Courtauld Careers Alumni Networking Event
We are incredibly proud to announce that last Thursday’s Careers Networking Event was the most successful to date, with 46 careers certificate completers attending! With a wide range of alumni present, from Bruce Boucher, Director of the Sir John Soane’s Museum, to Coco Chen, who does public policy for Credit Suisse, our students truly appreciated them giving up their free time to help and advise the next generation.
Photograph by Francesca Vine
Julia, an MA student, had this to say: "I was a bit nervous before the event because while I want to pursue a career in academia, I thought it was a good idea to inform myself about all possible options and wasn't sure if I was informed enough about the areas which I hadn't prepared myself for. At the event itself, however, everyone was very accessible and friendly. I really connected with Dr. Sanda M. Miller about renaissance fashion and she told me how she'd done her PHD on Brancusi despite being specialized in the renaissance and now studying fashion history. It reassured me greatly that even in academia you're not always determined by research you've done previously and that if you keep your eyes and your mind open opportunity might be where you wouldn't usually expect it!"
Another MA student said: "I found the event very helpful. The alumni were generally super open and willing to help. The event felt for me less like an occasion in which to make an impression and more like a good opportunity, within a friendly environment, to overtly talk about my dreams and wishes, and get meaningful advice from specialists of the field.
The best interactions I had were those with Sonnet Stanfill and Alex Kader, both of whom were really keen on understanding what would be best for me rather than merely trying to see whether or not I could fit in their specific sector. Alex especially was so calm, charismatic and charming while explaining what he does and how his company works that after talking to him I was really convinced of wanting to apply for an internship at Sotheby's, an option which I was absolutely not considering before."
This being our first event at Vernon Square, we were very pleased with how smoothly the event proceeded. Our fears over the difficulty of navigating the new building proved pleasantly unfounded – in part due to the energetic work of our SU helpers, Arden and Nina, and fellow Careers Assistant Charlotte, as well as our new wristband system implemented by Karen.
As Gus Teasdale, our Students’ Union President, neatly sums the night up: "The event was fantastic, and it was so exciting to see current Courtauld students and alumni mixing and chatting. It goes to show that the heart of the Courtauld is in the people who make it up, and that that spirit never truly leaves you."
