Hello after a long hiatus! The last couple of months have been a busy busy time for most of us haven´t they? Except for those of you making last minute university applications, accommodation bookings and visa applications must be well underway? Just another month to go! I hope I´ve been able to answer some of the questions you´ve had about studying and living in the UK and I hope my posts and my e-book have made things a little easier and comfortable for you. I wish all those of you flying to the UK next month, a very happy countdown to departure!
This post, by the way, is not for you! It´s for those of you who haven´t been able to make it to the universities of your choice, and are looking for a second chance.
Read on…
We’re well into May, and those of you with offers are probably looking into accommodation options now? Read the Uni vs Private Accommodation post to figure out which one is for you! If you’ve decided on uni accomm, life becomes much simpler because you simply have to study the brochure and the website, shortlist a couple of places you’re keen on and make an application! But if you’ve decided to go down the private accommodation road, things become a little confusing. How do you look for a place sitting seven seas away? What does bedsit mean? And what do bills include? And what’s a detached house? And also, where do you search for rooms and flatmates?
I’m going to try and tackle these worries one step at a time. How about we begin by figuring out where to look first? Read on…
Just back from a lovely afternoon get-together, happy on tiramisu and carrot cake and rasberry meringue and all kinds of salads! I’m one of those folks who can’t enjoy a party unless there’s good food (no matter how fabulous the music is or how brilliant the company is or how much alcohol is flowing!), and so am feeling very content because there was a bit of it all! I made my two penny bit of contribution to the snack bar as well (and hope it made some stomachs happy!), and that brings me to party food recipe no 2! Read recipe 1 here.
Roasted vegetable and pesto salad
Read on…
What is a summer internship?
A summer internship is an opportunity to work in an organisation as a member of the team for a certain period of time in the holidays so as to gain valuable work experience in an industry of your choice!
Am I eligible to apply for an internship?
Summer internships are usually for penultimate year students (students in their second last year of university) and graduates. However each organisation has it’s own criteria, so it’s best to get in touch with them to enquire if you are eligible (incase the information on the website is not clear)
How long does it last?
Summer internships usually last for about 4-10 weeks. Some could be slightly shorter or longer.
Do you get paid?
Read on…
And we complete 3 months of MTG!
I’ve added a few new features to the website:
- There’s a twitter widget in the right-hand sidebar with my latest tweets – so if you aren’t already following MTG on twitter, that widget will keep you informed of most student-news updates. The widget doesn’t display retweets, however, so you could follow MTG for the whole deal!
- There’s an Amazon widget in the right-hand sidebar that you can use to shop for books, cds, dvds, gadgets, and anything else you fancy on Amazon
- What all you prospective students would find most useful is the Student Talk feature recently introduced. It’s a collection of interviews with alumni and current students from various universities across UK. The project is still in its infancy, and you can help it grow by contributing! Click here
- There’s a new testimonials page. I’m so glad MTG is being appreciated! Click here
- There’s a Flickr widget in the right-hand sidebar that streams photos of interesting places I’ve been to and have blogged about in the UK!
Some other updates:
- MTG now has over a 100 Facebook fans! Hurrah! Become one too – click here!
- The Orkut community has over a 180 members! Join in!
Thanks everyone for all the support and appreciation! A special thank you to everyone who helped with the Student Talk section – thanks for taking the time out 
What is a summer internship?
A summer internship is an opportunity to work in an organisation as a member of the team for a certain period of time in the holidays so as to gain valuable work experience in an industry of your choice!
Am I eligible to apply for an internship?
Summer internships are usually for penultimate year students (students in their second last year of university) and graduates. However each organisation has it’s own criteria, so it’s best to get in touch with them to enquire if you are eligible (incase the information on the website is not clear)
How long does it last?
Summer internships usually last for about 4-10 weeks. Some could be slightly shorter or longer.
Do you get paid?
Read on…
Job Fairs: End Jan 2010 – end March 2010
Job Fairs: April 2010 – end July 2010
So we’ve covered recruitment fairs between January and July, and now here’s a list of the job fairs to be held between August and the end of the year.
University of St Andrews Graduate Management and Finance Fair - October 8
National Graduate Recruitment Exhibition (the big daddy of all Recruitment Fairs) – London – Oct 8/9
University of St Andrews Law Fair - Fife – Oct 5
Banking, Finance, and Consultancy Fair – London – Oct 6
Law Traineeship and Work Experience Fair – Aberdeen – Oct 11
Autumn Careers Fair (Ideas4Careers) - Cardiff – Oct 12
Read on…
What is a National Insurance number?
A National Insurance number is a unique number assigned to you that is used to record your national insurance contributions and tax payments.
What is national insurance?
National insurance is paid by you and your employer to fund social security benefits. It is a certain percentage of your earnings.
Read on…
Did you know that as an international student you are entitled to a national minimum wage per hour if your visa entitles you to work in the UK?
Students 22 years of age and above are entitled to £5.80 per hour
Students 18 to 21 years of age are entitled to £4.83 per hour
These rates have been in place since the October 1, 2009.
Read on…
List of fairs between end January and end March 2010
Here’s a list of fairs to be held between April and end July 2010:
Jobs Fair – Forthvalley College, Chackmannan – April 1
Springboard - Loughborough – May 5
The Nottingham Trent University National Recruitment Fair 2010 – Nottingham- May 5
Business, Engineering, and Technology Fair - Leicester – May 11
Read on…
And so we come to the last section of the Mission: Employment UK [Job Search] Focus Week. So far we’ve discussed searching for a job through recruitment fairs, the internet, graduate training programmes, classifieds, and direct application methods.
Today I’ll discuss your university career cell. An absolute must-visit for all students.
So,
What is a career cell?
The university career cell is a team of people that assists you with all matters related to your career.
In what way does the career cell help you?
Read on…
Read Part 1
Read Part 2
Read Part 3
Read Part 4
You can also search for jobs by first searching for prospective employers in your industry, and then looking for opportunities within their organisations. This is job search for Direct Applications.
Read on…
Back to section 1
What should you wear to a job fair?
- A lot of international students turn up at a job fair dressed for an interview. I’d advice not doing so! Because this isn’t an interview. So no suit or other formal wear.
- You’re best off dressed in smart casuals. Don’t turn up in shorts, or anything else too casual, of course!
What do you carry to a job fair?
Read on…
So where do you start searching for that dream job? There are plenty of places you should be looking. Over the next one week, we’ll be talking about Fairs, Classifieds, Online Search, Career Cells, Graduate Training Programmes, and Direct Applications
In today’s post, I’ll discuss Recruitment Fairs and Exhibitions.
Right,
What is a recruitment/job/career fair?
In the UK, these refer to an organised event where employers and students meet and interact with each other in an informal setting. Employers put up stalls and students go around the fair stopping at stalls that interest them, talking to prospective employers, and very often picking up leaflets and brochures.
Why should you attend a job fair?
Read on…
Like!
