Coronavirus (Covid-19) FAQs

We are still running our service and you can contact us with questions or arrange to speak with one of our trained Careers Consultants.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates, and keep an eye on your inbox for our regular updates, weekly job highlights, as well as top tips, in the Careers Alert email.

If you have questions about specific programmes or support on offer, please email us at careers@keele.ac.uk

If you have any questions regarding current internships, you can email internships@keele.ac.uk

Any difficulty logging in to the Career Hub, Keele Careers Online web or mobile app service, contact r.meredith1@keele.ac.uk

Keele Connect is an e-mentoring platform which allows all Keele students and alumni (graduates of Keele) to access mentoring and professional networking via a digital platform, online. Register online and contact l.huss@keele.ac.uk if you have any questions

We have a huge range of resources online through Keele Careers Online. There are a plethora of tools to help:

• Career Pulse
  Why not use Career Pulse to check your career readiness and find out which resources would be the most helpful to you now. To access Career Pulse, simply login to Keele Careers Online using your Keele IT details and follow the steps as they pop up, rating statements from 1-10. 

• CV360 
  For instant feedback on your CV, upload it to CV360 and have it run through 50 different checks . Use it as often as you like, and when you're done, send it over to careers@keele.ac.uk to ask a careers consultant to take a look (see below for more guidance on appointments and getting access to guidance).

• Future Directions: Options with your Degree
  Find your course sheet for some specific information about where your degree could take you. These are available to download as pdfs. 

• Finding Work
  You can search job opportunities on Career Hub and looking through job adverts is a good way to build your understanding of what employers are looking for. Use "More search options" to expand or filter your search

• NextStepSupport.org has launched to provide additional information to your students regarding employment in light, and as a result, of the COVID-19 crisis. The website has been designed as a free, open resource to support the activities of students, employers and universities.
  
  
• RateMyPlacement have put together this bumper resource pack for undergraduate students looking to get ahead in their careers. It includes; how to secure placements, internships and insight schemes; links to helpful industry guides and exclusive job application advice; free virtual work experience; and much more. You can access it here: RateMyPlacement UG Resource

Got a burning question? Need some advice on where to start or what to do next?

Give us a call on 01782 733023 or book an appointment online to speak to one of our Careers Consultants. Choose one at a time that suits you. From there the consultant will arrange the best method of contact (by phone, by email, or by video chat). You can upload attachments and provide an explanation of the help you’re looking for.

Before your appointment, please make sure:

• You have a working microphone (that you have tested) or have agreed a communication method with your consultant. 
• You have made use of the online resources mentioned above. For example, if you are looking for advice and support with your CV, make use of CV360 to have the most common mistakes and check completed. 
• You have gathered up all materials that you and the consultant will need. This could include any information about a role you are looking at applying to, such as links to job description, personal specification, and any other recruitment information.

Login and book an appointment >

We’re working hard to move all our events (where possible) to interactive online workshops and recorded sessions. Sign up to events using Career Hub bookings to be sent joining instructions, and materials. 

See our upcoming events and book on to them - Go Beyon, a series of online events, takes place 1st-4th June. Sign up now to reserve your space!  

(see examples of previous events as we’ve hosted at the bottom of our main events page)

See other external events offered outside of Keele

(please check with the individual hosts shown in the event listing)

Many organisations will still be planning their response Covid-19, so in many cases we must simply wait. Given the uncertainty around Covid-19 and social distancing measures some employers may be in a situation where they don't yet know if they will need to withdraw employment offers. As soon as the Careers and Employability Team hear or learn anything, we will share this as soon as possible. 

In the meantime, if you have specific concerns, you could reach out to your key contact with the employer. Do bear in mind however, that for many this is a stressful time (both personally and professionally) and individuals and organisations have a lot going on and may not be able to respond to you immediately.

If an employer is concerned about exam results, you can direct them to the most up to date guidance from the University examinations page.

There is also an FAQ provided by the University on keele.ac.uk/coronavirus.

The Covid-19 epidemic is global, impacting on all organisations, but in different ways. The Careers and Employability Team are working with employers and other organisations to understand the situation and its impact as things develop.

We will pass this on to you as and when we can, so make sure you stay connected via social media, and watch out for the weekly Careers Alert.

In the meantime, focus on your studying, continue to make plans for and prepare for future employment. Remember that there are a lot of resources to help on Keele Careers Online, and you can continue to use the careers service remotely for advice and guidance on your plans after University.

