How did you first hear about Coach Cafe? 

I heard about Coach Cafe through the Sociology Society. Our Academic Officer forwarded the original email from the Careers Department and promoted it to our society members and committee!

Can you describe what the event was like? How was it structured?

After an initial briefing, the session was split into two sessions of speed networking and informal breakouts. The first session introduced us to a variety of coaches across different professions, who shared their career journeys and experiences. The latter provided targeted breakout rooms focused on specific Digital Media disciplines, such as PR, Communications, & Global Marketing allowing us to network with both industry experts and like-minded students.

What kind of alumni or professionals did you get to meet?

The session allowed us to network with a range of Marketing and Communication professionals, and when it came to the targeted breakout rooms, I chose to talk to those who specialise in 'Partnerships, PR & Client Engagement'. The 3 coaches I spoke to came from different backgrounds, one being involved in the Civil Service and the others working for smaller businesses in the private sector. 

What kind of questions did you ask the alumni?

The questions I had prepared for the coaches were mainly focused on how I can apply my current role as a ‘Senior Creative Digital Marketeer’ on my placement year onto job applications and my CV. It can be rather overwhelming condensing a whole year of experience into quickfire bullet points! The coaches were very helpful, and advised me to not dismiss the importance of soft skills, for example digital capabilities and communication, which sounds straight forward but are so important to include for marketing applications! 

What's one key piece of advice or insight you took away from Coach Cafe?

The value of being exposed to a breadth of marketing aspects whilst on my placement year! This will aid me massively when it comes to applying for graduate roles, where I can narrow my role specificity into a specialised region of Marketing / Digital Communications! Additionally, showcasing your personality and being able to show that in an application will make you stand out compared to the other candidates; if possible, reaching out to the company (particularly smaller companies) directly and promoting yourself for the job was highly recommended by the coaches.

Did the experience change how you think about your career path or future goals?

Coach Cafe reassured me that what I am currently learning on my placement year will pay off in the long run, and will benefit me in the future when I begin applying for graduate roles / schemes specialising in Marketing. However, it has made me consider more on what I would want to specialise in, for example Communications, and how I can prepare for job applications if I did want to go down that route! Overall, I would highly recommend Coach Cafe to anyone considering a career in the Marketing, Communications and PR sector. Attending networking events like this and showcasing it in job applications will show your dedication and interest in the sector! Being given the opportunity to network with like-minded students and professionals is hugely reassuring in knowing that I wasn’t alone in not knowing 100% what I want to do after university!