CAREERS NEWSLETTER 2018-19
While a number of students (above) approach the first night of this term’s drama production, our 5th Years had a recent opportunity to enter our CV Challenge and develop a key professional marketing tool. The standard of the 40 entries was very high with good attention to accuracy and design. Well done to Will Roche and Harrison White who made the final 2; Harrison’s direction of content marked him out as the eventual winner.
WISE OPPORTUNITIES
ISSUE 8 – Friday 1 February 2019
CONFUSED BY UNIVERSITY OFFERS? Recent press debate regarding unconditional offers from universities is the talk of Bablake’s staff and student common rooms. Unsurprisingly, in theory, the Careers department is a big supporter of any unconditional offers that are issued with the applicant’s best intentions; we will certainly report on this issue in a future newsletter. In the meantime, please have a look at the current university offers received by one of our impressive U6th students, who has made a UCAS application for design engineering, and needs to make a Firm and Insurance choice: Aston – BBB or unconditional, if set as the Firm choice. Coventry – BBB or unconditional, if set as Firm choice, with the incentive of a scholarship of £2000 for achieving AAA or £1250 for ABB. Leicester – ABB or BBB and a B for the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), however BBB or BBC and a B in the EPQ, if chosen as the Firm Offer. Loughborough – interview planned for mid March, with the request to see a detailed portfolio of A level Design Technology coursework and Engineering Education Scheme printouts. Nottingham – ABB. It’s an exciting, impressive and bewildering range! As well as the variety of options above, this student could also have potential degree apprenticeship offers to weigh up. We would be interested in hearing, by email or via @bablakecareers, what you would do in this situation!
#MySkillsMyLife is an exciting new digital platform for girls aged 11- 19 interested in science and engineering. See @thewisecampaign (Women in Science and Engineering) and @WES1919 ( Women’s Engineering Society www.wes.org.uk/newsletter) for more information.
@BablakeCareers
#18BEFORE18 – ASTON UNIVERSITY CAREERS CONFERENCE Aston University’s Careers Conference will be celebrating its 25th anniversary next year and is highly regarded as one of the best events in the local careers calendar. Here are 18 Points of Interest from the conference, which will complement the excellent ’18 Reasons Why…Aston University’ feature (written by Kiran Ladva and Emily Robinson) that featured in Issue 7. 1
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Degree Apprenticeships – Aston is a leader and innovator, being the first university to introduce these courses – working especially closely with companies (such as Capgemini and Microsoft) and developing an exciting array of courses, e.g. audiology, chartered manager, digital and technology solutions and nuclear engineering. The Aston Placement Year – ranked no 3 in the UK for the proportion of students taking a placement year, students undertaking this gain a huge advantage over their competitors. This professional placement is available in the UK or abroad (where the university has over 100 partners from China to the USA). To discover more about enjoying the best of both university study and a year’s employment, see www.aston.ac.uk/placements. Aston Medical School – recently opened (www.aston.ac.uk/aston-medical-school), it benefits from the Aston Medical Research Institute. Prospective medics must sit the UCAT exam and are advised to complete 50- 70 hours of self-study in preparation for this. Optometry – Aston is one of just 11 schools currently offering this course in the UK, although at least 3 more are planned. Students are trained by schools to pass exams, but softer skills – e.g. communication – are not valued highly enough. The interview process for this course (and medicine) is deeply concerned with finding the students with these softer skills. Nursing –know the area you wish to concentrate on: e.g. www.keele.ac.uk/nursingandmidwifery/undergraduatestudy has the key fields: e.g. adult, children’s, learning disability, mental health and midwifery. In the personal statement and at interview, admissions staff are looking for kindness and compassion, and reflection on any related experience. MMI/ Multiple Mini Interviews – almost de rigeur these days for Life and Health Sciences courses. Maths Coach Online – Super tool for GCSE or A level students wanting free extra help with their maths problems. The coaching, delivered by university students studying maths at Aston (or Swedish universities), is via instant messaging but totally anonymous – see mathscoach.org. All coaches are DBS checked too. Recruitment – for degree apprenticeships, this is always is employer-led. Watch relevant social media and key websites. Choosing Health Careers – see www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/career-planning/career-tools to work out where your interest would be best placed. NHS Constitution – key reading (via www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-nhs-constitution-for-england) for any student considering medicine or similar. Good Medical Practice – on www.gmc-uk.org/ethical-guidance/ethical-guidance-for-doctors/good-medical-practice, and available as an app or download, is a key General Medical