How did you first hear about Northern City Connections? 

I had previously seen it advertised on various Sheffield University webpages- but I heard the most about it from my peers and friends who participated in the trip to Manchester the year prior. They had mentioned how exciting and valuable a day it was, and once I am back from my placement year, I should apply. We received an email promoting it at the beginning of October, and I applied straight away! 

Why did you apply for the programme? 

Through my placement year, I understood how important it is to build connections and develop an understanding of the world of work post-graduation. I knew this programme would provide me with an opportunity to meet and speak with alumni in specific roles I had a direct interest in but had no existing connections or ways to reach out (except LinkedIn cold calling) to ask questions that would benefit best from lived experience. I’ve also never had the chance to attend a formal networking event, so it has been important to me to gain experience and confidence in networking. Once I knew about Northern City Connections, I decided it would be the best chance to achieve all of this and more. Furthermore, Manchester could be a city I would like to move to in the future, so seeing it through the lens of the working environment is a unique perspective that has helped me a lot in considering this. 

How did you prepare for this opportunity?

The pre-event workshop provided us with information on the alumni that would be attending, so I had the chance to prepare specific questions for each individual I wanted to speak to in order to get the most relevant advice out of the time we had to talk with them. We were also shown how to enter and exit out of conversations, a key tip to make networking more fluid and feel less awkward- which can happen without prior experience! 

Could you explain what you got up to on the day?

The day started travelling to Manchester Piccadilly on the train, and then walking over to our respective morning events. I had selected SJM Concerts to visit, and we met at Union Studio. There was a Q&A with founder Simon Moran, hosted by Parisa, before hearing from the departmental managers. We had a task to plan a dream event, including promotion, line-up and marketing, and presented it to the rest of the NCC cohort, the managers and Simon. My team’s event was a festival based on nostalgia, which the managers particularly enjoyed, and voted us the winners! Afterwards, we walked to DLA Piper, before breaking for lunch. When we returned, the partners of the company gave us an insightful talk before we heard from current trainees about working for the firm. The final event of the evening was the networking event. Staff, alumni and students had the chance to meet, talk and connect and gain knowledge and insight on specific sectors, roles and ask any general questions about careers and employability after graduation. It was a lovely evening, especially with a steady supply of canapés and drinks DLA Piper kindly provided us with. I personally also had the opportunity to interview the alumni, my favourite interview being with Jason Spencer, the Business Development director for ITV. The day ended with a walk back to Piccadilly to get the train home to Sheffield.

What was the biggest highlight of the event?

My personal highlights were the chance to interview the alumni for the employability hubs Instagram; it allowed me to speak to almost everyone! And of course, winning free concert tickets through the morning session with SJM concerts, through the event development task. The reward was brilliant, but the actual task was insightful too, as we had hands-on experience as to what it is like to plan an event in the industry. 

What are your key takeaways from the experience?

1. Ask, ask, ask! 

2. It’s alright to not know exactly what you want to do as a career, and in fact, not knowing but rather being open to opportunities is what leads you down the right path, with amazing experiences! 

3. Do not be afraid to put yourself out there. Calling up, emailing and reaching out isn’t as outdated as everyone thinks. You never know who may respond with an opportunity.

Would you recommend this event to other Equal Opportunities students?

Yes! I had some exposure to employability events prior, so I was hoping to develop some networking skills and meet some new people. I got so much more than that out of it. I feel incredibly motivated now and have already reached out to some of the contacts I made, and they’ve returned offers of support or further opportunities! Everyone who can, should apply. You might come away with an experience or an opportunity that you would have never thought you even wanted or expected to get. It is entirely worth it.