students (Careers Adviser Led)
• Talks for PhD Students (Careers Adviser Led)
• Talks for GradClub Members (Careers Adviser Led)

A wide range of recruiters have volunteered to take part in the Skills4Work 1-1 Application Coaching.

Details of which recruiters are covering which days will be advertised below. Your application doesn't have to be for the recruiter you see but obviously their expertise in application reviewing is likely to be sector specific.

Programme

All Employer Application Checking takes place on Friday afternoons with appointments available at 15 minute intervals between 2pm and 4.30pm. 

Sessions are available as follows:

• 01/02/2013:
  Davis Polk and BAML - BOOK NOW - see below...

• 08/02/2013:
  Sungard and ICAEW- BOOK NOW - see below...

Bookings

• You MUST register your interest in advance using your "My Careers Service" account. You can register from 1.30pm, TWO weeks before each session takes place and bookings will close when it is fully booked or, at the latest, 1 working day before.
• Once registered, you will need to visit or call UCL Careers Service to pick one of the available time slots which are booked on a first come first served basis.
• You will have UP TO 2 working days after registering to pick a time slot. If we haven't heard from you by then, your registration will be cancelled.
• Non-attendance: Due to the nature of the 1-1 appointments and the time kindly given by employers for these, failure to attend your appointment without giving at least 1 working day's notice to cancel your booking will result in your My Careers Service account being deactivated so you won't be able to book other Careers Service events in advance.

Please note: Slots will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. There are a limited number of slots (only 8 per employer) and these are likely to fill up quickly due to popular demand. However, any appointment slots which are cancelled will automatically be made available for re-booking through My Careers Service so please do check regularly for availability.

If you arrive more than 5 minutes late, your appointment will be canceled. Application queries cannot generally be dealt with effectively in under 10 minutes and starting late will inconvenience other users of the service.

If you need to print a copy of your application and/or the job/course description at the Careers Service, please ensure you arrive with sufficient time to do so before the appointment starts. If you have nothing ready to be checked when called, you will also be asked to re-book for another day.

Due to the nature of 1-1 guidance however, some appointments can last slightly longer than 15 minutes which means you may not always be seen exactly on time but you should still avoid arriving late and missing your slot.