Council document for those intent on studying medicine. The Medic Portal – this website is highly recommended for students looking at medicine: www.themedicportal.com. Very good throughout the site, but especially with regard to what each medical school wants for A level, UCAT (formerly UKCAT) etc. Excellent free, regular email newsletter too. (The Lawyer Portal is similarly excellent!) Medify – a good site offering advice for potential medics and practice tests for UCAT/ BMAT: www.medify.co.uk. Ask in Medical Extension group (6th Form) for advice about the paid elements on the site. Exhaust the free options first! Degree Value – Aston’s Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive, Professor Alec Cameron’s comments on university education stressed it was still a pathway to very rewarding careers and an interesting life, esp. when combined with placements. Admissions Tests – a number of courses (law, medicine, veterinary medicine, biomedical science, dentistry) and universities (Oxbridge) require entry tests: e.g. BMAT, LNAT, UCAT. Important to practise for these and be wary of deadline dates. Free help available online. Exciting New Courses – whether traditional degrees with a placement or degree apprenticeships, there will be new options to consider: e.g. in cyber security. The Aston Experience – undergrads are highly satisfied with their student experience, eager to benefit from the prospect of the second highest graduate salaries in the UK, while enjoying generous scholarships for high grades, first-rate facilities (e.g. Mooting room, 3D printing labs refurbished design studios, motion sensor tech), excellent modern campus accommodation, a vibrant city lifestyle within a campus setting and a top notch enterprise support network. First year students have the chance to learn a language for free too. Being 10 minutes from the centre of Birmingham offers huge advantages for employment and cultural entertainment, while the presence of students from more than 120 countries offers a rich international outlook. TEF (Teaching Excellence Framework) Gold – Aston has been awarded the coveted Gold standard status for its inspirational teaching. For more information on Aston University, see www.aston.ac.uk or@astonuniversity OPEN DAYS – 5 July, 5 October, 23 November
#BABLAKEPUPILSEVERYWHERE #REALISEYOURPOTENTIAL
#18BEFORE18 – 3RD YEAR OPTIONS When speaking recently to parents at the recent 3rd Year Options evening, we suggested the following 18 activities students would benefit from attending to over the academic year. Only No 1 is essential of course, but it’s good to stay ahead of the rest! ACTIVITY 1. Choose GCSE Options – consider necessity, strength/ ability & interest especially. 2. It’s OK to be Confused – there is plenty of time & no need to panic; your dream job may not exist yet, but watch for developments. 3. Develop: a) Your Hard Skills – e.g. specialised/ technical knowledge, leadership, management. b) Your Soft Skills – e.g. teamwork, charisma, time management, creativity, compassion. 4. Be Curious – the best students are alive to opportunities & new experiences. Good grades help, but they don’t guarantee a job – employers like students who have shown initiative. 5. Stay Informed/ Updated – read, listen, talk, watch. Newspapers, magazines, forums, television, YouTube, & social media feeds may all be valid sources. 6. Get Involved – sport, music, drama, & co-curricular societies all bring new challenges & enjoyments. Bringing specialist skills to a team activity is always impressive. 7. Taste and Test It – taster courses, insight days (university or employer-led) & any work experience/ part-time jobs/ voluntary work all help future choices. 8. Attend Careers Events – Bablake Careers forums, ‘What Career Live’ (March 1-2 ’19 NEC), ‘The Big Bang Fair’ (March 13- 16 ‘19 NEC), ‘The Skills Show’ or similar. 9. Newsletters – read Bablake newsletters (fortnightly in term-time), sign up for digital newsletters from professional bodies/ companies etc. 10. Professional Profile – begin building your brand & developing a positive, safe, digital portfolio (social media - YouTube, Instagram, Twitter - or blog, vlog, website). 11. Buzz Test – Find out on icould.com/buzz-quiz (or via alternative tests/ programmes) more about your character & what type of job may suit you. (NB: consider any working environment.) 12. Video Stories – watch a daily, weekly or monthly burst of short videos on icould.com, where people talk about their jobs. 13. 18 Before 18 Sheets – take note of the suggestions on current & future customised #18Before18 advice sheets. 14. Challenge Yourself – learn a new skill/ language; complete a MOOC; step out of your comfort zone & lead an assembly/ arrange an event; coach/ mentor; volunteer; enter a competition. 15. Take Opportunities – don’t let competitors gain an advantage; seek and enjoy new ventures. 16. Bablake Pupils Everywhere – look at the huge range of former pupil stories & successes in every career imaginable! Don’t be afraid of a job you will enjoy! 17. Set Targets – explore & complete 1, 2, 3 or 18 targets this year – whatever suits YOU. Don’t overdo it though & remember attempting something properly is better than lots of half-hearted incomplete projects. 18. Believe in Yourself – with dedication, care and clever networking, we believe you really can achieve what you want to, as we have seen so many people’s dreams come true!
