7 Aug 2017
Land Your Dream Job Using Instagram
Originally published on Careeba
Chances are you’re already one of the 700 million people that use Instagram monthly. But, are you using your account to its full potential? Increasingly, employers are using social media platforms such as Instagram, as well as traditional job sites like LinkedIn, for recruitment.
To ensure you don’t miss out, follow this step by step guide to learn how you can use Instagram to land your dream job.
​
Create a separate ‘professional’ Instagram account
​
Despite what you may think, employers aren’t necessarily interested in how many likes your latest selfie racked up. But, Instagram’s ‘Multiple Account’ feature means you can keep your selfies as well as cultivating a more business friendly image. Using the ‘Multiple Account’ feature you can add up to five accounts to your main account without having to log in and out of the app. Simply go to your profile and tap options on the top right of the screen. Scroll down to ‘Add Account’ and enter a username and password of the account you’d like to add. Give your new account a more professional sounding name. Keep it simple with just, ‘yourname’, or advertise your skills with ‘yournameportfolio’. To switch between your new account and your main ‘personal’ account, go to your profile, tap your name at the top of the screen and then tap the name of the account you’d like to switch to.
Cultivate the right image
Now you have a professional name for your new account it’s time to add some professional looking content. Impress employers by using your Instagram feed to showcase your interest in your desired career. Select high quality images that show your previous work or the personal projects you’ve undertaken, the people you have met at industry events and the latest articles or news in your target industry. For example, say you were looking for your dream job in the tech industry, you might use your Instagram feed to document you learning a new coding language, attending a recent tech event or an article you’ve read on the latest news in tech. Remember to add relevant tags to your images so employers can find them using Instagram’s ‘Explore’ function. Also, don’t forget to include images that show your interests outside of work, such as volunteering, sports or any other hobbies. This helps employers get to know you and whether you’d be a right fit for their company without even having to meet you.
​
Follow prospective employers
Now your new professional account is up and running, write a list of the companies you’d like to work for as part of your dream job and follow their Instagram accounts. This will ensure you are kept up to date on all their latest opportunities, including opportunities that won’t necessarily be posted on more traditional careers sites such as LinkedIn. Following a company’s Instagram account also enables you to get a feel for the company and what it is like to work there. You can also search for the Instagram accounts of company employees that work in the department you’d like to work in. Use their Instagram feeds to gain a better understanding of what working at that company is like day-to-day.
You can then use this knowledge to stand out when reaching out to employers and in interviews when you are asked, ‘Why you want to work for this company?’. You can now answer this often difficult question in a unique way that is highly relevant to that specific company. Such as, ‘I really like your company’s work environment, it’s great that you get together every week for an office lunch!’. This sounds infinitely more impressive than the usual generic responses recruiters often hear and standing out is key if you want to land that dream job.
Utilise Instagram’s ‘Explore’ feature
​
The ‘Explore’ feature allows anyone, including employers, to search for a specific username or ‘tags’. However, you can also use this feature to your advantage. Search keywords, for example, ‘tech’ followed by ‘jobs’, ‘opportunities’ or ‘internships’. Then, scroll through the results. You may be surprised to find opportunities you may not have come across before or smaller companies you hadn’t previously heard of that are hiring. Instagram also suggests similar search items to further widen your search. You can also now use Instagram’s ‘Collections’ feature to save your searches. Simply click on the bookmark image on your profile. This will take you to your ‘saved’ page. From here you can create multiple ‘collections’ of saved images that you can return to at a later date.
​
Connect on Instagram
Put the ‘social’ into ‘social media’ by commenting and liking on the posts of the employers that you follow. An engaging question or response to their post will make employers more likely to check out your account. By noting the hashtags that the companies you follow use and using them yourself, you can also increase the chance of them noticing your account. If you use other social media platforms, make sure to link them to your Instagram account. You can then share your Instagram posts across all your platforms, maximising their impact and your success landing your dream job.
​
Image courtesy of Pixabay
January 7, 2016
Careeba interviews Fran Johnson – Associate Director of the MBS programme at Alliance Manchester Business School
​
Originally published on Careeba
​
As Fran says herself, an MBA is a huge investment emotionally, academically and financially. So, what benefits can studying an MBA course bring to your career and is it worth it? We spoke to Fran Johnson to hear more about the MBA programme at Alliance Manchester Business School (AMBS) and her own experiences as a former MBA student.
​
You’re an alumnus of the MBA programme yourself, when you applied what did you feel you would get out of the programme?
​
I had worked in some amazing organisations, predominantly in IT, as a business analyst, a systems analyst and programme manager. I loved my job and the people I worked with but got to the point where I knew I was good but I just wasn’t sure how good and wanted to get a sense of where I was on my career path. And that’s what I looked for the MBA to do, to really push me and challenge me. The MBA, for me, really was a benchmarking exercise.
