This entry is to share some anecdotal evidence of the (important) role the dissertation can play in promoting graduate employability. Last year one of the students I supervised was offered a job following an impressive display during the job interview. The first role of her graduate scheme was in the employee motivation department of a leading marketing services agency. The student had done her dissertation on motivation to attend events and this enabled her to talk about it during the interview. According to the student,

“I also found a few of the [motivation] theories were used in my company (…) which I already knew about which was great and meant that I could contribute”.

This year another student fed back a similar story. According to the student,

my dissertation enabled me to secure a job with (…). They are a large FTSE 250 company just off Oxford Street in London. I will be running conferences for them.

She further elaborated that

I had written on my CV that I presented my dissertation at a conference [the BCUR – British Conference of Undergraduate Research] and both my interviewers had been to Uni – one is currently doing a masters! So they were really interested and much of my interview was spent discussing each other’s dissertations which I think brought the interview to a more personal level”.

 I think this is another great example of the role the dissertation can play in fostering employability. It also provides further evidence of the direct benefits of attending the British Conference of Undergraduate Research. The BCUR was hosted by the University of Central Lancashire in April. Six students from the School of tourism presented at the conference.

Has anyone got similar examples?

Miguel