Real World Magazine

New eBook Reveals How to Travel for Free with TEFL!

brett — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 10:18:53 +0000

New eBook Reveals How to Travel for Free with TEFL!

Announcing launch of Student Personality of the Year, in memory of Anjool Malde

Tom Brookes — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:49:26 +0000

Announcing launch of Student Personality of the Year, in memory of Anjool Malde

To enter this competition, click here.

The entries for the inaugural Student Personality of the Year award has now opened. A £1,000 prize will be given to the student who has made the greatest impact across student media, student societies and student nightlife during their university career. The award has been created in honour of 2005 Graduate of the Year Runner-Up Anjool Malde who was an avid supporter of the Real World Awards and tragically passed away in July 2009.

The judging criteria have been selected in memory of Anjool’s achievements. While reading Geography at St Peter’s College, Oxford University, he wrote for student, local and national newspapers, as well as joining BBC Oxford as a Radio Presenter & Journalist, where he interviewed celebrities such as Geri Halliwell, Pharrell Williams and world-famous beatboxing champion Killa Kela.

Anjool was also a member of 20 university societies where he took on several committee positions including joining the Standing Committee of The Oxford Union, the world’s most prestigious debating society and PR Officer of Oxford Entrepreneurs, Europe’s largest student enterprise society. In 2006, soon after graduating, Anjool co-founded Alpha Parties where he organized hundreds of events for young professional graduates, interns and students in London.

David Langer, 2007 Graduate of the Year Runner-Up and close personal friend of Anjool said: “Anjool was an inspiration and role model to everyone who knew him. His achievements speak for themselves and he was incredibly generous in giving his time to help others achieve some of the things he had done.”

Darius Norell, CEO of Real World said: “We are proud to support this fantastic award in memory of Anjool. He made the most of his time at university and was a worthy prize winner. We look forward to receiving inspiring entries for this inaugural award.”

To enter this competition, click here.

Entries for the award are now open and the deadline for entries is 28 February 2010. For more information on how to apply, see www.realworldawards.com

The National Placement & Internship Awards 2010

brett — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:52:45 +0000

The National Placement & Internship Awards 2010 Sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Shortlisted Finalists Announced!

The shortlists for the inaugural RateMyPlacement.co.uk Awards, taking place at Oxford Brookes University on the 21st January 2010, have now been officially announced.

With categories for Universities, Employers, Societies and Students, the large number of entries and nominations received were a real testament to the amazing work being carried out in the industry to develop student Internships and Placements.

Selecting the shortlists for each Award category was no easy task but a decision had to be reached, so who was successful...

Check out the Shortlisted nominees here. Winners will be announced at the event on the 21^st January 2010, and will be published on RateMyPlacement.co.uk on the 22^nd January 2010.

The National Placement & Internship Awards are designed to recognise and reward those employers, universities and students who provide and contribute to excellence within work experience for undergraduates in the UK.

Sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers and supported by The Independent, the Awards are taking place at Oxford Brookes University on the 21st January 2010.

The topic of student placements, internships and work-based learning has never been more relevant given the rising need for students to graduate from university with the required employability skills for the workplace.

Our Awards recognise this growing emphasis and what makes the event unique is that for the first time, the decisions on who is successful is being largely determined by the thoughts and opinions of those who know best — the students who have been there and done it. Using our unique database of over 2,500 student written reviews, plus entries and nominations, we are delighted to announce the following shortlists for each Awards category…

Winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony on the 21st January 2010 at Oxford Brookes University.

icould - It just shows what you can do

brett — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:13:23 +0000

icould is the first stop for thinking about starting out on your career or making a career change. icould is the place where you can get ideas about where you could go, how you could get there, what you could do, why it would be worth it and who you could be.

icould is about inspiration and encouragement. The idea is to help you make the most of your potential and talent, by showing how others have used theirs.

Thinking about work can be exciting, confusing, daunting and just plain scary. Opportunities may also appear scarce, especially at the moment with the doom and gloom messages about the recession. This is why inspiration and encouragement are particularly important, so you can act positively, creatively and with optimism.

