Finding employment after graduation can be a daunting and confusing process. The Careers and Employability Services at UoW works very hard to ensure you have all the support you need to make this journey easier for you.

We recently spoke to Yasin Faruk, one of our recent graduates with a BSc in Computer Science Computer Science with Industrial Experience (Sept 2019 – June 2023). Yasin shared how the job-hunting process was for him, what university resources helped him and the support he received from the Careers and Employability Services team in the form of workshops and consultations as part of the Early Careers Support for Graduates. 

Early Careers Support for Graduates aims to help recent graduates, postgraduates, and final-year students enhance their career development and employability. Our graduates have access to career support up to 3 years after graduation.

Hello everyone, nice to meet you. My name is Yasin and I’m looking forward to sharing my experience of how I utilised the University resources and support to help me obtain a Graduate job.

Having completed job searching during my Placement Year and as a recent Graduate, I understand how much effort is needed to navigate through the job market and find a role suitable to you whilst simultaneously showcasing your abilities to employers. By referring you to the University’s various fantastic Career resources, I hope to use this blog to strengthen your search with the guidance provided. Hopefully this will support you in effectively searching for a job with stronger level of self-confidence. Thereby using a refined approach to help enable you to find an exciting opportunity that resonates with your strong dedication and overall ambition. 

Where do you currently work? When were you hired?

I will be starting as a Technology & Cyber Security Graduate at Barclays in August 2024 and received my offer in December 2023. I recently completed work as a Software Developer Intern for ITN.

How did you hear about the vacancy? What was the application process like?

I originally spoke to the Barclays Graduate Team at a Careers Fair in 2022 regarding their Graduate programmes, I had an informative conversation regarding the several opportunities that are available in relation to Technology.

I used Bright Network to read about their schemes in detail and applied to the Tech & Cyber Security scheme through their Careers website. The application process required me to provide a lot of information through online forms which were fairly easy and simple to complete. I provided a CV and Cover Letter which displayed key highlights of my experience to showcase my capability as a recent Graduate.

Tell me about the overall application and interview process? What challenges have you encountered? Did you apply for any other position, and what were the different job search methods you used?

I had consulted with the Careers Service team to review my CV and Cover Letter before beginning any applications.

The team had supported me in revamping my CV so that my previous experience, projects and relevant interests to my degree were clearly displayed. This is in order to highlight the potential value I bring to the job opportunities I am interested in.

Applying to multiple opportunities while completing my Final Year was challenging. I had to ensure that I made applications in a timely manner whilst balancing my energy between Studies, seeking out opportunities and managing several application processes.

Soon after my application to Barclays, I received an interview invitation from them in which I had to complete a pre-recorded video interview. This was to answer why I was interested in the role and how I would respond to different situations. After submitting my response, I heard back shortly afterwards with an invitation to the Final Stage 1 to 1 interview stage, which took a day to complete.

I had made sure that my communication was clear with the interviewers whilst providing my responses. After completing the final interview stage, I was informed that I may need to wait at least a week to hear a response. The Recruitment team then contacted me the following week, during this call they provided positive feedback in regards to my responses and offered me the job!

I was very thankful to the Team as I was pleased to receive this excellent news, the improvements I made in regards to the CES Feedback had returned a fantastic result!

During my graduate search I created an excel spreadsheet to track my application progress. In the columns I entered in several companies I had been interested in.

I monitored potential openings for Grad Scheme opportunities using Bright Network’s Deadline Tracker and LinkedIn.

Having made numerous applications during my Placement Search and Graduate Search, I found that tracking is very helpful in understanding where you currently stand and to avoid being overwhelmed by various application stages.

Which of the Graduate Success Series workshops organised by CES did you attend and what did you learn or find useful?

I attended several Graduate Success Series workshops and most recently attended the What It Takes to Succeed in Business with Tara and Tej Lelvani and What It Takes to Build a Successful Startup.

The workshops provided me with key advice on how to improve my understanding of entering the world of Entrepreneurship as a recent Graduate. Being provided with multiple perspectives on business development allowed my understanding of business to develop further past my module studies.

Learning from your mistakes, using feedback and managing stress were the key components of guidance given by the speakers and are key fundamental lessons with strong positive use when applied to any process. Having the free access to quality guidance from established industry individuals is an amazing opportunity to obtain value from and I highly recommend others to participate in these unique opportunities.

How helpful did you find the one-to-one appointments with careers consultants?

The Westminster Careers consultants are exceptional – since starting off in search of a placement to seeking a Graduate opportunity over the space of 3 years. The consultants provided strong, consistent and openly friendly support.

Vanissa Amliwala provided great support during my search for a Graduate opportunity and Adele Etwaroo was very supportive during my Placement search.

These appointments allowed me to understand what methods I should take to seek out opportunities, as well as how to balance out my time between studies, job searching and how to prepare for interviews.

I was also provided resources to use to find lesser-known opportunities by the consultants, as well as using the Engage Platform tools to develop my CV and Cover Letter for roles with help of their reviews. The careers consultant service is very easy to access and book an appointment with, they provide great open careers guidance to all students and recent graduates.

What was some of the advice given to you by the careers consultants that helped you through the application and interview process? And what changes did you make and how did that impact your job search, application and interview process?

