CEEC - Student Based Services - Lancaster University

Q. I don't know what I want to do:

First of all, don't worry! The fact that you are thinking about this in the first place is a very good starting point.
Try Prospects Planner, on the Prospects website at www.prospects.ac.uk It is free to register, and is specifically designed with graduating students in mind. Very simple to use, it helps you to think about your skills and what motivates you in a job. It may endorse the areas of work you are already considering, but equally it may highlight occupations you hadn't considered.
Come to CEEC and browse our yellow occupational files, covering over 400 graduate level occupations. We also hold a considerable number of reference books giving occupational information.
It may help to look at the destinations of Lancaster graduates, and of graduates from your faculty in particular. These can be found at (link to DLHE stats.)
You might want to consider attending some of our Directions programme (link) talks, held during the Lent term. Sign up for these either online or at CEEC. These talks are given by people actually working in certain sectors, and they will 'tell it like it is'.
Above all, don't hesitate to ask! Our Information staff are trained to help you get started, and if they feel that you would benefit from more in-depth consultation, they can book you a 20-minute appointment with a Careers Adviser.

It is worth noting that Duty Guidance appointments are only 20 minutes long, so you will make the most of your time if you prepare well beforehand.
Try to bring a list of the questions you have with you. This will help to structure your appointment, and make you less likely to forget anything.
Visit the Information Resource and the CEEC website if possible, as you will find a considerable amount of useful reference material, both to take away and linked to the web. Staff are on hand in CEEC to help you find the information most useful to your enquiry.
You can try Prospects Planner on the Prospects website at www.prospects.ac.uk which will help you to evaluate your skills and motivation in a work context. This will help you to identify occupations which you may be interested in researching further.
Sign up for Group Sessions run by Careers Advisers. You can do this at CEEC - details and sign-up sheets are on the "What's on" noticeboard. These cover a wide range of topics, including compiling a CV, making applications, psychometric tests and post graduate study. Sessions usually last between one and two hours.
Finally, it is useful to make a written note of your discussion with the Adviser. This can help you to clarify what you need to do next.

This is where the research skills you have developed during the course of your studies will really come into play.
Try looking on the occupational database on the Prospects website at www.prospects.ac.uk in the first instance. There are profiles of over 400 occupations held there. The same information is held on the yellow files in the Information Room in CEEC.
Professional bodies may have careers-related information, so it is worth looking on their websites to find out the different career options within their profession. Some may include lists of member companies which could provide a good starting point for job applications.
For occupations where information is scant or non-existent, you could try an internet search. Remember to sift through the hits you get very carefully, in order to filter out any irrelevant ones.
Come and visit CEEC: Our staff are on hand to help you in your search, and can recommend relevant journals, reference books and websites.

Many of our students are keen to stay in the North West after graduation. There are a number of useful sources of information which can help.
Pick up your copy of Graduate Careers NW from CEEC. This publication provides an overview of the key North West industries, plus information on job hunting in the North West.
For graduate vacancies in the North West go to www.prospects.ac.uk/links/jobsbyregion
Check the CEEC vacancy database at www.jobs.lancs.ac.uk. Many smaller local firms only advertise their vacancies with us.
Call in to CEEC and talk to the staff there. Many studied here, have worked in graduate level occupations here and have considerable knowledge of the local area. We can often help with very specific local information requests.

Most postgraduate courses do not have application deadlines. One exception to this is the Primary PGCE.
It is worth noting that popular courses and prestigious institutions will fill up quickly; therefore early application is recommended.
Similarly, courses with funding attached tend to fill up earlier than those for which you have to seek your own funding.
Many sources of funding may have application deadlines, and require evidence that you have secured a place on a course of study in order to process your application. Therefore you should consider making prompt applications to both.
It is worth checking with the department to which you want to apply, to check that they are still accepting applications.

In the first instance, call us to make an appointment with one of our Advisers to discuss the career implications of your possible change of direction.
It may help to speak with your Personal Tutor, to whom you should have been introduced in your first year.
Student Support Services should also be able to help you in your decision. Call the Student Adviser on x93395 for further information.