Newcastle Careers International

Further to my earlier post about the Shanghai Expo, we have just been informed (literally 5 minutes ago) by organisers of the UK Pavilion at Shanghai Expo 2010 that the planned volunteer posts at the UK Pavilion will now be upgraded to paid job opportunities. Successful candidates will become 'pavilion hosts' and will receive a basic salary for their contribution.

As many of you will know, 2010 is the year of the World Expo taking place in Shanghai, China, from 1 May to 31 October. A World Expo is an opportunity for participating countries to showcase their achievements in areas such as culture, technology and industrial development, and the Shanghai Expo will be the biggest ever, with nearly 200 countries participating, and over 70 million visitors.
The UK is one of the leading participant countries, and has developed a stunning Pavilion, designed by British designer Thomas Heatherwick, to create a lasting impression with the hundreds of thousands of visitors to the UK Pavilion. The UK has also developed a range of activities for Expo to enhance cultural, educational and business collaboration and exchange between China and the UK.
The UK Pavilion has now opened up job opportunities for young students from the UK to work as UK Pavilion Hosts, engaging with Chinese and international visitors. This is an excellent opportunity for all students with an interest in China, and we would be grateful if you could pass on the relevant information to all your students and encourage them to apply.
More information about the job opportunities, along with application details, can be found on the UK's official website for Shanghai Expo, where you can also learn more about the UK Pavilion and the UK's programme of activity.
The initial deadline for applications is 31 January, but applications will continued to be accepted until the end of February for people applying from overseas. All applications and any queries about the job opportunities should be addressed directly to the recruitment company, DTZ, at hr.pma.sh@dtz.sh.cn.

Many international students look for some part time work to do whilst studying and sometimes find it difficult to apply for jobs because they don't have any part time job experience such as working in a shop or in a restaurant, whether in the UK or their home country, to put on their CV. In order to help students gain some confidence and experience, the Careers Service have put together a scheme called 'Passport to Work'. Students will get the opportunity to do some 'work shadowing' on campus in the Students Union, either in one of the bars or in the shop. To find out more about the scheme and how to apply, see the Passport to Work web page.
If you want to apply, hurry! There are limited places and already half of them have gone!

The UK Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo is looking for bilingual students who can speak English and Mandarin with an interest in international affairs, business, leisure and tourism to be volunteer guides at this event in Shanghai.

The job description gives more detail on the work you would be doing and the training you would be given. The event is held from May - October 2010 and although the Pavilion would prefer volunteers to be available for the entire 6 months, the minimum requirement for availability would be at least 2 months. The deadline for applications is 31 January 2010 and to find out more about the event, visit the UK Pavilion website
Remember this is a volunteering opportunity and although some of your expenses may be reimbursed, you will not be paid for this work. It is, however, a great way to get excellent customer service work experience.

Students from Singapore : are you interested in working for the Singapore Public Service Department?

They are offering 8 week paid internships to undergraduates in either May-July or July-August 2010 (if your term dates here in the UK don't fit, they might be willing to negotiate the timings). There is more information available on the Government Careers website and hurry as the deadline is 24 January for applications!

Even if you're not from Singapore and if you're considering working in that part of the world, Contact Singapore, is an excellent resource to help you research your chosen career.

It has information on industries available in UK, case studies of other foreign nationals who have found success in Singapore, webinars, links to events and networking and signposts you to suitable recruiters if you are looking for a job or an internship. Make sure you take a look!

The 2010 edition of the GradSingapore directory has just been delivered to the Careers Service. If you are a student from Singapore thinking about returning home after your studies in the UK or if you looking as Singapore as an option for graduate employment, the GradSingapore directory is great resource to find out more about the current trends in employment in that country. The glossy magazine is packed with information on the industry sectors at work in Singapore, advice on how to start your career or look into options of postgraduate study and finally there is an A-Z of the employers actively recruiting this year.Come into the Careers Service to pick up your copy now whilst stock lasts - first come, first served!