We’re not seeking to replace face-to-face support, but if you are a:

student
career starter
career developer
career changer
careers’ professional
parent
teacher
employer

…we believe that icould is an important resource for you.

icould gives you the inside story of how careers work. The icould storytellers relate, in their own words, their real life career journeys. There are nearly 1000, they are easy to search, they are very varied and each is unique. From telecoms engineers to police officers, from landscape gardeners to web designers, from engine drivers to zookeepers; they talk about what they do, what it’s like, how they came to be where are and their hopes for the future.

There are a few stories from well-known people too – ‘icatchers’, as we call them. Like all of the other icould storytellers, they talk of the times they’ve messed up, had difficulties and set-backs. They also talk about their opportunities and experience of achievement and success. The stories – as well as articles – talk about real issues, such as problems at home, taking a year out, failing exams and coping with redundancy. So it’s not just career ideas that you’ll find on icould.com.

We’re hoping to grow our library as your career journey moves along and we’re looking forward to hearing your comments and views.

Find out more here.

Real World rewards enterprising spirit

brett — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:09:11 +0000

Real World rewards enterprising spirit

RATE YOUR INTERNSHIP!

Dee Pilgrim — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:15:55 +0000

RATE YOUR INTERNSHIP!

You have less than four days to enter the first RateMyPlacement.co.uk National Placement and Internship Awards 2010.

The awards are designed to celebrate and reward all the stakeholders who contribute to excellence within work experience for undergraduate students in the UK. The awards are being held on Thursday, 21st January, 2010 and the deadline for nominations is 5pm on Friday, 27th November.

The main sponsors, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Oxford Brookes University both share RateMyPlacement's forward thinking approach to work experience as an essential part of any student’s university experience.

We have a range of awards up for grabs for employers, universities and students. So, if you believe you made an outstanding contribution to business whilst on placement, are part of a pro-active society, or believe your university has the best placement or careers service, then you need to get your entries or nominations in before 5pm on the 27^th November.

More information can be found at www.ratemyplacement.co.uk/awards

Shortlisted entries and nominations will be announced during the week commencing Monday, 30th Novembe, 2009 and a panel of judges will meet in early December to decide upon the overall winners.

Good luck!

Contact Information: nominations@ratemyplacement.co.uk

BACK HOME

Dee Pilgrim — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:24:57 +0000

When I first applied to do a Masters in journalism, I was living in Indonesia and was gripped with a sudden panic about what I was supposed to do when my year long contract finished.

I cannot stress enough how difficult it was to apply from abroad, not because universities make it so, but because the Indonesian postal system is, to put it nicely, unreliable.

Also, the internet is so slow it’s actually possible to make a cup of tea while you’re waiting for each page to download. It took what felt like several hundred emails back and forth between admissions, my parents, the people providing my references, and various tutors. In retrospect, I think I got off lightly in terms of the interview process.

However, I was faced with the unusual situation of simultaneously liking and disliking whatever situation would occur from my application. I loved Indonesia and I wanted to keep on living there, but I also wanted to do an MA because ultimately, I really wanted to write.

As you have probably guessed, I am now installed back in the UK, demanding twenty four hour central heating and drinking excessive amounts of Yorkshire tea. I’m also a student at Westminster University studying Print & Online Journalism.

Being on a university campus for the first time in over three years was an incredibly odd experience. Once I’d realised that everyone was so dressed up because they were either trying to make a good first impression as freshers or because they were fashion students (a nod to the man in flowery leggings), I relaxed a little bit and promptly took advantage of all the free things they were handing out.

What I think is reassuring about studying an MA is that predominantly, people want to be there and they want to study. Unlike an undergraduate degree, which I know from experience a lot of people will go into because it is what is expected of them, people who choose to study an MA want to learn a more specific skill that will help them secure the job they desire. What I underestimated about my MA is the sheer volume of work I am faced with. As a would-be journalist I should be writing all the time. That means even when I have ploughed through fifty pages of Frances Quinn’s Law For Journalists, there isn’t any time to relax with a glass of wine, because I should be writing for my blog. Friends who have completed their own MAs have commented that they didn’t seem to work as hard as I am. Perhaps this is partly because when I did my undergraduate degree, I generally gave the impression that I didn’t have very much to do. I was notorious for leaving essays until the very last minute, then staying awake till four AM fuelled by coffee and sheer panic. My ex-housemate still tells the story about the time that I asked her to go out for a cup of tea the day before I had a two thousand word essay due, which I hadn’t written a word of. I can’t do that now as I spend four days, 10am to 5pm, at university. But if we put aside the fact that I will stay alive this year purely due to the invention of Red Bull and chocolate, I am really, really enjoying this degree. This is predominantly because the lecturers try to put us into as many real-life situations as they can.