PLANNED/ COMPLETED
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In Issue 5, we suggested 18 activities for Y11/ 5th Year students to work on over the academic year.
@BABLAKECAREERS #REALISEYOURPOTENTIAL
#BABLAKEPUPILSEVERYWHERE – PHARMACY UNCOVERED… THROUGH THE EYES OF 3RD YEAR UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM MPHARM UNDERGRADUATE JAGRAJ THANDI
Jagraj, who joined Sixth Form in September 2014, was interviewed earlier this year by Mr Kalsi, our Head of Junior Science.
Which A levels did you study and what are you now studying? I took Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Panjabi and AS Level Mathematics and am now a 3rd Year Pharmacy Student at the University of Birmingham.
Why did you come to Bablake? It has an impressive reputation and I heard the teaching was unrivalled. After arriving, I realised the school’s success was not only due to its teaching, but also because the students themselves had a remarkably clear vision of where they wanted to be and the determination to get there. Both the teaching and the friends I made have helped me with my course and I always love to catch up with my Bablake peers.
What was your best moment at Bablake? When I started, I struggled with Mathematics and passing it, let alone gaining a good grade, seemed unlikely at the time. Receiving an A for the first time after starting with a U definitely stands out. On reflection, I realised how fortunate I was to have such great teachers, who showed me that if something doesn’t come easily, investing more time to practise and learn from your mistakes can lead to remarkable improvement.
Did you face any challenges moving to Bablake? Starting at a new school is always difficult, but fitting in was initially problematic as, although my peers were very friendly, many were academically advanced with a clear idea of where they wanted to go and what they wanted to do beyond. I found this difficult, as no teacher until that point had asked me what I wanted to do when I left school or given me guidance on how to get there. I had a rough idea of what I wanted to go into, but no idea how to get there! Happily, the Bablake staff and students were all happy to support me and helped whenever they could.
Did you always want to study pharmacy? Not really, I went from wanting to study medicine to dentistry and then pharmacy. I found pharmacy the most appealing of the three as it had career opportunities in industry, hospital and the community. There are a lot of career options in the pharmaceutical industry such as marketing, project management, research development etc. and a pharmacy degree is very transferable for other professions. As part of the course, we study the physicochemical properties of formulating medicines, and the law and ethics behind medical retail and supply, as well as the anatomy and physiology of the body. Therefore, we don’t have to be pharmacists within a conventional clinical setting and can use our degree in various fields, such as regulatory affairs, finance and marketing.
What was the best piece of advice you received at Bablake? Mr Kalsi said: ‘Not getting into medicine is not the end of the world.’ This opened my eyes to the number of other careers out there and made me consider different career options. If I hadn’t heard this, I probably would have applied for biomedical science, which is a great course, but it is the conventional route into graduate entry medicine. This made me realise most people on a biomedical science course may want to study graduate entry medicine and so applying for other courses if you wanted to study medicine as a graduate might help you stand out from the crowd, as well as revealing new career options. Studying pharmacy opened my eyes to the pharmaceutical industry and major breakthroughs in pharmaceutical research; there are also plenty of opportunities within hospitals and the community for pharmacists and we can become independent prescribers after completing a 6-month course as well as reach the level of Consultant Pharmacist within our specialty. The difference between the work of a pharmacist and a doctor is that a pharmacist will see a patient more frequently, but their consultations will be much shorter, or vice versa a doctor will generally see a patient less frequently, but any consultations will often last longer when they do occur.