It sounds like the MBA really came at a particularly pertinent juncture in your career, a time when you wanted to expand your opportunities and knowledge.
​
I used to manage large programmes and projects, and because I’d done it for a little while I thought, ‘everyone can do this’, It’s only when you step outside your own role when you realize, no, that’s a skill I have that others don’t. Not only did the MBA give me the chance to learn a lot of new things, but it also gave me the chance to step back and understand myself as an individual and realize what I was good at already.
​
Do you remember your own personal expectations of the programme and were they met after you graduated?
​
I think people’s expectations of an MBA programme and of themselves develop, certainly whilst they are on our programme. I thought when I joined that it would challenge me intellectually, which it certainly did. What I didn’t expect it to be is so relevant to what I’d been doing previously. I could bring my experience in project management into the MBA as well as my sector and stakeholder knowledge. Also, the variety of people you meet and the things you do is amazing. Those are the things I didn’t expect.
​
What did you find was the most enjoyable aspect of the MBA?
​
This is really personal to each individual, but most people would say, or most people should say, their peer group. I’m now 14 years out of the programme and I’ve still got a very vital network. I’ve got a group of people who I will be able leverage as friends and as professional colleagues for the rest of my business career.
​
Read more at Careeba
Review your course – History at Oxford
Originally published on Tutored
Teaching
Historians are taught in a variety of ways at Oxford. A typical weekly timetable is structured around lectures and tutorials but depending on the module you are taking you may also be taught in seminars or classes.
​
Tutorials are central to Oxford teaching. Preparation for your tutorial usually involves completing an essay or some preparatory reading. You will then meet with your tutor, with one or two other students although one on one tutorials aren’t uncommon.
​
Tutorials can be challenging as you will need to explain, defend and often critique the conclusions you have drawn from that week’s reading. Tutorials are also very rewarding as you will receive direct feedback on your work from an expert in that field.
​
Seminars and classes are taught in larger groups. They usually involve a student presentation and then a discussion of the presentation and the wider topic of the class. History lectures usually take place in the centrally located Examination schools and are given by different lecturers who specialise in that period of history.
Workload
​
Each week students are given an essay title and a list of recommended reading. You have to be able to motivate yourself to get to the library to do your reading, notes and plan and write your essay.
You will then discuss the essay topic and your own essay in a tutorial. Essays are usually around 2,000 – 2,500 words long. As well as this you may also have to complete reading or a presentation in preparation for a class or seminar.
​
A history degree involves a lot of independent studying as historians have fairly limited timetabled contact hours. This means you are largely in charge of your own workload. You are free to work at times which suit you best but the lack of structure means you will have to discipline yourself. If you stay organised, the workload is manageable and historians have lots of opportunities to be involved in extracurricular activities.
​
History faculty and libraries
Historians are spoilt for choice when it comes to libraries at Oxford. When you receive your reading list you’ll probably go to your college library first. College libraries often stock the most popular items on your reading list. Students can also request items to be bought for their college library. For more specialist items students will often head to the History Faculty Library.
​
The History Faculty Library is located in the Radcliffe Camera and the Gladstone Link. The Radcliffe Camera is one of Oxford’s most recognisable buildings. You’ll often find tourists posing for pictures outside as you struggle to push past with your piles of books.
Books from the Lower Camera can be taken out of the library whereas books from the Upper Camera have to be read inside. The Gladstone Link is an underground library that connects the Radcliffe Camera and the main Bodleian Library. Books from the Upper Gladstone Link can be taken out of the library but books from the Lower Gladstone library have to be read in the library. History students will often use books from other Oxford libraries such as the Social Science Library, the Philosophy Library or the English Faculty Library.
Flexibility
​
Unlike other courses at Oxford which have compulsory modules that you must study, History at Oxford is probably the most flexible degree in terms of choice of papers. The only condition is that you have to study at least one Medieval, one Early Modern and one Modern paper over the first two years of your degree.
Within these areas, there are a number of papers to choose from. In the first year students take four papers including, History of the British Isles, General History (European) these papers are divided into chronological periods. The other two papers are a choice between Approaches to History or Historiography and an optional subject – usually a choice of around sixteen different topics. More generally, there are many different ways to study the past.
Whatever your interests are whether they be art, literature, politics, anthropology or something else entirely, a History degree allows you explore your interests whilst gaining a deeper understanding of the past and develop the analytical tools that are relevant in many different careers.
​
Advices for freshers at Somerville college Oxford
Originally published on Tutored
​
Finding friends
​
The chance to meet new people and form life long friends at university fills some people with excitement and other people with dread. I can’t imagine anyone who wasn’t at least a bit nervous about the prospect of finding friends at university. Freshers week at Somerville college aims to ease some of those worries. At Somerville college, Freshers reps are responsible for organising activities specifically designed to bring people together in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere.