Perhaps the most terrifying of these is the ‘A-Z Assignment’ in which we are given the name of a place and have to research and write a piece about it to a deadline. As a result of this particular assignment, I went to an Arsenal Reserves match, which is definitely something I wouldn’t have experienced before embarking on this degree. I have also annoyed the Mayor’s Press Office, campaigned for London’s only Rape Crisis Centre, tried to sell a story to the editor of the Daily Mail, and had the area of Hampstead follow me on Twitter. And it’s only the start of week four.

EMPOWERING WOMEN

Dee Pilgrim — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:38:53 +0000

Empowering Women

RWE npower has teamed up with Real World to host the inaugural “Women in Power” event.

The event’s aim is to talk openly and honestly to female undergraduates about the challenges and opportunities of working in male dominated industries. It will offer a forum for asking questions and give practical advice for dealing with all kinds of situations that a female graduate may find herself in. This exclusive event is free and takes place from 6.30pm until 8pm on Tuesday, 1^st December, at the Woodhouse Room, Edward Herbert Building, Loughborough University and will consist of a series of talks with refreshments and networking opportunities within the power generation industry. Bob Athwal, Head of Graduate Schemes at RWE npower says: ‘We don’t just enter the debate about women, we are out there actively promoting careers in science and engineering to females of all ages groups and backgrounds. While many companies talk about opportunities for women – we provide them.’ Why not join us and RWE npower at this thought-provoking event by signing up at www.careers.lboro.ac.uk

Law volunteers needed!

brett — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:51:56 +0100

Volunteers needed

If you think getting a job is all about grades – think again. You’ll need extra-curricular activities on your CV to stand out. As a law student get involved in pro bono work is an ideal way to make your résumé shine.

Ask yourself this: why do you want to become a lawyer? Is it a) to make loads of money, b) to stride around a courtroom, or c) to help make a difference in people’s lives? Hopefully, it isn’t just the lure of cash that attracts you to law, after all law is one of those professions where you can genuinely help disadvantaged people – even before qualification. Undertaking pro bono opportunities as student means you can put legal theory into practice, help disadvantaged people, and even improve your chances of becoming a qualified lawyer.

‘Pro bono publico’ is a Latin term, meaning ‘for the public good’. It is used to describe activities such as helping people on death row or giving free legal advice to those in the local community. Over the past few years more law schools and universities have offered students the chance to get involved in pro bono projects, and there is also an annual awards ceremony to celebrate this work (the LawWorks & Attorney General Student Awards).

In the challenging pursuit of obtaining a training contract or pupillage, it is all too easy to focus solely on good grades and forget about the extra-curricular activities that could actually make your CV stand out from the crowd. Heather Smith, the lead tutor responsible for pro bono work at Chester and Manchester College of Law, reveals that pro bono students can set themselves apart from the competition: ‘Law is now a very competitive career choice. It’s important for our students to have an extra string to their bow. It has been well documented that pro bono students are often more motivated and perform better in interviews in comparison to those students that don’t get involved.’

If you are looking for inspiration as to what can be achieved during your time as a student, look no further than former Real World Awards winner, Alexander Mclean. During his time as a law student at Nottingham University Alexander founded the African Prison's project - a charity which raises money to refurbish clinics and libraries in maximum security prisons in sub-Saharan Africa. The main aim of the charity is to provide a basic level of education and healthcare to death row prisoners. He has set up a website, www.africanprisons.com, which documents the charity's development and media coverage.

Although undertaking additional projects on top of your academic studies may seem onerous, remember that it may enhance your job prospects in the long run. In a statement Law Society president, Paul Marsh, said: ‘Pro bono can provide excellent developmental opportunities both in terms of legal knowledge as well as core skills such as client care and case management.’

