This event was part of the Stage 2 summer activity that took place after final assessments and was intended as a taster to a larger all-day careers event that will take place when this cohort are in their final year.
It took place in Marlowe Lecture Theatre, where Kathryn Segal from Careers and Employability Service introduced her department – its location, functions, and related employability initiatives and activity around campus. Kathryn then moved into one or two more specific areas which had been requested, such as the need for students to be wary about keeping a sensible online profile ie “keeping it clean” on Facebook or with Tweeting, as prospective employers will check this sort of thing.
After that, five alumni 2012 graduates presented – Paul Gorzelak, Srimathi Aiyer, Shaarif Shameem, Philippa Morris, and Robyn Thurston – four as Part 1 Architectural Assistants and Shaarif Shameem who has opted for a different career path and had joined the MA in Architectural Visualisation here at Kent School of Architecture.
The four Architectural Assistants discussed their experiences over the last few months – the difficulties/methods in finding employment, good practice in the hunt for employment, and their experiences of employment displaying projects they had been involved in. They also showed before and after examples of CVs to show the students what employers might be looking for or impressed by. Shaarif gave a great insight into an alternative career path after studying to Stage 3 and then opting to focus on computer modelling by moving to study an MA in Architectural Visualisation.
The careers event overall was very informative and interesting for Stage 2 and by having recent graduates in attendance to give presentations about finding work after Stage 3, it meant that students are more prepared for what lies ahead in terms of finding placements and also other career paths they may wish to pursue.