From tie dyeing t-shirts, pub quizzes and ice skating trips there is something for everyone. When it comes to evening activities, going out to clubs is seen as a ubiquitous part of fresher’s week at any university. But if clubbing isn’t your thing, then there are plenty of ‘non going out’ options including film nights and ‘speed friending’. Beyond freshers week, one of the best ways to meet new people and make new friends, especially friends outside Somerville, is to get involved in one of the numerous clubs and societies in Oxford. Each society has a stall at the uni wide Fresher’s Fair and there will definitely be something out there for you!
Financial worries
​
Living away from home means you’ll probably be managing your own money for the first time. To start your university life in good financial stead, before you even arrive at university it’s important to research the funding options and scholarships you may be eligible for. Information for university wide scholarships can be found on the Oxford university. Somerville college offers its own scholarships including travel grants and grants for books, research materials and medical equipment. Thanks to Oxford’s extensive libraries, you probably won’t have to buy a single book during your time here.
​
However if you do, the Somerville grant has got you covered. Whilst at university, it’s important to keep on top of your spending habits and outlining a budget can help with this. It doesn’t have to be extensive, but noting down your purchases means you identify areas where you could cut your expenses – I’m thinking that extra frappuccino. If you do enter financial difficulty, Somerville college’s accountant, Elaine Boorman is on hand to give advice on financial matters. The Student Advice service is also able to offer confidential financial advice.
Academic issues
​
Before you came to Somerville, you were probably amongst the best in your class at school. However at Oxford, you’re now among fellow students who were all the best in their class at school. This can leave many people feeling inadequate and like their work isn’t good enough. Although this is a common problem, it can become detrimental to your academic work and your self confidence. To combat this, it’s important to remember that your tutor’s clearly saw your potential and academic ability and you deserve your place at Somerville.
​
It’s also important to remember that you aren’t in competition with your fellow students. By meeting up, sharing notes and essays you can help each other. If you are struggling with your academic work, it’s better to speak to your tutor sooner rather than later. Through talking to you personal tutor, you can discuss potential solutions and implement an action plan. The Student Advice service can also provide information on academic matters and signpost other services such as the Student Disability Service which assists those with disabilities and learning difficulties.
Burn out
​
The combination of juggling academic life, friendships, managing your own money and living away from home can make university a stressful experience. There is only a certain amount of stress people can take. If you push yourself beyond that limit, forcing yourself to go pass it, you start expending your emergency energy reserves. This may cause you to crash and ‘burn out’. Many people at Oxford are ambitious, perfectionists and under pressure to succeed which makes them more vulnerable to burn out. One of the first things you can do is to recognise your feelings.
Do you still feel tired even after some good night’s sleep or some days off? You may be burnt out. The next thing you can do is to talk to your friends. Just talking about how you are feeling can make you feel less alone and isolated. Speaking to a professional is important when you are feeling burnt out. At Somerville college, our doctor and nurse are there to help with student’s mental and physical health. Through a number of support networks such as our Welfare and Peer Support team and our doctor and nurse, Somerville college can offer support to any student suffering from burn out.
​
​
​
​
Tips for admission - Somerville College, Oxford
Originally published on Tutored
​
Preparation
​
Whilst the Oxford admissions process aims to select those who have an aptitude for studying their chosen subject at Oxford, there are certain aspects you can prepare for. Most candidates will be asked to submit a personal statement along with their application. In your personal statement you need to show how your interest for your chosen subject goes beyond simply what you are taught in class. This could be the extra books you’ve read, other classes you’ve attended or trips you’ve undertaken. This will help the tutors at Oxford see your academic ability and potential in your chosen subject.
After submitting your application most subjects at Oxford will require you to take an aptitude test. Information on which test you may have to take is listed on the Oxford University website. Most aptitude tests are designed so that you can’t ‘revise’ for them. However, past exam papers are available online and completing some in timed conditions will prepare you for the structure and nature of the test. For some aptitude tests such as the LNAT (Law) and the BMAT (Medicine) there are a number of books and websites with resources to help you pass the test.
​
Stay calm
​
The Oxford interview can be the most daunting part of the Oxford application – but try not to panic! Take big deep breaths before you enter your interviewer’s room (who will usually be a tutor at Somerville) and remember to pause and breathe during your interview.
For most subjects at Somerville you will have usually two, sometimes more, interviews with different interviewers. So if you think one interview hasn’t gone so well, then don’t worry! You have another chance at acing your interview. At Somerville, current students take on the role of interview helpers to assist you in any way possible. They will take you to each interview so you don’t have to worry about getting lost or being late.
There are also activities during the day and on most evenings. Past examples include a pub quiz and a film night. These events are designed to put you at ease and to help you make friends at your interviews. If all goes well the people you meet at your interview could be your friends for the next few years!
