Kent Student 101 (Season 2024 Episode 10)
In today's episode, we're talking all about postgrad.
We'll be looking at how students can use university provided services to explore their employment opportunities, how to begin your job hunt, and look at ways to financially plan leaving uni.
We'll be looking at how students can use university provided services to explore their employment opportunities, how to begin your job hunt, and look at ways to financially plan leaving uni.
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TVTranscript
00:00 Hello and welcome to the season finale episode of Kent Student 101. I'm Chantel and this
00:25 is your weekly program all about student life across Kent. This is a show designed by students
00:30 to help you throughout your time at university and highlight a range of resources, opportunities
00:35 and activities open to you. In today's episode we're talking all about postgrad. We'll be
00:40 looking at how students can use university provided services to explore their employment
00:44 opportunities, how to begin your job hunt and look at ways to financially plan leaving
00:48 uni. First this week, the Easter term break has arrived and with that, graduation grows
00:54 closer. Students may be on the lookout for job opportunities but could be unsure where
00:58 to begin. Universities offer career and employability services to help students as they begin to
01:04 look for their first jobs in the desired field. Hector Lam went to find out more. Postgraduate
01:09 students may be concerned with their careers after their studies, hence the reason why
01:14 the universities offer help with career planning. I spoke with the University of Kent's careers
01:18 and employability service advisor to find out what postgraduate students can do to ensure
01:23 better career prospects. My name's Gemma Witts, I'm a senior careers advisor, so I work for
01:29 the University of Kent. So there's lots of different ways that the careers and employability
01:33 service supports students. If they're looking for a part-time job, internships, placements
01:40 or just looking to develop their CV through things like extracurricular courses. We do
01:46 one-to-one career guidance, so you can come and book an appointment and we can talk through
01:51 what you might want to do after or during your degree and we can really think about
01:56 what are your strengths, what are your skills, what do you enjoy, what kind of careers are
02:01 out there and how do you get those careers that you're looking for. University employability
02:06 services offer consultations and mock interviews to help students prepare for what might be
02:11 expected in the job seeking process. So we can help you create a CV, we can help you
02:17 with interviews, we can help you create a LinkedIn profile for example, application
02:23 forms, anything at all to do with the recruitment process we can help and support with. Career
02:29 services will really happily look over your application and make sure that you are completing
02:34 that as well as you possibly can. So I would say definitely use your university careers
02:40 service, come and book an appointment with a careers advisor, we can talk through your
02:45 own individual circumstances, we can look at your own industry and what works for that
02:49 industry. Trying to find a career within the creative industries might look very different
02:54 to a career in an investment bank for example, so a careers advisor can help talk you through
03:02 the different kind of processes involved. So I would say be organised, ideally start
03:08 early, I would say find out about your particular industry and don't compare yourself to others,
03:15 I think all of those are quite important when it comes to thinking about your postgraduate
03:21 career. Although planning for a career may be difficult, using the career services provided
03:26 by the universities can be a great way for students to gain clarity on how to proceed
03:31 and attain a career of their choice. Hector Lam reporting for KMTV.
03:38 Next, as we near the end of the university year, many will begin to contemplate the career
03:44 paths they'd like to take. Well, the recreation station explored the route of passion and
03:49 unconventional. Let's take a look.
04:01 We all have a plan in life and sometimes the plan we imagine doesn't always work out.
04:07 Whether you're graduating now or later, don't feel pressed to fit a certain mould and not
04:13 take the risk. This week on Recreation Station, we show the risk many have taken. This is
04:24 the world of pro wrestling. My name is Straight Sauce John Day, the young
04:40 pretty boy of Singapore professional wrestling, youngest veteran in Southeast Asian professional
04:44 wrestling and your mother's favourite professional wrestler.
04:46 Hey KMTV, I'm Eden Rise here on the best place on earth. Why is it the best place on earth?
