Coach Cafe

The graduate job market is changing again. Employers are now more than ever, more likely to skip the advertisement phase, and recruit new employees from a growing hidden job market. In short, pushing the need to network whilst at university, up a student’s never ending list of priorities. Yet, being from an underrepresented background can further complicate an already confusing concept, as finding routes into networking groups can sometimes be kept hush. 


To combat this, the initiative ‘Coach Cafe’ prioritises underrepresented background students, and gives you the opportunity to tap into an industry that excites you, whilst in the comfort of your own surroundings. 



What is Coach Cafe?


Coach Café is a programme of online networking events for students and alumni taking place across the university. The programme gives students the opportunity to speak to and connect with graduates who finished their studies 5-15 years ago. The Coach Café events are funded by The Law Family Ambition Programme which aims to inspire and support students from underrepresented backgrounds. Places at Coach Café are prioritised for students who meet widening participation criteria. 

What will I gain from this experience?

If you are looking for a place to ask those burning questions about how to get into your dream industry, Coach Cafe is the programme for you. You will build your knowledge of the industry as well as gaining an awareness about job roles within the industry you may never have heard of or considered before. By networking with industry professionals in a friendly and encouraging environment, you will gain confidence in your career aspirations and have the ability to pursue your career goals post-graduation. Not only this, the process is a great opportunity to start developing new skills such as professional networking, which can feel intimidating at the beginning but will put you in a great position to progress early on in your career. 


What can I expect at a Coach Café session?

All sessions happen online so you can get yourself comfortable in your surroundings whilst practising the expectation to come dressed professionally and operate in the appropriate manner. You will be broken into smaller groups with one of the alumni speakers so you can have a real in depth conversation, personal to what you’d like to get from the session. This person might not be in a job role you are interested in, but a lot of them have interesting career journeys which are inspiring, so don’t be afraid to practise your conversational skills. You’ll have the opportunity to meet a few different alumni across the evening, with the same group of students, so you should all get to know each other fairly well which may also provide a valuable source. To finish, everyone will be brought back together for group online informal networking to further build your network, even globally!


What have past participants said?

I got to exchange details with an alumnus of my course and connect with another from a different course working in a sector I hope to also work in. 


Coach Cafe was a great relaxed environment to be able to get answers to questions that I previously haven’t and be given great advice for the future. To talk to people in the same position as me made me feel very comfortable and happy with what I am doing now. Really recommended for those wanting realistic answers for after university!


I really appreciated Coach Cafe as a first year student. It was a great opportunity to communicate with not only recent graduates but also graduates from prior years and absorb as much information as I possibly could've. I can confidently assert that the advice and resources I received has brought me closer in identifying what I would like to pursue post-studies as well as how to prepare for job roles. 


When are the next opportunities to sign up?

Law Coach Café - 15th February 2024

Hear from School of Law Alumni working in a range of different roles in the legal sector, as well as Law Alumni who have changed their careers. 

Joint Arts & Humanities and Social Sciences Coach Café - 8th February 2024

At last years events, students connected with Alumni Coaches working in a range of industries, from Media and the Arts to Education, International Governance, Journalism, Civil Service, Marketing, Finance, Law, Tech, the Charity Sector and much more!

8 February 2024

Joint Engineering and Science Coach Café - 29th February 2024

At last years events, students connected with alumni working in a range of sectors from Technology to AI, Data Science, R&D, Academia, Energy, Finance, Aerospace, Defence, Health, Transport, Pharmaceuticals, Biotech Sustainability, Consultancy, Policy and more.

Looking to apply? Need more information about what is involved?

Head to the Coach Café webpage here!