Start Your Career with Sprint

Start Your Career with Sprint Last year, the Career Zone was pleased to launch Sprint â€" personal and professional development programme for women. The course is aimed at supporting women to achieve their aims and aspirations, develop confidence and networks.  To find out more about the programme we asked two previous participants to share their experiences with us. Alexandra (3rd Year Flexible Combined Honours with Study Abroad)   Alexandra McLeod ‘I found the Sprint course to be completely different to any area of academic study or society event I have participated in at university. It didn’t feel like a lesson or lecture but more of a group discussion on issues we were interested in. I did not contribute that much at first but soon became the most confident member of my group and thoroughly enjoyed the presentation that we did to a friendly panel that were not there to judge us, but were genuinely interested in our career aspirations. One of my favourite activities was when we had to talk for 2 minutes on an ‘unimportant’ or ‘boring’ subject. Some people went with the weather, I chose the Kardashians. The group had to then become disinterested within 30 seconds and completely ignore you after 1 minute, whilst you kept talking it’s a lot harder than it sounds! This provided me with a new skill in learning to keep to a concise topic, as well as knowing when to change the subject, especially in interview situations. I learnt so many new skills such as breathing exercises and relaxation techniques before an exam or interview. It was also liberating to talk freely about things that you were passionate about, or in contrast things that really annoyed you, without being judged as it was accepted that everyone has different opinions. It was such a friendly and positive atmosphere and I believe is the type of session we should be doing at a much younger age in order to develop confidence.’ A small change of perspective has made a great impact on my future. I hope other young women benefit from the same opportunity to participate in this life-changing program. Catherine (4th  Year BA International Relations, Chinese TESOL)   Catherine Arnold I participated in the Sprint program in my fourth year of studying International Relations, Chinese and TESOL at the University of Exeter. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I signed up to the Sprint programme, but thought it might enhance my employability in an increasingly competitive world of work. The Sprint programme went far beyond that, allowing me to develop personally as well as professionally. Sprint taught me to live my life with confidence and assertiveness, having pride in my achievements and striving for the full extent of my potential.   I will continue to take the confidence and skills I have gained from Sprint forwards into my Masters study of Water Science, Policy and Management at the University of Oxford, and also in my personal life. A small change of perspective has made a great impact on my future. I hope other young women benefit from the same opportunity to participate in this life-changing program. You can find out more about Sprint, including how to apply via our webpage. If you have any questions, please ask the team a question via My Career Zone.