From Campus to Careers

What does it really take to turn a creative passion into a business while still at university? In this episode of From Campus to Careers , part of The Blueprint mini-series, we’re joined by Aston student entrepreneur Jaspreet Kaur, founder of Jaspreet K Studio - an art business selling original paintings and prints. Jaspreet shares her journey from creating art as a hobby to launching her own crea...

What is inclusive leadership and why is it such an important skill for the modern workplace? In this episode of From Campus to Careers , the last in our four part  Aston Power Skills series , we’re joined by Rabia Ahmed, Senior Lecturer and Academic EDI Lead at Aston University, to explore what inclusive leadership really means and why employers increasingly value it. Rabia shares practical insigh...

Why is innovation one of the most powerful skills you can bring to today’s job market - even if you don’t want to start your own business? In this episode of From Campus to Careers , part of the Aston Power Skills series , we’re joined by PJ Ellis to explore why innovation and entrepreneurial thinking matter for students and graduates across every industry. PJ shares what a day in his life really...

How important is sustainability in today’s job market - and how can students turn it into a real career advantage? In this episode of From Campus to Careers , we’re joined by Nancy Powell, Manager of Sustainability for the UK, Ireland and EMEA Markets at HP, to explore why environmental sustainability is a core skill for the modern workplace. Nancy shares insights from her work at HP, including ho...

Artificial Intelligence is changing the job market... but what does that really mean for students and graduates? In this episode of From Campus to Careers , we’re joined by Tahira Suleman , co-founder of AIQual , to explore how AI is shaping jobs, recruitment, and the skills employers are looking for. Tahira shares her journey from science and problem-solving into AI consultancy, and explains why...

What do employers actually look for in students and graduates? And what’s it really like to work in the energy sector? In this episode of From Campus to Careers , part of The Employer Desk mini-series, we’re joined by Clare Johnson , Early Careers Talent Acquisition Business Partner at National Gas . Clare leads recruitment for apprenticeships, industrial placements, internships and graduate progr...

How should students really be using AI when applying for jobs? In this episode of The Workshop - part of the ' From Campus to Careers' Podcast - we sit down with Joshua Honey, Lead Placement Co-Ordinator in the Careers and Placements team, to break down Aston University’s brand-new AI guidance for job applications. Josh shares his own experience with AI, how the guidance came to life, an...

In this episode, we chat with Evie Phillips , an Aston University student who completed a 13-month placement with BMW Financial Services UK . Evie shares her experience working on diversity and inclusion projects, leading events, and growing her professional skills - plus how Aston’s Careers and Placements Team supported her journey. About The Blueprint: The Blueprint is our insightful mini-series...

Thinking about using a recruitment agency to find a part-time job, placement, or graduate role - but not sure where to start? 🤔 In this episode of The Workshop -  part of the From Campus to Careers Podcast by the Aston University Careers and Placements Team - we’re joined by Heather Duncan, Director at BuildForce Solutions. She shares her insider knowledge from over eight years in recruitment. He...

We took our From Campus to Careers Podcast on the road to The Big Careers Fair, where over 70 top employers - including names like Goldman Sachs, JLR, and British Airways - came to meet Aston students. In this special episode, we chat to employers, students, and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor to uncover: 💬 What a Careers Fair experience is typically like 🎓 How students can make the most of careers f...

Want to make your LinkedIn profile shine and get noticed by employers? 🚀 In this episode of The Workshop - part of the 'From Campus to Careers Podcast' by the Aston University Careers and Placements Team - host Andy Cooper chats with Nabeeda Bakali-Abrar, Senior Customer Success Manager at LinkedIn and Aston alumna, about how to unlock the full potential of your LinkedIn profile. Nabeed...

This episode of the workshop mini-series covers a commonly misunderstood topic - cover letters. We discuss what a cover letter is, what it should look like and how and when it should be used. We also discuss speculative cover letters and what advantages these can have in the hidden jobs market. To find more advice on cover letters, please visit our website .  Subscribe for more episodes of From Ca...