04:52 Wrestling ring is my home, my garden of Eden. My name's Nathan Blade. My name is Vicky Two
04:57 Thumbs. My name is Paolo Walker or James. Our passions all start somewhere. So what
05:03 started it for some of UKPW's very own? It's nothing glamorous. I was sitting in my
05:08 friend's living room watching an episode of Raw. I saw AJ Lee. I don't know if you know
05:14 AJ Lee, but I was like, she looks nothing extraordinary. She just looks like your average
05:19 person. I was like, so am I. The only thing that other than football that
05:23 I loved was wrestling. And there was just one match I watched, I believe it was Maya
05:27 Tawani versus Eyal Shirai. And it was at that moment I was like, this could be it. This
05:32 is my dream. I went to Grapple Max Wrestling School in
05:36 Singapore, which is my first wrestling school. And I've just sort of wrestled ever since.
05:39 Thought it was because of a mate, he was kind of shy and he wanted someone to come train
05:43 him. I was like, cool, I'll come with you. I was mainly playing football. And I said,
05:47 you know, I'll give this wrestling thing a try. And I've been doing this for nearly two
05:49 years now. Took my first bump, found this layer, turned
05:52 around and said to the trainers, this is where I want to be. This is my passion.
05:56 Being a wrestler may seem strange to some, but did the wrestlers themselves imagine they'd
06:01 be here? Because I had a combat sport background and
06:04 like a drama background, it was always sort of looking for a combination of those two
06:06 things. Nope. Honestly, I think I'll probably still
06:11 be working in a corner shop somewhere. Well, I have dyspraxia and I'm also autistic.
06:16 So I thought there was no way. Like my coordination is terrible. And like, I don't know how I
06:20 do half the moves I do, but I somehow do. Nah, I don't think I'll be doing wrestling.
06:25 I still think I would have been playing football. What is it about wrestling that attracts people?
06:29 It's heroes and villains. It's stories of good versus evil. No TV, no film or no comic
06:35 book can high five you. But my wrestlers here today build a physical relationship with the
06:41 audience here. And what do wrestlers love most about it?
06:46 Honestly, it's little kids thinking I'm a superhero. It's a combination of that and
06:51 also the fact that anything can exist in a pro wrestling context.
06:54 Right now, it's just me taking bumps and working in front of a crowd.
06:57 What words do Alex and the wrestlers have for students?
07:00 It's the things in life you don't do that you regret.
07:03 I got my first ever job through pro wrestling. I started doing stand up because of pro wrestling.
07:07 Pretty much every life opportunity I've had in the last, maybe most of my teenage life
07:12 and adult life has been in some way or other because of pro wrestling. And it's kind of
07:16 insane.
07:17 Believe in yourself no matter what, and you can reach heights you never thought you'd
07:20 ever reach.
07:21 Well, that's all we have time for. But remember, don't be afraid to take the risk, whatever
07:28 it may be.
07:35 Now we all know the thought of a job hunting after graduation sounds daunting. But what
07:41 if some small tweaks to your personal statement or your online job application could make
07:47 the whole ordeal more successful and less stressful? Charlotte Bourne has more.
07:52 As we approach the end of the academic year, which for many will be our last, as students
07:57 we can struggle to work out what's next. Whether you've got plans or not, it's always a good
08:01 idea to start by creating an online career profile, which you can use when looking for
08:05 jobs and introducing yourself to companies. Let's take a look at the steps involved.
08:10 First you need to create a CV. This is a summary of your education, work experience and any
08:15 other key achievements. Keep it to one or two sides of A4. Make sure you include clear
08:20 subheadings for each section and your name and contact details at the top. State the
08:24 dates you attended each school or workplace and the grades you attained. Your CV should
08:28 be easily readable and well laid out, but don't worry too much about decorating or
08:32 customising it. When creating an online career profile, most websites ask you to write a
08:37 personal summary. This is similar to a personal statement but a lot shorter. Whereas your
08:41 CV should get straight to the point, a personal summary is a chance to show your personality,
08:46 express your values and otherwise introduce yourself as you might when networking in person.
