GradForce are here to help you fast track your graduate career! Today we are casting the blog spotlight on GradForce and their Get Hired! programme.

GradForce is a project that aims to improve graduate outcomes for Canterbury Christ Church University talent. The project team have created the bespoke (and free!) ‘Get Hired!’ training programme and we can’t wait to tell you about it!

Taking place in February and March 2022, the programme is comprised of 5 core topics across 7 sessions focussing on building strengths, enabling a growth mindset, knowing what to expect, and ensuring complete preparedness for the graduate recruitment cycle.

Session 1 – Who Do You Think You Are?
Growth mindset, resilience, and overcoming imposter syndrome

• Gain insight into your own mindset; understand how it impacts your behaviours and results
• Understand what Imposter Syndrome is and realise we all share it
• We’ll share all the tips and tactics to help you change your mindset and overcome any feelings of inadequacy and develop self-worth

Session 2 – Belbin Team Roles
How well do you know yourself?

• Find out about your professional strengths & where they could add value to an organisation
• Discover how to manage our weaknesses
• Free Belbin Get Set report with personal guidance and advice
• How to apply this personalised info to graduate job applications
• 1-1 appointment with an accredited Belbin trainer to make sense of your new findings

Session 3 – The Recruitment Cycle Part 1
A comprehensive look into the graduate recruitment process

• Attend this three-part course which covers the recruitment process from the beginning of the job hunt through to job hunting success
• Sessions will provide in-depth advice for building a CV and writing a covering letter
• In-depth advice regarding interviews, assessments and next steps after a post-interview decision (success vs. rejection)

Session 4 – The Story of You: Personal Branding
Discovering your values and building your personal brand

• Understand the key components of a ‘personal brand’
• Learn to identify what your personal values are
• Differentiate between offline and online branding
• Gain top tips for maintaining clean, professional social media on all key platforms
• Get comfortable with sharing ‘the story of you’ with elevator pitches

Session 5 – The Recruitment Cycle Part 2

Session 6 – The Recruitment Cycle Part 3

Session 7 – Professionalism In The Workplace
How to demonstrate professionalism in the graduate workplace

• Learn and understand what professionalism is and why it is important in the graduate workplace
• Understand how to demonstrate professionalism in all aspects of the graduate workplace (e.g. from email to meetings)
• Understand how to deal with conflict and workplace issues professionally

In addition to these core sessions, there is also a curation of optional bonus sessions. Those enrolled on the programme are under no obligation to attend these, however, if you do, you will be rewarded for it – completion of all core sessions nets you a £20 gift voucher, and with bonus topics this bumps up to £25. Bonus topics include: the fabulous Grit, one of our partners on the Get Hired! programme, who are a charity founded on showing young people they are worth something; capable of achievement that deserves and earns the respect of others.

Following and throughout this ‘bootcamp’, you get support from the dedicated GradForce Careers Advisor, Sian, with all things application writing and CV building, AND access to an exclusive Gradguide™ mentorship platform which links you with professionals who are experts in their fields. Sian has over a decade of experience in career guidance, and Gradguide is committed to building a platform that bridges the employment gap between college and technology companies.

If you aren’t already convinced that you need to sign up to this ASAP, the pièce de resistance is the GradForce matchmaking process. Upon completion of the course, GradForce Employment Co-ordinator, Jack Bidewell, carefully sources local graduate jobs to match your wants and needs – roles which are only available to GradForce students! This is the part of the programme that does what it says on the tin – Get (you) Hired!!

So, who’s eligible?

This programme is available to all final-year students and recent graduates. The team would particularly love to hear from underrepresented groups to level the playing field and ensure that all students leave Canterbury Christ Church University with equal opportunity to transition into graduate-level employment.

“While we are excited to open up to as many students as possible, the important work we do with underrepresented groups will always remain our priority.” – James, GradForce Graduate Trainee

What are you waiting for? Registrations are now open!

To be eligible for a spot on this programme, you must be a final-year student, postgraduate, recent alumnus or recent graduate.