Do you think you would consider studying medicine at postgrad level? I initially went into my pharmacy degree solely with the intent of getting into graduate entry medicine, but as I knew it was competitive, I chose a course that had quite a lot of career prospects. Therefore, even though pharmacy was a 4-year course and biomedical science was a 3-year course, the extra year would mean I would have a master’s qualification and a level of clinical skills not shared by biomedical science graduates. I sensed this would give me an advantage when I came to apply for graduate entry medicine or would also lead directly into a job, as pharmacy is a professional course rather than an academic one. At the expense of one more year (the pre-registration year), I saw I could become a qualified and registered pharmacist, but also apply for graduate entry medicine within that year and at the same time put money aside to start funding the degree by practising as a pharmacist. Then, whilst studying graduate entry medicine, you could easily fund your degree by working as a locum pharmacist. Overall it would take longer before you could study postgraduate medicine – if this were still the career you wanted to pursue at the end of the four years – but it would put you at an advantage both from a financial perspective and in terms of the knowledge and skills you would have obtained as part of the MPharm course, due to regular patient contact and training tailored towards producing a healthcare professional by the end of it, rather than being on an academic course tailored towards research.
How has Bablake influenced your education now? Bablake made sure I had good foundations in my subjects compared with my peers and gave me time management and communication skills. This is beneficial, as at university the criteria for my exams are not set in stone in the form of a mark scheme and are often at the discretion of the academic marking the paper. Bablake helped me prepare for this, as independent learning was something that was encouraged and staff often nudged students in the general direction of where to look.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years? I would like to be in the pharmaceutical industry researching an aspect of immunology, maybe in oncology, HIV or potentially the genetics of autoinflammatory or autoimmune diseases.
What do you see as the most exciting development in pharmacy in the next 5 years? An area being widely researched at the moment is the prospect of personalised medicine, tailoring healthcare treatment to an individual patient based on their genetics. By creating highly personalised biologics such as monoclonal antibodies, we can target very specific gene mutations, which in turn can lead to highly cost-effective treatment options for a wide range of immune conditions. James P. Alison and Tasuku Honjo won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology/ Medicine for their discovery of cancer therapy by the inhibition of negative immune regulation (immunotherapy), which has revolutionised the way we treat cancer, and I have seen in practice – whilst working at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham – how this is significantly improving the prognosis of cancer patients. What advice would you give students in the Upper Sixth? Take all the opportunities that come your way! Work hard and be a little independent. As an applicant, you can often get tunnel vision, thereby losing sight of how the course will benefit your future and not asking yourself if there is a better way of achieving the same outcome. Sometimes the longer route may be the better route, as it will provide you with experiences and knowledge not shared by your peers, which could lead to you taking a higher position quicker. Having an awareness of potential career paths rather than taking it one step at a time can help you to see how beneficial a course truly is in the overall process.
How do University exams compare to A levels? At university, there is no set syllabus or exam board specification for students to see. The lecturers have this information and exams are based on the taught lecture material and recommended reading. I found this to be at contrast with the style of examination at school, as generally the questions were similar. This meant you could often predict to an extent which content would be examined, which isn’t the case at university, because most of the time there are no past papers and you don’t know what the questioning style is going to be like until you are sitting the exam. At university, the academic who sets the paper may choose any part of their lecture content and examine you on it at their discretion. They may also choose an area that is only briefly touched upon as part of the lectures or an area that isn’t covered at all, so often further reading outside the lectures is required.
What did you learn from your CREST placement and was it valuable? As part of my CREST project, I produced a scientific report based on lignin degradation for chemical feedstock. The project involved me working with Professor Tim Bugg’s research group at the University of Warwick’s Biochemistry department, studying enzyme catalysed metabolic pathways in lignin breakdown conducted by certain bacteria, such as some E. coli strains. This gave me an appreciation of the different analytical techniques used in biochemistry, such as enzyme/ protein assays and chromatography. These are all transferrable to drug discovery and the formulation of medicines, so when I showed the academics the report I produced, they were very impressed with not only the techniques I had witnessed – some of which they had never heard of – but also the concision and accuracy of my report.
What were the highlights of the co-curricular activities you enjoyed at Bablake? Being a drinks trolley service volunteer on the Oncology and Haematology wards was very rewarding, as I spoke to a variety of healthcare professionals and patients. Through talking to patients, I was able to hear some of their life experiences and I was also able to gain an appreciation of how they were finding chemotherapy/radiotherapy. I have recently started conducting Patient Satisfaction Surveys, which has given me appreciation of the views of discharge patients and how they have found their stay within the hospital. I also participated in the 2015 Schools Aerospace Challenge at Cranfield University with a team from Bablake to produce a design for an airship and reached the finals. This was one of my most memorable times at Bablake as we worked so well together as a team and the challenges were very engaging.
