Hey! I’m Freya. I’m a Career Coach and am part of the University’s Careers and Employability team. I’m also a second year Criminology student at the University and am loving my university experience. I love my subject and I’m hoping to enter into the world of social research when I graduate either through further study or with an NGO or government department.
Being a Career Coach has been a great insight into the workings of a university and how everything is centred on the student. Being from a social science background I’ve had to really widen my knowledge of other career paths to make sure I can help students on their career journey and I’ve surprised myself with the amount I’ve learnt and how much is out there. A highlight for me was when a student who had been in multiple times improving his CV for an employability module came in to thank me for the support and to tell me he got a high 1st for his CV!
What is the Career Studio and what do Career Coaches actually do?
The Career Studio is a new, innovative way to assist students on their career journey. The studio is an informal drop-in service where students can pop in with an issue we can work through together.
We have three zones: apply, connect, explore.
The apply zone centres around the application process including things like support with CV’s, application forms, online tests, interviews, assessment centres, pretty much the whole process!
Down the stairs of the Studio we have the Connect zone, which encourages students to build the networks that will lead to the next step in their career with assistance, such as building an online profile.
The Explore zone is usually the first step in a student’s journey, where we explore the options available to them and/or help them find the work experience to match their skillset and build their career profile.
Career Coaches are the face of the Career Studio. We’re there to meet students when they drop in, work out what they need and then work with them to reach the next stage of career planning. We work across the three zones to go through the resources we have with students as well as providing tailored support, co-exploring their options while offering practical advice on things like improving their CV, finding the right websites for jobs and how to research a recruiter to give their application a stand-out edge.
We also support events run by Careers and Employability. Our Connect zone hosts regular sessions where employers come in to meet students and give them tips to ace their application. One of our Masterclasses from L’Oreal saw seven students get fast-tracked through to the final stage of their application, so make sure you keep an eye on CareerHub to book onto the events we offer!
The main aim of the Career Studio is to encourage students to think of career planning as another part of the everyday student experience. We’ve had great results so far showing an increase of students engaging with the Careers Service since the opening of the Studio and we hope to continue this success, making career planning less stressful for students by focusing on one step at a time with the studio always there to assist when they’re ready for the next stage.
Day in the life of a Career Coach
- 6:30am – wake up and get myself ready
- 7:30am – walk the dog and head to uni
- 9am – seminar on qualitative social research methods
- 11am – lecture on the violence of war
- 12pm – meal deal time
- 1pm – head to the Career Studio
- 1:15pm – work on application forms with students
- 2pm – run a seminar on tailoring your CV for students
- 3pm – co-explore where to find work placements with students
- 6pm – head home for Netflix and seminar prep
Meet the Coaches
Mary Joy Baloyo
Subject: PhD in management + entrepreneurship.
When I graduate, I plan to: Academic.
Hobby: Exercise and social work.
What has surprised me about working in the Studio: The amount of career opportunities we have as students within as well as outside university.
Top career tip for students: Ask questions, think outside the box and critically reflect.
Ollie Hill
Subject: BA International Business with a year in industry.
When I graduate, I plan to: Work at IBM.
Hobby: Football and going to the gym.
What has surprised me about working in the Studio: How much I enjoy it.
Top career tip for students: Ollie Hill’s three Ps – passion, prepare and persevere.
Lauren Gordon
Subject: PhD microbiology.
When I graduate, I plan to: Become a microbial specialist.
Hobby: Dungeons and Dragons.
What has surprised me about working in the Studio: The massive variety of information available.
Top career tip for students: Tailor everything.
Blessing Otuore
Subject: MSc Human Resource Management.
When I graduate, I plan to: Work in consulting.
Hobby: Singing.
What has surprised me about working in the Studio: Students are willing to talk to students.
Top career tip for students: Be involved, be engaged and be innovative.
19 new Career Coaches hired
Thanks to your feedback, we’ve trained 19 student Career Coaches to help you explore your career options and support you through all aspects of the job application process.
We’ve introduced the support as a result of your feedback and wanted to say a big thank you to you for sharing your thoughts and comments with us throughout the year.
You can see what other improvements the University has made because of your feedback via the Your Feedback webpage. You can also send the University your feedback via this Give Feedback form. #ClickClickChange