It’s such a busy time for us out and about on campus, but I’ve finally found time to write about the Enactus training weekend. Enterprise had a full team, literally 11 of us, in Grantham to help students develop their employability skills through group exercises, presentations and interview assessments.
The weekend is a great talent spotting opportunity for us because of the calibre of students who take part in Enactus (formerly SIFE). They tend to be business minded, active on campus, with a strong work ethic and drive to make things happens.
Enactus projects also help them develop commercial skills, like learning how to run a business, which give them a headstart in work. We look out for these skills and qualities, and lots of Enactus students have gone on to do very well at Enterprise.
The training weekend offers a chance to see the students in different situations including team-building exercises and social situations. This interaction outside interviews helps you build a more complete picture. That’s why I really enjoyed the bonfire where, after a hard day’s learning, the students, tutors and business advisors got together for an informal drink.
Networking is so important. Although teams from different universities will be competing against each other, it was great to see them socialising, making new friends and contacts who could turn out to be important later in their career.
I was impressed by so many of the students I met In Grantham. My advice for them now is to use the contacts they’ve made. Keep in touch with employers and don’t be afraid to ask for advice on your applications. I’ll be offering plenty of tips in my role as business advisor to the Enactus teams at Queen Mary University in East London and Bedfordshire University.
In the meantime we’ll be out and about on campus. I’m at Greenwich University next week then down to Brighton University to take part in the Dragons Den Final – I can’t wait.
If you see us on campus, come say hi!
Competition winner
Our competition gave Enactus students a chance to win £50 worth of iTunes vouchers. All you had to do was say hello to an Enterprise representative, and connect with us on Twitter or Facebook. So many of you did, but our winner is… Sam Suthurst of Exeter University.