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Student Speed-Networking at Jika-Jika: Content Creation

With exams, coursework deadlines and graduations looming, we set out once again for another speed-networking event, linking student and creative employers together.

This time, the students from Bath Spa University were all looking for careers within content creation, that is: publishing, copywriting and advertising.

We arrived to find over 20 slightly nervous faces packed into the lovely Jika-Jika coffee house, going through some last-minute networking preparations. It wasn't long before the company representatives began arriving, including notable talent from Future Publishing, The Bath Chronicle, Attinger Jack, The Agency Online, Origin Publishing, MediaClash, Anthem Publishing, Parragon, The Copysmith, Wordbrain, Akeman Press, Marcom PR and Take Note! Student Advertising.

And with that, the speed-networking got underway, each student sitting down with an employer for just 3 minutes, before moving on to the next one. Quite a daunting experience for student and employer alike!

However, all the students showed great enthusiasm in their approaches with the employers. They soon got into their stride, delivering confident pitches that really displayed their talent. The quick turnaround ensured that they all got a chance to speak with the broad range of employers we had brought to the table.

As the final whistle blew, the networking continued over a glass of wine and nibbles. It was great to see that so many students had made a good impression, and how pleased employers were with the calibre of students there are from local universities.

Liz Barrett from Origin Publishing said: "I thought the event was fantastic and only wish my university had done something similar before I graduated. The students were all great, brimming with enthusiasm and supremely talented. I only wish we could offer them all employment."

Several of the employers have said they will be interviewing some of the students again for a range of internships and work experience, which is fantastic news! We wish them all well.

Looking forward, we will be running further student speed-networking in different creative areas, such as design, music and film, strengthening our relationship with the city's universities and colleges. We feel these events are a fantastic showcase for both the range of employers and young graduates that Bath has to offer in the creative sector.

Many thanks to all the employers who were involved in the evening, we really appreciate your time in making the event such a success. Thanks also to Adam Powell from Bath Spa University for coordinating the event with us, and Jika-Jika for providing a great location!

To see the event in pictures, please take a look at photos from Bath Spa, as well as our album on our flickr page.

Posted by:

Cedric Sureshkumar

Sector:

Journalism & Writing