{"id":3503,"date":"2022-05-24T09:04:08","date_gmt":"2022-05-24T08:04:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.exeter.ac.uk\/careerzone\/?p=3503"},"modified":"2022-05-24T09:04:08","modified_gmt":"2022-05-24T08:04:08","slug":"introducing-ask-an-alum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/careerzone\/introducing-ask-an-alum\/","title":{"rendered":"Introducing Ask An Alum"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Ask An Alum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Emily Im is a final year student studying BA English at the University of Exeter. In 2020, she took part in Ask An Alum<\/a> (previously eXepert) where University of Exeter students and recent graduates connect with University of Exeter alumni to ask questions about their careers. <\/strong><\/p>\n

What is Ask An Alum?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ask An Alum is an information gathering employability programme connecting students and graduates with Exeter alumni.\u00a0 AAA facilitates a short-term email exchange allowing students and graduates to ask questions and get advice. There are over 500 alumni available during term-time to contact from various sectors and organisations giving you a range of options.<\/p>\n

Why did you apply for Ask An Alum?<\/strong><\/p>\n

During my first year, I was thinking of ways I could learn more about the publishing industry and I found information on Ask An Alum in a Careers newsletter. I didn\u2019t have many contacts and only a little publishing experience at the time, so I thought this was a great opportunity to get advice from a professional.<\/p>\n

“I didn\u2019t have many contacts and only a little publishing experience at the time, so I thought this was a great opportunity to get advice from a professional.”<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

How did you apply?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I submitted an application form detailing my interests and which alumni I wanted to speak to and within a few days, I was connected to the Publishing Director of The Borough Press, which is a literary fiction imprint of HarperFiction. It was super quick and easy!<\/p>\n

What kind of alum are available?<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a student, you can access the Ask An Alum database via Handshake and on there, you\u2019ll find people who work for Bloomsbury Publishing, Oxford University Press and Routledge to name a few companies. You can also see what they studied while they were at Exeter. I think it\u2019s useful knowing so many alumni have degrees that aren\u2019t directly related to their current jobs and there are multiple career paths you can go down no matter what you\u2019ve done at university.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not interested in publishing, there are alum who work in law firms, healthcare companies, higher education, marketing, etc. There are so many different job titles\u2014you can even get in touch with CEOs.<\/p>\n

“Within a few days, I was connected to the Publishing Director of The Borough Press, which is a literary fiction imprint of HarperFiction.”<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

What did you ask your alum?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I had so many questions and luckily, she answered all of them. We talked about her career journey since her time at university, what work experience she did, things that I could do to stand out, her daily tasks, her work-life balance, HarperCollins\u2019 blind recruitment process and much more! There\u2019s a useful list of questions on the Ask An Alum website if you need some inspiration on what to ask.<\/p>\n

We started emailing around the end of January and were still in contact when the pandemic hit so I was able to enquire about how the publishing industry was being impacted and what it meant for people seeking internships. I didn\u2019t ask for an internship since that isn\u2019t allowed but she did let me know publishing companies had no remote working opportunities available. Times have changed though!<\/p>\n

How do you think Ask An Alum has helped you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was great gaining a more personal perspective of the publishing industry and learning about the journey she took to get in. She told me things a quick Google search can\u2019t. It was also reassuring to know she didn\u2019t have much experience when she left university and had multiple roles at different companies before she eventually landed at HarperCollins.<\/p>\n

“She told me things a Google search can\u2019t.”<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

What advice would you give to a student interested in applying to Ask An Alum?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Apply! There\u2019s no pressure. Although it\u2019s a professional connection, it feels like a relaxed conversation. The person you\u2019re emailing wants to help you so don\u2019t be afraid to ask hard questions too.<\/p>\n

Would you use the scheme again?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Absolutely! I would still love to work in publishing but I\u2019m also looking into other sectors. There\u2019s an unlimited number of times you can apply, and even after you graduate, you can participate in Ask An Alum for up to three years so I know that when I need some guidance, I can come back to this programme.<\/p>\n

Discover how you can get ahead with your career and make powerful connections, learn more about Ask an Alum<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Emily Im is a final year student studying BA English at the University of Exeter. 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