Career Club article feature

Published

Blog type

“I believe employers really value seeing leadership skills in action and the fact that those involved in clubs aren’t afraid to mix studies with extra-curriculars even when it gets really busy. I always got asked about my role at interviews, and interviewers found it really interesting”, says Presiyana Karastoyanova, MSc Finance 2018-19 and former VP of the Finance Careers Club. Presiyana has secured a role as an Analyst at McKinsey for January 2020.

This year the Business School has fourteen student-led Career Clubs, of which the Finance Club is one. The clubs bring together MBA and MSc students with shared aspirations and are divided into major industries, interest groups, or geographic locations. They are always keen to work with employers and alumni in their related sector or region.

All of our clubs are led by students and organise or signpost events throughout the year which give opportunities to:

  • Meet other Business School students with similar interests
  • Learn from and network with alumni and other professionals
  • Build links with relevant employers in the sector
  • Learn more about roles available and the skills needed in the industry and many more.

Being the President of Consulting Club played a major role in getting my job,” says Vineet Harsh, Full-Time MBA 2017-18 and former President of the Business School Consulting Careers Club. “The Consulting club provided me opportunity to network and connect with people working in consulting. It was helpful to know about their projects, company culture and career progression."

Student members can gain invaluable insight from employers to aid their professional development, whilst employers can use career club events to supplement their recruitment activity - raising brand awareness, showcasing company culture, providing thought leadership or direction on industry hot topics.

For example, Presiyana says:

Employers should leverage this great opportunity to engage with some of the most active students on campus and visit the Business School to share their opportunities. It’s always great when firms send Imperial alumni too, we all love meeting them and get inspired by their work.

Our clubs can also provide a route into the Business School for companies that are not always able to come on to campus. For example, a number of luxury brands or boutique consultancies with which Careers now work very closely had their first interactions on campus as small-scale events with Career Clubs.

Sarah Ranchev Hale, Director of Employer Relations, Careers says:

Career Clubs provide an avenue for employers to connect directly with students, raising their brand awareness and talent-spotting in the process. It’s a win-win for the employer and the students.

The Career Clubs are the student-led extension of Business School Careers – they are:

  • Consulting Careers Club
  • Energy & Sustainability Careers Club
  • FMCG, Luxury Goods and Retail Careers Club
  • Finance Careers Club (includes Fintech and PE/VC)
  • Healthcare Careers Club (includes Pharma)
  • Innovation & Entrepreneurship Club (includes Family Business)
  • LGBTQ+ Business Club
  • Social Impact & Responsible Business Club
  • Technology, Media and Telecoms Careers Club (includes Digital Marketing)

Regional clubs:

  • Africa Business Club
  • Asia Business Club
  • India Business Club
  • North America Business Club
  • Latin America Business Club

The most recent club to be created was the LGBTQ+ Business Club and you can read all about the story of it started out

Career Club group picture