Services For Students

This statement describes the services the Career Development & Employment Centre provides for students and graduates of Sussex University. It details:

• who is eligible to use CDEC
• location and opening hours of CDEC
• how to contact CDEC
• the services CDEC offers students/graduates and how to access them
• what students/graduates can expect from CDEC
• what CDEC expects from students/graduates
• how CDEC’s services are monitored and reviewed
• complaints procedure

Entitlement to use CDEC

All services are available to:

• Full time and part time undergraduates and postgraduates at Sussex University
• Sussex University graduates/postgraduates up to one year* following graduation
• Post-Docs, contract researchers and researchers on fixed-term contracts

Access to part time work is available for Sussex graduates up to 6 months following graduation.

The Information Centre is also available to students, graduates and postgraduates from other Universities, and Sussex graduates/postgraduates who graduated more than one year ago.

If you are not eligible to use us, try Directgov's careers advice service.

Opening Hours, Location, Contact Details

Please see our contact and opening hours pages.

What CDEC offers students and graduates

Information

• Information Centre - staffed by professionally trained information staff, open throughout the year, providing reference and take away literature on career options, employers, postgraduate study and funding, work and study overseas, vacation work and more
• Website www.sussex.ac.uk/cdec - accessible on and off campus providing links to relevant careers sites including companies, vacancy sites, postgraduate study and training, on-line guidance, international information and more
• The Message www.sussex.ac.uk/cdec/newsletter - CDEC’s online newsletter, emailed monthly to all undergraduates and taught postgraduates
• Career Guides - covering a wide range of types of work to assist career research, identify entry requirements, typical employers and related occupations
• Sussex University contacts - to support career research by offering insiders’ views of careers, suggestions for work experience and successful applications

Some careers information resources are available (at short notice) in different formats – audio, large text. The CDEC website is available in a format which can be used by screen readers and other assistive technologies.

Guidance

• One-to-one, booked short interviews (20 mins) with a professionally qualified Careers Adviser; during University term time, every weekday between 12pm - 4pm and 5pm - 7pm on Wednesdays. Book on the day from 10am in person or on 01273 678429. Reduced availability during University vacations
• One-to-one longer careers consultations (up to one hour) are available on request - usually following referral from a short interview or after discussion with a member of the CDEC team
• Mock interviews are available on request

Vacancies

• Wide range of job vacancies – graduate, finalist, part time, vacation - www.sussex.ac.uk/cdec/vacancies. CDEC does not place people in jobs, students apply for advertised positions directly. For part-time jobs students need an IT Services username and password, only available once registered at Sussex
• voluntary and work experience opportunities too
• FREE employer directories with graduate and internship positions
• Up-to-date information on employment issues such as tax and national insurance

Events

• Skills workshops – employer-led sessions covering all aspects of the application process. From CVs to interviews, assessment centres and presentation skills
• Employer and Careers Talks – get inside knowledge on what specific employers are looking for, and find out how graduates (often from Sussex) got into their line of work
• Recruitment Fairs – GradFair and LawFair every Autumn term. Lots of employers, course and opportunity providers in one place

Full details of all events are at www.sussex.ac.uk/cdec/events

Programmes for Postgraduates and Researchers

• Postgraduate Workshops – a termly programme of practical and career planning workshops . Details at www.sussex.ac.uk/cdec/events
  Review your career, plan for your next steps, and learn how to make successful applications. Subject or School specific sessions available too
• Professional Researcher Portfolio – Profolio - offering career development workshops and introducing the web-based Professional Researcher Portfolio for postgraduate research students
• CareerStorm Navigator - an intelligent online career development process that brings meaning to your work and life experience. It confronts you with tough questions about yourself. Contact c.m.reynolds@sussex.ac.uk for full access
• Careers Information by sector at www.sussex.ac.uk/cdec/careers_info. Includes VAULT online careers library with free industry overviews, career profiles and downloadable guides (only available on campus)

Student Development Programmes

eXperience Factor – 3 different schemes to develop skills, experience and insight into career areas:

• workshadowing programme - spend time with someone in their workplace
• schools programme - practical experience in a primary or secondary school
• student development fund - apply for up to £500 for your group project

Find out more at www.sussex.ac.uk/cdec/experience

Career Development Course – for students to start career planning and earn course credits. Currently available for 2nd Years in Anthropology, Engineering, History, Informatics, Mathematics, Sociology, Biology & Environmental Science and Physics & Astronomy

What students and graduates can expect from CDEC

• Welcoming and approachable staff
• Confidentiality
• Impartiality
• Up to date information
• Bookable appointments with a Career Development Adviser where students can discuss
  - the skills and experiences they are developing
  - the options available to them after their course
  - the issues to consider if they are considering leaving their course
  - how to apply and be selected for jobs and further training
• Responses to careers advice by email enquiries within five working days
• A service that responds to students’ needs irrespective of gender, ethnic origin, disability, sexual orientation age. Appropriate provision will be made to support students’ individual needs when they make CDEC aware of them. For more information see CDEC's Equality & Diversity Statement
• Referral to other University staff or organisations if CDEC cannot help
• Compliance with the Data protection Act 1988

What CDEC expects from students/graduates

CDEC expects students/graduates to:

• become familiar with the resources available in CDEC as early as possible during their time at University
• take responsibility for planning their own career development – making use of the range of CDEC resources available
• arrive on time when they have booked or signed up to attend one of the range of services available
• offer constructive comments when asked for feedback on services

How CDEC’s services to students are monitored and reviewed

CDEC annually surveys recent Sussex graduates to ask them about their experience of the services they have used. In addition, all workshops run by CDEC staff are evaluated and other surveys are used to gather information about the quality, relevance and range of CDEC’s services. These findings are used to review and improve the services. Anonymous statements complementing CDEC may be used in publicity from time to time

Complaints

For a student/graduate who wishes to make a complaint about any aspect of CDEC’s services, the first point of contact is Linda Buckham, Director of CDEC – L.G.Buckham@sussex.ac.uk. If the issue remains unresolved, the next step is to refer to the University Students Complaints Procedure.