We understand there may be some concern, in particular for final year student, about the status of your degree and award. The University has produced some guidance and answered some frequently asked questions: keele.ac.uk/coronavirus

NextStepSupport.org provides additional information regarding employment in these times. Ddesigned as a free, open resource to support the activities of students, employers and universities. Not sure where to start? Try these articles: 

• How to deal with feeling-overwhelmed
• Coronavirus and graduate careers: what are some employers doing?
• What are virtual assessment centres and how can you best prepare?

Keep an eye on Career Hub for vacancies. Although many sectors will not be hiring at present, there are some areas (such as delivery-based businesses) which may be looking for part-time staff.

You can also browse KeeleSU Job shop for roles.

If you have been affected by job loss, or are no longer able to work as a result of the crisis, visit Keele’s Money Advice and Guidance pages or contact student services: 

Tel: 01782 734481

Email: student.services@keele.ac.uk

There are a number of opportunities for you to volunteer your time to help out during the global pandemic. 

Volunteering for the NHS
The NHS is “rallying the troops” for the war on coronavirus, with volunteers being called up to help vulnerable people stay safe and well at home. This could include:

• delivering medicines from pharmacies;
• driving patients to appointments;
• bringing them home from hospital;
• or making regular phone calls to check on people isolating at home.

Visit the link and register as a Volunteer Responder for the NHS and help the 1.5 million people in England and Wales who are most at risk. 

Support Staffordhire
Support Staffordshire is an accredited Volunteer Centre Service that matches thousands of volunteers to organisations. They are always looking for volunteers.

Staffordshire Council - https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/Coronavirus/I-can-help/I-can-help.aspx

Stoke Councils - https://corona19.vast.org.uk/ .

Lots of communities are rallying on social media to ensure that the local area and its residents remain safe and healthy. You can find and join lots of groups on Facebook, but please ensure that you follow government and Public Health England guidelines on protecting yourself and those you’re helping.

The University has reduced its level of operation in order to allow as many people as possible, and who can, to work from home. Only a small number of staff are now formally permitted to come onto campus to carry out essential responsibilities. 

Changes to the assessment schedule may impact on the availability of students and graduates to participate in employment and work experience. We hope that you can understand the extra pressure this may place on students and can be understanding and flexible when allocating interviews and/or agreeing work. IF you have any questions about this please do get in touch.

We are arranging for online sessions that will enable us to deliver seminars, workshops, panels and fairs. If you are interested in hosting a session, contributing to delivery, or any other activity or engagement, please do get in touch to discuss.

If you'd like to advertise a vacancy or event with us, you can find information and support in our Employers Space. 

If you would like to get in touch, please email careers@keele.ac.uk or give us a call on 01782733523, and we would be happy to hear how we can work together. 

You can read the latest updates on the University’s response to COVID-19 and the novel coronavirus outbreak here.

Further advice on the global health emergency for employers is available from CIPD here.

If you would like to know how you can engage with the internships programme at Keele, or learn how it works, you can find more information here.
Alternatively contact Kathy England: internships@keele.ac.uk

We continue to deliver support to students virtually with online appointments. Please continue to encourage students to get in touch with us, and if you have any questions feel free to get in touch. If you are unsure who to contact, drop an email to careers@keele.ac.uk with your course, school, and faculty, and the relevant member of the team will be in touch.

The University's advice for current students, prospective students and staff is updated daily and can be found here: Keele University Coronavirus (Covid-19) Response.

Not sure what to do with yourself during this time of uncertainty? There are a number of great resources for free or low-cost training to help boost your skills and your CV.
In addition to Keele Careers Online (the Keele based platform and app designed to help you along your career journey), we have provided links below to some great online training.

You can identify the skills or knowledge for development by trying out the 5-minute career pulse quiz on Keele Careers Online so you know what to focus on, or simply make your way through like a checklist:

• Online learning: how to acquire new skills during lockdown
  The Guardian
• Future Learn
  A range of free courses – from Marketing Analytics and Project Management to Digital Skills for the Workplace.
• The Open University
  A range of free courses including languages, psychology, innovation, management, and law.
• edX
  Free online courses from MIT, Harvard and more!
• ICAEW university student scheme
  For £25 (student rate) you get access to study materials throughout your degree to work toward an extra certificate. The certificate is not mandatory but there is a lot to be learned from online study. Especially useful for business/finance students.
• Consulting Mastered
  Free resource available for any students interested in management consulting careers.
• Harvard
  Now offer 60 courses for free online on many different topics, e.g. data science.
• Coursera.org
  A suite of free online courses (some are not free).
• Google Digital Garage
  Online courses and webinars.
• Free online journalism workshops
  Provided by News Associates