How did you get your job?
My journey into the careers profession started at the University of Liverpool, where I studied the BSc Psychology and worked part time as a student careers coach. I applied for my current role via a jobs website and was successful. I feel that the practical experience I gained as a student and the insight into the role of a careers consultant really helped.
What's a typical working day like?
I provide students with one-to-one guidance appointments, lasting 20 minutes each. I also offer one-hour slots for students who need a bit more time. Aside from this, I frequently deliver workshops, so on a daily basis, I am planning and preparing for upcoming sessions, ensuring the content is up to date and impactful.
I also work with academics on how employability can complement the academic curriculum. This involves building relationships with academic staff and identifying opportunities to make employability more visible in their modules.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
The best part of the job is the one-to-one interactions with students. I thoroughly enjoy hearing their stories - how they’ve got to where they are, where they want to go next and what motivates them. It's a real pleasure getting to know our students on this level.
Delivering workshops also provides a sense of fulfilment as I get to see a number of students in a session. It's lovely interacting with them, learning about their understanding of employability and their own career plans, and helping them along this journey.
What are the challenges?
There aren't really any major challenges. It's a large institution, so naturally things happen a little slowly. However, in my experience, those I interact with - such as colleagues within my service and academic colleagues - all prioritise the student experience and deeply care about making this the best it can be.
As I'm relatively new to the role, getting my head around policies and procedures, while also understanding who does what, can be quite a challenge.