CAREERS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
STUDENT CONSULTANCY PROGRAMME
PROGRAMME TIMETABLE 2025
09:30 – 12:30: Welcome Session Woodlands 2&3, Student Centre
WEEK 1
(W/C 10 FEBRUARY)
WEEK 2
(W/C 17 FEBRUARY)
14:00 onwards: Meet & Greet slots
Confirmed by email
09:00 onwards: Meet & Greet slots Confirmed by email
13:00 – 14:00: Becoming a confident team
Zoom link / ID: 986 2697 1633
17:00: Deadline for team roles to be decided and Career Lab team notified
11:00 – 12:00: Student Consultancy drop-in (optional) Careers and Entrepreneurship stand, Student Centre atrium
WEEK 3
(W/C 24 FEBRUARY)
WEEK 4
(W/C 3 MARCH)
09:00 – 17:00
Practice Presentation slots available Student Centre or online
15:00 – 16:00: Student Consultancy drop-in (optional)
Landscape 6, first floor Student Centre
Midway Meetup in week 2
11:00 – 12:00: Student Consultancy drop-in (optional) Careers and Entrepreneurship stand, Library café
13:00 – 14:00: How to deliver a business-style presentation to a client
Zoom link / ID: 939 3819 0582
Practice Presentations in week 3/4
17:00: Deadline for the Career Lab contact to book Practice Presentation slot with Career Lab team
09:00 – 17:00 Practice Presentation slots available Student Centre or online
09:00 – 10:00: Student Consultancy drop-in (optional) Landscape 6, first floor Student Centre
Practice and Final Presentations in week 4
11:00 – 12:00: How to put your consultancy experience on your CV and next steps
Zoom link / ID: 969 5309 9503
WELCOME TO THE CAREER LAB STUDENT CONSULTANCY PROGRAMME
The structure of the programme
The Student Consultancy Programme has been designed to offer third and final year undergraduate students, and postgraduate students, the opportunity to gain work experience tackling a live business challenge set by an external organisation You will learn how to develop a project, work in a team and deliver your findings to a client in a supportive setting.
For the Spring 2025 programme, there are 125 student consultants who have been split into 25 mixed discipline teams. You will have been allocated your student team and project brief Please note that we did our best to accommodate a project match based on your preferences, but also considering the available project briefs and mixed degree backgrounds
Each student consultant will contribute approximately 20 hours in total across the 4week period (10 February– 7 March). This could mean approximately 5 hours a week, but in the nature of group work, part of the challenge will be to allocate tasks and work flexibly with each other, whilst considering each other's additional commitments and locations.
During the programme, you will attend:
Session title
Joining instructions
1. The Student Consultancy Welcome Session Monday 10 February, 09:30 – 12:30, Woodlands 2&3 in the Student Centre
2. Your Meet and Greet with your project client on day 1 or 2 (10 or 11 February) - online
Arranged with the Career Lab team by email
3. Becoming a confident team – online Tuesday 11 February, 13:00 – 14:00, Zoom link / ID: 986 2697 1633
4. Midway meetup in week 2
Arranged between the student team and client
5. How to deliver a business-style presentation to a client - online Tuesday 18 February, 13:00 – 14:00, Zoom link / ID: 939 3819 0582
6. Practice Presentations in week 3/4
Arranged between the student team and Career Lab team. There is availability 26 February – 3 March (not including the weekend).
7. How to put your consultancy experience on your CV and next stepsonline Thursday 6 March, 11:00 – 12:00, Zoom link / ID: 969 5309 9503
8. Final Presentations in week 4
Arranged between the student team and client
To benefit most from the programme, you are encouraged to attend all sessions, which are exclusive to Student Consultants.
Where possible, presentations and training materials will be circulated.
Information for international students with a student visa
If you have a student visa to study at Sussex, you must make sure that you deduct the equivalent of 20 hours from your working allocation. An example of how to work this out is below:
PART-TIME CONSULTANCY PROGRAMME (4-week)
WEEK 1
Deduct 5 hours
Deduct 5 hours
Deduct 5 hours
Deduct 5 hours
For more information, visit Working while studying and contact the International Student Advisors for further guidance.
