The Liverpool and North West (L&NW) careers event continues to go from strength to strength with over 150 students attending this year's Kickstart Your Career. The event took place on 4 February 2010 with students attending from the University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores, Bangor University, Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Manchester to hear about the career paths and lessons learnt on the way by a diverse set of chemists. The opportunity to quiz over 20 industrialists informally over a glass of wine makes this unusual event particularly valuable in answering the big questions about what to do next and how.
Tips this year ranged from getting involved in extracurricular activities to building networks. Attendees heard experiences of big and small companies, foreign travel, leaving the laboratory and teaching science for a living. Recruitment agencies were also on hand to provide further advice and generous support from Unilever meant multiple free 'smellies' for everyone. A brief highlights clip can be found via the link below, with full length recordings to follow. The clip will be used as a 'viral' trailer next year as more innovative ways to promote the event are employed. This event already successfully uses Facebook networks. The expansion has been enabled by partnering on the event with Chemicals Northwest, which is hoped to be an ongoing arrangement.
This year Kickstart benefited from generous sponsorship by the North West Development Agency, which, along with the filming was arranged by Chemicals Northwest. SCI's L&NW committee is also grateful to the RSC Northwest Analytical Division, which arranged and paid for the coach from Manchester, and the Department of Chemistry at the University of Liverpool which hosted the event. Thanks go to the speakers and industrialists who gave up their evenings willingly and those vital contacts in each University who help the promotion and organisation.
Interested in finding out more? Email communications@soci.org
Dr Mike Pitts, Chairman, SCI Liverpool and North West Group
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