Career Assosiate Review

As a Careers Associate within the MMU Careers Service, my role involved supporting students with their career development and helping them make the most of the opportunities available to them. On a day-to-day basis, this included working on the Jobs Hub reception, responding to student enquiries, supporting students with CVs and applications, and helping them navigate MyCareerHub and other Careers Service resources.
A key part of my role was also supporting students with finding and understanding opportunities through Jobs4Students, including helping students identify suitable part-time, temporary and graduate opportunities alongside their studies. I also supported students through CV drop-ins and one-to-one guidance, helping them understand how to present their skills and experience effectively.
Alongside student-facing work, I supported the wider Careers Service by helping with events, promoting careers opportunities, giving tours of the Careers spaces and contributing to the day-to-day running of the service. This meant that no two days were necessarily the same, as I could be supporting a student directly one day and helping with events, communications or administrative tasks the next.

Yes, I was given a good level of responsibility throughout my role. Although I had support from the wider Careers Service team, I was trusted to work independently when supporting students and managing enquiries. This included taking ownership of tasks at the Jobs Hub, carrying out CV drop-ins, helping students navigate Jobs4Students and MyCareerHub, and directing students towards the most appropriate Careers Service support.
I was also given opportunities to contribute beyond my day-to-day responsibilities, including supporting Careers events and taking on additional projects. This helped me develop my confidence in working independently, communicating with different groups of students and managing my own workload, while knowing when to ask for support when something was outside my role.

Yes, I have developed a range of skills through my role as a Careers Associate. One of the biggest areas of development has been my communication and confidence when working with students. Supporting students with different levels of confidence, experience and career goals has helped me become more adaptable in how I communicate and explain information.
I have also developed my career guidance skills, particularly through CV drop-ins and supporting students with applications, Jobs4Students and MyCareerHub. This has helped me become more confident in identifying what a student needs and directing them towards the right resources or support, rather than simply giving them an answer.
My organisation and time-management skills have also improved. Balancing student-facing work, administrative tasks, events and wider Careers Service responsibilities has required me to prioritise my workload and manage multiple tasks at the same time.
I have also developed my digital and administrative skills, particularly through using Careers Service systems and supporting the promotion and organisation of opportunities and events. More broadly, the role has helped me develop my problem-solving, teamwork and ability to work independently, as I have often had to use my own judgement when responding to student enquiries while knowing when to ask a colleague for support.
Overall, the role has helped me become much more confident in a professional environment and has given me a better understanding of how careers support can make a difference to students at different stages of their university journey.

I received a good balance of support and independence throughout my role. At the beginning, I was given guidance on the expectations of the Careers Associate role, the systems and processes used within the Careers Service, and how to support students appropriately. This gave me a strong foundation and helped me feel confident in the role.
As I became more familiar with the role, I was trusted to work more independently. For example, I was able to manage student enquiries at the Jobs Hub, support students with CVs and Jobs4Students, and help students navigate MyCareerHub without needing constant supervision.
I always had access to support from colleagues when I needed advice, particularly when dealing with a more complex student enquiry or something I had not encountered before. I found this really useful because it allowed me to learn from the wider team while still having responsibility for my own work.
I also received feedback throughout my time in the role, which helped me understand what I was doing well and where I could continue to develop. Overall, I felt that the level of support was appropriate because I had someone to turn to when I needed guidance, while also being given the independence and trust to develop my own confidence and skills.

The culture within the Careers Service was very welcoming, supportive and student-focused. There was a strong sense of teamwork, with colleagues from different areas of the service regularly working together and sharing knowledge and ideas.
I found the atmosphere to be friendly and approachable, which made it easy to ask questions, share ideas and seek advice when I needed it. Even when the team was busy, there was a good balance between being professional and having a relaxed environment where colleagues could support and encourage each other.
Because the Careers Service works directly with students, there was also a strong focus on making students feel comfortable and supported. This was particularly noticeable when working in the Jobs Hub, as students could come in with anything from a quick question about Jobs4Students to needing more support with their CV or career plans.
Overall, I felt that the culture encouraged both professional development and personal growth, and I felt trusted to contribute as a member of the team rather than simply being there as an intern or placement student.

The culture within the Careers Service was very welcoming, supportive and student-focused. There was a strong sense of teamwork, with colleagues from different areas of the service regularly working together and sharing knowledge and ideas.
I found the atmosphere to be friendly and approachable, which made it easy to ask questions, share ideas and seek advice when I needed it. Even when the team was busy, there was a good balance between being professional and having a relaxed environment where colleagues could support and encourage each other.
Because the Careers Service works directly with students, there was also a strong focus on making students feel comfortable and supported. This was particularly noticeable when working in the Jobs Hub, as students could come in with anything from a quick question about Jobs4Students to needing more support with their CV or career plans.
Overall, I felt that the culture encouraged both professional development and personal growth, and I felt trusted to contribute as a member of the team rather than simply being there as an intern or placement student.

Yes