Thanks to Alice Gibbs, Journalism student and Frontrunner for writing this blog post and sharing images of the Map and Collage she created during the workshop.
Studying at University can often feel overwhelming. After deciding what degree course you are interested in, it seems although you should know exactly what your chosen career path will then be.
When I signed up to the Employability Mapping Workshop I was hoping that it would deliver some clarity on what I wanted to do, where I was at, and the skills that I needed to get there.
The workshop had a real focus on creativity and allowed for a different experience to many employment workshops. It is easy to think about employability and your academic achievements, while then forgetting all of the other things that add to you as a person.
The Employability Mapping Workshop encouraged a focus on all elements of life, from thinking about my GCSE studies, to what musical instruments I can play. Mapping this out visually was not only interesting, but added to my self-confidence when I thought about my past achievements and all of the things that make me ‘employable’.
Creative collage exploring ”Where would I like to go? Possible employment directions.”
The second aspect of the workshop involved thinking about what sort of career path I was interested in. Using collage and pictures from various magazines and newspapers I was able to create a visual idea of the things that interested me.
The workshop supported me in thinking about where I would like to be, but also did a great deal in improving my confidence. It is easy to have good experiences and forget about them – but mapping them out visually made me feel more confident in my abilities and skills.
Mapping out “How did I get here?”
I would recommend the workshop to anybody, whether you know what you want to do or not – it supports clarity and confidence in a fun and supportive environment. As a result of the workshop I feel as though I have got a better idea of where I would like to be, and it has prompted me to accept more freelance work opportunities since.
Alice Gibbs
