Once you leave university and enter the world of employment, it’s both an exciting and daunting time with everything being so new. As a student in your final year of study, you may already have a role lined up or are starting to consider job applications.

Whether you’re ready to take that next step or are getting organised for your future career, it’s important to have a practical understanding of your entitlements as you enter into a full-time work contract.

Here are some key consideration to be mindful of from human resource consultants Every Cloud Management:

Contractual legalise

When you accept a job role, you’ll be sent two copies of your new contract to sign; one is for you to keep as reference and the second is for your company to put on file. Before you sign, read every page carefully and have your laptop to hand to make a note of anything you’re not sure about.

Pay close attention to key aspects such as holiday entitlement, flexible hours and rules for the termination of your contract. As you can imagine, legal isn’t the easiest type of language to read, so don’t worry if you don’t get it the first time and always share it with an experienced parent.

Should you have any concerns, it’s best to bring these up with your employer in a polite way where you can come across as having a keen eye and good attention to detail.

Responsibilities and company policies

During your first week, you should have access to your company’s health and safety procedures, and you’re perfectly entitled to request this should it not be offered. This can include information on what to do in a fire, who the registered first aider is and any clothing guidelines. You’re also likely to be given a desk introduction where you’re talked through the setup and shown how to sit in your chair in relation to your computer screens.

Essentially, it’s important to realise that your employer is responsible for your safety and will be guided by UK and EU regulations that ensure minimum standards are met. In turn, also keep a copy of your job description so you know you’re meeting their expectations as you work through your probationary period.

Sick leave and well-being

Once you’ve passed your probation you’ll be entitled to a number of paid sick days depending on your contract and HR will record your days off so they’re always up-to-date in the system. If you exceed your maximum entitlement, it may result in loss of pay for extra days, but this is often a lenient process depending on your absence reasons and if you have a doctor’s note. Always remember that whilst contracts and regulations appear on paper quite cold, in real life the people you work with are more than likely going to be normal and understanding confidants.

During your time of employment, your employer has a duty of care for your well-being. Should you suffer from an excess of stress, feel overworked or unhappy in your role, approach your line-manager as a first step so someone senior is aware of the issue and can work with you to improve your working environment.

Ultimately, a first job is a time for you to apply your strengths from University and learn even more. As an initial role, you’ll be given good support from your manager or team lead to help you settle in and progress. Make sure you go in informed and you’ll be off to a great start in your career.

1. Tailor your content

The best presentations take time and effort to craft and so you should start planning yours at the earliest possible opportunity.

When you’re selecting information for your talk, think carefully about the people you will be addressing. If you’re pitching to investors, the chances are they will want lots of detailed information, including the sort of people you intend to sell your product or service to, the size of your target market, your competitors, your profit projections, the structure of your company and more. Providing plenty of facts and figures will be crucial if you are to win over an audience like this. Alternatively, if you are addressing creative individuals, you may need to focus more on themes and ideas, and on creating a compelling narrative using emotive language. By researching your audience thoroughly ahead of your talk, you should develop a clear understanding of what they will be looking for.

2 Get the design spot-on

As well as deciding what information you should include in your pitch, you’ll need to think about the best ways of presenting it.

Overall design can make or break a presentation. For example, consider the display equipment you will use, and if you’re delivering the talk at your own offices, make sure your company’s boardroom looks the part. Scruffy furnishings are a sure-fire way to put your audience of. If the look of your company’s boardroom is something you are in a position to influence, then comfortable, luxurious seating is a must in these spaces, and it’s good to have a standout boardroom table too. Solid timber designs have a reassuringly traditional appearance, while glass models exude contemporary elegance. If you’re stuck for ideas, you can look for inspiration online by visiting specialist websites like www.calibre-furniture.co.uk or by perusing office furniture blogs and magazines.

As well as paying attention to the physical equipment you will use during your talk, make sure your presentation software is spot-on. PowerPoint is a popular choice, but bear in mind there are other options. If you’re keen to be a bit different, check out alternatives like Prezi and Google Slides. Having access to the right software can help to elevate your pitch from good to great.

3. Nail the delivery

Once you’ve finished preparing the presentation, it’s time to focus on the delivery.