08:51 Focus on your strengths but don't be arrogant. Keeping an upbeat tone will make your summary
08:55 more fun and personable for potential employers to read. Staying honest about your weaknesses
09:00 is good, but more appropriate in an interview context where an employer is getting to know
09:04 you in more depth. Always check your grammar, punctuation and spelling. Writing and speaking
09:10 well are fundamental skills in almost every career. If you're struggling, ask someone
09:14 to proofread your summary or use an online tool. You'll need to add a photo of yourself
09:20 to your profile so that people in your network can recognise you and those discovering you
09:25 have a face to engage with. If you have a friend with a knack for photography, consider
09:29 asking them to take your headshots. Choose a well-lit space and wear neutral clothing
09:33 without logos. Frame yourself correctly. Headshots should be taken from the shoulders up. Make
09:40 sure you leave a little space above your head. If you don't have access to a camera, you
09:45 can still take a high quality photo on most phones. Creating an online career profile
09:51 doesn't have to be daunting and is a great step towards finding your next opportunity
09:55 after university. So get started today. This is Charlotte Bourne for KMTV.
10:03 Now it's time to head to this week's Calamity Corner where Kristen is solving your last
10:08 minute deadline dilemmas.
10:15 If you're stressed, you have 1000 words left to write and it's 4am.
10:28 Firstly I recommend asking chatGBT for any extra ideas to fill up your word count. You
10:34 can use the ideas from chatGBT and expand upon them with research. If you need more
10:39 points for your essay or better explanations for the points you already have, going on
10:44 Google Scholar or YouTube is a great way to do research for this. Another thing I recommend
10:50 is to plan out the rest of your words. So if you have 1000 words left, 200 should be
10:57 about your conclusion. Another thing that I recommend is taking breaks when you notice
11:01 yourself becoming overstressed and overwhelmed. I recommend watching a YouTube video that's
11:06 about 15 to 20 minutes long and making yourself a hot drink. During your breaks it's really
11:12 important to not think about your essay. You need to take the time to let your mind clear
11:16 as much as possible before you get back to it. Another tip is to listen to music while
11:22 taking breaks or writing. This helps your creative mind get working so that when you
11:27 write you can think of really good sentences and really good new points. And a recommendation,
11:34 don't give up. It feels impossible but once it's done you're going to feel great.
11:44 Well it's time for a quick break now but don't go anywhere. When you come back we have this
11:49 week's Alex's analysis on a recent film. All that and more so see you after the short break.
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15:05 Hello and welcome back to Kent Student 101. Next, I was joined earlier by Alex Skaife to share with us this week's
15:15 Alex's analysis on the film Oppenheimer. I started by asking him to tell us what the film is about.
15:21 It's about the theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer and it's a biographical film that follows him through his
15:29 progression as a physicist from university till he directs the Manhattan Project, which was the project by the Americans to create the atomic bomb.
15:39 So it's a very interesting film. It kind of begins as a traditional biographical film. It sort of devolves into a courtroom drama into the second half.
15:47 So it's very interesting.
15:49 And can you tell us about the performances throughout the film?
15:51 So one of the things about a biographical film is it kind of lives and dies on its primary performance, especially as a character study like this.
15:59 You know, the camera is essentially always following Killian. You know, if he messes up, then the film is not really going to be very good.
16:06 Well, thankfully, he does do very well. He won three awards. He won an Oscar, a BAFTA and a Golden Globe for his performance.
16:13 And the performance that he delivers is very layered and nuanced.
16:17 It kind of, as the film follows his entire life, it progresses from when he's younger, he's more unsure of himself.
16:23 I think he's less interested in the existential questions surrounding his work.
16:28 And as that progress progresses, I think he becomes more swept up in the moral consequences of what he's done.
16:35 And I think he shows that for his performances.
16:37 And what I think is good about it is you feel a lot of empathy for the character, even when he's doing immoral things.
16:43 And I think that's a sign he portrayed him as very authentically human.
16:48 And what you say is a typical Christopher Nolan film.
