Meet the University of Liverpool’s Student Circus Ambassadors

Posted on: 12 June 2023 by Aditi Gupta in Student experiences

Meet Om and Syed, two postgraduate international students at the University of Liverpool who currently work as Campus Ambassadors for Student Circus.

In this blog post, Om and Syed share more about their part-time job experience at Student Circus.

Student Circus is a one-stop shop for all international students who are looking for job roles in the UK. Their main USP is displaying sponsored jobs for international students on their website. 

In their role they offer useful advice on how international students can look for work experience opportunities during their time at university and how part-time roles can build employability skills and boost CVs.


Can you briefly start by introducing yourself?

Om Karande: My name is Om and I am from India. I am a master’s student and I am pursuing a MSc in Management at the University of Liverpool. After I graduate, I aspire to work either marketing or management consulting type of roles.

 

Syed Ali Ahmed: I am Syed and I am from India. I am studying a master’s degree in Digital Marketing and Analytics at the University of Liverpool. After graduation, I want to work in the area of digital marketing or social media marketing.

 

Can you tell us more about your part-time job experience at Student Circus and what are some of your roles and responsibilities as part of this role?

Om Karande: My role mainly entails promoting Student Circus at the university through various channels and events. This may involve writing blogs, participating in online webinars, career fairs and open days. I offer advice and guidance to current international students by answering FAQs that they might have about job search in the UK and signpost to the Student Circus website. Lastly, I also help them to cross-promote their content on various social media channels.

Syed Ali Ahmed: I also work part-time for the Student Circus as the Campus Ambassador. My role consists of the following duties: Increasing awareness of the Student Circus platform at the University of Liverpool, driving conversions (sign-ups) at the Student Circus platform, building a social media following for the company, and fostering engagement with end-users (students at the university) for better feedback loops.

 

How did you find out about this opportunity?

Om Karande: I found this job on Handshake. I also remember that it was posted by the Management School Careers Team on the LinkedIn page. I had heard about Student Circus during the induction week so it was very cool to find out about a job opening with them.

Syed Ali Ahmed: I got to know about this opportunity through talking to Career Coaches in the Career Studio.

 

What did the application process involve and how did you prepare for it?

Om Karande: The application process was quite straightforward and hassle-free. I made an application with my CV and a cover letter. A few days later, I received an email that I was shortlisted for the interview round. The interview involved an online call from the Marketing Manager at Student Circus. The questions were mainly regarding my previous experience, my skill set, and how can I contribute to the cause of helping international students. After a couple of days, I received an email saying that I was selected for the position.

The entire application process was very smooth and quick with the team being very approachable and transparent with me regarding the expectations and job role.

I prepared for the interview by researching the company on their website, visiting their LinkedIn page and all the other social media channels to understand more about their culture and brand image. Apart from this, I also looked up the founders and the marketing team on LinkedIn just to understand more about professional background. I think this helps as it shows the hiring team that you have researched and put effort into this and sometimes also helps to break the ice during interviews.

Syed Ali Ahmed: There were mainly three arounds in the application and selection process. The first round was an online application form which was followed by a recorded video interview task. The final stage was an online interview.

 

From an employability perspective, how has this experience been helpful to you?

Om Karande: I feel this job has contributed to the overall enhancement of my professional experience. I was told by the careers team and alumni that it is really important to gain some UK work experience before I graduate and start working full-time. As this was one of the first jobs that I started in the UK, it helped in improving my CV and gain other opportunities in the future. Moreover, as my role involves helping students with common queries around job search, I gained a good level of understanding about how the UK job market works and what is expected out of students during my research and training. Generally, I feel this is going to help me throughout my time in the UK.

Syed Ali Ahmed: I consider the experience of being a campus ambassador to be highly beneficial as it provides me with the opportunity to engage with students and enhance my communication skills. Another advantage is that this experience has given a substantial boost to my CV and enhanced my employability prospects in the UK. It also gives me the opportunity to engage with careers staff which is an advantage as it helps me gain an advanced knowledge and insights into various aspects of the graduate job market in the UK.

 

What are some of the top skills you have picked up from this role?

Om Karande: The top skills that I have gained from this job would be communication, interpersonal and networking skills. As my primary role is to promote Student Circus and speak to a lot of students, this has benefitted me in honing my communication and networking skills. I feel these two skills are required in every profession and hence will be invaluable to me. Also, talking to people has taught me to build relationships and has given me a confidence boost.

Syed Ali Ahmed: Skills that I have developed through being a campus ambassador include communication (verbal, written, interpersonal), public speaking, leadership, networking, problem-solving, time management, event planning, adaptability, teamwork, collaboration, and professionalism - all transferable and beneficial in personal, academic, and professional contexts.

 

What is your top tip for students currently looking for work experience opportunities?

Om Karande: My top tip for students who are looking out for work opportunities is to start researching early for jobs and to network and build connections with as many people as possible.

Syed Ali Ahmed: My top tip for students would be to find work experience opportunities, actively network, attend events, use online platforms, reach out to alumni, volunteer, stay updated on job boards, and follow up to maintain relationships. Persistence and proactivity are the keys to success.

 

If you would like to know more about how to search for graduate jobs roles in the UK, please sign up for one of the following workshops. At the end of the session, you will also have an opportunity to meet up with the Student Circus Campus Ambassadors.

 

 

 Click here to find out more about Student Circus.