Define Me city tech walkabout

Define Me – YouthNet's online tool that turns hobbies and interests into job-ready skills – is live! To celebrate, YouthNet hosted an all-day event for the young people involved in its creation.

by The Mix Staff

Monday 30th November 2015

Define Me was developed with the help of a group of our young people. They were amazing and we couldn’t have done it without them, so as a thank you for all their hard work we organised a day of events, talks, and lots of eating!

The day started with a breakfast launch at Rochelles Canteen to introduce Define Me to journalists, charity workers and bloggers. We then went to several different offices to give our young people a feel for the working world and do a spot of networking.

Catherine, one of the young attendees, has written a fantastic blog on her experience. Here’s what she had to say…

Creating Define Me

I was excited to be involved in creating something that could help make myself and others like me appear more employable to employers. We were from different backgrounds but had a similar story: we’re students and graduates struggling to find employment within our field of study.

On the launch day I brought along two of my friends who were in the same boat. I was hoping that the experience would help them regain confidence and motivation to follow their passions too.

Kicking off the day

The day began with a fabulous full English breakfast and meeting some staff from YMCA, who gave us some names of recruitment agencies. During the afternoon, we shifted back to Old street to meet Kat from BuddyApp. I was excited to hear about the medical diary app they were developing, but slightly disappointed that it wasn’t available to the public.

The next stage of the day involved us going to Apps for Good to meet the staff and hear the story of their career journeys. Personally, I found Rachel’s story inspiring and relatable –especially hearing about how much effort she put into polishing her skills, doing internships and networking.

Time for a bit of networking

We ended the day at DigitasLBI for a casual group chat with the recruitment team. After hearing Rachel’s story I was brimming with confidence, so fired away questions and picked up some handy tips on cracking the creative industry. I found it amusing how most of the staff’s previous jobs were a complete contrast to their current. I was told the key to success was to have a good portfolio showing personality, knowing how you would fit into the company and what you would offer. At the end of the day I picked up some business cards. (By the way, they have the most amazing work toilets!)

Final thoughts

Since completing the program I’ve been more determined to brush up on my skills, work on my portfolio, and spend every free day working on various mini projects. I’m feeling positive and my outlook has completely changed; something that used to feel like a chore is now enjoyable.

Working with YouthNet on the Define Me project has truly been one of highlights of this year. It’s given me so much motivation and hope of being able to succeed in reaching my career goal. In the past I’d often be hesitant and shy away from an opportunity for fear of failure. Now I have the confidence to approach people and jump at opportunities.

I have learnt that the future doesn’t always play out on a linear path. We have to be patient and willing to take alternative routes in order to reach our end goal.

Many thanks to the YouthNet team!