This month the Politics and Sociology programmes hosted their first joint Employability Conference for undergraduate students in conjunction with the Careers Development team.

The event saw over 200 students taking the opportunity to meet representatives from a broad range of sectors and industries, and find out how they could use their subject knowledge and broader skills to build rewarding careers after they graduate.

The conference organisers were keen to emphasise the strong links our programmes have with alumni and external partners which can benefit students and graduates. The highlight of the day was a question and answer session with speakers including Mark Hammond, Chief Executive of the Equality and Human Rights Commission and visiting professor at the University, Sally Milne, Head of Organisation Development at HSBC Europe and Christ Church alumnus Liam Preston, Policy Officer at YMCA and former President of the Christ Church Students’ Union. They provided invaluable advice about how best to approach application and interview processes.

There were also networking sessions with alumni of the Sociology and Politics programmes who spoke to students about how they had used their degrees, the pitfalls they experienced in the early days after graduation and the lessons they wish they had learned while still at university.

Dr Laura Cashman, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, said: “The day was a huge success and highlighted the value of collaborative work between academic and professional services departments to deliver high quality tailored events which focus on the specific needs and interests of students in specialised areas. Lecturers and careers advisors tell students again and again that their transferable skills will be valued by a range of employers but it is far more inspiring to hear that from employers and graduates who provide living testimony to the value of the degrees we offer.”