Patrick's employability journey
I was able to benefit from the College Employability Programme by being put in touch with Glasgow City Council, allowing me to arrange a collaborative dissertation with them.
Can you tell us about your overall experience with College Employability Programme?
The tutors on the CEP were hugely helpful and approachable throughout my time at Glasgow University. They were keen to listen to my situation and recommend steps I could take to further my employability prospects in a way that suited me. The courses were clearly laid out and logical to follow, with in-depth feedback available throughout. Information was easily accessible, and support was there whenever I needed it. The mini quizzes made the content feel worthwhile, and really kept you paying attention, which in turn led to better results!
I was able to benefit from the College Employability Programme by being put in touch with Glasgow City Council, allowing me to arrange a collaborative dissertation with them.
In what ways have College Employability Programme courses prepared you for internships/future jobs?
The CEP staff were hugely helpful in understanding my specific circumstances as a good student with a relative lack of practical skills/work experience. I was introduced to a number of different courses which would help me convert my academic work into a more practical, work oriented format such as a professional presentation or a policy brief. Moreover, my network of likeminded professionals and students has been widened by having a strong LinkedIn profile and through building relationships with professionals via my collaborative dissertation.
Overall, the CEP has given me confidence to describe skills in interviews and job applications, a process which I found challenging and demoralising beforehand.
Patrick is a MSc Public and Urban Policy student who has completed a collaborative dissertation with Glasgow City Council. He explored the potential for an economic development approach entitled ‘Community Wealth Building’ in the city.
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What did you find most beneficial about the course/courses you took?
The most beneficial part of the ‘making your dissertation work for you’ course was in how it helped direct my work to a specific, practical topic. The world of academia is large and diverse, and it can be easy to get lost in abstract discussions. By conducting my research with an organisation, I was able to direct my work to ‘the real world’ and really test my research skills to generate a thorough, purposeful dissertation.
Secondary to this was probably the connections I made as part of the process, and the experience I gained working with a professional organisation. From taking the course, I now have some valuable contacts within the organisation (Glasgow City Council), as well as a demonstrable ability to build and maintain relationships with a range of individuals in the interest of results.
Would you recommend the course to others? Why?
Absolutely. While the process of a collaborative dissertation is undoubtedly an extra workload, it has been the most valuable part of my Masters. Being able to direct your work in a practical way is a very important skill to have and is ultimately what most graduates will have to do at some point in their career. The support offered through this course allows any willing student to be able to conduct their dissertation in such a way that it could have a real-life benefit on their future employability as a graduate.
What did you find most beneficial about the course/courses you took?
The most useful part of this course was how it helped me to direct my communication to a specific audience. While my collaborative dissertation was still intended to be read by Glasgow City Council, it was written in an academic format which was inaccessible to many of those to whom it was intended. The policy brief course supported me in creating a targeted, accessible, and easily digestible document which could be circulated more widely to busy policymakers. Not only did this develop my communication and design skills, it also helped grow my network of contacts which I could draw on in the world of work. As a final point, it was especially useful to make and then put it on my LinkedIn profile as an example of my work which highlighted my communication skills and proficiency with the MS Office package in terms of design.
Would you recommend the course to others? Why?
Yes. It is an incredibly useful skill to have for any Masters graduate who wants to relay the recommendations of their research in such a way that it can be digested by those to whom they are trying to reach.
What did you find most beneficial about the course/courses you took?
The course helped me to direct my presentation to the audience in an appropriate manner. Due to my presentation being on a topic I personally knew a lot about, it helped me be concise and present the message clearly, using accessible language, visual aids, and images to present complex information. The ability to practice my presentation to one of the employability staff and receive feedback allowed me to improve the delivery and timing as well.
Would you recommend the course to others? Why?
Yes, especially if you have a fear of public speaking. While I did not have a fear of public speaking going into this course, it still massively improved my presentation and eased my nerves when going into it. The guidance around message, clarity and brevity is relevant across the board. The constructive feedback from the staff was incredibly useful and a great resource to have when presenting, especially to potential future employers and esteemed colleagues.
What did you find most beneficial about the course/courses you took?
The most beneficial part of this course was how it pushed me to extol my skills to date in a clear and concise way so that potential employers could view my experience and skills clearly on my profile. It also encouraged me to reflect on my experience to date and understand in what way it was relevant to my future experience.
Would you recommend the course to others?
Absolutely. LinkedIn is now an incredibly important part of the professional world, and it is important that graduates are able to present themselves in a competitively in the world of work.