Meet Adam! He helps UCW students find out what they want to do after they graduate and gives them the tools to achieve these goals. We sat down with Adam to chat about his role.
What do you do here at UCW?
As UCW’s Career Coach it’s my job to co-ordinate the Careers Coaching service, based in the HEART team. I’m available to help any student or degree apprentice think through their career goals and take simple steps to achieve them. If students aren’t sure about their future plans, I’m here to help them figure it out!
Through taught career sessions in the classroom or individual careers appointments, I advise students how to update and target their CV’s and application forms, help them prepare for graduate-level job interviews & recruitment processes. Another aspect of my job is promoting graduate schemes and other post-degree options such as self-employment or further study, information on these is available to students through UCW’s Careers Coaching pages on SharePoint. I’m always happy to meet up and provide 1-2-1 careers support, my working days are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and you can reach me at careers@ucw.ac.uk or via Teams chat.
What does a day in your job look like?
My first priority is our students, so when I get to the office I usually answer any important requests for careers support. Then I tidy up my emails and check my agenda for the next priority.
Depending on the time of year I might be putting the finishing touches on a presentation, planning a workshop for Careers Week, or researching Graduate Schemes.
Last minute requests often come in, particularly for support with job application deadlines or prepare for interviews. I’ll happily rearrange my calendar to help students prepare for an opportunity. It’s a dynamic job!
What do you enjoy most about giving careers advice to students?
Knowing that I’ve helped empower someone to be more knowledgeable, confident and independent early in their career.
With the right tools, applying for graduate employment, getting a promotion or securing an audition isn’t about blind luck, it’s about articulating your skills, knowledge and experience as part of a hiring process. These tools are often easier to learn than people think.
In other words, when students know their skills belong somewhere that interests them, the process of applying is less laborious.
What are your top tips for students still at university looking to prepare for future careers?
I like to keep this simple as students have a lot to think about…
1 – Start small & start early: In your first year look at UCW’s Career Coaching pages on SharePoint, where there’s information about employment within each subject-field. Try and think about jobs you’d like to do and what work experience/volunteering you could look for that aligns with those future career ideas.
2 – Get ready: Start taking note of your achievements in study and work. Update your CV with your degree & modules you’ve studied so far, take a look at a couple of Grad schemes. Get work experience underway. The minute you’re not sure how to do something or need more information, look on the Careers Coaching pages or ask me for help.
3 – Take action: Follow advice in group sessions to target your job applications at Grad Schemes or other degree-related opportunities. If you don’t know where to start, send me a message; if you’re unsure how to apply or prepare for interview, book in for some careers support!
What are your top tips for students who are in third year, just about to enter the world of careers?
It depends on the subject of course but a few things are fairly universal:
Be flexible. Don’t pressure yourself to figure out your whole future now! The term “dream job” is a bit misleading. You may know, you may not. Both are exciting. Keep learning about your core values and observe how they lead you towards different challenges and opportunities.
Network with likeminded people you meet on the way and be open to lifelong learning.
Where relevant reach out over LinkedIn (especially STEM subjects) and have a professional portfolio ready for industries where showing your body of work is a vital tool for showcasing your capabilities.
On a practical level, understand how to ‘target’ your applications towards employers throughout the recruitment process (from CVs, cover letters and application forms through to interviews and even online recruitment tests).
Remember your degree is a real asset to your applications, it gives you lots of relevant knowledge but also plenty of transferable skills too. When you’re inspired to pursue something, run with it!
What did you study at university?
Working with people has always been a passion of mine. I chose to study a Level 6 Careers Guidance and Development as part of building my own personal career around employment and helping people find meaningful careers that they love.
My education and career has been varied. I started with Performing Arts at College and worked in the Music Industry. Then I worked in Community Centre’s and Youth Centre’s around Bristol, expanding my skills set through a variety of short courses including; Mental Health First Aid, Listening Skills and other Guidance Qualifications. I’m a big believer in lifelong learning and I love helping people figure out their next steps in their career journey!
A big thanks to Adam for chatting with us about how he can help students. To find out more about careers coaching at UCW, click here!
