Professional Connect: insight into graduate options
Current York students had the chance to meet up with successful professionals, many of them York alumni, at the University’s Professional Connect event on 26 February.
Organised by Careers in association with YUSU, GSA and the Alumni Office, this was the second Professional Connect event of its kind; a large scale networking opportunity, linking around 60 professionals with 400 students.
Across three strands: Arts and Heritage, Public and Third Sector, and Consulting, professionals were on hand to give invaluable advice and tips on working within their sector.
Professional Connect is part of a wide range of careers activities designed to help our students get ahead in today’s competitive job market. The event puts them in touch with recent graduates so they can gain insights, be inspired and develop their own ambitions long before they leave university.
An eye opener in terms of what is out there in the REAL world
Organisations represented included Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, York Minster, Birmingham Symphony Hall, York Archaeology Trust, IBM, Ernst & Young, PwC, Deloitte, Capco, Department for Business Innovation & Skills, Yorkshire Housing, Marie Curie Cancer Care and HM Prisons. View the full programme of attendees and their professional profile.
Positive feedback was received from students and professionals alike:
Jim Doxford, a Project Manager with the Highways Agency, said, “The people I talked to were a credit to the University - all interested, engaged, very polite and with really good questions.”
Chris Montanaro, a Consultant at Ernst & Young, commented, “I thoroughly enjoyed the event and thought it was extremely well put together. It was surprising how brave and confident the students were in their questions.”
Student feedback included: “Fantastic opportunity to meet people, catch up on career opportunities and find out what the world of work offers,” and, "An eye opener in terms of what is out there in the REAL world.”
Due to the success of the event, another Professional Connect event is planned for Thursday 2 May, focusing on the strands of Media and Publishing, Life Sciences and Environment, and Technology. For more information see the Professional Connect page or email careers@york.ac.uk.
Further information