“They gave us the wings to fly” - students celebrate completing the High Flyers programme

Coventry University London offers postgraduate students the chance to join the High Flyers programme, which helps students to go further with their business skills and shine professionally. Students on the High Flyers programme have the opportunity to take part in skill-building workshops, networking sessions, and be mentored by industry professionals. This week, the latest group of students to complete the High Flyers programme celebrated with an end of term event.

James Terzeon, Senior Lecturer in HRM and co-ordinator of the High Flyers programme, introduced the event with an overview of the programme, followed by a presentation by the High Flyers themselves. Some of the aspects of the programme that students found particularly useful were help and guidance with the job application process, network training, interview preparation, and CV writing advice.

Students especially enjoyed the opportunity to build their networking skills, finding that it enabled them to be more self-confident and self-aware when promoting themselves as business people, communicating professionally with a variety of people while considering broader perspectives. One student highlighted that the course gave her the confidence to attend a JP Morgan networking event on her own, not something she would have been able to do beforehand.

Vignesh Sasindran, one of the High Flyers, was happy to have been able to meet real business people, including CEOs and directors of companies, through the workshops and events offered by High Flyers. Mansi Doshi, another student taking part in the programme, found the interview preparation extremely helpful, enabling her to highlight her strengths, skills and experience in an interview, and demonstrate how these would be of vital importance to the employer.

Following the students’ presentation, Janet Hannah, CEO and Pro-vice-chancellor of Coventry University London, gave a speech highlighting the importance and success of the High Flyers programme in supporting students’ professional development, prior to an informal reception with refreshments allowing the students to celebrate their achievement.