What work experience have you been involved in? During my second year summer aseptics placement at the QEHB Aseptics unit, I was able to gain an appreciation of good manufacturing practice within a small-scale manufacture setting. The Aseptics facility was not only supplying the Queen Elizabeth hospital, but also Sandwell and West Birmingham hospitals, as well as Birmingham Children’s hospital. In my final week, I was able to shadow the Haematology Consultant pharmacist and various healthcare professionals within the Oncology and Haematology clinics at the QEHB. The highlight of this placement was seeing stem cell harvesting from a donor for an allograft bone marrow transplant. Working at Jhoots Pharmacy was a highly pressurised environment, as there would often be 5- 7-hour periods where the pharmacy experienced a large amount of workload. During my time there, I spoke over the telephone to many community suppliers – checking whether items were in stock – and I also ordered some pharmaceutical specials from Lexon and Alliance. I gained an insight into how AstraZeneca uses health economics and channels to market its products, which gave me an appreciation of how the company implements cost-effective treatment options and how it negotiates with national healthcare organisations such as NICE and the NHS.
Which extracurricular activities are you involved in at University? I have participated in a research project at the University of Birmingham into the chances of people from Asian and Afro-Caribbean backgrounds developing cardiovascular disease. This identified the stark contrast of the risk associated with ethnicity, for example a 25-year-old Asian male has roughly the same cardiovascular risk as a 40year-old Caucasian male. I am also a BPSA National Representative and I have also recently published an article for the BPSA on the future of personalised medicine. I have also attended the Joint Pennine and Western BPSA Area Conference, as well as the BPSA Annual Conference at Keele in 2018. This has allowed me to network with people such as the President of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and esteemed professionals within the pharmaceutical industry for companies such as GSK, AstraZeneca and Reckitt Benckiser. As a NICE Student Champion, I taught first year students how to use NICE Evidence Search, which I found to be an effective tool in clinical practice. All the firstyear students told us how beneficial they thought the tool would be in future years of the MPharm course.
INTERVIEW BY MR KALSI, HEAD OF JUNIOR SCIENCE
A selection of excellent advice sheets from the National Apprenticeship Service’s January 19 newsletter to parents.
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CAREERS FORUM (9) – Opportunities with PwC
Thursday 7 February 1pm Careers Centre
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED EVENT Crucial information from employers and universities re Post 16 and Post 18 Options Pre-Register for Saturday 2nd March 2019
TALKING POINTS MOOC OF THE FORTNIGHT (8) ‘Discover Dentistry’ Ever wondered what all those letters and numbers, that a dentist calls out during your check-up, mean? Or how broken teeth are fixed? Enjoy exploring the dental profession and seeing the impact dentistry has on all our lives. www.futurelearn.com/courses/discoverdentistry. Course developed by the University of Sheffield.
SPRING TERM CAREERS FORUMS (9) Thursday 7 February: Peter Sidwell – Working for PwC.
(13) Tuesday 12 March: LIFE CHOICES (L6th) – Aston University presentation on ‘Degree Apprenticeships’.
(10) Tuesday 26 February: LIFE CHOICES (5th/ L6th) – Work Pays presentation on apprenticeships.
(14) Thursday 21 March: World University Fair. (1pm)
(11) Thursday 28 February: Harper Adams University – presentation on courses available. (1pm)
Legal Week: a - (15) Tuesday 26 March: Leicester Law School. (1pm)
(12) Friday 8 March: Juliet Hodges – ‘Working for Bupa Behavioural Insights/ studying Psychology at the University of York. (1pm)
b - (16) Thursday 28 March: University of Law. (1pm)
RECOMMENDED READING… “1000 YEARS OF CAREERS ADVICE”
RECOMMENDED WEBSITE Target Jobs targetjobs.co.uk Sector by sector advice on internships and graduate jobs/ schemes, which will help you stay ahead of your competitors. Target Careers fills our inbox with regular free information about Post 18 opportunities/ direct employment. See: targetcareers.co.uk/career-sectors
THOUGHT OF THE FORTNIGHT
CONTACT BABLAKE CAREERS
Mr Mark Woodward Email: mgw@bablake.coventry.sch.uk Twitter: @bablakecareers FB: www.facebook.com/bablakecareers Website: www.2morrow-2day.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin/markwoodward Blog: http://bablakecareers.tumblr.com/ Spotify: http://www.spotify.com/18before18 Instagram: @bablakecareers Careers Circulars: http://issuu.com/bablake/stacks