16:51 Well, in some ways it is. So it has that kind of Christopher Nolan polish to it.
16:56 One of the things about Christopher Nolan films is that they're very well done. Everything's very tightly shot.
17:03 It's in the style of a blockbuster.
17:06 What I would say, what my issue is generally with Christopher Nolan films is that they're almost too precise.
17:11 But in this film, I think he shows a willingness to take more risks and embarrass himself.
17:15 There are a lot of sequences in this film that if they were done by someone who wasn't as good a director,
17:20 if they were done in lesser hands, then quite frankly, it really wouldn't have worked out very well.
17:24 But thankfully, because of his skill as a director, the sequences work out really well.
17:29 Okay. And how does this tie into this week's themes and how does it relate to students?
17:34 Well, one of the interesting things about the film, so obviously it's a biographical film, as I said,
17:38 it begins with Oppenheimer at university.
17:42 And I think it kind of deals with the existential question of what do you do afterwards?
17:47 Where do you go from this point on?
17:49 And I think it also deals with another interesting question regarding universities,
17:54 which is that knowledge is not produced in a vacuum.
17:57 The knowledge that he pursues regarding nuclear physics takes place in a society that's oriented towards conflict.
18:06 So the knowledge that he procures during his time at university,
18:09 it gets funnelled into a very militaristic avenue through the nuclear bomb.
18:14 Where knowledge comes from, how knowledge is informed, especially in a university context.
18:18 Thank you so much, Alex, for joining me today.
18:22 Now, one of the many worries students have about leaving education is money.
18:27 Luckily for you, we have found some basic finance tips for students leaving university.
18:32 Ross Stapleton spoke to Tudor Price from Kent and Victor Chamber of Commerce to find out more.
18:38 What number one tip do you have for any students transitioning into the job market?
18:43 Do a budget, do a budget, do a budget.
18:45 It is the most important thing that you can possibly do.
18:48 You start off with your, what they call your survival budget, your personal budget.
18:52 And that's applicable to anyone, regardless of what they end up doing in the future.
18:56 You need to have an understanding about exactly how much money you are going to need to be able to pay the bills,
19:02 live a reasonable quality of life, maybe save some money for the future.
19:08 So when you're out there looking at job prospects, you need to have some figure in your mind.
19:13 Not what you'd love to have, because nothing wrong with aspiration, that's fine.
19:17 But what do you need to have?
19:19 What skills should students look to develop as they go into the job market?
19:23 One is your interpersonal skills. How do you interact with other people around you?
19:28 The second thing is your communication skills.
19:31 Can you articulate what it is you're thinking?
19:34 More importantly, your attitude around communication.
19:39 So being mindful of others in that team, understanding how you fit into that dynamic
19:47 and being respectful of other people's opinions and values and beliefs,
19:52 recognising that they may be different to yours.
19:55 So again, being prepared to compromise and adjust to sort of fit in.
19:59 But also having a real mindset that is one of problem solving.
20:05 I've spent a lot of time working with people who are very good at articulating the problem and why we can't do stuff.
20:11 You need people to challenge you, that's fine.
20:13 And in certain contexts, that's absolutely an essential part of any decision making process.
20:18 But from a young person coming into the organisation, what will get them on quicker
20:22 is someone that can say, "Yeah, I can take care of that for you. Let me try and find out."
20:27 It's that positive attitude, "I'm not quite sure yet, but I will find a way of doing it."
20:31 And it's that sense of optimism and ambition, if you like, which is quite key.
20:37 What's the most difficult part of that transition?
20:41 Well, what there is, is that there is a need for the employer and the employee
20:46 to really cover off those expectations early on.
20:49 There are a tremendous amount of assumptions still taking place.
20:51 It might be that you, as an employee, you expect to be working from home two or three days a week.
20:56 And is it, are you comfortable if they say, "Oh, we need you in at a 24 hours notice,"
20:59 or, "We're calling a meeting, which is normally your day at home."
21:02 It's really important that there's clarity in exactly what the expectations are.