“The Student Consultancy Programme was an invaluable experience. Gaining experience in a field I am interested in pursuing was valuable already, but learning to work with a group of people I had not met before has improved my communication and teamworking skills.
On the month-long project, I worked with a team of four other students for Liberty Glasses. Our challenge was to evaluate the feasibility of establishing kiosks in different malls, where they would be able to sell their glasses.
Understanding where my own knowledge of Economics can fit into a project, and coordinating with my team where best their knowledge can be used for different sections of our proposal has improved my understanding of how to collaborate effectively. These soft skills will be used for the rest of my career.”
- Cristopher, Economics BSc and Student Consultant
BEFORE YOUR FIRST DAY
To prepare for your Student Consultancy Project, please carefully read the following:
Review the project brief
Spend time researching the organisation and/or sector to put the project brief into context before starting the programme. Do not be concerned if there are words or concepts you do not initially understand; your team members will likely feel the same and together you will meet your project client at your Meet and Greet to ask preliminary questions. It may seem daunting to work in a new field, but all briefs have been created with that in mind. This is a chance for you to develop your research and analysis skills in a new area.
Bursary payments – check your bank details
All student participants are entitled to a bursary payment to help contribute towards your living expenses. The current value of the bursary for Spring 2025 is £252 (£12 60 x 20 hours, equivalent to the UK real Living Wage)
Your bursary will be processed during the final week of the programme Please note that it takes roughly 5 working days for your payment to appear in your bank account. You should expect payment by Sunday 16 March at the latest.
Students must ensure that Sussex Direct contains up-to-date bank details before the start of the programme to ensure correct processing of your bursary:
1. Log into Sussex Direct
2. Go to personal 3. Go to financial 4. Go to ‘your bank details’
5 Click add
6. Type in your bank details
7 Click save
If you encounter difficulties updating your details on Sussex Direct, please immediately contact the finance desk (studentaccounts@sussex ac uk – for bank detail changes) or SSRO (ssro@sussex.ac.uk – for home address changes).
Please note that failure to complete the consultancy programme may affect your bursary payment
Update your Zoom account
During the programme, your Meet and Greet and online sessions will be hosted on Zoom. Please update your Zoom to the latest version.
ON YOUR FIRST DAY
Student Consultancy Welcome Session
On your first day as a student consultant, you will be introduced to the programme, attend essential training, and meet your fellow student consultants and project client Please ensure that you arrive promptly for the Welcome Session.
Monday 10 February 09:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Woodlands 2 and 3 in the Student Centre
Refreshments: Hot drinks will be provided from 09:30, please bring a reusable cup. You can access the water tap in the student kitchen in the Student Centre and bring your own refreshments.
Environment description: Students will sign in and sit in their allocated teams (there are 25 teams of 5 students). You will be told your team number and introduced to your fellow student consultants by email before the programme starts Each table will be labelled with your team number, and support from staff is available throughout the session (please speak to anyone with a lanyard) There will be a mix of presentations and team activities.
of the welcome session
To get the most out of the programme, it is important that you attend this in-person session in full
If you are unable to attend due to unavoidable commitments, scheduled teaching or adjustments, please email careerlab@sussex.ac.uk by Monday 3 February.
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Monday 10 February 09:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Woodlands 2 and 3 in the Student Centre
09.30 –09.45 Arrival -
09.45 –10.15 Welcome and programme information
10.1510.25 Hear from previous Student Consultants
Andrea Wall, Employer Engagement Manager & Jasmin Tse, Programmes Officer
Final year students: Chinatsu Naraoka, BA International Relations and Development & Curtis Etuk, BSc Accounting and Finance (Professional Placement)
10.25 –11.10 Team challenges Kira Knight, Senior Programmes Coordinator
11.10 –11.25 Break
11.25 –12.30 Kickstarting a consulting project
Make your way to Woodlands 2&3 in the Student Centre, sign in, help yourself to a hot drink if you would like one, and find your team table.
This talk will introduce you to the structure of programme and key information. You will also have the chance to ask questions.
Hear from a previous Student Consultant about their experiences on the programme and their top tips.
This interactive section will give you the chance to get to know the student consultants in your team.
