Ever felt like you don’t belong in a room full of knowledgeable experts, or found it difficult to contribute to discussions because of the assumption that others are so much more skilled and confident compared to yourself? Hello, my name is Shashwat, and I felt the same way when I started my first year at the University of Westminster.

As a newly arrived international student from India whose first language wasn’t English, I often had trouble communicating with my peers and lecturers. I had difficulty mustering up the confidence to look for a job in a new city, because I did not know how to pitch myself and felt like my past experiences were all invalid! After conversing with my peers (and many Among Us sessions later), I learned about “Imposter Syndrome” for the first time and realised I wasn’t alone in having these thoughts. That is when I stumbled upon the Westminster Employability Award (WEA) on the Engage platform. 

The Westminster Employability Award welcomes both undergraduate and postgraduate students and is divided into different levels, which can be completed by earning points through various activities. Each level of the WEA program builds on the skills and achievements of the previous level, providing students with the opportunity to develop a comprehensive range of transferable skills.

Some outstanding benefits I received from the award include:

Skills Development

The WEA program provides students with opportunities to develop a range of employability skills, such as communication, teamwork, and time management.

There were several external workshops and internships I attended with the help of the Award, such as those hosted by Santander and Common Purpose, learning about resilience, leadership, communication, and teamwork.

CV, Cover Letter and Interview Advice

My first year of completing WEA comprised learning how to organise my CV, starting a professional LinkedIn page, and building my confidence in formal settings like interviews.

Completing the WEA program can demonstrate to potential employers that a student has taken proactive steps to enhance their employability and job readiness.

Enhanced Career Prospects

When I applied to research-driven, scientific, and technically demanding roles in the field of biological sciences, I found it especially difficult to customise my applications.

The Future Ready Career Mentoring Scheme was extremely helpful because it gave me insights into various courses and industries. My education was closely related to the pharmaceutical industry, and I was assigned a brilliant mentor working in the same field, who answered all of my questions about biological research and healthcare industries.

A student can also show prospective employers that they have taken proactive measures to improve their employability and job readiness by completing the WEA programme. This experience strengthens your resume and makes a wonderful conversation starter in interviews. Not only that, but you gain highly sought-after transferable skills.

Be Part of a Community

You become a life-long member of the WEA alumni team, celebrate achievements and network with like-minded peers who are all focused on professional development. You might also decide to join me and many others as a WEA leader, informing other students about the benefits of participating in the WEA, helping them improve their career prospects and fit into university life!

The award served as a much-needed source of encouragement during my spare time as a first-year student, when I wasn’t sure how to be career-ready, enhance my employability or be productive. I experienced a feeling of accomplishment whenever I was rewarded with an official certificate or unique digital badge that I could quickly share on LinkedIn as proof of my efforts.  

I was able to make new friends among motivated young professionals who shared my interests and actively participated in the same internships, workshops, and other events suggested by the award. All this being said, my final top tip would be to step out of your comfort zone (or out of the box!) and try new things. There’s nothing to lose but a lot to gain by wholeheartedly taking part in the award and earning those precious points! 

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A big thank you to Shashwat Guha, a BSc Biological Sciences student, for writing this blog!

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