Westminster students gain careers insight at first What Comes Next? events of academic year

The series kicked off for the new academic year on 9 October with an event attended by 54 Politics and International Relations BA Honours students, who had the chance to hear from recent graduates about their careers after graduation. Chaired by Rob Macmaster, Principal Lecturer in Politics, and Dr Sahar Taghdisi Rad, Senior Lecturer in International Political Economy, the panel explored careers in Law, Business and International Diplomacy.  

Panellists included Kian Richardson, a Legal Associate in Richmond Chambers Immigration Barristers; Juliana Rozensztajn, Former Executive Assistant at the Embassy of Brazil; Samira Azir, Business Engagement Manager at Maa Global; and Zeenat Khan, an Early in Careers Talent Advisor at Zurich Insurance.

This was followed by a panel for Human Nutrition BSc Honours students on 14 October, which was chaired by Dr Claire Robertson, Senior Lecturer in Nutrition and Public Health. Over 30 students attended to hear expert advice from recent graduates working in the health sector, from founding a personal training business to continuing academic research.  

Dr Robertson was joined on the panel by her now-colleague Dr Helena Tiekou Lorinczova, who went onto join Westminster’s Centre for Nutraceuticals as a Postdoctoral Research Associate after graduating, alongside Rachel Akuffo, Clinic Lead at Randox Health; Helena Henning, Health Advisor at Bupa; and Charley Watts, Founder of Charley Watts Health.

The next event took place on 27 October for students across all courses from the School of Computer Science and Engineering. In total 56 students attended the discussion hosted by Alan Vallavaraj, Lecturer in Computer Science, and Huseyin Dagdeverin, Senior Lecturer in Computer Science and Engineering, which offered advice from graduates working in cyber security, games development and software engineering.

Graduates included Software Engineering BEng Honours graduate Andrzej Baum, who works for ITV as a Core Software Engineer; Computer Games Development BSc Honours graduate Alvaro Chavez Mixco, who is a Graduate Developer at Feral Interactive; Business Information Systems BSc Honours graduate Christine Latayan, who is now a Senior Client Solutions Manager at Microsoft AI; and Computer Network Security BSc Honours graduate Samar Akhtar, Cyber Security Consultant at Wavestone Advisors.  

Computer Science and Engineering panel event

Next up on 18 November was a WCN panel event where 86 Business Management BA Honours students had the chance to hear from recent graduates from a range of careers available in the world of business. The event was chaired by Nic Sanders, Director of Employability for the School of Management, Marketing and Experience Industries, alongside Dr Setenay Dilek Fidler, Senior Lecturer at Westminster Business School, and the Westminster Enterprise Network (WeNetwork).  

The session emphasised taking advantage of all the University has to offer, such as The Big Idea Competition, where one panellist Aram Tufan won the Viral Idea Prize before going onto set up his own award-winning app, Happy Student. Co-panellists included Nova Eden, who is now a Music Industry Executive; Raghav Goyal, Events Assistant at WeNetwork; and Diana Mohammed, Projects and Programme Graduate at Transport for London.  

The final WCN event of semester one brought together Fine Art Mixed Media BA Honours graduates to offer 50 students in attendance with insight into the variety of jobs available after graduation. Graduates joined Senior Lecturers Peggy Atherton and Raine Smith to discuss their exciting careers after leaving Westminster.  

The alumni were Helen Farley, Events Coordinator at Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People; Lighting Technician and Photographer’s Assistant Isabella Armora; and Robbie Dalal, who now works as an Art, Props, Costume Assistant and Workshop Lead.  

Fine Art Mixed Media panel event

The WCN programme was introduced as a course-aligned event series in 2021 aimed at sharing the knowledge of recent graduates with current students by inviting them back to speak at the University. WCN events provide students with the opportunity to learn about the career options available to them after graduation and network with alumni in a relaxed, familiar environment.

The programme forms a key part of Zone29, the University’s new home for careers and enterprise. Zone29 provides students and graduates with access to work-related programmes, opportunities and experiences, and it connects students from all backgrounds to industry professionals.

About the series so far, Alumni Relations Manager at the University of Westminster Haydn Worley, said: “It’s been great to see five excellent events featuring 19 brilliant recent graduate speakers successfully delivered during semester one. Almost 300 students attended and engaged well, benefitting from invaluable careers insights and personal experiences shared by alumni who studied exactly the same courses. A huge thank you to our alumni speakers, academic partners and student attendees, and a special thanks to the wonderful Alumni Engagement and Communications team for managing and supporting the events so well.”  

These events directly contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.  

Find out more about Zone29 at the University of Westminster.