When it comes to making applications to law firms it is worthwhile finding out what pro bono activities they undertake. While some firms reportedly ‘frown’ upon their lawyers giving pro bono advice, others take their pro bono commitment very seriously indeed. For example, Lovells has a dedicated pro bono team and it has an excellent tack record for its work both in the UK and overseas.

More law firms than ever are offering free legal help to those who cannot afford to pay, and junior lawyers and trainees are among those leading the way. Kevin Poulter, a Junior Lawyers Division (JLD) executive committee member who organises the Young Lawyer Pro Bono Awards, encourages new members of the profession to get involved in pro bono opportunities. He says: ‘Although the JLD nationally does not co-ordinate any specific pro bono activities, we are able to signpost junior lawyers to suitable pro bono initiatives in their area. We work with LawWorks in this.’ He recommends looking at the JLD website, particularly to here: http://juniorlawyers.lawsociety.org.uk/pro-bono-article.’ (Also, see our boxes for more information.)

BOX OUT

Junior Lawyers Division’s top tips

‘See if your university, college or law school run a pro bono clinic or programme. Ask your tutor about opportunities.’
‘If there is no programme already established, put some pressure on your college to start up a clinic. LawWorks can assist with starting up a new clinic.’
‘Look for pro bono opportunities outside of the law school. Organisations such as the Citizens Advice Bureau have established clinics in towns and cities and many will welcome law students.’

Remember:

‘Do not commit to what you cannot do. Treat pro bono work as if it is paid work.’
‘Treat everyone with respect and dignity. You will often be advising people who have no experience of the legal system or of lawyers at all.’

Source: www.juniorlawyers.lawsociety.org.uk

BOX OUT

Delays expected

As a consequence of the economic downturn, many of the country’s largest law firms have been forced to ask future trainees to defer their start dates. Many of these firms are paying around £5,000 to those who have had their start dates delayed by a year. However, some are paying trainees more on the condition that they do something ‘worthwhile’ with their time. For example, Clifford Chance offered future trainees £8,000, with an additional £3,000 if they spend their year doing community or pro bono work, or if they undertake further legal studies or learn a language. Likewise future Denton Wilde Sapte trainees will receive an extra £3,000 (on top of a payment of £7,000) if they carry out a pro bono or charitable project during the deferred period.

INSIDE IP

brett — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:37:32 +0100

INSIDE IP

One of the great things about a career in the Law is the incredible scope of areas you can specialise in – everything from employment law to family law, criminal law to probate. Michael Gardner specialises in Commercial, IP (Intellectual Property) and IT Law at Wedlake Bell. In fact, his expertise is so deep he’s actually written a book entitled The Bright Idea Handbook about it.* Here, Michael tells us all about the world of IP.

Michael had no idea what he wanted to do when he left university so he worked in advertising in the newspaper industry and then in recruitment for five years before he decided to go off to law school and start from scratch. When he entered the Law he started by doing general litigation and it was two years before he became involved with Intellectual Property, pretty much by accident. Explaining what happened he says: ‘I inherited a couple of cases and found myself doing a case for diaryist Andrew Morton (writer of the infamous Princess Diana book) concerning some copyright litigation with a newspaper. That was very interesting and it just snowballed from there and I’ve been in IP ever since. IP is a growth area, it is big business and even though we are in a recession our work has not really fallen off, fortunately!’

He is now highly experienced in both pursuing and defending claims in the fields of trade marks, passing off, malicious falsehood, copyright and designs. He also regularly advises on the associated areas of confidentiality, privacy and data protection for clients ranging from well known brands (such as Which?) to small start-ups. ‘I love what I do because it is very challenging; they are interesting jobs for interesting companies, with an interesting subject matter,’ he says. ‘What I do is very varied – it could be a case where a fashion designer is accusing my client of ripping off their latest work from a catwalk to turn it into a mass commodity, or it could be someone is using a trademark that belongs to someone else, so there is infinite variety. It’s fun when it is all high pressure and you have to go to court to get an injunction very quickly, and burning the midnight oil can be quite fun too.’ The fact this area of the law involves plenty of creative brainwork also attracts Michael. ‘I enjoy writing long letters making lots of clever points; you can enjoy reading a letter like that again and again. Litigation is adversarial; you are trying to score points off the other side and writing long letters can be very rewarding. If you get it right when you write a decent letter to someone who is infringing your client’s rights you can sometimes actually scare them off or persuade them to stop without a shot being fired. Or sometimes it can be very dramatic; like having to get an injunction at the last minute, or even a search order. However, they are so expensive to do they are like the nuclear weapons of IP law!’

