How alumni can support students in their career transition

Research at Queen's University Belfast paired English undergraduate students with alumni from their course to explore how to better support the transition to the workplace or further study for those studying non-specialised subjects

The report, funded by the Jisc careers research grant, considers the career transition experience of English undergraduate alumni and assesses the impact of informational interviews on current students' career management skills.

Key findings

The findings of this report are split into three sections: alumni transition experience, student interviewer development, and wider implications. Here are just some of the key points:

Alumni transition experience:

• 71% of alumni (15 out of 21) did not feel well prepared for their next career stage when leaving university, regardless of whether they were pursuing employment or further study.
• Key transition challenges included lack of skills recognition, negative perceptions of their English degree and limited tailored support with insufficient guidance on career options and development.
• Alumni identified eight key transferable skills from their English degrees that they apply in their careers, including writing abilities, language adaptation, confidence, research skills, critical thinking, evaluation skills, independence and speed reading.

Student interviewer development:

• Digital skills enhancement - significant improvements in students' ability to set up and manage formal online meetings, conduct professional interviews, communicate professionally via email, with Level 1 students showing the greatest improvement in digital confidence.
• Communication skills growth - notable increases in confidence approaching potential employers, ability conducting informational interviews and capacity to articulate degree-relevant skills. All year groups demonstrated improved communication confidence.
• Career management development - students reported reduced anxiety about the future, increased sense of preparedness for post-graduation transitions, greater clarity about potential career sectors, and increased consideration of further study options.

Wider implications:

• The research provides evidence-based support for developing new employability provisions within the English curriculum.
• Informational interviews demonstrate effectiveness as a career development tool for non-vocational subjects.
• The alumni voice represents an underutilised resource in supporting career development and building institutional reputation.

About the report

The research aimed to examine the experiences of English undergraduate alumni as they transitioned from university to work or further study, and assess the impact on undergraduates of completing an informational interview.

Twenty-one alumni took part and 20 current students were trained to conduct the interviews. Surveys were undertaken before and after to measure the impact on skill development. The report highlights the key role alumni can play in supporting the career management of non-specialist degree students, and contains a series of recommendations on how to achieve this.

This research was funded by the Jisc careers research grant. If you're a careers professional planning to undertake research, you may be eligible for funding of up to £5,000.

Written by

Emma Lennox

Careers consultant

Queen's University Belfast