International Student Guides
Introduction
About the roles
Queen’s University Student Disability and Wellbeing Service requires up to three International Student Guides to play a leading role in the planning and delivery of a truly exceptional and enriching international student experience. Through communication and engagement with new and current students throughout the academic year, these posts will be responsible for organising, delivering, and evaluating events and initiatives that align with the various stages of diverse international student journeys.
These posts are available from an anticipated start date of week beginning Monday 22 August, working up to a maximum of 15 hours per week to support the planning and delivery of the Pre-Semester Engagement Programme and International Student arrival.
Thereafter, hours will vary per week, on average between 8-10 hours per week.
The post holders will play a key role in the delivery of the arrival and pre-semester engagement processes for new and returning international students. After this time, the Student Guides will be available on an ongoing basis to assist with term time delivery of student focused events and responses to day-to-day international student queries.
Due to the nature of these roles, we are only able to accept applications from International Students only.
Details on the major duties, essential criteria, desirable criteria, application process, and other key information is below.
Please Note:
These roles are office-based / campus-based. However, the department may be able to implement a remote induction for successful applicants should they not be physically in Belfast at the time of induction. This would be a short-term measure until you arrive in Belfast, and thereafter, successful applicants should be expected to be on-campus for the full duration of the posts.
Deadline to Apply:
Applications close at 11:59PM (Belfast time) on Wednesday 27 July 2022. Late applications will not be accepted.
Anticipated Interview Date:
Interviews are currently anticipated to take place at the beginning of August via Microsoft Teams (you may wish to hold time in your schedule on this date if invited to interview).
Queries about the Roles?
If you have any informal queries about these roles, your queries can be directed to studentwellbeing@qub.ac.uk
- Due to the nature of the post, we are only able to accept eligible applications from students who are available between the end of August consistently through to 23 June 2023. Although the hours will vary, unfortunately we are unable to accept applications from students who are expected to graduate from the University in December 2022.
- Anticipated start date: The anticipated start date for these posts is week beginning Monday 22 August 2022. While these posts will primarily take place on-campus, we would be willing to support successful applicants to work remotely (virtually) for the first few weeks in order to allow time to travel to Belfast.
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Major Duties
Main duties associated with these post(s) are:
- To be an open and welcoming initial key point of contact for international students, providing answers to common student queries, and to promote the supports offered by the Student Disability and Wellbeing Service;
- To facilitate regular student drop-in clinics (both in-person and virtually), which are tailored to a range of practical and administrative queries across the student journey, for example, registering with healthcare providers, opening a bank account, building connections etc. (full training will be given);
- Assisting with campus duties associated with the Pre-Semester Engagement Programme, orientation, and supporting students with settling in through informal advice and guidance,
- The planning, promotion, delivery and evaluation of ongoing International Student-led events to support student interaction and experience;
- Through provision of training, the ability to work alongside Student Disability & Wellbeing colleagues to facilitate the response to initial support queries. This may be particularly helpful where language skills present barriers to navigating and accessing support;
- Familiarisation of and signposting key university support services including in-course support, in-sessional English language skills courses, International Student Support, disability, wellbeing, Learning Development Service and Graduate School, accommodation, Queen’s Sport, the Students’ Union, Student Finance, and Careers, Employability & Skills;
- Work alongside the International Student Support Office; International Office, Student Recruitment Hubs, Faculties, Schools, and Directorates to promote a proactive and visible point of contact for international students;
- To provide an excellent customer service experience to new and returning students;
- To act as an Ambassador for the University at all times when undertaking the duties of the post;
- Proactive monitoring of key issues and trends facing international students, with meaningful and effective events designed around student insight and engagement; data entry to shared spreadsheets / issues log to provide to supervisors within the Service;
- Assisting with the creation of informed promotional content to highlight events, website and social media; with input from the Student Wellbeing Service’s Marketing and Communications Officer;
- Assisting with other projects throughout the academic year that help students settle into University life and learn more about the services & support available to them (e.g. Student Disability & Wellbeing Service activity, workshops, mental health awareness campaigns etc.);
- Carry out any other duties which are appropriate to the post as may be reasonably requested by the Supervisor.
- Essential Criteria
- Registered students at Queen’s University Belfast for academic year 2022-23 and for the full period that these posts are available, otherwise the application will not be considered.
(Please note, eligibility restrictions apply to PhD/MPhil applicants based on date of first registration as an undifferentiated research student, as per our code of practice and University Regulations associated with PGR students, in the first instance).
