Complete This Questionnaire in Advance of Our Fairs to Help You Make the Most of The

/ PREPARING TO MEET EMPLOYERS

Not only do our fairs give you the chance to talk to employers about the graduate jobs and work experience they offer but you can also ask the representatives more informally about their own career experiences, what it’s really like to do the job that they do and how they got into it. We want you to use our fairs to help youconsider life after university and evaluate your optionsby getting a greater appreciation of a range of occupations open to you and who might employ you. You can also pick up tips on finding work experience, graduate jobs and making applications. Of course, some employers may also be actively recruiting on the day.

Complete this questionnaire in advance of our fairs to help you make the most of the opportunity to meet employers keen to talk to enthusiastic and motivated BMS students!

1. Which of the following best describes your current thoughts about your future career (tick):

I have a clear, or fairly clear, idea of what I want to do after I complete my degree in BMS

I have a few vague ideas about what to do after my degree in BMS

I haven’t a clue what I want to do after I complete my degree in BMS

List, below, any occupations that currently appeal to you, even if they are not your first choice.If you need help generating career ideas, take a look at the ‘Careers with my degree’ webpages: sure you look at the ‘Understanding yourself’ and ‘Your options’ sections)

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2. Some ways in which you can use one of our fairs to get help with your career planning are listed below. Tick the ones which you feel might be useful to you:

Discovering more about the range of occupations I can do with my degree in BMS

Finding out about the sorts of organisations that might employ me after my degree

Talking to employers / graduates about what it is like to work for their organisation

Talking to employers /graduates about what it is really like to do the sort of work they do and how they got into it

Investigating what qualifications, skills and experience I need to have in order to get into a particular occupation

Finding work experience: how do I do it and what is/ is not relevant?

Getting tips for making applications or attending interview

Starting, or adding to, my network of employer contacts in organisations / occupations that interest me

Finding out more about postgraduate study and research options

Other (please outline, below):

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3. Each of our fairs has its own website ( which contain brief information about each exhibitor plus a link to their website. Spend a few minutes looking at exhibitors’ websites to get a feel for what they do and who their clients are, the types of jobs or work experience they offer, how many people they employ (or approx. size) and where they work, plus any other informationthat you feel is useful.Note this information in a notepad/mobile device that you can take with you on the day, so you can refresh your memory about the organisation before talking to its representatives. Better still, register for the fair on our website thenuse My Scheduleto create your own personalised schedule, allowing you to:star employers that interest you; set up alerts; save notes, questions and answers (via My Notes); access information about exhibitors at their stand; connect with employers through social media.

List, below, which exhibitors are of most interest to you:

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4. Bearing in mind what you want to get out of the fair (question 2) and what you know about each exhibitor (question 3), write a list of questions that you would like to ask exhibitors, below:

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5. Exhibitors may ask you questions, too! Think about the skills (discipline-specific and/ or generic skills), qualifications and experience you have. What key knowledge, skills and achievements could you talk about if asked by an exhibitor? The list of skills (overleaf) may help you. Bring along copies of your up-to-date CV if you have one.

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6. You may want to apply for a job with one of the exhibitors in the near future. With this in mind consider what sort of impression you would like to make on them in terms of your appearance, communication skills and enthusiasm. List three steps you could take to make a goodfirst impression on a prospective employer at the fair.

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7. Think about the sorts of occupations that interest you or the type of organisation you might like to work for in future. What is it about these that appeal to you?

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Biomedical Science – Course-related skills
BMS graduates commonly offer the following skills:

An in-depth knowledge of specific subject areas and topics in biomedical science and an appreciation of the impact of biomedical science on society, health and economic prosperity alongside a critical understanding of how research advances biological knowledge.
Practical skills including:

-Exercise independent thought and judgement.
-Design investigations that address focussed questions and interpret empirical data in an objective, critical and informative manner.
-Collect, record, organise and/or analyse qualitative and quantitative laboratory data to address scientific questions.
-Critically analyse, synthesise, summarise and cite printed and electronic information.
-Use commercial software for the analysis, design and presentation of information and/or data.

Analytical skills and problem-solving: Ability to critically analyse, synthesise and summarise data or other information to question, solve problems or reach objective conclusions.
Communication and presentation skills: Both verbal and written – the ability to express yourself appropriately, using a variety of methods, and be understood by others.
Self-management skills including time-management and organisational skills: organising yourself, your workload and when you do things in order to meet deadlines.
Project management and goal setting: Setting specific goals and objectives then planning, organising, and managing resources to facilitate successful completion.
Information and IT literacy: Finding and utilising electronic and printed information effectively. Ability to use a variety of software to analyse, process and present information. Using numerical, graphical and statistical reasoning and analysis. Awareness of social media.
Teamwork: Combining with others to achieve a task or goal, recognising and respecting their views and opinions. Appreciating the interdisciplinary nature of science.
Reflection and evaluation: Reflecting on individual and group performance and adjusting subsequent approaches as a result of the evaluation.
Independence and initiative: Ability to identify and work towards targets for personal, academic and career development. Being self-motivated to undertake work independently and to exercise independent thought and make informed and justifiable decisions.
Flexibility: Ability to develop an adaptable, flexible and effective approach to study and work.
Ethical awareness: Demonstrating the ethical implications of the subject area.

/ Skills gained outside your course
The University of Sheffield has published ‘The Sheffield Graduate’, listing 16 key attributes that the University aims to foster among its students. Many of these contribute to your effectiveness in graduate employment and aim to enable all of University of Sheffield graduates to demonstrate that they are:

knowledgeable in their subject area
competent in applying their knowledgeand skills
information literate
a skilled and ethical researcher
a critical, analytical and creative thinker
an entrepreneurial problem solver
someone who sees the bigger picture and understands the importance of context
experienced working with clients, communities and partners outside the University
an active citizen who respects diversity and has the cultural agility to work in multinational settings
a flexible team worker
an independent learner
an efficient planner and time manager
an accomplished communicator
skilled in the use of IT
professional and adaptable
well rounded, reflective, self-aware and self-motivated

For more details about these generic skills, see information online at
The Careers Service also has information about these and other generic skills online at:
Such skills could be gained from a variety of activities such as work experience, part-time or vacation jobs, volunteering, active involvement in student clubs and societies (eg, being part of a student committee), sports and leisure activities, enterprise, being a student mentor, taking part in University outreach activities or being a course rep.
For ideas on how to develop your skills, exploreExperience Sheffield:
Make sure you get recognition for your extra-curricular activities:
Skills for Work Certificate –

Sheffield Graduate Award –

The SfWC and SGA can both be recorded in your Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) - a comprehensive record of your university achievements, which recognises extra-curricular achievements as well as academic learning.