University to provide free career confidence workshops for South West graduates

Graduates across the South West are being offered the opportunity to prepare for the competitive jobs market by attending one of a series of two-day ‘Career Confidence Graduate Workshops’.

The events are being run by Plymouth University’s Careers and Employability Service and will provide techniques and tips on all aspects of career success, from job search strategies and writing CVs, to tackling the application process and shining at interviews.

They will also look at career planning, volunteering, and providing an introduction to starting up your own business, and are being delivered by qualified University careers advisers and invited guest speakers.

The workshops are taking place throughout the summer and are open to anyone who has graduated from any university in the last 12 months, or three years for Plymouth graduates, and are free of charge.

Shirley Walker, Head of Careers and Employability at the University, said: “The graduate jobs market is still competitive in many sectors. Some graduates are searching for that first step towards their chosen career, or wondering what direction they should take.

“These free workshops are a great opportunity to receive guidance on these issues, to talk to careers professionals, and to meet other graduates in a similar situation."

The workshops have been designed to be informal and interactive and will be structured around group-work, although individual support will be available if needed. Lunch and refreshments are provided.

Registration for the workshops – which begin on Wednesday 22nd May – is required, and places can be booked online at www.plymouth.ac.uk/careers in the ‘Events and opportunities’ section. A number of shorter workshops are also available.

“All of our participants from similar workshops we’ve run in the past have said that their confidence had been boosted as a result of attending, so we are sure that graduates this summer will come away with renewed motivation and a positive plan of action,” added Shirley.