The breadth of career opportunities open to students on Humanities and Social Sciences courses was demonstrated at a special event held at the University of Winchester.
More than 300 students attended the Futures Fair which featured stands from 20 organisations offering advice on jobs, placements and volunteering. It was an opportunity for them to meet industry professionals face-to-face and build their confidence and connections.
Several of the stalls were staffed by Winchester alumni.
Two well-attended panel sessions – one focusing on History and the other on Psychology – were held as part of the fair.
The History panel featured Jake Smith, a Strategy Advisor for The Cabinet Office, Matthew Bowers, a Graduate Manager with De Vere Hotels and Laura Fildes, Assistant Heritage Consultant for construction firm Berrys. All three had studied History at Winchester.
They were joined by Elaine O'Shea Phillips, Lead Curator, BBC Archives, who studied History at the University of Dundee and Emily-Jayne Aldridge-Snell who recently completed a Classical Studies degree at Winchester and is now studying to be a solicitor.
The aim of the panel was to help students recognise that they can apply the skills they are developing throughout their time at university across a variety of sectors.
All five said that history had given them critical thinking and presentational skills which had proved invaluable in their careers.
Laura Fildes stressed the importance volunteering and told her audience how she had worked as a volunteer for the National Trust which in turn helped her gain a job with the organisation and she rose to become House Manager at Upton House.
She now looks after scheduled monuments, listed buildings and heritage sites for Berrys.
Matthew said: “History is your card to go and do anything.”
Following four years in the merchant navy, Matthew joined De Vere whose hotels are all housed in heritage properties where he has been able to put his love of history to good use.
Jake, who is currently on secondment to the Department of Health and Social Care, gained a place on the Civil Service’s Fast Stream programme.
He said: “Studying history gave me presentational skills, analytical skills which are key when reading reports and understanding arguments.”
Psychology students heard talks from three practitioners Psychology Chartered Forensic Psychologist, Dr Jenny Kontosthenous; Chartered Clinical Psychologist, Dr Anton Barnwell; and Abigail Oakley, Project Lead from Solent Mind to support students to find out more about where their Psychology degree can take them.
Dr Anton Barnwell, who works at a specialist school in the New Forest and is a Winchester alumnus said: “University helped me learn about critical thinking which is massive part of my job now.”
He advised current students to try to find opportunities to “put their knowledge into practice by volunteering”.
Abigail Oakley, who also studied at Winchester and runs Solent Minds’ Heads Up project, said university had given her self-confidence, determination practical and social skills.
She echoed the importance of volunteering: “I was one of the first volunteers in my organisation. I started a project from scratch, we got funding and I’ve been running it ever since.
“Volunteering gives you the opportunity to try different things and chose what career you want to make a commitment to.”
The Careers and Opportunities team worked in partnership with the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences to organise the event.
Head of Graduate Success, Meredith Smith, said: “The event demonstrates the broad range of opportunities available to our students and graduates in the humanities and social sciences. The Careers and Opportunities team here at the University are passionate about building links with organisations and bringing them onto campus to allow our students to meet them face-to-face. Our students are developing a fantastic breadth of skills on their degree and this event really highlights the options available to them.”
Feedback from students included:
"I enjoyed the interaction and questions that the speakers provided, ……they answered in depth with their career experience.”
“It was really lovely hearing the inspiring stories of the psychologists, it gave me a boost
of confidence."
Organisations attending included:
Blueprint Recruitment Solutions
Children and Families Volunteers - Hampshire County Council
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Cotswold Archaeology
Crown Prosecution Service
FoSMAG - Friends of Southampton Museums Archives and Galleries
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust
Ministry of Justice Social Mobility Programme
Pictured top: History event panellists (from left): Jake Smith, Matthew Bowers, Emily-Jayne Aldridge-Snell, Elaine O'Shea Phillips and Laura Fildes
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