The University of Westminster recently hosted its first ever What it Takes summer event as part of a mini-series covering career development topics aimed at alumni graduating in 2020 or earlier.
The established, award-winning series is usually targeted at current Westminster students and recent graduates during term-time, but the Alumni Relations Office are delivering online summer events for alumni who may be at more advanced stages in their career journeys.
What it Takes to Successfully Navigate Career Transitions with Confidence took place online on 17 July, with 73 Westminster alumni and colleagues attending. Graduates had the opportunity to listen to keynote speaker and Westminster alumnus Manuel Heichlinger give a practical and inspirational talk and share some top tips on how to make the next career move.
Manuel graduated from Westminster’s Human Resource Management MA course in 2012 and has built up nearly 20 years of international experience in executive talent acquisition. His career began at a FTSE-250 recruitment firm where he managed finances across Berlin, Hamburg and London. He is currently the Managing Director at Audeliss Ltd where he applies his strengths in active listening, curiosity and a solution-oriented mindset into leading the delivery and research team globally. Having been one of the few openly gay people in the German recruiting industry at the start of his career in 2004, Manuel continues to shape Audeliss’ mission to build more diverse businesses. His experiences allow him to create exceptional candidate experiences while championing visible diverse role models.
During the talk, Manuel gave an overview of different career transitions and choices, how to unlock career opportunities at work, how to have career conversations, how to show up for the job you want, not the one you have, and the steps you need to take to build a robust support network.
A Question and Answer session was held after the talk, led by event host Caroline Lloyd, Director of Student and Academic Services at the University of Westminster.
About the event, one audience member said: "I was impressed by Manuel's agile thinking and ability to express himself so clearly. The amount of information was just right for this format. I found it a very accessible and useful session - thank you!"
Another added: "It was a very inspiring talk with lots of actionable advice!"
The What it Takes event series features exciting and innovative alumni speakers sharing their experience and advice on a range of topics, including employability and personal and professional development.
This event directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 4: Quality Education and 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Find out more about Westminster’s Careers and Employability Service.
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