The value of personal branding and networking was explored during a guest talk at University Centre Leeds.
Speakers Kate Aitchison and Bethany Barker, from audit, tax and consultancy giants, RSM, shared their expertise with students on Thursday 3 March.
The event was the latest in the University Centre’s six-week Women in Leadership programme, which is designed to empower and inspire female students.
Deputy Head of Business at University Centre Leeds, Sarah Cook, said: “It went really well and Bethany and Kate gave a very interesting presentation about personal branding from their company’s perspective.
“It resonated strongly with the students because the speakers talked about how their branding played an important part in their daily work lives.
“They really emphasised the power of personal branding within their organisation and shared lots of really helpful, and practical hints along with tips on networking.
“It was very much focused on how to network, generate business and present yourself, and how your personal branding impacts on your workplace. They talked about the crucial importance of LinkedIn and discussed branding and image along with personal integrity, and the need to be careful about the photos and messages we post in a personal capacity.”
Fingers on buzzers…
“Kate and Bethany were very interactive and played a quiz with our phones, which got all the students participating.
“And we had a discussion about famous people with some of the biggest brands, like Kim Kardashian and Beyonce, which really engaged the students and got them involved.”
The next Women in Leadership event, on Thursday 17 March, will include a talk from Smart Work Leeds about mentoring and volunteering opportunities.
The charity, which helps women get back into work, will also be offering support to students, including interview coaching.
GenIE, an organisation dedicated to ‘enabling a generation of entrepreneurs and innovators’, will also be taking part on the day. They will be encouraging students to sign up to the GenIE Bootcamp, a free, week-long event (from Monday 4 – Friday 8 April) designed to deliver transferable skills and insights into how businesses work, and how to improve them.
Students attending the bootcamp will get a chance to meet and network with a number of employers from across Leeds.
A workplace visit to the Department for Transport’s Leeds base, meanwhile, which had originally been planned for 10 March , will now take place on Thursday 28 April.