Careers Day - 30 January 2019

On the 30 January 2019, the School of Politics and International Relations hosted their first Careers Day - with over 14 different employers and several alumni from the school providing advice and sharing their experiences of their own careers, and those similar to them in the form of lectures, one-to-one discussions, and for some thereafter, recorded podcasts that will be uploaded and available to all in due course.

The purpose of the Careers Day was to both inspire and inform SPIR students in relation to careers, postgraduate study and placements and internships. Over students 130 attended in total and there was a strong turn out from year one undergraduates already interested in exploring careers ideas.

There were two panels presenting. One titled 'Exploring Opportunities' where guest speakers from the Ministry of Defence agency DSTL Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, HMRC, Local NGO Mojatu Foundation and Save the Children  gave career related presentations and answered audience questions as a panel.  The second panel  featured more 'early careers' speakers and Nottingham alumnus discussing their respective career journeys.  These were the UoN Beacon: The Rights Lab, Broxtowe Borough Council, Civil Service Fast Stream and Think-tank Consultancy Smart Thinking.

In addition, the Careers Day invited Professor Michael Clarke to launch the event - former Director-General of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) from 2007 to 2015 and former Deputy Vice-Principal and Director for Research Development at King's College London, where he remains a Visiting Professor of Defence Studies. In addition to his, in January 2016 he was appointed a specialist adviser to the Joint National Committee on Security Strategy for the period of the current Parliament. 

The School of Politics and International Relations Placement Programme also had a stand at the event manned by recent interns who were able to provide inspiring examples and context about their own placement experiences to the Careers Day attendees. Steve Vaccarini, Faculty Placements Manager noted how successful the event was - "The atrium was incredibly busy with guest speakers and employer organisations surrounded by hordes of eager students asking  great questions.  A team from the Careers and Employability Service were in attendance, and provided fantastic support and organisation to the event which would not have been possible without their input."

"The event yesterday was fascinating and eye-opening. I gained a more realistic insight into several fields that interested me which had an interesting impact. The day-to-day work of some of the speakers made me aware that maybe it wasn't for me whereas others confirmed that the work would align well with what I enjoy. This latter point includes sectors, such as defence, which I hadn't even considered before. All in all, my perceptions were enhanced and I was given a much-needed reality-check which has given me a lot more clarity and confidence in what I want to pursue." - Ian Burton - MA Politics and Contemporary History

"It was great to see such a keen group of students attending the careers event and engaging with a wide variety of different professionals. I think it's really important to give students a head start in understanding the vast number of opportunities out there and available to them and also the skills that they are already gaining that they can bring to different organisations. It was a great opportunity for Mojatu as a charity to talk about our work with so many interested and enthusiastic people and I look forward to working with some of them in the future!" - Guest speaker Laura McCartan - Fundraising and Communications Manager, Mojatu Foundation, Nottingham

The day unfolded as follows:

• 1pm: Introduction from Professor Michael Clarke
• 1.30pm: Exploring Opportunities  • DSTL • HMRC • Mojatu Foundation • Save the Children
• 2.45pm: 15 minute break
• 3pm: Career Stories • Rights Lab • Broxtowe Council • Civil Service Fast Stream  • Smart Thinking
• 4.15pm: Informal networking
• 5pm: Close