As a student, it can be difficult to imagine what the world of business is really like, and how to present yourself for that first job interview – unless you get some practice. Coleg Gwent IT students spent a week with BT to develop their presentation skills for the world of work.
The group of 11 IT students teamed up with BT for a week on the organisation’s Inspiration programme, to learn about the world of work, reflect on their own abilities, explore different career paths and work together on activities designed to enhance their self-presentation skills.
Applying their new knowledge, the week concluded with a Dragon’s Den-style business pitch to a panel of judges including their Coleg Gwent tutor June Bridgeman, Work Inspiration Manager at BT, John Boase, and Director of Cyber and Collaboration Services at BT, Ronan Miles.
Students divided into teams to come up with an original and creative idea – but also to put those all-important personal presentation skills into practice.
“It gave us a chance to see things from an employer’s perspective,” said Connor Mincher, 19 from Newport.
“It was a really enjoyable week, with lots of tips for our future careers and how to present ourselves.
“The final pitches were nerve wracking, as we knew we were being judged on things like confidence and body language as well as our research, but I think the experience has given me more confidence and will definitely be an advantage when I come to apply for university or a job after my studies.”
Ronan Miles, Director of Cyber and Collaboration Services at BT, said: “Coleg Gwent students gave a really creditable performance and really stepped up to the challenges presented by the judges.
“Presentations were well-structured and students remained confident; they did a really good job.”
The group’s mentor for the week, Work Inspiration Manager at BT John Boase, added: “The group really took the chance to apply the skills they’d learnt over the week, and we’ve been impressed with how quickly they became focused on the tasks and thinking about their future careers.”
The winning team were each presented with BT memory sticks for their presentation which introduced a new digital business planning application for the mobile market.