Do your reading!
​
In their personal statement, most applicants will include examples of books or articles on their chosen subject that they’ve read in their own time. Interviewers can ask you questions on this reading, so make sure you have actually read what you’ve said you’ve read!
As preparation for interviews, applicants for some subjects are given texts to read beforehand which they will then discuss during their interview. Applicants are usually given from half an hour to an hour to read these texts. For English this could be a passage of prose or a poem. For Biology this could be a passage from a piece scientific literature on a particular enzyme.
Don’t worry, you aren’t expected to know everything about the topic in detail. Your interviewer is trying to discern how you think or analyse new information. This is why it is important to stay calm and read through what you have been given thoroughly, briefly noting down your thoughts as you read through the text.
Be yourself
​
Despite what you may think, there is no ‘typical’ Oxford candidate. To make yourself feel as comfortable as possible you are advised to dress in whatever makes you feel comfortable. Interviewers aren’t expecting you to come dressed in a suit or a tie. Your interview will be similar to the tutorials you will have at Oxford, so your interviewers are looking for your potential and ability to think and learn in this environment.
They aren’t looking to catch you out or ask you impossible questions. Some interview questions are hard because they don’t necessarily have a right or a wrong answer. In this case, your interviewer is looking to see how you think and how you will argue your case.
Believe in yourself and try to enjoy the interview process, you will likely be talking to an expert in an aspect of the degree you want to study – but don’t let that put you off!
Oxford's structure made easy
​
Originally published on Tutored
​
The university’s central facilities: departments and faculties
​
The central part of the university consists of academic departments and research centres. These are grouped into four divisions: Humanities, Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences, Medical Sciences and Social Sciences. Within these divisions are the individual subject faculties. The subject faculties are spread across Oxford. Subject faculties have their own buildings and organise student’s main lectures, classes and examinations. Lectures can take place within the faculty buildings or in other buildings such as the Examination Schools.
​
Departments are also a centre of world-class research, with research funded by research councils and other funding bodies. Subject faculties also have their own libraries such as the History Faculty library also known as the Radcliffe Camera, one of Oxford’s outstanding buildings. All faculty libraries fall under the Bodleian libraries, including the main Bodleian library, so all students can access the vast majority of department libraries in Oxford.
​
Colleges
​
Oxford is a collegiate university. This means that as well as its central departments and faculties the university is divided into 38 colleges and 6 Permanent Private Hall (PPHs). College’s and PPH’s are autonomous and financially independent institutions. PPH’s were founded by different Christian denominations and still retain their Christian character and heritage. All teaching staff and students belong to a college or a PPH. Students therefore apply to an individual college rather than to Oxford University.
The vast majority of your student life will be spent in your college. Every college will house all its undergraduate students in their first year. After their first year students may continue to live within their college or they may live out in independent accommodation, this varies from college to college. Colleges are also responsible for undergraduate and graduate teaching. You will often have tutorials with a tutor at your college. If your subject tutor does not specialise in the module you are current studying you may have tutorials with another tutor at a different college. College’s also have their own libraries, often providing the core reading material for those studying at that college. Each Oxford college contains a number of students studying different subjects. Not all college offers every subject. Information on the individual colleges can be found on the Oxford university website.
​
Subjects
​
Depending on your college you may be the only student studying your subject at your college or you may be one of many. Not every college offers every subject, before you apply to a college you will need to ensure it offers your subject. You can find this information on the Oxford university website. The teaching of various subjects is organised differently at each college, but overall there is not much deviation between the individual colleges.
​
Admissions wise, the different subjects or courses offered at Oxford each have their own entry requirements with some subjects requiring prospective students to sit aptitude tests. Contact hours or teaching hours vary between different subjects. Science students tend to have more contact hours overall, spending more hours per week in labs, lectures, classes and tutorials. Arts or Humanities students tend to have fewer contact hours per week, often undertaking more independent studying as well as lectures and tutorials.
​
Libraries
​
Oxford university arguably has the best academic facilities in terms of library provisions of any UK university. Every college has its own library and aims to provide the core reading materials for each subject studied at the college. Some college libraries, such as Somerville college library, are open 24 hours a day. They are often the first port of call for students. Department and faculty libraries contain more specialist collections of resources than college libraries. Library staff offer introductory sessions and are on hand to give advice on finding material and making the most out of the library.
The university’s research libraries are also open to undergraduate students. They contain extensive collections of books, periodicals and journals. Examples of research libraries include, the Taylorian library: specialising in medieval and modern European languages and the Sackler library which houses an extensive classics and art history collection. Oxford’s most famous research library is the Bodleian library. The Bodleian, also known as the ‘Bod’ is the second largest library in Britain, with a collection of over 8 million volumes.
​
​