21:07 Next, we hand things over to the Budget Babes, where this week, just because we are leaving university,
21:13 doesn't mean we can't still make mum's meals on a budget. Let's see how they got on.
21:18 Hi, I'm Peter. I'm Hannah. And together, we are the Budget Babes.
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21:31 So what are we making today, Peter?
21:33 So, for the final week, we're making a dish my mum used to make for me all the time.
21:37 But she used to make this when I was having a tough week or just to celebrate something.
21:41 And of course, there's different variations across all of Vietnam.
21:44 But today, I've modified my mum's recipe to make it a little bit cheaper,
21:47 but just as tasty for you guys to try at home.
21:51 To make my favourite dish, you'll need the ingredients shown on screen.
21:55 The star component, chicken.
21:57 You have to break it down by removing the spine using kitchen shears or scissors.
22:04 Then turn it over and begin cutting the thighs and leg.
22:07 After that, move to the wings. You may have to snap the joint here, just take your time.
22:11 Onto the breasts, slice in between and cut the breasts from the bone.
22:15 I'd recommend making small cuts as to not tear the breasts.
22:18 And it'll be one of your centrepieces, so be gentle and enjoy the process.
22:25 If you spatchcock the chicken correctly, this is what you should be left with.
22:29 Phở is all about having a clear, clean broth, so we're blanching all the meat to remove any impurities or dirt.
22:35 Add all the meat to a pot and fill with cold water. Then bring to a boil for 20 minutes.
22:40 To add an extra depth of flavour, we're adding one and a half onions and a knob of ginger into the oven to grill and develop colour.
22:47 Leave this for around 20 minutes or until blackened.
22:50 After boiling the meat for 20 minutes, there should be clumps of impurities and dirt.
22:55 To maintain a clear broth, discard this along with the liquid and begin rinsing all the meat.
23:00 Be thorough with this process for better results.
23:02 Reintroduce all the meat to a big sanitised pot and add the roasted onion and ginger from the oven.
23:08 The key spices are cinnamon bark, star anise and black cardamom.
23:13 Filter the top with tap or filtered water.
23:17 Now bring to a boil and begin skimming the scum off like shown on screen.
23:21 This is crucial to maintain a clear broth.
23:24 After one hour, move the thighs and breasts to cool and refrigerate.
23:30 Then add fish sauce and chicken powder and allow to simmer for three hours.
23:35 Whilst the broth is simmering, begin preparing the aromatics.
23:39 We used coriander, green onions and raw onions and a lemon for extra tang.
23:47 After three hours, your kitchen should be smelling amazing from all the spices.
23:51 Remove your chicken from the fridge to begin slicing up.
23:54 Cut into whatever size fits your preference.
23:57 Onto the beef, it should be very juicy and tender.
24:01 This is what you should end up with.
24:08 With all the ingredients prepped, heat up the broth and begin to prepare the noodles.
24:13 Follow the instructions given on the packaging.
24:16 Finally, onto plating, add noodles, then the chicken, beef, spring onions, coriander and the sliced onions.
24:26 And pour the rich broth all over the noodles.
24:29 Add a squeeze of lemon for that extra flavour.
24:33 Finally, enjoy your hard-earned pho.
24:37 It'll be delicious, so make sure to share with friends and family as a nice little treat.
24:41 And that's how you make my comfort meal, pho.
24:44 I'm so excited to try. Should we try it?
24:46 Yes.
24:47 No.
24:50 Thank you guys for watching.
24:52 And for the last time...
24:54 Bye!
24:56 Great job, Budget Beebs. That looked delicious.
25:02 Finally, to close this season finale episode, we the production team here at Kent Student 101 wanted to thank you, the viewers, and say goodbye.
25:12 Let's take a look.
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26:16 Well, unfortunately that's all we've got time for on this season's final episode of Kent Student 101.
26:32 If you missed any of this season's previous episodes, you can find them online at kmtv.co.uk.
26:39 Thank you so much for joining us. But for now, that's all from me and the Kent Student 101 team. Goodbye.
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