To raise your confidence levels, make sure you practise the speech a number of times beforehand, ideally in front of colleagues, friends or family members. As you become more familiar with the material, you should find you rely on your notes less and less and, eventually, you should be able to distil them into a series of bullet point prompts. This will help ensure you’re able to engage more directly with your audience during your talk.

When you finally get up to give your pitch, remember to make eye contact and to speak clearly. You’re bound to be nervous in the runup to your talk, but structuring your preparation and following these suggestions should stand you in the best possible stead.

Research and rehearse your presentation

Firstly, make sure you give yourself enough time to put a convincing case together. To win over the people listening to your pitch, you’ll need to have all the relevant information and facts and figures to hand. It’s vital that you come across as well-informed, professional and organised, so a thoroughly researched, informative presentation is a must.

Depending on the nature of your pitch, you may need to provide everything from detailed product information to projected costs and revenues. Once you’ve put your talk together, test it out on your friends and family. This will help you to iron out any imperfections and enable you to test the timing.

Make sure you look the part

As well as sounding impressive, you’ll need to look the part when you step into the limelight. So, ahead of the day, make sure you have suitable clothes on standby. Think about the display equipment you will use too. You might want to use a projector, whiteboard, flipchart or lectern. If possible, practise using the equipment ahead of your pitch. This will help you to avoid any potentially embarrassing technical problems. Bear in mind you might need to make tweaks to these presentation accessories before you stand up in front of an audience. For example, the flipcharts available on the Furniture At Work website are height adjustable. By making sure equipment like this is set up exactly as you need it ahead of your talk, you can reduce the risk that you will be thrown off your stride.

Keep it succinct

Especially if you’re passionate about your business idea, you might be tempted to cram as much information as possible into your pitch. This is a mistake though. People have limited attention spans and if you waffle on about your concept for too long, you could lose their interest. It’s best to distil your message into a succinct speech that focusses on the most interesting and enticing points. The key is to pique the interest of your audience. If you succeed in doing this in your presentation, you will have the opportunity to explain your plans in greater depth further down the line.

Getting ready for a business pitch can be daunting. However, by following the advice in this guide, you can avoid many of the mistakes that fledgling entrepreneurs tend to make and boost your chances of success.

Get an FCA-recognised qualification

To work as an advisor, you must have a qualification that is recognised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This is the body that aims to preserve integrity in the financial markets and ensure consumers get a fair deal. For example, if you wish to operate as a mortgage advisor, you can enrol on a Certificate in Mortgage Advice and Practice (CeMAP). Recognised as a leading qualification within the finance sector, these courses meet the standards set by the FCA. More than 80% of mortgage advisors have achieved this certificate. There are no formal entry requirements for these programmes, but training providers may set their own criteria. For example, to enrol on financial advisor courses from Simply Academy, you must have a good level of English and have access to an online computer for the duration of the training.

Once you’ve successfully completed your training and received your certification, you can put the designation ‘CeMAP’ after your name. Other FCA-recognised qualifications include the Chartered Insurance Institute Level 4 Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning and the ifs Level 4 Diploma for Financial Advisers and Professional Certificate in Banking.

Your study options

People often take these qualifications through their employers, and it’s also possible to study towards the certificate by distance learning or by attending classes in colleges or private training centres, while apprenticeships are another option. You can find out online which of these options are available in your area.

Ongoing development

To progress in this field and to make sure your knowledge is always fully up to date, it’s important to take advantage of ongoing development opportunities throughout your career. There are a variety of short courses available that can help you do this. For example, the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) and the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI) provide professional development programmes that you may wish to consider. Once you have five years’ experience, you may also have the option of working towards Chartered Financial Planner status.

There’s no getting around the fact that thorough training is a must if you’re to make a success of your career as a financial advisor, but if you complete the relevant courses, you could be richly rewarded for your efforts.

Saving lives and reducing suffering

The fact is, safety standards have risen dramatically over recent decades in countries where strict health and safety laws have been implemented. For example, in Britain between 1974 (when the Health and Safety at Work Act was introduced) and 2014, fatal injuries to employees fell by 87 per cent, while non-fatal injuries declined by 77 per cent. Now, people in many parts of the world can turn up to do a day’s work without worrying about their personal safety. The chances are this simply wouldn’t be the case if there weren’t tight restrictions in place concerning risk management.