Emma Konopka, Employability Officer & Jessica Eustace, Careers and Enterprise Consultant
This seminar will introduce how to effectively meet a client's brief, the importance of research and teamwork in a consultancy project, and tips on how to organise your time. 12.30 End 14.00 onward s Meet & Greets
Project clients & student teams
14.00 onward s Agree on team roles
Student teams
This 30-minute session is your chance to meet your project client, introduce yourselves, and gain further insight into the project brief. Use this opportunity to ask questions.
Student teams will need to decide on team roles and email careerlab@sussex.ac.uk by Tuesday 11 February, 12noon.
DURING YOUR PROJECT
Recommended project schedule
Week 1 (w/c 10 February)
❑ Attend the Welcome Session, Monday 10 February, 09:30 – 12:30 in Woodlands 2&3 in the Student Centre.
❑ Attend your Meet and Greet with your project client and student team (on 10 or 11 February).
❑ Confirm the date/time of your midway meetup and final presentation with the project client
❑ Attend 'Becoming a confident team', Tuesday 11 February, 13:00 - 14:00, Zoom link / ID: 986 2697 1633
❑ Decide on your team roles, and the Career Lab contact must notify the Career Lab team of the assigned roles by emailing: careerlab@sussex.ac.uk by 17:00 on Tuesday 11 February.
❑ Agree on your team’s way of working (when will you update each other, will you meet on campus or online, how often?)
❑ Gain an understanding of the key aims/objectives of your project.
❑ Discuss who in your team will focus on which objective(s) and start your research.
❑ Create a project timeline with your team.
Week 2 (w/c 17 February)
❑ Meet with your team to discuss progress and follow-up actions.
❑ Attend ‘How to deliver a business-style presentation to a client', Tuesday 18 February, 13:00-14:00, Zoom link / ID: 939 3819 0582.
❑ Prepare a progress update and start listing the questions you want to ask the project client when you meet them again at the midway meetup - it is okay to ask them how they would approach a problem if you’re stuck.
❑ Attend your midway meetup with the client. We recommend this takes place in week 2.
❑ The Career Lab contact will book your practice presentation slot by emailing careerlab@sussex.ac.uk by 17:00 on Thursday 20 February.
Week 3 (w/c 24 February)
❑ Begin collating your work and discuss as a team how you wish to present your findings as a presentation
❑ Attend your practice presentation.
❑ Make final amendments and continue to practise your presentation, considering the feedback received from the Careers team.
❑ Confirm the date, time and format of the final presentation with your client.
Week 4 (w/c 3 March)
❑ Attend a practice presentation if not already completed in week 3.
❑ Attend ‘How to put your consultancy experience on your CV and next stepsonline’, Thursday 6 March, 11:00 – 12:00 , Zoom link / ID: 969 5309 9503.
❑ Deliver your final presentation to your project client.
❑ Your bursary will be processed by the end of this final week. Please note that it takes roughly 5 working days for your payment to be processed by the Finance Department. You should expect payment by Sunday 16 March at the latest.
The Meet & Greet
The online Meet & Greet is a 30-minute session, and a chance for your project client to introduce themselves, their work, and the project brief. The Career Lab team does not attend this session We suggest asking preliminary questions to support the start of your project, for example:
• What is important to know about your industry and organisation?
• What are the key objectives/aims of the project?
• What recommendations would you like our team to provide? (if applicable)
• Can you recommend any websites or resources for us to begin our research?
• How and how often would you like our team to be in contact with you? Shall we communicate on email, Microsoft Teams etc.?
• What date/time are you available for both our midway meetup and final presentation?
• Will there be an opportunity to meet you in person? Some local project clients may offer you the chance to meet them at their workplace, whether that be for the midway meetup and/or final presentation, but this is not expected of the client
The answers to these questions will help you to determine how to structure your time effectively during the project. If you feel comfortable doing so, we recommend turning on your camera to introduce yourself to your client.
Some Meet and Greets may take place in-person, and the affected student teams will be contacted.
Points of contact:
Identify your key points of contact including the contact details of your project client, student team members, and the Career Lab team
Team roles
Each student team will need to decide and agree on team roles and responsibilities. This should include:
• Client and Career Lab contact
• Research co-ordination
• Team communication
• Presentation co-ordination
Further information about team roles will be shared in the 'Becoming a confident team' session on Tuesday 11 February, 13:00 - 14:00, Zoom link / ID: 986 2697 1633.
