Students prepare for their future in tech
Students met top CEOs and were inspired for their future careers at an exciting tech employability event organised by the University of Chester’s School of Computer and Engineering Sciences.
Held at the University’s Exton Park campus and open to all students, the event was put on by Software Engineering Course Leader Jules Barnes in collaboration with TechSkills (a TechUK company and the skills and accreditation body for the tech sector).
Students had insights from an exciting line up of speakers including Sophie Wilmot who is a top 30 influencer in the early careers field. As the Head of Early Careers at BT, Sophie used her extensive recruitment experience to give tips to students about how best to set themselves apart in the jobs market.
They also heard from, Rob Illidge from Vulse, Ricky Doyle from Day One, Nick Lynch from Barclays and Sophie Willmott and Reace Wade from BT Group.
The focus of the session was on supporting learners with inspiration, motivation and insights on writing job applications and helping with interview techniques and approaches. The importance of leveraging networking and enhancing professional connections was highlighted for students to embrace every opportunity and tool as they start their career pathways in the sector.
Jules Barnes is thankful to the employers who attended. She said: “This was a fantastic day and event and I was overwhelmed by the number of students that came - it was standing room only with queues to meet the most fantastic industry leaders. I was overwhelmed at how successful the day was and so grateful for everyone that came along, not just the employers for their time and TechSkills for the opportunity, but also the students who are an amazing bunch of people. Networking really does work!”
Ian Bolton, Head of Learning Programmes at TechSkills added: “It was a brilliant event and TechSkills were delighted to facilitate this as part of the accreditation, working closely with Jules and the whole team at the University.
“We had a massive attendance and the students were so invested in the session, full of enthusiasm, interest and energy, creating such a productive and collaborative atmosphere, sparking a wide array of excellent conversations and discussions.
“A huge thanks for this goes to the brilliant group of employers who kindly supported us on the day. The panels were superb, sharing a wide range of excellent insights, thoughts, coaching, ideas and advice. We are so grateful for the time, support and engagement from our brilliant employers and we look forward to coming back up on campus soon for the next event!”
The participating students felt the event was incredibly valuable and a film of the day features some of their thoughts. Jonty Pine, in his second year of Computer Science, said: “I think it is important just to meet people and it gives you a little bit less anxiety about going to interviews and applying for jobs. It’s been a great day I’ve learned a lot.”