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Can you remember what it was like being 14 and 15 and thinking about your first work experience or internship? Your first interview?
Urban Synergy and 56 volunteers from London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) took the sting out of the process for some 120 children by delivering Mock Interview & Speed Mentoring at a Lewisham school this March.
LSEG’s Graduate Associates took part in the event as part of the Ignite 2024 programme from multiple divisions including: Post Trade, Capital Markets, Technology, FTSE Russell, Data & Analytics, Sales, HR and Corporate functions.
Our CEO, Leila Thomas, who also worked as a tech professional at LSEG, said: "It's important that our young people get access to our mock interview and speed mentoring opportunities as it helps them to align their skills and school subjects with careers and also helps to boost their confidence."
Dressed for interviews
The 120 students who took part in the event were in Year 10 (aged 14-15 years) and many came dressed for the interviews with their CVs at the ready.
The students also had the opportunity to get career insights and information on career pathways from the Speed Mentoring session and received some top tips from the graduates including challenges experienced along the way. The students also had the opportunity to hear about graduates’ roles at LSEG and different career and education pathways.
Knowing what you want to do
The LSEG volunteers mentioned that many of the students already had some idea of their future careers but also got additional information from the event.
It was an enlightening event for both the students and the volunteers. Thank you to the LSEG Early Careers team for coordinating the graduate volunteers, thank you to the graduate volunteers and also to the teaching staff at Prendergast Vale School.