- At least three months experience of undertaking a role requiring customer service skills or experience of delivering talks, workshops etc.;
- Experience of managing and delivering a project
- Experience of organising and/or promoting events/activities
- Experience using MS Office packages, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint
- Experience of using Social Media
- Experience of working within a team
- The successful applicant, for whom English is not their first language, must have achieved a minimum pass mark of 6.0 overall for their IELTS (International English Language Test Score) or equivalent. Please note a copy of your IELTS results will be requested by email to your QUB email address following submission of your application).
- The successful candidate should be / have been / plan to be a resident in Belfast for their studies
- The successful candidate will be required to attend any relevant training required for the post.
- Desirable Criteria
- Experience of working within a University setting
- Experience of updating websites
- Experience of managing a budget
- Experience of working on marketing/promotional campaigns
- Experience of designing publications/promotional materials
- Experience of undertaking tours or presenting to groups of people
- At least one month’s experience of undertaking office based administration e.g. answering telephone, email enquiries, photocopying
- Hours and Pay
Payment: £9.50 per hour.
These posts are available from week beginning Monday 22 August, working up to a maximum of 15 hours per week at peak periods, and will vary thereafter to on average between 8-10 hours per week.
- How to Apply?
Interested students should apply via QWork at the link below. Cover letters should clearly answer the applications outlined, and evidence clearly how you meet the essential criteria, and any of the desirable criteria if relevant.
The application consists of the following elements:
- Submit applications through QWork
- Shortlisting panel will review and shortlist applicants based on their ability to meet the essential and potentially the desirable criteria
- Shortlisted candidates will be invited to take part in a short interview
- Interviews will be held
- Successful candidates will be offered one of the three posts available
Existing QWork users can log-in to their account and apply, and new users are able to create a free account to apply. Please allow plenty of time to complete your application, as late applications will not be accepted.
We would advise completing drafts of your written application in a word processing software (e.g. Microsoft Word etc.) rather than directly into the cover letter field of QWork. Once submitted, you will not be able to make amendments to your application.
Within the Cover Letter please explicitly answer the following questions. Please pay particular regard to the Essential and Desirable Criteria. The Shortlisting panel use these criteria to determine your eligibility. It is therefore essential that you provide sufficient evidence of how you meet the criteria.
Suggested word limits have been included to offer guidance on a suitable length. Please note these are suggestions, and not concrete deadlines. It is important that you feel your answers suitably evidence how you meet the criteria.
Question 1: Please confirm that you are an international student (a Student Visa holder).
Question 2: Please outline your student number, current course, year, and level of study (example: 40123456, Level 2, Undergraduate, BSc Biological Sciences).
Question 3: Events: What experience and/or knowledge do you have in working as part of a group to deliver an event (examples: clubs and societies events, social gatherings, school events). (Suggested word limit: 100-200 words)
Question 4: Promotion tactics: Please describe what experience do you have of coordinating social media accounts, or content used to promote events and initiatives? e.g. websites, posters, event promotion (Suggested word limit: 100-200 words)
Question 5: Ambassadorial duties: Please outline what experience you have of performing ambassador duties, representing an organisation or service, or communicating with peers on a personal or individual, communicating shared experiences basis (Suggested word limit: 100-200 words)
Question 6: Please outline your current plans for travelling to Belfast ahead of the 2022-23 academic year. What date do you plan to arrive in Belfast? (The responses to this question will not be used for shortlisting purposes, but will help to give the panel a sense of how the successful applicants will be able to perform duties within the first few weeks. *Please do not change or alter any travel plans throughout any stage of this recruitment exercise.*) (Suggested word limit: 1-2 sentences).
Question 7: Please confirm that you are available to take part in mandatory paid training during week commencing 22 August 2022. (Suggested word limit: 1-2 sentences).
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Health and Safety Issues
A full health and safety induction and training will be provided to successful applicants. Successful applicants will be based in the new One Elmwood Student Centre and Students’ Union.
Successful applicants will be expected to perform duties associated with events and on-campus student engagement. This will involve sourcing and packing materials, setting up events, taking down events, and transporting equipment and materials across campus. Although trolleys etc. will be provided, there will be elements of manual handling and lifting. Training will be provided.
Should you have any disabilities or long-term conditions, please let us know in your cover letter, along with any reasonable adjustments you may need throughout the recruitment process. Your supervisor will discuss any reasonable adjustments you may require to carry out the duties of the post if offered a role.