Small Steps, Meaningful Impact: Reflections on Our First Student Experience Exchange Event

Today might be one of the best days I've had at the #UON in at least the past year, and I want to share this experience with you, not because it had an incredibly huge impact or something extraordinary happened, but because it had a noticeable and genuine, even if small, impact.

A few months ago, after discussing with my students in the MSc Project Management their concerns about securing a good placement opportunity or obtaining a good job after graduation, I pondered how I could effectively help them. I then remembered my own student days when a few of us, with some of my best friends, tried to share our experiences and learnings through a series of short "30-minute" sessions with our fellow students. Our goal was to provide practical advice to empower them and help them find suitable job opportunities, all within the brief time between morning and afternoon classes (ah, what a time it was, dear friends: Shiva Salamat Zahra Heydarifard, Ph.D. Moe Hashemi Farzaneh Mahmoodi and ...).

This led me to the idea of a "Student Experience Exchange Event," which I now call "SEE." I invited students who were currently undergoing placements and some of our alumni to help us by sharing their experiences, both ups and downs, successes, and failures, in a two-hour session (stories about companies/organizations like #Cummin , #ProvideCommunity , #Turner&Townsend , #Barclays ) I firmly believe this could be impactful. No matter how much we, as lecturers and professors, talk about the importance of certain things, it doesn't have the same effect as hearing it from peers in similar situations. It's like how advice from a friend can resonate more for some of us, even if we’ve heard similar advice from our parents.

Anyway, after my request, two current students and two alumni kindly agreed to contribute to the first session of this event. It was a simple and straightforward event but successful and right on target!

After coordination about two months in advance, our speakers sent me their presentations (completely unique and in their own style, which I respected, and the results testified it). We had a quick test session an hour before the event, and the event itself went very smoothly and ended right on time! The project was accomplished, keeping the iron triangle in full harmony! And I am grateful to each of you ( Mary-Anne Kimanthi Malik Bilal Ria Jain, MSc Stephen AghaChukwu(MBA,PMP)) for demonstrating your punctuality, kindness, and capabilities amid your numerous responsibilities.

What happened during the event was incredibly valuable to me. I was proud of the students who presented, the attendees who shared their feedback, and those who asked questions and expressed their concerns. Seeing four of our students from the University of Northampton present so well and confidently, each in their unique style, was a beautiful and proud moment that showed the attendees that it’s possible!

Although the number of participants was way lower than my expectations (30 in total), the engagement and feedback they provided gave us the encouragement to continue this event periodically and motivate students to play a more active role. It was very encouraging to see an event where I was just the facilitator / host, and the students presented, asked their own questions, and received relevant and reliable answers from their peers.

The speaking styles and the sharing of their stories were very inspirational. Stephen AghaChukwu (MSc, EMBA,PMP) , that with his unique storytelling style and perspective on issues, he demonstrated smoothly how to navigate this path and seize opportunities.

?"I am the project manager of my own story—an ongoing masterpiece in the making. Every day, I design, build, and shape the narrative, with each chapter still unfolding. The journey is mine to architect, and the best is yet to come.“

-Stephen AghaChukwu(2024) :)

Ria Jain, MSc , who interacted well with the attendees; Mary-Anne Kimanthi , who clearly and convincingly outlined the process of finding a placement opportunity and integrating into the work environment. And, of course, Malik Bilal , who didn’t scare us with sending 700 job search applications (though Riya had beaten that with 800!).

Before I share the highlights of this event, for those students who couldn't join us, I want to emphasise that the purpose of sharing this story was to remind (at least to myself) that even with small, but correct, steps, it's still possible to make a positive impact on even a small group of people.:

·???????? Planning, planning, planning

·???????? Customising resumes and cover letters

·???????? Thoroughly researching companies and jobs before interviews

·???????? Networking, a game changer

·???????? Utilising university resources and services for the best, especially the Student Future team for resume services and mock interviews

·???????? Enhancing soft skills, especially presentation skills

·???????? Embracing past experiences, even if small

·???????? Seizing all relevant and useful job opportunities (including volunteer opportunities that can be great entry points to prove yourself to an organisation).

And some things that really resonated with me and lifted me up:

The genuine belief of the speakers that small projects and group work we assign at the university are effective in this journey (which some of us often realise it later and at higher cost).

The emphasis on attention to details (even following a boring referencing method) and its impact on future work quality.

The influence of university resources like LinkedIn Learning, ILX platform, and library services, if introduced properly by us and used properly by students.

The real impact of services like Change Maker (or currently Student Future) at UON if students are aware of and utilise them.

All these, apart from the encouragement today, also come with the responsibility for tomorrow. I hope we can continue this event as the audience requested in the post-event survey (part of the survey results are included below) and help our students and alumni build better internal networks and form a true value adding community of practice.

And more ideas that this event has sparked, which I hope we can execute timely and properly, as I truly believe: When someone shares something valuable and meaningful with you out of goodwill, it is your moral obligation to maintain this cycle of sharing and pass it on to others.

#UniversityofNorthampton #Reflection #ExperienceExchange #Placement #Job #StudentSuccess #CommunityBuilding #ProjectManagement #Event #HigherEducation #CareerAdvice