To see out the end of this academic year, LCF Graduate Futures hosted the LCF Careers Conference 2022, to bring together students, graduates, alumni and industry. The event took place over 4 days and experimented with new platforms, creating an engaging mix of face-to-face workshops, online webinars, and podcasts.
The conference was a space for students and recent graduates to explore their professional development and learn from big industry names which included LVMH, Dior, Mango, LinkedIn, and Selfridges. Participants received invaluable advice and guidance from leading specialists in a range of employment-focused topics, including portfolio reviews, virtual interview training and networking support. Katwambe Mutale, BA (Hons) Fashion Photography student who took advantage of a portfolio review tutorial, commented that the Careers Conference was really useful for developing their professional skills, saying:
I received great advice from my specialist! Thank you so much for putting on the session. [I'm] feeling more at ease and confident now.
Over the four days, vibrant conversations took place through The Graduate Futures Discord Server, a social platform which encouraged conversations and brought together all the event audiences in one digital space. Students found the conversation threads and information insightful and beneficial in helping them to navigate their way forward at this critical point in their careers. Enlisting the support of LCF’s alumni, Graduate Futures ran 'Power Hour' chat forums on Discord throughout the week, specifically to offer graduate students the chance of advice about entering the world of work. The Alumni Ambassadors involved were:
As the LCF Alumni Ambassadors chatted about their sector and their path to employment with the students present in the chat, Alyson mentioned how impressed she was with the students' "desire to understand more about sustainability and inclusivity within the industry - especially about disabilities" and felt this was sometimes overlooked and not addressed in the past. This connectivity with our LCF alumni also provided graduating students with invaluable advice and tips to help them bridge the gap between studies and employment or self-employment. Kelly's feedback for those chatting with her was that:
Research is key! Research into brands you feel that you are competing with and look at the advantages of how you can be better. Be inspired by artists, musicians, and other creatives. think of how you are unique and how you can stand out to the crowd.
UAL and LCF's service departments were also on hand to deliver a series of informative mini presentations to students, discussing where they can continue to support students and graduates and to build on their ongoing professional development. The week culminated with the ‘Pizza and Pathways: LCF student and Graduate mixer,’ bringing together students, graduates, and alumni from across the creative industries to celebrate the end of a successful week. Student feedback from the activities available was positive, and our graduating students are looking forward to keeping in touch with Graduate Futures as the progress on their career journey with MA Strategic Fashion Marketing student, Sandeep Chaba, saying:
Thank you, Graduate Futures team, for this amazing week. It was one of the most enriching weeks of my UAL year, so informative and motivating. Feeling charged and positive to finish my masters and meet my career goals.