Throughout the past few months, we’ve posted blogs from LSE alumni and employers about what it’s like to work in certain sectors, including their advice for current students.

In this blog you can find a recap of what they said – check out previous posts too and look out for more posts this year!

Training contracts and beyond

Guest blog by Emma Minihan (LSE LLB 2009) who is a Lawyer in the Government Legal Department:

I applied for my training contract in my final year of study at LSE, having decided during my second year that I didn’t want to be a lawyer! I found out about GLD (or Treasury Solicitor’s Department as it was then) after a number of fear induced appointments with the Careers Service – take advantage of this while you can. I did some further research and was attracted to the wide range of work on offer. I only applied for training contracts with firms I was very interested in and had spent time researching, and I would definitely recommend this approach.

Data, information and technology

Guest blog by Nigel West, Principal Consultant – Data Visualisation and Analytics at Synechron:

Like many careers, there are numerous ways to get into a career in data […] When choosing an appropriate company to work with you should choose carefully. You should look for an organisation that values you enough to help you through the first years of your career, at the same time you should recognise that you are a significant investment on behalf of the company, and they need to get a return on that investment. Work is the same as any relationship, it only works if both parties are properly invested in it.

Working in Brussels

Guest blog by Freddie van Mierlo who works at Harwood Levitt Consulting:

Making a clear strategy before entering the Brussels labour market will help to reduce time spent in internships and avoid the scenario of jumping from one underpaid three-month internship to the next. While the Commission, with its iconic Berlaymont building, draws applicants in their thousands, smaller companies and governmental institutions and can offer greater learning opportunities and may have greater hiring flexibility. For anyone interested in looking beyond the institutions, here are some learnings from the past three years on securing a place in the Brussels job market.

International Development

Guest blog by LSE alumnus Lee Bailey (MSc Development Studies 2013), who is Director of Communications at the Natural Resource Governance Institute:

Be persistent

While you don’t want to annoy people, they have a higher threshold for annoyance than you think. If you reach out to them in a sincere and informed way, they will be receptive to your requests for an exploratory coffee or an offer to volunteer your time.

Publishing/sales

Guest blog by James Strode who works at Global Legal Group (GLG):

Whilst studying for my BA in Geography, I began to consider the career paths I could take upon graduation. I realised that while I loved my subject, I did not want a career specifically related to this field. I was not sure what other career choices were available to me with a humanities degree. I spoke to a careers advisor at my university and she shared an invaluable tip with me: do not overlook potential career opportunities based on your degree title. Instead, look at the skillset your degree has given you and how you can apply this to a job.