Much of it is common sense

Another point to bear in mind is that while unusual health and safety issues sometimes hit the headlines, many of the rules that are in place concerning risk management are plain common sense. For example, one of employers’ main responsibilities when it comes to health and safety is to conduct risk assessments. This is something we all do either consciously or subconsciously on a daily basis when we’re going about our tasks. The only difference for employers is that they have to be more methodical in their approach and, if they have five or more workers, they must record their findings. Bear in mind that companies are not expected to cover insignificant risks and they are only required to control dangers ‘so far as is reasonably practical’.

Another key responsibility of employers is to make sure their personnel have had the relevant safety training. Some of this training can be done in-house, and there are also courses available from specialist providers. You can find out more about the options by visiting websites like Sheilds.org. The importance of making sure workers are in the know when it comes to risk management is clear, and competent, diligent managers would surely do this even if they weren’t obliged to by law.

Making workers happier and more confident

As well as helping to protect people’s wellbeing, safety laws can serve to make personnel happier and more confident in their roles. When they know their employers are taking action to protect them from harm and they are properly trained, people can take more pleasure in their tasks and function more efficiently. Ultimately, this is good news for workplace morale and it can bolster productivity.

So, while some people may always complain that health and safety laws have gone too far, many individuals and organisations see them as useful and proportionate.

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1) Get a respected qualification

If you embark on an IOSH course, you can rest assured you’re working towards a qualification from a widely respected organisation. Founded seven decades ago, the IOSH is the only chartered body for health and safety practitioners. It’s also the biggest professional membership organisation for health and safety personnel in the world and it was the first safety body in Europe to be awarded non-governmental organisation status by the International Labour Organisation. These impressive credentials explain why approximately 160,000 people take IOSH training courses each year.

2) Help to drive up safety standards

Another reason to gain these qualifications is to help drive safety standards up in the workplace. There’s no doubt that risk management has improved over recent decades. However, accidents, injuries and illnesses do still occur. Figures provided by the Health and Safety Executive show that in the UK in 2013–14, 133 people were killed at work and a further 629,000 injuries were reported. On top of this, 1.2 million people suffered from an illness they believed was caused or made worse by their work. By getting clued up on health and safety with the help of IOSH courses, you can play your part in helping to bring these figures down in future.

3) Enhance your knowledge and skills

More generally, these programmes will help to enhance your knowledge and skills in a range of useful areas. For example, the IOSH Working Safely course covers the key issues of defining hazards and risks, identifying dangers and improving safety performance. Equipped with the facts you absorb on your training programme, you should be able to perform your roles more effectively and with greater confidence.

4) Bring added value to your employer

You’ll bring added value to your employers too. Businesses that keep on top of safety issues can avoid a whole host of legal and financial problems. Being unencumbered by safety problems also helps firms to function more effectively and efficiently. It can help to safeguard their reputations too, which is crucial for companies’ ongoing success.

5) Boost your career prospects

Then there’s your career to consider. For the reasons mentioned above, gaining IOSH qualifications can make you a more attractive prospect to potential employers. This is especially important now given the competitive nature of the jobs market. By enhancing your credentials with the help of a respected safety qualification, you stand to open up a range of new job opportunities.

Are you an effective communicator?

The simple fact is, no one can succeed in field sales if they lack effective communication skills. In these roles, you will spend your days talking to people and trying to persuade them to part with their cash for goods, services or charitable causes. You only get a small window of opportunity with each potential customer to pique their interest, win their trust and sign them up. So, if you tend to get nervous or tongue tied talking to others, a career in sales may not be for you.

Do you have a hunger to learn?

You must have a hunger to learn if you want to get ahead in this line of work too. Potential customers will quickly see through you if you lack detailed knowledge of the products or services you’re trying to sell. To ensure their representatives are well versed in the relevant details, field sales specialists like the Appco Group UK provide regular product training sessions. If you’re to succeed in sales, you’ll need to be able to take this information on board and deploy it when you’re on the doorstep.