Each role offers students an opportunity to develop key transferable skills that employers look for, including teamwork, project management, and communication skills At the end of the programme, you will have strong, demonstrable examples of skills to add to your CV, and advice on how to add these skills and experiences to your CV will be shared during our session in week 4
The easiest and fairest way to decide on team roles is when you are all available; perhaps this can be a quick discussion before or after the Meet and Greet or at the Welcome Session.
Once team roles have been decided, the Client and Career Lab contact must notify the Career Lab team by emailing: careerlab@sussex ac uk by 17:00 Tuesday 11 February
“The main challenge was diving into the unknown field of recruiting. The task was a bit overwhelming at first, but thanks to the helpful advice from the client, we narrowed down our research and came up with a streamlined solution for their problem”
- Student Consultant
Note on conducting research
Due to time restraints, please do not conduct primary research or surveys as part of the project. Your client is aware of these restrictions. Using your critical-thinking and research skills, you should review existing literature, research, and data to make recommendations. Please contact careerlab@sussex.ac.uk if your project client asks for primary research
The midway meetup
In week 2, all team members and your project client will attend a midway meetup, which you will have scheduled together in week 1. This is an opportunity for the team to update the client on your research progress and to ask any questions.
Your update may spark an interest with your client, so they may ask you to research an area in more detail. Remember to consider how much time is remaining in the programme; in week 3 and 4, you will focus on collating your research and preparing and practising your presentation. If you feel that it is not reasonable to conduct all the requested additional research, you can politely discuss what is more important to the client, and therefore withdraw one topic in favour of a more significant area.
Colas is a French civil engineering company which specialises in road and rail infrastructure, with an interest in reducing their carbon footprint and promoting sustainable futures on their projects through community-focused initiatives.
My team was given a fairly vague brief with the freedom to explore existing initiatives and develop some of our own. We focused on rewilding a green space near to the site offices of the development, using local resources and information to advise on how to do this, and we compiled a catalogue of existing volunteer-led sustainability projects in Essex.
I really enjoyed leading my team to conduct this research as it was a brilliant opportunity to put the theoretical and fieldbased skills that I have gained from my degree to use in an industry setting. I learned how I can contribute to sustainable progress on a wider scale and have found that interviewers for future job and internship applications are always keen to hear about the experience.
- Grace, Zoology BSc and Student Consultant
Practice presentations
During week 3 or 4, you will attend one 30-minute Practice Presentation session, either online or in-person in the Student Centre The aim of this session is to give student teams the opportunity to practise before attending the final presentation with your project client A few friendly and supportive staff members from the Careers and Entrepreneurship team, including Careers Consultants, will attend your session to act as an audience and provide constructive feedback
You can decide if you would like to practise your presentation online or in-person; we recommend using the same format as your final presentation, so you can familiarise yourself with your chosen format and environment, such as practising the technicalities of presenting online, and assessing how to present clearly and with impact.
Your team will request a 30-minute slot between 09:00 – 17:00 on Wednesday 26 February, Thursday 27 February, Friday 28 February or Monday 3 March
• If the practice is online, the Career Lab contact will be asked to schedule the meeting (if using Zoom, please log in with your Sussex zoom account).
• If the practice is in-person, the Student Centre room location will be shared upon confirmation
The nominated Career Lab contact must book your practice presentation slot by emailing careerlab@sussex.ac.uk by 17:00 on Thursday 20 February. Please state if it will be on online or in-person the Student Centre. If it is online, have your meeting link ready.
In-person meetings
Aside from the in-person welcome session, the programme has been designed to be conducted remotely if necessary, to promote inclusive participation
Past clients, who are locally-based, have offered the opportunity to meet student teams at their workplace location, or on campus, and this is both encouraged and welcomed
If your client would like to meet you on campus, please contact the Career Lab team by emailing careerlab@sussex.ac.uk to make arrangements.
If your client would like to invite you to their workplace location, please notify the Career Lab team. Based on the location, we may be able to offer a contribution towards travel expenses
Workspaces
Student teams may decide to work together on campus. There are plenty of workspaces where you can do group work without making a booking, including:
• The Student Centre atrium
• The Library
• Various common rooms and social spaces
• The Meeting House
• Cafes
Have a look at Find a place to study on campus for more information.
