University Mentor Provides Recent Graduate with Dream Job

The university offers alumni and employers a fantastic way to network with students through formal or informal mentorship opportunities. There are also great opportunities to recruit talent in which a recent graduate can allow your business to gain fresh enthusiasm and ideas.

Georgia Bird, a 2019 Criminology and Sociology graduate was mentored in her final year of university by Wesley, founder of SeerBridge, a unique community benefit and social value consultancy. Since then, Georgia has gone on to work for Wesley which she describes as a job she is “completely and utterly in love with”. Recently, Georgia joined us to tell us about her experience:

How did you meet your mentor?

As far as I’m aware, there was no formal process behind it, it was just word of mouth. I’ve never been hugely academic to be honest, then in my third year at university I did a module that I was in love with. I was always kind of, not under-confident but I didn’t have huge self-belief in my abilities. My tutor was the loveliest person and I think she could see that I needed a bit of support that I wasn’t speaking up about. She knew Wes because he was a mature student a few years prior and was good friends with her. I guess in her head she just made some sort of connection and asked if he could mentor me. It was a really good way to do it because I was very much an average university student. I never went to the career hub or went out my way to absorb as much of university things that they offered, but she spoke very highly of Wes and I loved his whole business idea. I think she just thought we would benefit from getting in contact with each other.

How did his mentorship help you throughout university?

We kept in contact whilst I was at university, I didn’t have too many conversations with him except the odd conversations where he checked in and asked how I was doing. It was knowing that he was there to support me. He also asked me to go to a few events on behalf of him. I remember going to a networking event in London and I was literally so scared about it, but I went with it. I did ad hoc work for him and wrote briefing notes for all the events.

How did he help you find the job you are in now?

When I finished university, Wes gave me a week’s work experience to help build my CV and gain work experience. Thanks to this, I was able to secure a job in an internship in a sustainable fashion boutique. However, after a few months it fell through due to the pandemic. As Wes and I were still in contact and did the same course at university, he knew that my skillset aligned with the work he wanted produced, so he offered me a job at SeerBridge. The recruitment process was informal, he just gave me tasks and wanted to see what I could do on the job. It worked out quite well and now I’m in a job I completely and utterly love.

What is your job role?

My official title is Social Value Associate. I mainly focus on the social value side of the business and do a lot of report writing. I keep up to date with new policies and new social value measurement frameworks and apply it to the business. I also do a little work with community projects.

Do you have any tips for students or recent graduates?

Take any opportunity your given! Even if it feels a bit out your comfort zone, just do it. Not to be cliché but the doors it can open is crazy. If I hadn’t just gone along and met Wes and gone to these random events that he asked me to go to, that I was really nervous about, then I wouldn’t be here today in a job I’m really grateful to be in.