When it comes to making the most of everything the King’s Careers service offers to its students, this blog will help demystify the process and explain how to use the Career’s service in order to maximise its benefits for you. As a final year student about to graduate- I wish I had made the most of the Careers service. However, having said that, it is important to remember that you receive support as alumni from the Careers service for up to two years.
For example, as a student in first year, the way I came across the Careers service was via the Careers events that were hosted where we received weekly newsletters of job opportunities and events. I know sometimes the emails can seem like a lot, but make sure you go through them in order to check if anything catches your eye. Going to events, particularly the ‘Discover Careers in…’ gave me more of an idea on which industries actually interested me and what did not. Usually, in the emails and alternatively on the Instagram, there would be a link directing you to KCC, where if you scrolled down, you would be able to book your place on an event.
The same goes for job opportunities. Usually, these would all be placed on a newsletter/ Instagram story. The link would then direct you to KCC where usually it would have a summary of what the specific job entailed (very helpful when it comes to preparing for an interview) and then on the side instructions- i.e ‘send your CV and cover letter to so and so’. These opportunities are collated by our various Careers Consultants so make sure to check them out. I wish I was more proactive in my first and second year when it came to looking at internships and trying to balance various deadlines.
Often when we’re so focused on KCC, we forget about the King’s Careers & Employability KEATS page. I definitely did not use this as much as I should have. Here I will explain the difference between the two: while KCC is our booking platform, KEATS is our e-learning platform and they are both on different sites. Finding the KEATS page is fairly straightforward, if you keep scrolling past your modules on KEATS, you should be able to find it. When you click on the module on KEATS, you will come to a section that says Discover, Focus and Action. Understanding which phase you’re at which will help if you research will allow you to use the Careers service in a way that is helpful for you. In the tab on the left, there will be different resources depending on what kind of student you are , as well links to #MyNextSteps events which are about what to do after graduating, upcoming events/ event recordings, industry information and sector guides, as well as LinkedIn Learning Courses which I did not know we had access to – but are no doubt highly valuable and something you can attach to your own LinkedIn account when completing a course in whatever you’re interested in.
I also recommend accessing King’s CareerConnect and the KEATS page via a PC/ laptop as it is easier to navigate the website from here as opposed to your phone as you’re able to see everything clearly. Furthermore, the industry information and sector guides have all the relevant information you need depending on what you’re interested in so make sure to check that out as there are multiple links to places where you can research job opportunities on alternative websites.
Furthermore, regarding the practice interview system, this will be available on KEATS via Shortlist.Me which will provide mock online assessments and interviews. A practice interview is an hour/ 40 minute long appointment to help you prepare for an interview. You will also have the chance to practice interview answers and techniques with the help of a career consultant. The practice interview is a safe learning space that is there to support your unique situation- and the session can be changed to suit your needs so you can get the most out of your appointment.
The CV checker is available via KCC providing content the student goes through in a linear order before having the option at the end to upload their CV and have it checked by an application advisor where they receive some feedback. This will be available from September onwards.
If you ever have any questions regarding this whole process, always try to get in touch with the Careers service as they will do their best to help and guide you!
Haleema Ayyub
Communications and Engagement Intern
Part of King’s Careers and Employability
The King’s Student Money Mentors blog shares our students’ personal experiences and thoughts on money-related topics. Any reference, opinions or recommendations on a particular company/brand are only the views of the student(s) who wrote the blog post. King’s College London, the Money & Housing Advice service and the Money Mentor project do not share the views in the blogs nor endorse any of the companies mentioned. Readers should conduct their own research before using any companies mentioned in our blog posts.