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University of Reading co-ordinates 'First Moves' for graduates looking to work in SMEs – University of Reading

The University of Reading's Careers Advisory Service has produced a new publication to help graduating students find their first jobs in small and medium-sized organisations (SMEs).

First Move South East 2009, which will be distributed to students at 19 universities in the South East, offers careers advice for students, details graduate opportunities in SMEs as well as postgraduate courses in higher education.

Carey Widdows, Director of the Careers Advisory Service at the University of Reading, said: "Students graduating this summer are faced with a tougher job market than in recent years. While we cannot insulate them from the impact of the global economic recession, our Careers Service is playing a crucial role in preparing students to compete in a tougher job market.

"A core part of our job is to help students think creatively about their options beyond the big, well known recruiters of graduate. We do this through a wide range of initiatives such as seminars about the latest style of graduate recruitment, encouraging internships and work experience or highlighting less obvious career paths, such as the potential offered by working for a SME. First Move South East 2009 will provide graduating students and those beginning to plan their careers with lots of ammunition with which to approach future employment."

First Move South East 2009 includes interviews with students who have taken postgraduate courses, advice and graduate case studies on careers in law, accountancy, public sector and local government, the media, retail or the licensed trade, the NHS and starting up a business. It has details on the new government Graduate Talent Pool internships initiative as well as listings of SMEs across the South East. At the University of Reading, the publication will be distributed at this year's Graduation in early July and directly through course tutors at University. First Move will also be made available at events organised by the Careers Advisory Service later in the year and there will also be an e-brochure made available from the Careers section of the University web site.

The University of Reading Careers Advisory Service is providing extra support to graduates over the whole of the summer, extra on-lin coaching sessions and a virtual careers fair where employers can advertise opportunities directly to graduates.

ENDS

Further information from Alex Brannen, Media Relations Manager, University of Reading, 0118 378 7388

Notes to editors:

Carey Widdows is available for comment on Friday 19 June. Please call Alex Brannen on the number above to arrange an interview.

A pdf of the cover is also available.

First Move South East 2009 is produced by the University of Reading on behalf of the University of Brighton, University of Buckingham, BucksNewUni, Canterbury Christ Church University, University of Chichester, University of Kent, the University of Greenwich, Royal Holloway University of London, The Open University, Oxford University, Oxford Brookes University, University of Portsmouth, Southampton Solent University, University of Southampton, University of Surrey, University of Sussex, Thames Valley University, UCA and the University of Winchester.

University of Reading careers support for students

• Preparing students for life – the Careers Management Skills programme is embedded in the university and is compulsory. It is the only comprehensive, compulsory and credit bearing programme run at a UK higher education institution. (taken in 2nd year). The programme involves self awareness, looking at job opportunities and preparing resources such as CVs.

• New seminars addressing a new style of graduate recruitment - shift towards hiring directly from internships thus making work experience and extra curricular responsibilities essential to gain core skills and awareness.

• Spring 09 - special 'finding opportunities in the recession' workshops

• Course specific sessions for Finalists on the 'Coping with the recession' and 'Where the jobs are in the credit crunch'.

• Students in other year groups informed that they should also being taking action now for the summer.

• Internships are being promoted and further developments of the 11 work experience schemes, including SEED, the Summer Enterprise Experience & Discovery scheme.

• Careers Fairs - the June Fair was full. Employers from IT, financial services, law and agriculture and more attended. The large autumn 09 careers fair is already well booked by employers and demonstrates ongoing recruitment of Reading graduates.

• Dedicated support from Careers Adviser for their subject area for final year students. Via email / personal appointments or through FACEBOOK site

• – Dedicated website for careers tools

After graduation

• CAS will be staying open all summer and is proposing to run events, fairs and workshops to help Reading graduates find opportunities.

• Life time guarantee of careers advice for Reading graduates.

• Helping retrain people changing careers to become teachers in maths, chemistry, French and physics through the free and bursary-supported ITT Subject Knowledge Enhancement Courses.

• Appointments for graduates of other universities living nearby

• New publication, First Move South East, advertising opportunities with small and medium sized enterprises in the region.

• With funding from the Centre of Career Management Skills CAS will be developing this summer teaching and on-line resources in the following areas: coping with the recession for unemployed Reading graduates, improving the employability of international students at the university, helping to write careers education materials for MBA students, producing better careers materials for professional researchers and developing interactive and diagnostic features on the Destinations® career management skills website. All of these developments will lead to better preparation materials for the use of Reading students and researchers.