The Co-Creation Space
Student consultants also have permission to use the Co-Creation Space on floor 1 in the Student Centre This space is only available to students from 09:00 – 17:00, Monday to Friday, from 10 February to 7 March. Please be aware that this space follows a first come first served policy and may reach capacity, so workspace cannot be guaranteed.
To use the space, you must collect an access card from the Student Centre welcome desk each time Whether you will be working as a team, or individually, please all go to the welcome desk and confirm your full name with your student card. The access card must be returned to the desk when you leave.
Only student consultants have permission to use the Co-Creation Space, for the purposes of conducting project or group work for the Student Consultancy Programme. Students should not invite other students into the space, nor use the space for any other work or activities
By using the Co-Creation Space, you are agreeing to the Co-Creation Space Code of Conduct.
If you are having difficulties finding space for group work, please email careerlab@sussex ac uk
“During the programme I worked with four other students for Bird & Blend Tea Co to present research findings to a company representative. Our project was specifically aimed at interventions to support business growth whilst reducing carbon emissions to net zero.
I found it fairly challenging to explore and present concepts outside of my degree due to the jargon and mechanisms involved in the fields of business and sustainability, but it was highly rewarding to deliver our final presentation knowing I had learned a lot in just four weeks.”
- Jade, Psychology BSc and Student Consultant
AT THE END OF THE PROJECT
All students are encouraged to attend 'How to put your consultancy experience on your CV and next steps - online ' on Thursday 6 March, 11:00 – 12:00 , Zoom link / ID: 969 5309 9503.
Saying thanks
Make sure that you thank your project client for the opportunity to work with them on the project. You may also want to use this opportunity to ask if they mind connecting with you on LinkedIn, or other professional networks
Feedback
The Career Lab team values your feedback on taking part in the programme to help improve the experience for students in the future. We will be in contact to ask you to complete a short feedback form
We would also encourage you to request feedback from your project client, for example, with an email, reference letter, or LinkedIn recommendation. Your project client is required to provide feedback as part of their role
Further employment and networking
Once you have completed your project, now is your chance to network with your fellow student consultants and potentially the project client’s organisation. With the explicit consent of the client, you may seek their career guidance:
• Ask about their career path and where they have worked previously
• If you enjoyed the project work and are interested in the client’s area of business, let them know that!
• Are there opportunities for employment with this employer? If so, where can you find their vacancies?
• Job-seeking – ask for recommendations of where and how to look for work in the sector
• Ask their advice about what you can do to improve your chances of getting employment in the sector.
• Seek a recommendation on LinkedIn.
Remember that all Sussex students and graduates (for three years after graduation) can continue to access Careers and Entrepreneurship support, including one-to-one careers consultant appointments, access to the CareerHub vacancies board, and attendance at online and in-person events.
WE’RE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU
If there is a problem during your project
If you feel things aren’t working out as well you had hoped during the project, the Career Lab team is here to support you. This could include discussing issues around your responsibilities, teamworking, struggling with your workload, visiting your client, or feeling nervous when presenting. Please get in touch with the Career Lab team in the first instance: careerlab@sussex ac uk
Adjustments
If you require or believe you may need adjustments to facilitate your participation in the programme, we are here to assist you. Please contact Jasmin Tse, Programmes Officer: J.Tse@sussex.ac.uk for further advice. We partner with disability and neurodivergence experts, EmployAbility, for independent support and guidance. If you would like to contact them for a confidential discussion, please register with them and then email info@employ-ability.org.uk.
Student Consultancy drop-ins
You can also chat with us at our optional Student Consultancy drop-ins during the following times:
• Wednesday 12 February, 11:00 – 12:00 at the Careers and Entrepreneurship stand in the Student Centre atrium
• Tuesday 18 February, 11:00 – 12:00 at the Careers and Entrepreneurship stand in the Library café
• Thursday 27 February, 09:00 – 10:00 in Landscape 6, first floor of the Student Centre
• Monday 3 March, 15:00 – 16:00 in Landscape 6, first floor of the Student Centre
You do not need to book and can see us individually, or as a team, to ask any questions or share your progress
If you would like an online meeting, or a confidential conversation, please email careerlab@sussex.ac.uk.
student.sussex.ac.uk/careers