A key piece of advice provided by the consultants is that CVs and Cover Letters cannot be generic and applied everywhere – changes should be made to tune yourself to the opportunities you are after.

In terms of interview advice – it is important to be yourself – research and understand the company you are applying to, so that you are prepared to respond to potential questions regarding your skills or interests in the role. Understand your strengths through interview practice and use them to your advantage when communicating in real interviews.

After several consultation sessions – I refined my CV and Cover Letter to be more concise. I also better developed my interview delivery skills in order to clearly communicate my responses to interview questions.

The Consultant’s advice was very helpful during my job search, it helped me to understand how I can demonstrate my value to potential employers and taught me how to seek out opportunities in a balanced timely manner. Everyone has their own unique process and capabilities – the Consultants will provide help with this so that you approach job seeking in an efficient manner that suits you.

How did the career consultation contribute to your confidence and overall preparation for the job interview and recruitment process?

The careers consultation was a major help for confidence and preparation – this helped me a lot with navigating how to handle applications and recruitment processes.

The consultants essentially understand the structure of how to make strong applications to roles, how to balance out your time with handling the recruitment processes and progress with job interviews. I was able to refine my interview skills and opportunity search handling using their advice through frequent Teams Calls, these are available to access and book through the Engage platform.

Would you recommend the Graduate Success Series workshops and one to one support received from the CES to other students and graduates?

I highly recommend the GSS workshops and CES support as both provide major opportunities of growth and development – mainly focusing on personal, professional and career related goals. These open accessible resources provided will help you learn more about how to make yourself a stronger in learning information for the areas that interest you as well as refining your candidate qualities.

Did you have to overcome any barriers to success? Were there any challenges or obstacles you faced during your job search or recruitment process and how did the support provided either through the career consultation or workshops help you overcome them?

During my third year – I applied to around 15 different graduate roles in Technology using Bright Network – as each application had been attached with several stages to progress. Admittedly it was challenging to juggle final year modules whilst pursuing an opportunity – I mainly used the Semester one break to heavily focus on a few assessment stages of my previous applications, whilst also preparing for end of semester exams. This did take a lot of energy and my final year project supervisor advised that I make use of the rest period to be rejuvenated for Semester 2.

I consulted with the CES Team to identify how to progress with the job search amidst the increased workload of Semester 2 modules – during the sessions I identified that efficient time tracking, and management will allow for a better balance. However, as the Degree was required for me to obtain job opportunities, I had to consider my priorities.

My studies and Final Year Project took priority as the intensity of 2^nd semester increased, as a result I was able to successfully able to obtain a first class in Computer Science. Fortunately, after graduation, I used the advice from the CES service to pursue a role and sought out advice through the 1 to 1 CES Sessions. This helped me refine my job tracking through efficient Excel usage. The CES Team supported my growth a lot throughout the past 4 years with their expertise and I am very thankful for their advice and support.

What kind of strategies or tips would you recommend students do while they’re still in university to prepare for life after graduation?

The University provides a vast collection of live development opportunities, networking events and resources such as the Engage Platform. I highly recommend utilising these in order to prepare for the transition to the working world. Taking part in the different workshops available, such as the Graduate Success Series, and attending networking opportunities and career fairs, will support you in becoming adaptable for your first post-graduation role.

The CES Team will also be very supportive in helping you understand your goals, concerns and current standing so that you are able to discover opportunities you may find interesting. It is good to have a balance between personal hobbies and professional advancement, therefore also ensure you make use of the University clubs available to you. These clubs will allow you to discover more about your interests and meet others in the same position as you who are preparing to embark into the next chapter of life.

Striking a balance between networking, personal and professional development will prime you for post Graduate success, this knowledge you obtain will support your adaptability to post Graduate life.

Based on your experience, what advice would you give other students and graduates who aren’t sure what they want to do after graduation?

Consider the different pathways available to the degree you have completed and look into what opportunities are available in relation to your degree.

You may consider learning from roles to see what you enjoy and identify deeper areas of interest that you wish to explore further. There is also the opportunity to expand past your initial area of study either through extended studies, online courses or work rotation.

Keep an open eye out for opportunities but mainly focus on the entry point into the working world and use the additional experience you have obtained to develop your skillset. Exploring the different pathways of opportunities will place you closer in discovering what you wish to do, as you utilise the value of knowledge that you pick-up during your journey.

Be committed to the roles you work in, take part in networking opportunities and enjoy the learning opportunities available to you.

Pace yourself but stay motivated to develop as you have done well to stay committed to completing your degree.

The University Careers Consultants provide amazing support to Students and Graduates in need of advice, so make plenty use of their resources as you seek opportunities that interest you.

Never be afraid to ask questions and always make use of advice when you need it!

To end this blog – I would like to thank the Careers and Employability Manager Tracey Wells and Zainab Alli from Early Careers for giving me the opportunity to write this blog,

The full Careers Consultant Team including Laura Lawrence and Iram Sial. Sarah Hiscock from the GoAbroad team and Shelby Staub from Working Cultures. Placement Officers Emily Whinnett and Liam Hart.

Special thanks to Vanissa Amliwala and Adele Etwaroo for their continuous support!

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Many thanks to Zainab, our graduate intern for The Early Careers Support for Graduates, and Yasin for this blog!

Feel free to get in touch with us for further information and support! You can contact us via email on careers@westminster.ac.uk to support you on your career journey!