Leeds Beckett students gain insight from employers at LIFI Futures

Delivered in partnership with Luminate Education Group, What no one told you about getting a job? brought together representatives from Lloyds Banking Group, Morrisons, Leeds Health and Care Academy and Jet2 alongside Educating Yorkshire's Musharaf Asghar to discuss the challenges young people face when moving from education into employment.

Tickets were available to Leeds Beckett students through the university's partnership with Luminate Education Group and LeedsBID, enabling students to hear first-hand advice from employers about building experience, standing out during the application process and navigating different career pathways.

Hosted by BBC Radio Leeds presenter Rima Ahmed, the discussion focused on the expectations and realities of entering the workplace, with panellists sharing practical advice and personal experience from their own career journeys. 

The discussion offered reassurance as well as practical advice for students preparing to take their next career steps. Panellists stressed that valuable experience is not limited to internships or part-time jobs and that students can apply everyday responsibilities and volunteering opportunities as examples of the skills employers are looking for. 

Students were encouraged to seek out their own opportunities to build experience, pursue projects linked to their interests and remember that career journeys are rarely linear. Speakers also reflected on the growing role of AI in applications, advising students to use it as a tool to support their thinking rather than replace their own ideas and experiences.