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Student Profiles

Our students have varied backgrounds and different reasons for studying at Warwick. Find about more about their experiences and motivations in these student profiles.

Find out what Coaching student, Alan Denton, has to say about his Master's course.

This video was filmed in July 2016. All opinions expressed are the student's own.


Discover how a Postgraduate Diploma in Career Development and Coaching Studies has helped Stephanie Rix develop her career prospects:

This video was filmed in September 2015. All opinions expressed in the video are the student's own.

kirstenKristin Midttun

MA Career Education, Information and Guidance in Higher Education

"After working four years at the Career Center at the University of Oslo, I had a strong wish to develop my professional competencies and contribute to further development of our services in new ways. The lack of graduate training for career service positions in Norway made me look to UK and The University of Warwick. Having started my two first CEIGHE modules, I feel that I’m already getting what I was looking for: new knowledge of career theories, increased awareness of important policy issues and inspiration and ideas on how to enhance my own and my institution’s practice. The follow up from staff at Warwick has been excellent, and the meeting with UK career practitioners on the attendance based course very fruitful."

"Being a mid-career counselling professional in India with a loyal base of students I had guided in the past, I wanted to augment my understanding of this field. I researched the MA CDCS and its detailed curriculum. The international flavour and class leading theory promised to give me a fresh perspective in this field. Besides, The University of Warwick has an international reputation for academic excellence. I touched based with Phil McCash and was overwhelmed by his friendly approach and the patient way in which he apprised me about the course structure and explained the full scope of the programme.

I have attended two modules and greatly benefited from the interactive workshops as well as the interesting assignments. The curriculum provides a 360 degree approach to counselling. It helps you to draw out both the conscious and subconscious driving factors which propel your client’s career. Its enquiry-based rather than prescriptive approach puts students at ease. I received this feedback during some of the preliminary counselling sessions I have undertaken both as part of my course as well as with real time clients. The flexible format and focus on practice supported by theory are certainly the key highlights of the programme. Though I am more of an executive student at Warwick, the international friendly environment and supportive staff makes it a privilege to be part of this course."

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Aparna Bhalla

MA Career Development and Coaching Studies

marka
Mark Armitage

MA Career Education, Information and Guidance in Higher Education

"Having worked for several years in school leaver careers advice, I moved to a careers guidance role in Higher Education at the University of Exeter. I thought it would be an opportunity to gain a second careers qualification more relevant to my work with degree level students. Gaining the MA has been a combination of improving guidance and group work skills with the addition of a master's level dissertation researching Exeter graduate employability and related graduate recruiter policies.

Gaining the MA has given me a stronger practical and theoretical basis for my work with students employers and academics. It also contributes to my roles in AGCAS such as training staff new to guidance and acting as a mentor to others doing a careers based qualification. I have had excellent support and feedback from university tutors and the contact with my AGCAS colleagues and trainers is of great value."

The Sahil Project, based in Coventry, provides a range of practical and emotional support for women from black minority communities especially from the Asian sub-continent. Shaheen Akhtar, in conversation with Phil McCash, discusses her plans for helping these women develop their careers as part of her MA in Career Development and Coaching Studies.

Read more about Shaheen and The Sahil Project.

shaheena
Shaheen Akhtar

MA Career Development and Coaching Studies

1412 Tom Lakin CDCS Student Profile
Tom Lakin

Resourcing Partner, Visa Europe
MA Career Development and Coaching Studies

"Having worked in talent acquisition roles for much of the past 10 years, I was keen to deepen my knowledge of coaching, particularly in a career development capacity. The MA in Career Development and Coaching provided a blended approach of face-to-face and distance learning which fitted in with my employment and the focus of the course combines theoretical and academic approaches with practical implementation.

I intend to offer private career consulting services upon my graduation so Warwick’s excellent reputation and status in the business community was also appealing to me. The quality of teaching and course structure has been outstanding and the broad range of experience and knowledge of my classmates has been invaluable."
"I chose to study the Postgraduate Certificate in Career Development and Coaching Studies as I liked the flexibility of the modules and the distance learning element. This allowed me to easily manage both full-time work with studying. For me, I started this course with some experience in careers guidance but I certainly think since gaining this qualification it is has opened doors.

Although I have found the course challenging, I have grown in confidence. I particularly enjoyed the coaching module as I liked the practical element of this course and the opportunity to reflect on my own delivery. My future plans are to further develop as a practitioner and I would like to move into higher education with a focus on placements."

1412 Melissa Adams CDCS Student Profile
Melissa Adams

Postgraduate Certificate in Career Development and Coaching Studies