November 23, 2017, by Carla

Five Reasons Why This Challenge Is the Kick-Start Your Career Needs

By Jacqui Storey, Placements Projects Officer

Whether a catchy or appealing job title reflects it or not, most roles involve collaborating with other people, thinking creatively and planning how to approach a project or piece of work. You can acquire these valuable skills through the Nottingham Consultancy Challenge.

You’ll be put in a team with up to four other students, who you’ll work with on a project put forward by a local business or charity. Projects might involve gathering information about competitors, researching the demand for a service or investigating new markets for a product. You’ll meet with your client to be briefed on the project, have a mid-project review and present your findings at the end.

Okay, I’m interested. Persuade me.

Even if you’re not planning a career in consulting, there are lots of reasons to apply. You’ll develop skills that can be used in a range of jobs. Past participants have also found it pretty useful when job application time arrived. You’ll gain lots of practical evidence to shout about during the recruitment process.

1. Learn how to manage a project

Whether it’s devising a marketing plan for a local charity or trying to identify new business opportunities, you’ll manage a project from start to completion. Understanding this process, and being able to communicate it to employers will set you apart from other graduates. What’s more, you’ll also get a masterclass from an experienced project manager to help you to approach your first client meeting with confidence.

2. Practise problem solving

By the end of your challenge, you will be solving problems like a professional. Don’t take our word for it, hear how Timi Soyombo, a third-year industrial economics student used social media to help the Vine Community Centre overcome their lack of volunteers.

3. Try out your team working skills

There aren’t many jobs where working with people isn’t important. Whether it’s in on an application form or at an interview, it’s a safe bet to say you will be asked to demonstrate this skill at some point during your graduate job hunt. And with the Nottingham Consultancy Challenge, you’ll have plenty of great examples to draw on. How well you and your teammates work together will be critical to the success of your project.

4. Hone your report writing

Yes, unfortunately, there will be some paperwork. But… it won’t be for nothing. In fact, we find that the report writing can be super helpful when it comes to completing your CV. You need evidence for it, and these reports can show you’ve got it. At the end of the challenge, we’ll also help you reflect on your experience and think about how you can use it when applying for internships and graduate jobs.

5. Perfect your presenting

Whether you’re cool as a cucumber in front of a crowd or recognise it’s something you need to work on, there will be several opportunities to practise your presenting skills. Towards the end of the project we also host a presentation skills workshop, so you can learn some practical ways to improve your technique.

I’m in. Where do I start?

Challenges take place on University Park, Jubilee and Sutton Bonington campuses in the spring term. You can apply from any subject or year group. Also, you don’t have to be studying at the campus where the challenge is based. So, if you study at Jubilee, but fancy soaking up the scenery at Sutton Bonington, you can choose that option. Remember there are free hopper buses connecting all the campuses, so there should be something to suit every timetable. A full list of times and locations can be found here.

You can find more information about Nottingham Consultancy Challenge, and how to apply here. Applications for the spring 2019 challenge open on 1 November and close at 7pm on 2 December 2018.

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