In the first episode of our workshop mini-series, we take a deep dive into the world of CVs. Starting with the basics, we discuss what a CV is and why it's important to have one. We also chat about the various types of CVs, as well as best practices around creating your own CV for a particular role, employer or industry. For more advice on CVs, visit our website .  Subscribe for more episodes...

In this episode, we are joined by a special guest from the Leonard Cheshire Change100 scheme, who shares some valuable insights on how best to approach sharing your disability with an employer. We also chat about the Change100 scheme and how their internship opportunities can be of great benefit to students and graduates. Links mentioned in the episode: Change100 Internships Find Charlie on Linked...

Joining us on today's episode is our very own careers consultant, Samira. Together, we quizzed our special guest, Josh on how students should approach engaging with employers at virtual events. Josh works in the early talent recruitment team at GlaxoSmithKline and offers up some invaluable insights on how best to impress employers at virtual careers fairs and workshops. Chat with Josh or one...

We're back for the new academic year! This episode is perfect for any first year students just starting their journey at Aston. During the episode, we chat about all things Careers and Placements, as well as doing some myth-busting of common perceptions around careers. All of the links to resources we mention in the episode can be found here: Careers and Placements website Online Tools Resour...

In this episode, we're joined by Aston Alumni, Adil Delwar. Adil helps unpack what a career as an entrepreneur really looks like, talking about some of the challenges it presents, as well as parts of it he loves. If you're thinking about exploring starting your own business, this episode is a must-listen! Find Adil on LinkedIn Find out about Palm Life Subscribe for more episodes of From...

In this episode, we're joined by Aston Alumni, Panashe Kativu. She helps unpack what a career in research really looks like, talking about some of the challenges it presents, as well as the parts of it she loves. If you're thinking about exploring research as an option after you graduate, make sure you give this episode a listen. Find Panashe on LinkedIn Subscribe for more episodes of Fr...

In this episode, we're joined by Aston Alumni, Aaisha Begum. She helps unpack what a career in consultancy really looks like, talking about some of the challenges the role presents, as well as parts of the role she loves. If you're thinking about exploring a graduate role in consultancy, make sure you give this episode a listen. Find Aaisha Begum on LinkedIn Subscribe for more episodes o...

In this episode, we're joined by Aston Alumni, Pakhi Sharma. She helps unpack what a career as a business analyst really looks like, talking about some of the challenges the role presents, as well as parts of the role she loves. If you're thinking about exploring a graduate role in business analysis, make sure you give this episode a listen. Find Pakhi on Linkedin Subscribe for more epis...

We're joined by current placement student, Jack McLarney to talk about all things placements. Jack landed his placement with Traffic Group Signals just before the coronavirus pandemic hit and has been working both on-site and from home since starting his role. He talks about some of the challenges he faced finding a placement, as well as the value of the placement year and all of the advantag...

On this episode, we're joined by Lucy Holder, staff member, baker and most importantly, owner of Lulu's Bakes. By day, Lucy works with the Careers and Placements team as the Placement Preparation Manager so some of you may be familiar with her already. However, what you may not know is Lucy also runs her own business selling delicious baked goods. Lucy chats about her journey from casual...

This episode we're joined by Howard Duffy, Enterprise Consultant with BSEEN and Aston Enterprise. Howard talks us through just some of the opportunities students and graduates of Aston University have to develop their entrepreneurial skills, including the opportunity to start your own business with the BSEEN programme. We talk about some of the success stories to come through Aston Enterprise...

On this episode we're joined by placement student, Meha Bhindi to chat about how she's finding her first few months on placement. Meha discusses the work from home experience and reflects on the value of doing a placement as an optional placement student. Show notes: Aston Futures https://astonfutures.aston.ac.uk/ Online tools https://www2.aston.ac.uk/careers/cv/psychometric-testing-and-...

In this episode, we're joined by First year Careers Coordinator, Emily Cunningham and Jobshop and Volunteering Services Manager, Cathy Laird to discuss all things work experience, focusing particularly on the virtual kind. This growing area of opportunity is new to many students, with Covid-19 leading businesses to take their recruitment into the virtual world. We chat about what virtual work...