How you can get involved

Who can take part?

We’re looking for a wide range of hosts, to showcase the diversity of career opportunities available. Whether you are a self-employed freelancer or working at a global corporation, you can get involved if you are:

• a former University of Edinburgh student or representing an organisation which employs Edinburgh alumni who are interested in connecting with students.
• sympathetic towards the challenges facing lots of students as they enter the workplace.
• at any stage in your career. From the recently graduated to those with extensive experience in their sector; we welcome involvement from all alumni as students want to hear from as many perspectives as possible.

What you can offer

Our alumni hosts are only expected to give their time and share their expertise.  We provide briefing and support for our alumni hosts at every stage of the Insights Programme. This includes discussing with you what to expect in advance of talking to our students, including the types of questions they may ask. 

Your own personal career story is extremely valuable and students find it very beneficial to hear about your experiences and ask questions.  There are opportunities to get involved with either our online or in-person activities.

Online Insights

Online Insights opportunities include:

• 30-minute virtual 'Coffee Conversations' with small groups of students during their Insights development workshops, typically hosted in February. 

In-person Insights

In-person visits take place during "Insights Immersion Week" which is typically the first week in June.

For our in-person Insights you should be:

• based in Scotland or in one of our current host locations around the world.
  • The 2024 host cities were London, Boston, Washington DC and New York. 2025 host cities will be announced by November 2024.
• able to host a group of 10 students at your workplace, typically for two or three hours 

As an alumni host, a workplace visits is a great way to provide students with an insider’s overview to how your company is set up or how a workplace operates. How you choose to share your insights is up to you but we can help you design the experience to make sure everyone makes the most of the opportunity.

We recognise that the "workplace" is changing. If you do not have a physical workplace, or if your workplace has concerns about hosting 10 students, perhaps for confidentiality or safety-hazard reasons, please speak with a member of the team and we can discuss ways we can help. 

Get inspired

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In-person Insights experience examples:

• workplace tours and visits
• informal Q&A discussions and conversations
• panel discussion with you and your colleagues from various departments of your organisation

Find out what other alumni hosts have offered.

We held a small food reception so the students could enjoy local Hong Kong food, while talking to colleagues. It was good spending time talking to the students, talking freely about not just their career interests but also their student life in Edinburgh.

Jamain