What activities have you undertaken to boost your employability?

Last month, I participated in the Northern City Connections scheme, a program I became aware of through a careers meeting with the University Employability team. As a first-generation university student, the event appealed to me as it provided accessibility to networking, a concept that was altogether unfamiliar to me at the start of the academic year. The scheme has boosted my confidence both professionally and personally, and it has made my options after graduation seem less daunting.

Why did you apply for this program?

I come from a non-academic background with my father working as a tradesman, and my mother in the administrative field. I'm interesting in pursuing a creative career, potentially in the marketing and communications industry, so the lack of generational support and knowledge has led to me feeling disadvantaged when it came to making connections in the industry. I applied to Northern City Connections as I saw the opportunity to boost my network and start making connections that other may naturally inherit. 

How did you prepare for this opportunity?

Before the event, there were different sessions that I attended that helped to boost the success of my application. Firstly, I attended the Northern City Connections application session, held in the Cornerstone, in which I received one-to-one support on my personal statement. This experience was highly beneficial in learning how to use my unique life experiences to my advantage, and create an application that truly reflected my traits and skills. Additionally, I attended a CV booster session that gave me advice that could be transferred to my Northern City Connections application, such as using active verbs to clearly describe the experiences I have gained through employment and extracurricular activities alike. This advice was vital in understanding how to present my unique skills in a way that is clear and relevant to the employer, knowledge that will benefit me throughout my employability journey.

Describe what at the Northern City Connections event:

There were multiple parts of the day: we began in the Cornerstone with a talk from a Marketing and Communications specialist who gave us a valuable insight into the path she took to get to the career she has now, and advice on how we can aim towards a similar role.

After this, we walked to Channing Hall and received another insightful talk from Dr Kay Graham and Saffron Howdle, both working for the Civil Service with different viewpoints as both someone established in the Civil Service, and someone newly employed. I found both talks very engaging, and felt it demystified the process of entering these industries. Saffron also discussed her experiences with rejection and perseverance within the Civil Service, which was useful in demonstrating the benefit in learning from your weaker areas and growing into yourself.

We then walked to the office of the law firm DLA Piper, where we participated in a question and answer session with professionals from various aspects of the firm. 

Before the main networking evening, we had another talk surrounding employment and placement opportunities at DLA Piper, which provided transferable advice such as application and interview tips and practice on building a personal brand and an elevator pitch. These were concepts that I was unaware of before the event, meaning even though I am not actively considering a law career, this part of the day was still extremely useful. 

Finally, the standout experience of the day was the fast-paced alumni networking evening, in which we connected with many professionals from various sectors including finance, construction, the public sector, marketing and law. This was vital as not only did it boost my confidence in networking, it also allowed an insight into industries that I had not considered, widening my horizons further. I also gained many LinkedIn connections that will benefit me in my postgraduate employment search, being able to use proactivity to access hidden jobs through networking and connections. The event was overall a vibrant and welcoming experience that I feel has truly boosted my confidence and aided my employability.

What advice would you give to students that are nervous about future career choices? 

Try and think laterally about what other industries the skills you've learned on your course could be applied to - there's probably a lot. Even if you're set on what you want to do post-uni, it's useful to have backups, especially at times like these when opportunities might be scarce in some sectors. Use the Sheffield alumni network - there's a pretty good chance your tutors will know of recent graduates who have gone into the same kind of roles you're looking at and will be able to give you specific advice on how to get there or even provide some useful contacts to get a foot in the door. 

What are the key takeaways from the experience?

Overall, the Northern City Connections program was significant in breaking down both mental and generational barriers that held me back in terms of networking. I now feel competent in communicating with industry professionals, and have a good idea of how to market myself appropriately. Also, reflection on the experience on MySkills in the post-event session allowed me to transmute these experiences into tangible skills, boosting my awareness of my personal brand. I would recommend the experience to anyone who feels daunted by networking, as it is such a vital skill and you never know where a connection may take you.