Now Michael has put all his expertise and experience into writing The Bright Idea Handbook, a practical, step-by-step guide for understanding intellectual property law and tips on how to find and use the best lawyer to help you. Aimed at anyone who has ever considered entering the Dragons’ Den, or even had just a seedling idea, it contains tips for tackling infringement of your idea and how to make the most of the protection you do have through franchises and licenses. ‘The point of the book is that there are common scenarios I see all the time,’ explains Michael. ‘The biggest one is because money is tight, when people are starting up they neglect their intellectual property and don’t register what they need to register until it is too late, or someone has got there first. Then they have a long battle to get themselves back on track. Failure to act on intellectual property is a mistake a lot of people make. Even well known household companies can make mistakes along the way, usually when their commercial arms do something without referring back to the lawyers, and that can become very expensive.

‘Failing to get title to things is another common mistake – thinking you own the copyright to something you got an outside agency to do and they own the copyright – that can get very messy. Another is failing to get a good set of terms and conditions when you start trading; that will cost you virtually nothing from a law firm and yet people will hash together their own contracts and really make a mess of things and come a cropper that way. Occasionally you come across situations where by failing to apply for a patent for an idea on an invention businesses have missed out on millions of pounds. If you have a great idea which could turn into a monopoly making you millions you have to be aware of these things. When Mike Zuckerberg was accused of ripping off the idea for Facebook from some college mates who had worked with him on it, I think they ended up settling for 60 million dollars. That was a classic ‘alleged’ example of letting an idea seep into the public domain. If you do have a bright idea in business then you do have to tell certain people about it, you just have to be careful what you tell them, how much you tell them and under what circumstances, so you need to get people to sign a confidentiality agreement first.’

Having read the book, one of Michael’s trainees at Wedlock Bell commented it was perfect for trainees to use as a nutshell guide to intellectual property. But he says, he really wrote it to help people who are trying to get their business off the ground and don’t know how make use of IP properly. Either way, it is a great showcase for his knowledge and interest in what he does. Even after advising on IP for 12 years he says: ‘It always challenges me and stretches me.’

MICHAEL GARDNER

* The Bright Idea Handbook provides practical, step-by-step guidance for understanding intellectual property law and tips on how to find and use the best lawyer to help you. The Bright Idea Handbook, from Which?, can be ordered on 01903 828557 (£10.99 including free p&p) or at www.which.co.uk or bought from bookshops.

DON'T 'DISCOUNT' THE IDEA

Catherine Watson — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:40:46 +0100

As a graduate of 2009, I was among the first set of students to experience paying top-up fees in 2006/07.

The £3,000 maximum tuition fee was money I never saw as the Student Loans Company thoughtfully sent it direct to the university and without even stepping foot on campus I became in debt for the first time in my life. Three years later, another £12,000 in debt, with a degree and a new appreciation for lie-ins, I hear Conservative proposals to levy funds from graduates in order to increase university places for next year’s intake. Contrary to what you might think however, I am not alarmed at this proposal and neither should you be.

The shadow universities secretary David Willetts commented on 4 October 2009 that many students with excellent grades had trouble finding a university place this year and represents government failure. This observation highlights how the application process, albeit the middle of economic recession, failed to fund all university applications and needs rectifying. As the party supports a full review of university finance it hints to the idea made by some thinkers that a tax based on earnings after graduation would be fairer than the present pay up front method, however whether Mr Willets supports this radical change is unclear.

