Monthly Archives: April 2014

TRANSFORMING YOU AND YOUR ENTERPRISE – webinars

Posted on by
Reply

The Cambridge Postgraduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship

Upcoming webinars

Are you an aspiring entrepreneur? Do you have a great idea for a business? At Cambridge, we aim to nurture the best entrepreneurial minds and enable you to transform your ideas into real action and new enterprises. The Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning at Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, is currently hosting a webinar series to provide answers to some key questions around starting and building businesses. The webinars are also designed to help those interested in our Postgraduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship. If you’re interested in participating, please register by clicking on the links provided and completing the online form.

How good is your venture idea?

Apr 8 10:00-11:00 (GMT+1)

Presented by: Dr Shai Vyakarnam

Register: Please complete the form to register your interest

Should you be starting a business on the basis of your current idea? You may have been thinking about starting a business or taking an idea that will help you grow your company. The question is whether you should risk your money and time on the idea? Is it big enough? Is there a market for it? These are pretty central questions that you have to ask yourself and indeed there are other questions that become clear only when you start thinking about what you need to know that you do not know! This webinar will help you decide if your idea is good enough and also if this is the one you want to bring with you as the enterprise project onto the Postgraduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship (PGDE).

Find out more about the PGDE »

How can you get experience and wisdom to support you in your venture?

Apr 10 15:00-16:00 (GMT+1)

Presented by: Dr Shai Vyakarnam

Register: Please complete the form to register your interest  

One of the most important sources of support for entrepreneurs is to get honest, neutral advice and support for you and your venture. While your family and friends can provide you with deep moral support they do not always have the business know-how and market expertise to give you real feedback. This is a role for mentors. So where can you get such a person and what do they actually do? One of the unique elements of the Postgraduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship (in addition to class room learning and on-line content and discussions) is the pool of mentors who support you throughout the year. It is up to you to make the most of the mentoring but how will you do that? This webinar introduces you to mentoring and how it works on the Postgraduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship programme (PGDE).

Find out more about the PGDE »

The Postgraduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship programme provides an entrepreneurial toolkit that builds business knowledge and a practical set of skills to increase confidence and the potential for success while seeking to avoid common mistakes.

Tim Hin Wai Lui, co-founder Flitter cab and PGDE alumnus said, “Although I could handle the technical aspect of the idea, I had neither the expertise nor the experience of running a business. The Postgraduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship has provided me with many insights, relevant knowledge and business skills – from forming a team and gathering necessary resources to managing a company – that have helped me bring this idea forward … and make more informed decisions regarding the direction of my company.”

Dr Hermann Hauser CBE, serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Amadeus Capital Partners Ltd said, “This is another superb Cambridge initiative designed to develop entrepreneurial thinking and build the right skills needed to increase the chances of success. I am often asked whether entrepreneurs can be made. It’s a bit like making a concert pianist. If you’re tone deaf you’re never going to make it; but having a piano also helps. The Postgraduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship is like having a Boesendorfer Grand.”

Please note that further information about the course, selection criteria, application process and fees can be found on our web site »

Graduate Profile of the Month

Posted on by
Reply

April’s profile is Charlotte Hounsome. Charlotte graduated in 2013 with a BSc incharlotte_hounsomeSport & Exercise Health Science. She now works as a Volunteer Sports Coordinator with Global Vision International (GVI) in South Africa.

Where are you now?

At present I work for Global Vision International (GVI) as a Volunteer Sports Coordinator in Cape Town, South Africa. We are based in two townships and the sports programme operates at a primary school, where we design and lead PE lessons. We work in partnership with the school to develop the PE programme and get the teachers involved in the lessons, in order to develop their coaching skills. We strive for sustainability and hope to leave the school in a position where they can continue the programme without us, at which point we would seek for another partner to work with. We also run a surf programme as an incentive for the grade 6 students which I facilitate. My role is to ensure volunteers are getting the most out of the programme whilst on project and throughout their stay with us. I also work closely with partners to develop the projects further. The most rewarding aspect is seeing the volunteers and children develop.

How did you get there?

Throughout university I coached Netball at a local primary school. I also sought out every opportunity to explore different cultures. During the summer, after my first year of study, I taught English at a summer camp in China. The second semester of my second year I studied at Purdue University, USA and in my spare time I also backpacked various countries in Europe to gain a wider appreciation of the continent I lived in.

Whilst at university I attended career fairs and spoke to the Careers and Employability Centre about different roles in sport and formed a clear pathway in order to pursue a career in Exercise Physiology. However, at the end of my studies I realised I wanted to explore more of the world so decided to take a year out to do so. I was interested in international development from a grass routes perspective so decided to seek relevant opportunities to pursue. I was selected on to the government funded scheme International Citizen Service and volunteered for 10 weeks in Honduras (Central America) with the development charity Progressio. I was assigned project manager of the gender equality sports initiative in indigenous populations. I trained a women’s football team, created a manual which could be used to develop the programme in neighbouring communities and organised an intercommunity football tournament. Following this I saw an online advertisement for a sport coordinator role with GVI and felt with my prior experience I was ideally suited to the role.

What advice would you give to a student studying your subject at university now?

Start thinking in your first year what career you hope to pursue. Talk to an adviser about the route, then get out there and take every opportunity to further yourself. Explore potential employers and find out what experience/qualifications are desirable to them. Make sure you pick modules which are appropriate to your desired career path.