Can you handle rejection?

Self-confidence and an ability to handle rejection are important qualities too. There is no place for thin skins in the cut and thrust world of sales. As a field sales representative, you will hear the word ‘no’ a lot and you must be able to respond to this positively rather than letting it knock your self-esteem and drag you down. The best salespeople learn from their rejections and up their game as a result of them.

Do you thrive under pressure?

You must be able to thrive under pressure if you’re to flourish in this industry too. Many of these roles are commission-based, meaning you have to rely on your skills, hard work and perseverance to earn your income. Some sales roles also require you to meet targets. Because of this, you have to be the sort of person who enjoys a challenge and likes seizing the initiative and forging your own success.

It might sound like a cliché, but a can-do approach is essential in the world of field sales.

For example, you may benefit from taking advantage of the range courses offered by specialist training providers such as Simply Academy.

The basics

As a financial advisor, you will provide your clients with advice covering a range of topics. These could include savings, investments, mortgages, insurance and more. To do this successfully, you’ll need to be able to not only understand complex information, but also explain this in a way that is clear and simple for your clients.

To help ensure you are competent in your role, you must take a qualification in financial planning that has been approved by the Financial Conduct Authority. Usually, this is done through an employer. However, this isn’t always the case.

It helps if you have at least GCSEs in maths and English, as well as some relevant work experience in areas such as sales, finance or customer service.

Choosing the right courses

Once you’ve set your mind on becoming a financial advisor, it’s important that you find the right course. A popular option is a CeMAP®. This stands for a Certificate in Mortgage Advice & Practice and it is recognised by the Financial Services Skills Council.

More than 80% of mortgage advisors hold one of these qualifications and it can prove to be a vital step in getting your career off the ground.

A study solution that suits you

Completing an in-depth course like this takes time and effort. To help ensure you stand the best possible chance of success, it’s important to find a method of studying that suits your requirements.

You might benefit from completing courses online. This will enable you to study at your own pace and it also means you can learn from your home, office or anywhere else where you have a web connection. Alternatively, you may find you are more disciplined if you decide to study at a set pace in a classroom environment.

Choosing the right style of learning is just as important as selecting the right course. As long as you put plenty of thought into this issue and make sure you pursue the most suitable qualifications, you should be able to get your career in health and safety off to the best possible start.

After succeeding in lining up an interview by applying for roles via jobs websites such as STEM Graduates, it’s important that you don’t let yourself down when you actually get to meet prospective employers.  By following these top tips, you should be able to ensure you do yourself proud when this career milestone arrives.

1. Do your research

Plenty of research is a must. Before you turn up to your interview, you should be well versed in the organisation in question. As well as getting the lowdown on the company’s services and general outlook, it’s a good idea to follow its social media updates to ensure you’re bang up-to-date with all the relevant information.

Also, make sure you know what format to expect in the interview. For example, will you be facing questions alone or will you be part of a group interview? Meanwhile, if you’ve been asked to write a presentation or do a test, find out what equipment and facilities will be available.

2. Rehearse for common questions

Spend some time rehearsing answers to common questions too. For example, you may well be asked about your strengths and weakness, why you want to work for the organisation, where you see yourself in five years’ time and what experience you can bring to the role.

By making sure you have thought about these points in advance, you can reduce the risk that you’ll get tongue tied under pressure on the big day.

3. Prepare your own questions

Another top tip is to prepare some questions to ask at the end of the interview. Make sure these queries reveal an understanding of the company and the role you could have there. This will show initiative and it will help you to create a good impression.

4. Plan your journey

The last thing you want to do is arrive late for your interview or to turn up panting and flustered because you’ve been running for ten minutes to make it on time. This means it’s important to plan your journey carefully. Make sure you factor in plenty of time in case of delays too. Many people find it helps if they give themselves a spare few minutes to grab a drink in a nearby cafe to collect their thoughts.

5. Choose your outfit

Last, but by no means least, plan your outfit carefully. Scuffed shoes and shabby shirts won’t make a good impression. Even if the dress code at the organisation is informal, make sure you look neat and tidy.

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