The Tories, should they get into power, are proposing something less drastic for now, a short-term solution costing an estimated £300m. They require graduates to repay at least £500 (if not more) of their loan within the first three years after graduation and will grant them a 10 per cent discount in return. This will fund the 10,000 extra places needed to fulfil the young student’s ambitions of going to university next year. Knowing that in six months’ time, an estimated 40,000 of this year’s graduates, of which I am one, will still struggle to find work, and with extensive debt stalking me, the prospect of cutting this sum by 10 per cent is extremely appealing.

I believe many other graduates will agree with me that a £500 sum for 10 per cent discount is both achievable and beneficial. Firstly, we will have to pay off our debt eventually and this way it should benefit the thousands of secondary school leavers who will get into a university as they deserve too. Secondly while not every graduate can find £500 that easily right after graduation, those looking for graduate positions could raise money perhaps through part-time work or even through a full time position in time, short-term plans for travelling or the like might have to be put on hold but looking at the longer-term, such sacrifices might bring greater economic freedom for students moving into the world of work with a reduced debt.

Natalie Samuel, a Criminology graduate from the University of Manchester supports this view saying: ‘For a one-off payment which students may be able to earn during the summer of their graduation, students will see massive benefits in the longer-term with a sizeable easing of their financial burden.’ 10 per cent off an £18,000 debt for example is a saving of £1,800 benefiting students as they move into the workplace with all the financial burdens awaiting them there, as well as increasing the number of people going to university which will stimulate our forlorn economy.

By Lucy Kay

Pizza Frenzy

Catherine Watson — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:31:14 +0100

Fresher?s week is now officially over for another year and according to new statistics, the new students have managed to eat their way through five million pizzas.

Businesses Go Online For Success

Work Experience — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:55:44 +0100

Student want employers to use social media to attract talent.

TRAVELS WITH MY TEXT BOOKS 8

Catherine Watson — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:21:00 +0100

Kate Ross' blog continues. (To read the first part of this instalment click here)

The following morning we were offered the option of another walk or some time to sunbathe. Approximately five minutes later, we were found stretched out on our towels by the lake with a large thermos of tea. A lazy morning later, we floated down the river in large inner tubes, steered by our faithful guides over the rapids.

It was easy to understand how easily travellers could get stuck in these kinds of places, spending weeks exploring the jungle and floating lazily downstream. But we decided to move south to Lake Toba, where our level of productivity slowed down to almost non-existent. Toba is the largest volcanic lake in the world and like most other travellers we stayed on the island in the middle of the lake in a village called Tuk Tuk. I would be hard pushed to find lazier days in my life than the ones I spent on Toba, since my entire time there seemed to revolve around sunbathing, eating or browsing the shops that were less than fifteen minutes walk away. All our great plans to hire pushbikes or motorbikes went up in smoke when we arrived and realised how pretty the mountains were, so we decided that all we wanted to do was sit there and look at them.

We left going back to Medan as long as was humanly possible and almost missed the last boat back to the mainland as a result. In the minibus on the way back the driver, deciding that we required some entertainment, revealed his DVD player and a whole case of music DVDS. As he selected one, I told Felicity that I didn't mind what it was, as long as it wasn't the man with the guitar that had plagued me all the way to and from Tana Toraja in Sulawesi. Suddenly, as the title screen came on, a very familiar moustachioed man appeared...it seems this man was taking over transportation everywhere. Luckily this time I had someone else to suffer it with. We were almost relieved to arrive back in Medan, however much we disliked the city but were absolutely shell-shocked to learn that the bedbug ridden hotel we'd stayed in before was full. Homeless and wandering around in the dark, we stopped at the first hotel we found, which we thought would be well over our budget. Not only was it cheaper, it was also one of the cleanest places I've stayed in during my entire time in Indonesia.

