According to Herts SU’s International Student Experience Survey in 2021, 66.5% of international students are aware of the Careers and Employment Service at the Uni of Herts. However, this does show that over a 1/3 are not aware of the benefits the service can offer.

Following numerous conversations with students, I have discovered that there is a strong difficulty in finding part-time work. Students report that they are rejected by employers after submitting CVs and rarely contacted for interviews. If they are, they are turned down without constructive feedback, resulting in students remaining unaware of how they could improve their CVs to progress. When I initially moved to the UK, I was unaware of how to create a CV and where to look for work opportunities. This was never part of my academic curriculum back home, with most international students sharing a similar problem. As a student, I failed to realise what was on offer at our Career and Employment Service due to my hesitation to ask for help. I wish I did!

Careers and Employment are a team based on both the College Lane and De Havilland campuses, who can actively assist you with employability skills and job searches. They have newly recruited Career Coaches who are trained to help students with CVs, cover letters and interviews. Career Coaches are students at the University who can relate directly to issues you are experiencing and recommend how you can improve. You can use the University’s employability hub – Handshake – to search for part-time jobs, internships, placement and permanent roles. Every student at Herts has access to Handshake by using their University student email. Additionally, you can continue using the service for up to 4 years after you graduate. If you are looking for part-time jobs within the university, this link can be a lifesaver. Here you will find all the details of vacancies available in Herts SU, Student Ambassador Programme, Careers and Employment, Resident Assistants, Hertfordshire Sports Village and local employment.

As your VP Activities, I am extremely passionate to help develop your awareness and experience of all services of the University. Therefore, your feedback is invaluable to me. I hope that you can benefit from the services linked above, but if you feel there are areas for improvement, please contact me at vp.activities@hertssu.com.

Wish you all the best in part-time job hunting!

Saj

Vice President Activities