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Making a STEP in the right direction

It's no secret that today's employers seek graduates who possess more than just their degree. As competition for limited numbers of graduate roles increases, experience outside of the classroom can be just as important as the degree classification obtained itself.

After visiting my university's careers advice service last year, it was clear that my lack of work experience was going to be a disadvantage when it came to seeking employment after graduation. Although unclear on which career path I might eventually take, my careers advisor suggested attempting to find some valuable work experience during the summer vacation, even if this meant working within an environment I was unfamiliar and uncomfortable in, as this would at least give me some ideas about perhaps what I didn't want to do in the future.

Like many in my position, knowing where and what to look for was the first challenge. I needn't have worried. My careers advisor suggested a work placement scheme for those in their second or penultimate year, which allows students to be matched according to their skills and abilities to a project within a small- to medium-sized business (SME).

The Shell Technology Enterprise Programme (STEP) is a nationwide scheme sponsored by Shell which sells itself on being 'the career advantage' for students. It aims to place students on projects within SMEs that will ultimately test vital skills such as team work, communication and the ability to cope under pressure whilst introducing a competitive element to find Britain's most enterprising students. After registering my details on the STEP website, I was contacted by the local STEP agency managing my application and invited to help co-ordinate the STEP programme for the London region.

Working within a STEP agency was not something I expected when I first signed up for the programme before the Easter vacation. However, it enabled me to help fellow students looking for work experience to be placed on projects through which they could maximise their full potential. Once in the role as STEP co-ordinator, it was my job to match students to the company projects we had available on the database. With 3 or 4 student applications being sent off to companies to review for each project, the importance of selling yourself well under each section of the application became paramount. With the chance to present your final project to a select panel of judges at local and potentially national level, applicants have to be confident enough to orate and demonstrate their findings effectively enough to grab the audience's enthusiasm (particularly if the project was not as exciting as you first hoped!).

James Field, a London student, was placed on a project with Wilkinson, a company that designs and manufactures chandeliers. As a result of his project to develop a new Computer Aided Design system, he contributed to his company winning a contract worth over £400,000, an effort recognised by the STEP judges and which won him the title of London's most Enterprising Student.

Laura Chambers, who studies Business and Economics at Newcastle university, was placed with Woad-Inc, a company specialising in producing natural dye. Her project involved creating a new website network and sourcing markets for the company's product, all the time testing her ability to communicate effectively with valuable and potential clients.

STEP aims to give 'the brightest undergraduates a real opportunity to test out and improve exactly the kind of personal and professional skills that future employers are searching for'. Having worked co-ordinating the programme, it was clear that both companies and students gained a huge amount out of the final project, giving those taking part that vital edge needed when it comes to seeking future employment.