The Grad Edge Award: everything you need to know,

and more!

• What is the Award? • Why should you do it? • How can you do it?

The Award is all about enhancing your employability:

Designed based on feedback from employers, students and academics.

Focuses on work experience and skills development.

We asked employers:

What makes a good graduate into

• A good degree (of course!)

but also...

...so we included all of this in the new Grad Edge Award!

a great graduate?

• Graduate-level skills and behaviours

• Career management skills

• Work experience

• Self-confidence and self-awareness

• Commitment and passion!

Some of your Grad Edge Award Resources: www.southwales.ac.uk

/gradedge

UniLife Connect

• Attend an event or watch the Grad Edge video to understand everything you need to know

• Complete an interactive skills assessment to understand your strengths and weaknesses

• Set your goals for your work experience

• Undertake & capture 70+ hours’ experience• Round off your experience by obtaining an employer/

client reference

• Reflect on the skills you’ve developed during your experience – how far have you come?

• Complete two application form questions using your experience

• Showcase your new skills and experience by creating a CV

• Get help & practice dealing with Graduate interview questions

• Book your USW Careers 1-2-1 appointment for; • Feedback on your CV & answers to application

form questions• Undertake a quick mock interview to practice your

interview skills• Review your overall progress on your Grad Edge

Award journey

What do we mean by experience? At least 35 hours’ Career-related

Make up the difference to 70 hours with Employability-related

• Paid or unpaid work experience/short placements/Internships

• Placements - arranged as part of your degree (ie 1 semester, year out etc)

• Live Projects (providing they are based on a real employer/client brief from your chosen sector. The project must be verified by your Head of Student Experience (or nominated academic), and endorsed by an employer/client reference)

• Self-employed activity via Bright Ideas (verified by Bright Ideas team)

• Paid or unpaid work (e.g. part time work verified by employer)

• Volunteering (verified by volunteering organisation)

• Clubs or Societies (in a position of responsibility - verified by the Student Union)

• Peer Mentoring on a USW scheme (verified by a USW staff member who runs scheme)

• Student Voice Rep/Course Rep/ USW Ambassador roles (verified by a USW staff member who runs scheme)

“Research shows that without work experience 52% of graduate employers rate your chances of receiving a job offer as

'not very likely’”

(www.ratemyplacement.co.uk)

The Rules (or as we like to call it, “How to get the best out of the Grad Edge Award”)

Do the steps in the order you see them on UniLife Connect…

Your career development is a marathon, not the hurdles (or even a sprint!)

Experience cannot be retrospective – you have to have 70 hours+ left in front

of you

Make use of the resources (online and human!) we’re offering you. They’re there for a reason – we know they will help!

Don’t shy away from the nerve wracking

bits…they’re the things which will

help you in the long run.

Your chance to ask questions…