Go Professional!

This week the university also held our 'Go Professional Event' - an opportunity to gain some knowledge and make some connections for your career future.

I'm unsure how this played out across other degrees, but for yours' truly we were honoured with a question panel on the morning of the 5th February. We had guests from the probational service, women's aid, and a few other human services, all sitting there for an hour just to answer any questions that we could think of to send some light on their jobs and how they got into them.

During our workshops there were speakers on some of the Postgraduate Degrees available in the university. I attended the Social Worker MSc and found her to be a fabulous speaker, not just letting us know that the course had to offer, but on some of the routes and specialities of social work. Very valuable information if you're like me and beginning to think about what you want to do rather than just a vague title.

Sadly I was too busy to take photos that day, but the main floor was packed with charities and organisations ready to talk to about their work and ways that you could get involved and gain some experience volunteering. Some of which were:

• Keyring
• Humanitas Charity
• Tokko
• Families United Network
• Access2books
• Luton Culture
• Khayaal Theatre Company
• Stagenhoe – Sue Ryder
• Bedfordshire FA
• Noah Enterprise
• SOS Bus
• Voluntary Works
• Alive N Kicking
• Save the children
• Enactus Bedfordshire
• Carers in Bedfordshire
• MS Society
• Community Resettlement Project (CRSP)
• HealthWatch Luton
• FOBE - Friends of Bright Eyes
• GreenHouse Mentoring
• Volunteer general stall
• Girl Guiding Luton
• Changing Lives
• Guide Dogs for the Blind
• Cancer Research UK
• UpRising
• Luton Borough Council
• Leonard Cheshire Disability
• Keech Hospice Care

So you can see how diverse the opportunities were! And all localised branches which makes it very convenient for students. If you're someone like me that feels they already have their plate full, then consider the summer when there are no lectures or workshops; I know that will give me two extra days a week for over 6 weeks when I won't be working, definitely an opportunity not to be missed. Or maybe that's the time you can use to look for an foundational job within the organisation you are dreaming about working for. Who knows what that time can offer you.