Student blog

One of my favourite things about the University of Sussex is the events they host, which give students the opportunity to learn from and interact with inspirational people from all over the world. I recently attended the Careers in Media, Arts and Communications panel event from the University's Make It Happen series, which featured a panel of Sussex Alumni sharing insights into their professional careers, and how they – you guessed it – Made It Happen.

As my personal aspiration is to pursue a career in journalism, I was extremely excited to see two journalists on the panel. Their advice, alongside that of the other panellists, did not disappoint. The evening began with each speaker taking us on a journey from their graduation to their current successes, offering unique perspectives and practical advice. There was a great range in speakers, each with different levels of experience. Corinne Card shared her journey transitioning from journalism to entrepreneurship, and underscored the importance of efficiency, time management, and effective communication skills. Mazin Mohamed, freelance multimedia journalist, urged us to take advantage of university facilities for portfolio building while we still can. Will Greensides is much earlier on in his career and gave reassurance that it’s okay to take a break after your degree - if you’re forcing yourself into jobs when you have no energy, it’ll be worse than if you just took some time off in the first place. Finally, experienced copywriter Chris Barraclough emphasised the importance of building a unique portfolio that will stand out from the many, while Kate Tyrer, Head of Communications at Shoreham Port, highlighted perseverance as the key to success with anything you want to do.

This short summary is only the tip of the iceberg of the wisdom these successful alumni had to offer. While their paths diverged, the underlying message was clear: there is no one-size-fits-all approach to success. The biggest thing I drew from this was that while listening carefully to advice is important, what is absolutely imperative is to remember that we're all different, and to do what feels right for you.

After the speakers had finished, we moved into a second room with drinks and snacks, giving us the opportunity to have more personal conversations with whichever speaker had inspired us the most. Each of the speakers were friendly and open, happy to advise students wherever they could. I spent some time talking to Corinne Card, who was supportive and helpful as she gave advice on breaking into the highly competitive industry of journalism. I also spoke to Mazin Mohamed, who explained the ups and downs of freelancing, and the significance of cultivating a strong social media platform.

All in all, it was an interesting and informative evening. But you can’t get the full effect through me – look out for the next Sussex event, careers or otherwise, and be sure to attend it yourself! Even if you don’t have the highest of hopes, you’d be surprised at how much you can learn. If you have a specific career you’re focused in on, it’s also definitely worth checking out Sussex Connect, the mentoring platform that students can use to connect with alumni who are exactly where you want to be in the future.

Amina studies International Relations and Development. When not studying or blogging, she likes reading and going for morning runs.

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