I had two days left in Indonesia once I arrived back in Jakarta and found myself very busily trying to pack a years' worth of my life into suitcases. I visited the school, receiving a very warm (and loud) welcome from the two of my classes who were there and had a last dinner with my housemates and co-workers. But all too soon, I found myself loading my bags into the car and watching Jakarta flash by on my way to the airport. To describe just how difficult it was to leave Indonesia is an impossibility. I had essentially built up a life there; a job, a home, a social circle, accumulated favourite markets, warung (street stalls), weekend trips away, beaches, cafés and drinking holes, seen some incredibly beautiful places and met some truly amazing people. Essentially I'd gone from arriving in a country I didn't really understand to feeling so comfortable there that I couldn't imagine ever being anywhere else. I believe you could spend a year travelling through Indonesia and still only feel like you'd seen a tiny corner of it; it is that vast and uniquely eclectic. I will always consider Indonesia to be my home and crave to go back there. I know that in the not-too distant future that I will and there is a strong probability that I would return to live. The list of things that I missed about the UK became shorter every day that I spent in Indonesia, while the list of things I loved about Indonesia grew. There are so many more things I miss about Indonesia than I delight in having back now I am living in England. Missing brie and hot showers seems so insignificant when I think of all the experiences I am missing by not being in Indonesia; weekends at the beach, climbing a volcano, trekking through the jungle, chatting with locals at a bus station. Though this will sound like a cliché, I feel incredibly lucky and blessed to have been given the opportunity to have lived there and I will continue to miss it and the people that live there every day.

TRAVELS WITH MY TEXT BOOKS 7

Catherine Watson — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:19:56 +0100

Our blogger, Kate Ross, says a fond farewell to Indonesia - but swings by Sumatra first...

A year goes by very quickly. I remember thinking when I first arrived in Indonesia that the year I had there would feel very long, but when I was about six months through my contract, it was more the case that I didn't have enough time. I suddenly found myself in my last week of teaching. My older students were used to this routine - schedules changed and contracts ended so the fluctuation of teachers was not unknown to them. The younger students were unsettled and more likely to protest and this was the case particularly with one class I had begun from the most basic level when I first arrived. While they were shouting at me various motivations to remain in Indonesia (not that I needed convincing) I couldn't say very much to soothe them except to complement them on how far their English had progressed. It was an extremely emotional week and very hard to say goodbye to many of my classes and the staff in the office, all of which had made my time in Indonesia so memorable and enjoyable.

Thankfully, to cheer me up from joining the ranks of the unemployed and an inevitable return to arctic England, I had arranged to go to Sumatra with a friend, Felicity. Sumatra is a vast island west of Java, probably most famous for national parks which house thousands of orang-utans. The first stop on our adventure was Medan, which left both of us feeling extremely glad that we lived in Jakarta. Medan is a big, dirty city with very little to do or see; the type when you feel you need to wash your face after you've stepped outside due to the vast amount of dust that gets blasted in your face just from walking along the road. Of course, given the state of the hotel we stayed in, we also felt we needed to wash after sleeping in the bedbug-infested bed...if it weren't for the state of the bathroom, which had some extremely unsanitary marks strewn across the walls. The locals there were also extremely pushy and if you're trying to take any mode of transport, you suddenly find yourself surrounded by six people shouting completely useless information at you whilst blocking your peripheral vision. This not only applies when you're trying to hail a taxi but also at the bus station where they try to insist that there actually isn't a ticket office. They then encircle you so that you can't escape and find it.

We were extremely glad to escape to Bukit Lawang, a jungle village three hours bus journey north of Medan. After negotiating an extremely questionable bridge, we installed ourselves in a guesthouse and went to explore the local bat caves with some guides who had taken residence in a nearby cafe. I made the presumption that since they didn't say anything about my attire, it was suitable for exploring the caves. However, I rapidly discovered a valuable lesson; bat caves do not mix well with skirts and flipflops. A vast amount of our exploration involved scrambling and jumping over rocks with a fairly intimidating drop below or squeezing ourselves through tiny passageways in the dark. I also learnt that the smell of bats permeates through clothes and is surprisingly hard to get rid of.

That aside, the guides who showed us the caves were extremely knowledgeable and friendly and we decided to book an overnight jungle trek with them, in the hope of seeing orang-utans in the wild. We set out early the next morning and our expectations were not disappointed as we managed to see four orang-utans, one of which was only a few metres away. The trek itself was beautiful and we scrambled up and down the mountains admiring the scenery, bribed by the collection of delicious fresh fruit in our guides' backpacks. We were lucky enough not to encounter an orang-utan known to the locals as Meaner, whose name originated because she habitually chased trekking groups around until they fed her. A friend had not only pre-warned us of her existence, but had also added the reassuring details that not only had he been a personal victim of Meaner and she had tried to bite him, she was also pregnant, which had made her hormonal and more aggressive than normal.

