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Careers FAQs

21 September 2023

From building skills at uni to LinkedIn and your work rights, check out UC's Careers FAQs.

HOW TO APPLY

Our job is to empower you as a UC student and graduate to get future-ready.

We’re a friendly team here to help you build your employability and work-ready skills while studying. Our services are accessible to all UC students and recent graduates. Engage with us early and often to take the right steps for your future. 

Ways we help:

  • Book a one-on-one appointment with one of our qualified consultants to get advice on identifying your strengths, exploring career and study options, and building work-ready skills. We also help with job-hunting strategies, CV, applications, LinkedIn and interview practice.
  • Online Career Centre This is your career centre, and you have free access to over 100+ career resources. Log in to build, track and boost your professional profile with the latest career development tools.
  • My Jobs Board | NZUni Talent makes it easy to search and apply for graduate roles, internships, volunteer opportunities, part-time work and more. Log in and follow the latest job listings, activate notifications and apply for positions directly from your jobs board.

Career Development Learning is the acquisition of capabilities that are useful to the lifelong development and management of your career. This simply means you build the skills to stay relevant for today and the future of work.

At UC, we provide students with the skills and knowledge to plan and manage your career options, and increase outcomes to improve your employability. 

This includes learning how to plan and manage your career, from your first job search to moving up in your career. You'll also learn the skills you need to build experience, acquire transferable skills, grow your network, write a resume, interview prep, and enhance your career opportunities while you study at university. 

Hear from students about their career development journey

Awesome. You’re on the right track! An early start will give you an edge and set you up for a meaningful career. We encourage all students to engage with our team early and often as you like.

Here are five tips on how to prepare in your first year: 

  • Have an open mind about majors and careers. Learn about study-to-career connections and be flexible about changing paths if you find something better suited to your skills.
  • Get to know YOU. Uni is a time to explore who you are and reflect on your interests, strengths, values and personality. Take the self-discovery quiz and personality assessments to learn about yourself.
  • Get involved. UC is filled with opportunities to grow your skills through student clubs, volunteer opportunities, leadership roles, internships and more. Be a part of the bu. Taking classes and earning a strong GPA is just the beginning – employers also want to see that you are involved on campus and have relevant hands-on experience
  • Research the future skills you'll need for the 21st century and beyond. Read about the skills employers are seeking in the download below.
  • Engage with UC Careers early and often. We’re a friendly team and here to help you reach your goals!

Inā kei te mohio koe ko wai koe, I anga mai koe i hea, kei te mohio koe. Kei te anga atu ki hea.  

If you know who you are and where you are from, then you will know where you are going.

Your career development is a journey. Start here and work your way through the phases using the tools, resources and support services.

Throughout your time at university, you have many opportunities to develop the core competencies through academic learning, project work, internships, clubs, societies and volunteering in the wider community.

Find out ways to build your skills 

In addition to your academic degree, employers want graduates with transferrable soft skills (human skills), relevant work experience, ambition and adaptability for the 21st century. Transferable skills are the skills and abilities you have developed throughout your life from experiences such as study, work, hobbies, community service and travel. These skills can be easily transferred from one job to another.

There are seven skills that employers say are essential for the workplace. These are all transferable skills you may have developed through your life experience.

  1. Positive attitude – you're calm and cheerful when things go wrong
  2. Communication – you can listen and say things clearly when you speak or write
  3. Teamwork – you can work well with other people
  4. Self-management – you're organised and always arrive on time
  5. Willingness to learn – you want to learn new things to improve your skills
  6. Thinking skills (problem-solving and decision making) – you try and solve problems or can see when something won't work
  7. Resilience – you don't let problems hold you back

Yes, we can help you make career-based study choices and explore job prospects in the industries you want to be a part of.

Understanding motivations is important to determine whether Postgraduate study is right for you. You might like to discuss with a career consultant, an academic member of staff in the department you wish to undertake postgraduate study in, a current or former postgraduate student, family members and friends.

Book an appointment with a career consultant to help weigh up and plan your options. 

Once you’re confident with your decision, get in touch with your College Student Advisor to help plan the structure of your degree and the courses you should take.

UC Jobs Board

  • My Jobs Board | NZUni Talent is for UC students. Log in for an easy way to search and apply for graduate roles, internships, volunteer opportunities, part-time work and more. Follow the latest job listings, activate notifications and apply for positions directly from your jobs board. Employers that recruit UC students and graduates list their vacancies here, so these jobs are meant for you!
  • GoinGlobal provides valuable information on working in many different countries around the world. As a UC student, you have free access to this platform to explore opportunities overseas.
  • Highered Career Portal - students and alumni of Te Kura Umanga | UC Business School, have access to the Highered career portal. The platform allows you to view and apply for thousands of international listings for internships, graduate roles, and full-time positions at some of the largest and most well-known global corporations.

You can also search for opportunities on external job sites and company websites.

 

Work-Integrated Learning

Check with your college for degree-based internship opportunities: 

More on Jobs & Internships here

UC students have free access to the GoinGlobal platform. This award-winning career resource can help you find jobs and internships at home and abroad, with expert career advice for more than 120 domestic and international locations.

