Leading up to our Employability Fairs, Staffordshire graduate Rich Bishop tells us how it was more than just a degree that got him where he is.
Staffordshire graduate Rich Bishop tells us how it was more than just a degree that got him where he is.
Today, as I sit here, at 27 years of age, I run my own IT consultancy, I work with customers all over the world, I've employed 10 guys to work for me, and been involved in countless projects including medical devices, radio stations, and I currently chair a €1.6 million EU funded project helping small businesses succeed.
In all that, has anyone ever asked to see my degree certificate? No. In fact… I don't even know where it is.
The key to progressing in life is not to just have a First Class Honours degree (I actually got a 2:2), that just shows you can read and write… What you need is experience. To get that, you need to put yourself out there!
While I was at Staffs, I took advantage of any opportunity I could find; I presented on radio which stood me in good stead for running radio stations later. I became an officer of the Students' Union which meant I had huge exposure to what it was like to sit in board meetings, follow agendas, and make difficult decisions involving thousands of people. I took part time jobs in everything from cleaning out the halls of residence and serving in the shops, to being a project manager and running Welcome Week - which gave me a taste for all sorts of different kinds of work and a decade of employment experience squeezed into 3 years.
I'm not saying do what I did, to be honest I probably took on too much. However, while you've got the chance and the safety-net of the University and Students' Union around you - try new things, get yourself out of your comfort zone, take on challenges and find out as much as you can as quickly as you can. Just having a degree on a piece of paper will open some doors, but having demonstrable real life experience will get you everywhere else.
Rich Bishop
BSc (2:2 Hons) Internet Technology and Mobile Computing, Stafford Campus
Web, IT and Technology Consultant, Rich Bishop Ltd
Our Employability Fairs take place on Friday 7 November in the Henrion Gallery Space in Stoke and on Tuesday 11 November in The Student Space, Stafford.