For more profiles click here

Register for High Tea with BP

Posted on by
Reply

HR-039484_420x297_PostersIWDOn 9th May, BP are hosting an exclusive women only careers event. At a world renowned 5-star London hotel, we’ll be bringing together vital voices from across BP, special guest speaker and expert in women’s careers Suzanne Doyle-Morris and some delicious tea and cakes.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to hear what these influential voices have to say and get your own questions answered by our experts. You’ll also have the chance to learn how to sound great on paper and in person at our career coaching workshops.

Register by 25th April and be in with a chance of hearing the biggest voices of all with a pair of VIP tickets to V Festival.

www.bp.com/hightea

*Please note: Travel expenses will be reimbursed by BP up to the value of £75.

Win a Microsoft Research Internship

Posted on by
Reply

The Microsoft Research Bright Minds Competitionmicrosoft

A Bright Minds Internship is your opportunity to work on real-world projects alongside some of the brightest minds in computer science at Microsoft Research Cambridge.

With a Bright Minds Internship, you can:

  • Gain experience in a commercial research environment
  • Challenge yourself and explore new disciplines
  • Provide meaningful connections to mentors and colleagues

Successful candidates will embark on an eight week internship programme starting 30 June 2014 and will benefit from a competitive salary, subsidised accommodation, free bike rental, assistance with travel costs, discounts on Microsoft hardware and software, onsite gym membership and free beverages.

Eligibility

To be eligible to enter, you must:

  • Be in your penultimate year of undergraduate studies
  • Be studying engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics, design, social sciences or computational sciences
  • Have strong analytical abilities and interest in research
  • Have programming skills
  • Have the right to work in the UK

Closing date for applications is 18 April 2014.

Visit the Bright Minds web page to find out how to apply.

research.microsoft.com/undergrad

What is it like working at a BUNAC Summer Camp in the USA?

Posted on by
Reply

Anya Gomulski, a student at Loughborough, has written about her summer spent at a BUNAC Summer Camp USA: photo2

Although the prospect of a long summer vacation after months of gruelling revision and exams seems appealing, often the months can be wasted away with nothing to show for them, when the summer draws to a close. It was the thought of this that led me to begin researching once in a lifetime summer opportunities; it was then that I discovered BUNAC’s Summer Camp USA programme.

Having watched Parent Trap hundreds of times, the idea of spending my summer at an American camp seemed so exciting and after a very quick application process I had been placed at a camp in Upstate New York called Camp Loyaltown.  The great thing about going through BUNAC is that everything was arranged for me. This included my first nights’ accommodation in New York and my flights. This meant that, whilst I was busy worrying about deadlines, the stress was taken away and I had an amazing summer awaiting me, once the deadlines were over.

During the application process, BUNAC had quizzed me on my talents and interests.  This meant I was able to spend my summer teaching ceramics as well as doing sport with my campers.  The camp I was placed at was a camp for individuals of all ages who had severe mental and physical disabilities. My cabin was largely women, aged 30-50, who suffered from conditions ranging from schizophrenia to severe learning difficulties. As you can imagine, the summer was indeed a challenge but an extremely rewarding one.

My typical day consisted of assisting my campers in day to day tasks from getting dressed to showering and activities such as swimming, athletics and horse riding.  I also taught ceramics followed by an evening activity such as a disco. It was so much fun and every day posed new challenges and learning curves. The great thing about the summer was that not only was I spending it in America and making new friends, I was also doing something that gave me such amazing transferable skills. Although the summer was a challenge, it was a fantastic experience, which has since helped land me placements as well as a job!

photo4Once my time at camp ended, my VISA allowed me time to travel the USA! Having made new friends at camp, we travelled all over America from New York to Miami and then decided, during a hurricane, that we would take a cruise to the Bahamas. All paid for with my summer earnings, meaning, that the summer paid for itself. I was back in time to have a while at home, in England, before returning to Loughborough for another year to commence, with the most amazing summer and lifetime experience behind me.

I would definitely recommend anyone to make the most of their summer and gain skills and memories that will stay with them for life. For more information, check out:

www.bunac.org/WCALoughborough

 

Bringing Careers and Employers to Researchers Event

Posted on by
Reply

Wednesday 16 April 2014, 5pm – 8pm

James France Exhibition Area

This is a great opportunity for you to meet with employers who are actively seeking to recruit people with the high level skills you’ve gained from conducting research. The event includes presentations from employers representing a range of sectors along with question and answer sessions and the opportunity to network with employers, alumni and recruiters.  A light buffet will be provided.

The line-up of employers for this event are now confirmed as –Tessella (who predominantly employ PhD graduates), Frazer Nash, Far-UK, and IBM

Delegates who have previously attended have been offered employment as a result of meeting employers at this event.  Many more delegates identified employers of interest; this encouraged them to fine tune their CVs and submit applications.

Event feedback:

  • 96% of respondents to delegate feedback found the event “very useful” or “useful”
  • 82% of respondents said they would attend future events like this
  •  “Range and enthusiasm [of students] best seen at any careers event” (employer comment)

Reserve your place to meet employers on Wednesday 16 April via the Careers and Employability Centre’s online booking system

Mentoring Opportunity for Female Students

Posted on by
Reply

Visible Women Connects (VW Connects) is a new social network and e-mentoring platform to help young women advance in their careers by connecting them with mentors in male dominated industries.

Become a mentee to gain invaluable support and insight.

Join the network, get connected, #VWConnects

To get involved, visit vwconnects.com or email hello@vwconnects.com