
Welcome! Here you will find out what Be SMART is all about, how it works, and what you need to know to apply.
General Information
About Be SMART:
Here at St Mary's we are committed to nurturing students in order to help them realise their fullest potential both during their time here and when they leave University. We work hard to ensure that students are prepared with the resources and skills they need in order to be competitive graduates who thrive in the labour market, with long rewarding careers.
We have put together Be SMART as a way of supporting our students to access and understand the fundamental assets crucial to future success. The programme was launched in October 2019 and to date 30 students have successfully completed the programme.
Be SMART offers you – the student – an opportunity to access and participate in career enhancing initiatives that will help you stand out from the competition and potentially step into and succeed in your chosen career/whatever venture you might turn your hands to when you graduate.
You can find out more about the programme from one of our former participants in the video below:
Be SMART is comprised of three parts. The ideal is that you undertake all three parts, but you can do part one in isolation or just parts two and three. See eligibility section for requirements.
The Three Initiatives:
1. One-to-one mentoring from industry professionals.
We will do our best to match you with a successful individual in an area of work of interest to you, providing you with access to invaluable advice and contacts (mentoring will be prioritised for second and final year students).
2. Leadership and Professionalism programme.
You will undertake a short course to develop the leadership and professional tools needed to maximise career opportunities; and you will receive a certificate after completing the course. You will be expected to complete a minimum number of workshops to be eligible to undertake the internship.
3. 30 hours paid internship (living London wage)
Earn money as you gain your professional experience, and sharpen your industry knowledge and skills, in your chosen career field.
Please note: Whilst we will endeavour to offer a variety of internships in various sectors, we cannot always guarantee a specific job match in the area you want to work in - be prepared to be flexible.
Eligibility:
- Be SMART is an exciting initiative open to students who identify as either Black, Asian, or an ethnic minority.
- Be SMART is open to UK students only.
- You will be expected to complete evaluation surveys over the course of the programme, which will help us monitor your progress and the effectiveness of the programme.
Application process:
- There will be a online application form (and possibly a face-to-face interview, depending on the number of applications recieved).
- Applications open Tuesday 13th October 2020 and close Monday 9th November 2020 at 11.30pm (we may extend this deadline to accomodate student demand - please check back here for updates regarding this)
- For more information, you can attend online information sessions with one of our team to find out more and discuss any questions you may have about the programme.
- Click here to access the application form.
Learn more about the different elements of the Be SMART Programme:
Part One: Mentoring
You will have the opportunity to be mentored by professionals from a diverse list of private and public sectors, ranging from SMEs (Small Medium Enterprises) and large companies/corporations.
Once you have been signed up, you will complete an induction and a professional ettiquette workshop to prepare you for your mentoring journey; after which you will be assigned a mentor according to your interests and preferences. You will then meet with them twice a month over a period of 3 months.
You will gain:
- One-to-one support and advice from a successful person in business.
- Valuable knowledge and experience of the world of work.
- A certificate confirming your completion of the programme, which you can add to your CV and professional portfolio.
Mentoring is scheduled to start in mid-January 2021 (though some mentors may commence their meetings earlier).
Key information:
There are up to 25 places available on the mentoring scheme, so make sure you register your interest early. Your progress throughout the mentoring stage will be continually assessed over the 3 month period. Students that fully commit to the mentoring scheme stand a higher chance of being accepted onto the Leadership Programme and being allowed to undertake an internship.
Part Two: Leadership Programme
The Leadership and Professionalism programme is a series of workshops delivered in partnership with industry professionals with expertise from various sectors. The workshops are designed to help you understand how to make an impact through leading, developing and employing a professional brand, building your industry networks; and enhancing both your employability skills and commerical awareness.
The programme is scheduled to start in December 2020.
You will gain:
- Essential knowledge of how to effectively lead and influence.
- Tools to develop and manage your professional brand and skills.
- Increased self-awareness and confidence in your ability to manage your goals.
- Knowledge of how to build and utilise your professional networks and relationships.
Key information:
To take part in the leadership and professionalism programme you must commit to doing the paid placement (see below).
Part Three: Paid Internships
The 30 hours paid (Living London wage) internships are a fantastic opportunity to get professional experience in a role, sector or industry that interests you. You will be paid a London Living Wage of £10.75 per hour. We will do our best (in agreement with your employer) to flexibly set your hours based around your schedule and commitments.
The paid placement is scheduled to start in mid-to-late February 2021. Before that you will have the chance to apply to a selection of employers we have sourced from various sectors, ranging from SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises) to large organisations.
You will gain:
- Industry experience as well as career insights and commercial awareness.
- Specific industry and transferable professional skills.
- An updated CV and cover letter and enhanced job searching/attainment skills.
- Useful professional and lifelong career enhancing networks.
- Employer feedback and guidance to help you with your professional development.
Key information:
To take part in the paid placement you must have completed the mimimum requirements set in the leadership and professionalism programme, and satisfactorily engaged in the mentoring scheme.
Dates for your diary*:
Timelines and Key dates: | |
Tuesday 13th October 2020 | Recruitment and application process opens. |
Wednesday 21st October 2020 (12pm)
| Information Session 1 (Online Session - register here)
|
Friday 23rd October 2020 (12.30pm)
| Information Session 2 (Online Session - register here)
|
Wednesday 28th October 2020 (12pm)
| Information Session 3 (Online Session - register here)
|
Friday 30th October 2020 (12.30pm)
| Information Session 4 (Online Session - register here)
|
Monday 2nd November 2020 (12.30pm)
| Information Session 5 (Online Session - register here)
|
Monday 9th November 2020 | Application window closes (11.30pm)
|
w/c 9th November 2020
| Possible interviews and confirmation of successful applicants
|
w/c 16th November 2020
| Welcome to Be SMART Induction event
|
w/c 30th November 2020 | Mentee Training and Induction
|
w/c 7th December 2020 | Meet the Mentors Event
|
*Please note some dates might be subject to change (and we will inform you immediately of any changes if they occur) and due to COVID-19 restrictions, these will be taking place online. Further details will follow.
I have questions:
If you have any questions please email: careers@stmarys.ac.uk with the subject header 'Be SMART'
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