GoinGlobal is a valuable resource for UC students looking to connect with global opportunities and networks, including international students who plan to return to work in their resident country.

GoinGlobal can help you:

  • Search Jobs and Internships at home, overseas and remote working positions
  • Free Webinars Join free Q&A training sessions for students and staff to fast-track finding overseas opportunities
  • Country and City Career Guides With career intelligence compiled by local career specialists, each guide includes detailed information on finding jobs and internships, salary information, key industry trends,  areas of job promise, networking resources, work permit and visa regulations, resume/CV writing guidelines and examples.
  • Employer Directories provides corporate details for 450,000 companies in 196 countries.
  • Volunteering and NGO opportunities
  • COVID-19 resources with proven strategies and tactics for helping job seekers achieve their career objectives in the post-Covid job market

Log in to GoinGlobal

#Yes!

LinkedIn is a fast-growing professional network. Your LinkedIn profile can evolve as you learn new skills, achieve new accomplishments and enter new phases of your career. You can also use LinkedIn to identify opportunities by networking.

Follow these easy steps and tutorials to help you share your professional story through LinkedIn:

Set up your profile:

Networking tips:

 

Top tips for LinkedIn networking

 Add people you know and the industry leaders that inspire you. It's also worth getting in touch with UC alumni who work in the companies you're interested in to conduct an information interview and learn more about the employer or their career experience. Connect and follow company profiles on LinkedIn so you're updated with the latest employer insights.

Boost your LinkedIn Profile: 

Book a one-on-one LinkedIn appointment

Our team can help you take a professional photo for your LinkedIn as well

100%! Our services are free to recent graduates. We can provide career advice, help you plan your next course of action and strategies for job-hunting. Book an appointment to speak with one of our career consultants.

Each year, we survey UC graduates to understand better our graduates’ employment patterns, occupations, and destinations. Check out the graduate destinations data here

The hidden job market refers to jobs that are not advertised.  Tapping into the hidden job market is particularly important if you are seeking work in an environment where many organisations are relatively small or in highly competitive sectors. You may be familiar with the hidden job market, having successfully gained part-time work through networking or directly approaching an employer.

Discover How to tap into the hidden job market

Networking can be used to widen your circles, find out about job opportunities, and increase your awareness of industry news and trends. It’s simply about making conversations with people who can help.

Discover How to Network here

Our events give you the chance to grow your network and learn strategies to step into the professional world. Check out upcoming events here

Informational interviews are a great way to paint a picture of an occupation, company and the industry. They are also an excellent opportunity to expand your network and practise your interview technique.

Unlike a job interview, it's up to you to ask the questions at an informational interview, so be prepared. This is your opportunity to speak candidly with a professional and gain an insight into their work life. It allows you to get a sense of what a general workday looks like and the typical responsibilities they have in their role. You can also learn more about the company they work for, how it operates, what challenges it faces and what the workplace culture is like. Ultimately, the interview can help you to establish whether the profession or company is a good fit for you and, if so, how you might get to a similar position.

Whether emailing or calling, keep your request short and to the point, explaining what you're looking for and how you think they can help. If they're not interested, don't pursue it. If they're ok to help you, ask whether a phone, video call or email conversation is best and arrange a suitable time.

Congratulations on landing a job interview!

Whether you are going for an interview for a summer job or a graduate role, it’s important to dress appropriately.

Here are some tips you may want to consider before you attend the interview.

See more interview tips here

  • Assessment Centres are used by many Australasian companies as a part of the recruitment process. They focus on assessing our competencies you participate in individual and team activities. Click here to practice.
  • Aptitude or personality tests to improve your chances of performing well in the real thing. Practice a wide variety of commonly used assessments 
  • For more tips, read the Guide to Assessment centres.

  • Employment rights Aotearoa New Zealand has laws that help keep workplaces fair. You should be aware of the rules and your rights and responsibilities as an employee.
  • The NZ Human Rights A-Z Employment Guide is a helpful resource to answer some of the frequently asked questions, enquiries and complaints to the Human Rights Commission.
  • Diversity Works NZ is the national body for workplace diversity and inclusion
  • UC's Equity & Disability Service provide useful information about the services and resources available for students who have a disability, with links to community agencies.
  • The Disability Information Service is a free community information and referral service holding a wide range of information on disability and health issues in the Canterbury Region.
  • UC Law Clinic This confidential service, under the supervision of a qualified and practising solicitor, will be available on selected Wednesday afternoons from 2 pm to 5 pm. The UC Law Clinic is located in Room 151A on the ground floor foyer of the Meremere (Business and Law) Building, University Drive. 

Immigration New Zealand is the first point of reference for understanding your work rights in Aotearoa New Zealand

Please refer to the guide on Salary negotiation and employment agreements and the Hays Salary Guide 21/22.

If you have any questions or concerns about your employment agreement, these organisations can assist:

Figuring out what you want to do with your career is one of life’s exciting and big challenges – it’s okay to feel overwhelmed by it all. If you're feeling down or anxious, there are many people who can support you and offer practical advice for your wellbeing and success as a UC student:

Watch The skills employers are looking for

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