May the Fourth

Sometimes, through the haze of everyday life, you experience a day that does not leave you exhausted, but rather exhilarated. Friday, 4th May was one of these days.

Now, yes we all know the Star Wars joke (May the Force be with you); such a beautiful play on words. But no, that was not why it was a jubilant day. Something entirely on a different space station!

Okay, I'll get on with it. I attended a careers event. It was organised by the Employability staff at the University of Exeter and the student Employability Committee (CHUMS). The objective of the event was to allow students to hear from professionals the skills that were required in sectors such as Publishing, Media and Marketing. Students would then be able to participate in a networking event that would include the speakers and other professionals from sectors such as Heritage and PR. In order to add an extra element, we as hosts, asked a recent graduate from the campus, who is now working at IBM, to talk about gaining a foothold in a large corporation.  The format worked perfectly. After hearing the presentations, the students appeared to feel confident enough to network with the professionals.

As History President of the Committee, it was an immense relief to see it all come together, but also one of great pride.We all learnt a great deal. The speakers were all inspiring, which helped to boost confidence in both the team and the students. Indeed, the networking part saw queues of students trying to converse with the professionals.
For me, the event was a chance to reassert my confidence. Having spent a great deal of my childhood in a corner with a book, it has taken me a while to learnt to embrace my personality. However, on Friday I spoke with each professional whilst feeling confident and at ease. In the words on my uncle, "onwards and upwards". I am definitely set on a career in Marketing/PR, it's just a question of continuing to find work experience to add to my portfolio and CV. You never know, I may even secure a graduate job soon!!
I have definitely learned a great deal in my search for employment. Smile, have a firm hand-shake and research everything thoroughly. Friday brought all of this to the forefront of my mind. Now the dissertation is handed in, it is time to get back into the swing of job-hunting. And with this event under my belt, I feel ready to succeed.

It had taken months to plan but, despite the panic, it was a success. The CHUMS Employability Committee had held their first Speaking and Networking Event.