We set up camp late in the afternoon by a river bend and spent the rest of the day stretching out our sore limbs and swimming. Several other groups were camping near us and we gathered on blankets to eat a delicious meal cooked over a fire. After some rousing card games and dozens of puzzles involving matchsticks (which seemed to confirm my suspicions that most of these guides were so bored that they had nothing to do but invent puzzles involving matchsticks), the guides offered us all massages. Although massages in Jakarta cost next to nothing, we couldn't resist the offer of anything free. However, in my case, I soon realised that this was a dire mistake and had to undergo almost two hours of complete torture. It was somewhat akin to being attacked by a cheek squeezing aunt or an aggressive and slightly frisky lobster. It's been quite a while since I've nearly reflex kicked someone or had to shuffle so violently northwards away from wandering digits. This includes the time that I went home physically bruised. It was quite a relief when I was finally left alone to sleep and the effort of subtly inching away during the massage had left me so exhausted that I fell asleep instantly, despite lying on a piece of canvas on some very uncomfortable rocks...

(Click here to read the rest of this instalment)

Mind the gap

Catherine Watson — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:23:28 +0100

New findings have revealed a drastic pay gap in the City.

Statistics show men are earning up to 80 per cent more than women in bonuses, taken from a survey of leading companies. Last month figures were revealed of the 55 per cent pay gap, but recent findings show that men are earning up to £14,554 in bonuses, whereas women are earning substantially less with £2,875. The research was carried out by the Equality and Human Rights Commission of 44 companies.

Of all the job sectors, the financial sector is said to have the biggest pay difference which has been revealed in the wake of the recent recession, suggesting that the financial sector needs to have a rethink of way the sector is run and pay equality. Chairman for the Commission, Trevor Philips, states: 'The financial sector has the potential to play a central role in Britain's recovery. But it has to address this shocking disparity of rewards.'

One reason behind this pay difference is the due to recruiting patterns meaning women are failing to attain the top jobs in the sector which have the biggest rewards. Another is that women often start out on a lower pay and are being left behind in their career.

However Equality minister Harriet Harman claims the government is using tough new measures to rectify the pay gap. The survey was commissioned by Ms Harman, and has provided an accurate picture of the banking and insurance companies.

Promisingly, one in four of the companies surveyed, agreed to undergo a pay audit to work out if they had a pay gap. Trevor Phillips welcomes this, 'For business to thrive in the new economy it simply can't afford to recruit and reward in the way it has done in the past.'

http://www.realworldmagazine.com/page/17354/advice/articles/take-it-to-the-bank

By Gemma Parmar

Powering future generations

Catherine Watson — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:24:08 +0100

Great news for graduate engineers as EDF Energy announces its new Nuclear Engineer Development Programme as Gemma Parmar reports.

Get Ready for Business

Work Experience — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:04:26 +0100

get ready for business

Flu Fighters

Catherine Watson — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:00:16 +0100

Design students at Cranfield University were given the opportunity to create a new scheme to raise awareness about swine flu. Students undertaking a Master of Design in Innovation and Creativity in Industry course, designed a pioneering product to help give more information and advice about the recent flu outbreak. As part of a group project on their course, the team created a postable bag with pockets designed to hold medicine, which comes with a list of recommended items and a related book.

Aimed at families and individuals, the project gives the correct communication and awareness, the results for which have been directly informing the Department of Health Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Project.

The collaboration between students and the NHS is aimed at individuals and families, to them plan in the eventuality of a pandemic, "The current out break of H1N1 swine flu has, even in its early stages done much to demonstrate the need to communicate a range of changing messages over the course of an event. This work will help to inform our communications strategies, and will support this project with interest."

The success of the project lead to a future project with the NHS will go ahead this time researching into ways to cope with a flu epidemic with communication tools.

Winning ways

Catherine Watson — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:25:35 +0100

former winner of Real World awards