Careers Support at NCH
The NCH Careers Support Team work closely with students from their first year at the College to identify and support career goals and ambitions.
Our careers support programme has been designed to teach students how to succeed in the different aspects of marketing themselves to potential employers, from initial application form to final interview.
Dedicated Careers Counsellors work one-to-one with students to help identify ambitions, to develop a personal narrative and plan for personal and professional experiences that make NCH students compelling candidates.
Our highly experienced Careers Advisors specialise in a wide range of sectors including professional services, government, creative industries, law and banking
Our advisers have first-hand experience of the arts, industry, commerce, law and nonprofit organisations, meaning they are ideally placed to guide you, no matter which path you choose.
We offer one-to-one support, as well as a programme of lectures, guest speakers, interactive workshops, in addition to this, we also have a vast alumni network.
A Degree of Success
Personal tutorials underpin academic pedagogy at NCH and careers support is delivered in the same way. You will be assigned a member of the careers team who will provide support, guidance and advice.
Careers advisers at NCH will assist as you consider what you would like to do on leaving the College. They will help you create a persuasive narrative and work out what experience or skill gaps need to be filled to make you the most credible candidate you can be. Together students and advisers will work on CVs and cover letters. The adviser will give tips on networking and managing a contact strategy with target employers.
Students will seek advice concerning applications, how to manage an assessment day and interview techniques.
The success of these relationships and techniques is borne out by the outstanding outcomes NCH students achieve.
A different approach
Careers lectures are a key part of your studies at NCH.
We want you to succeed, so you must attend the careers lectures and complete assignments, alongside your degree.
Topics include: how to find a career that’s right for you, CVs, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, self-branding, application forms, networking, mock assessment centres and interviews.
You will also have a tailored one-to-one careers session each term, with a specialist adviser who matches your interests, as well as the choice to opt to attend mock interview sessions and/or mock assessment centres.
Law Career Development Pathway
NCH offers a unique and comprehensive career development pathway for Law students, tailored to specific professional aspirations.
Through one-to-one careers counselling combined with seminars, workshops, and guest speakers, careers advisors guide and support you in choosing and preparing for your career, nurturing you through your applications for training contracts, vacation schemes and pupillages.
NCH Network Opportunities
At New College of the Humanities, we’re proud to be at the heart of a community of brilliant, entrepreneurial and enthusiastic graduates, academics and professionals who together make up the NCH alumni. The NCH alumni network demonstrates that the experience of joining a small, intimate college not only renders life-long bonds with peers and faculty, but also provides the foundation for global partnerships and cooperation.
Employer events & evenings
NCH hosts regular employer events and evenings which provide an invaluable opportunity to network with the many employers and organisations interested in hiring graduates from NCH.
Alumni network
NCH alumni work for a wide range of organisations and sectors. We arrange formal evenings, where alumni come in to present to and network with current students. We supplement these events with personal introductions relevant to specific interests of individual students.
Northeastern University employer network
NCH graduates benefit from access to a network of 3,000 companies through our global partnership with Northeastern University.
Careers Counsellors
The NCH Careers Counsellors have experience across a vast array of sectors; tech, start-ups, television & media, marketing, law, banking, management, charities, NGOs, creative industries and the arts, education, hospitality and recruitment. Some also offer entrepreneurial advice as successful Founders and Co-Founders in their own right.
Vaibhav Rustagi - Director of Careers
Before joining NCH, Vaibhav headed up the global employer and alumni engagement offering at Hult International Business School. Prior to that, he was the head of their post graduate student recruitment function in Europe.
Viabhav has an MBA from Hult, a BA from the University of West London and an Associate degree from Glion Institute of Higher education. With over 15 years of experience in client and account management, he uses his personal network to contribute to the experience of current students and alumni in terms of creating opportunities for employment and learning.
Gaby Becker - Careers & Placements Lead
Gaby manages and presents NCH’s careers lectures and seminars and offers expert advice on internships.
She has extensive experience in the creative industries, tech and start-ups and supports students interested in these career paths.
Gaby manages additional specialist advisers to ensure NCH offers a comprehensive careers provision.
Gaby holds a BA (Hons) from the University of Warwick.
Ursula Smartt, JP - Careers Counsellor (Law) & Lecturer for the Law LLB
Ursula Smartt holds a BA in English and German from the University of Hull, a PGCE from the University of Hull, a MA in German Politics and Social Policy from the University of West London, a CPE from the University of West London and a Master of Philosophy in Social Policy and Criminology from the University of Hull. Ursula has been a Lecturer in Law at the University of Surrey, the University of West London and the University of Portsmouth.
Alongside her teaching, Ursula was awarded a Visiting Professorship in Comparative Criminal Law at the Max Planck Institute, Freiburg, Germany in 2001 and was appointed Justice of the Peace in 2003. She has conducted extensive research and published a number of books, journal articles and given papers across the globe. Ursula has also worked with the BBC, writing a number of articles and featuring on Radio 4’s Women’s Hour. See full profile.
Ursula advises NCH students who are interested in pursuing a career in Law.
Rebecca Maccabe - Lecturer in Professional Education
Rebecca has a background in education and is an experienced teacher. She advises students interested in a career in education.
Rebecca holds an MA from the University of Warwick and is currently studying a PhD at Lancaster University.
Specialist Careers Counsellors
In addition to the core Careers Counselling team’s expertise in business, creative industries, start-ups, NGOs, law, recruitment, teaching, academia and hospitality, we have further specialists in banking, finance, management consultancy, general management, NGOs and FMCG marketing.
We also have coaches for those students who need extra help in identifying their career paths and for those requiring small business advice.