Inspiring a new generation
There are six ways everyone in the IP professions can get involved with promoting a career in IP to a new audience of young people next month.
Outreach projects, work experience opportunities and open days are just a few activities IP Inclusive plans to implement during IP Inclusive week: Careers in Ideas.
Introducing IP as a possible career to a wider audience of young people is essential to creating a more diverse profession – Careers in Ideas Week intends to do just that.
At Careers in Ideas Week on 16th-22nd November, you can expect:
- Webinars that will provide IP professionals with skills, tips and resources they need to carry out outreach activities in schools and universities
- An online careers clinic with the IP Futures community, which will include; Q&A opportunities, guidance on job applications, interviews and workplace skills.
- Joint activities with the IP Federation and its members focused on improving social mobility and access to the IP professions.
- Social media activity, for example blog posts and tweets, to share ideas and celebrate what’s being done.
IP Inclusive will run features on relevant charities, particularly those who support under-represented groups such as BAME students, disabled people and women in STEM, or who focus on social mobility and access to the professions.
IP Inclusive said on its website:
“These charities will help us make sure that Careers in Ideas Week does the right things, in the right way, with the people who need it most”.
Volunteer for Careers in Ideas Week
Help increase the diversity intake in the profession.
IP Inclusive has provided some examples of how you can help so that you be part of Careers in Ideas Week.
Send IP Inclusive your photo!
IP Inclusive are creating a collage of IP professionals’ faces, to help the sector project a more diverse image. You can include accessories, clothing, props or backgrounds that signify something important about your identity.
Give a careers talk
Reach out to a school, college or university that you’ve not worked with before. Find places that might not otherwise have heard of IP, and whose students have not traditionally ended up in this field.
Careers in Ideas has databases of schools, universities and outreach charities to help you choose where to offer help.
Share your expertise
Write a blog post about your experiences doing careers talks, open days and other outreach work.
IP Inclusive also need people to write and/or take part in panel discussions with tips for aspiring recruits about the job application process.
If you’re involved in recruitment, either in-house or as an external consultant, or if you’ve recently joined the profession, IP Inclusive want to hear from you.
Become a mentor
Visit IP Inclusive’s featured charities for ideas about how you can mentor and support individual students.
As someone who’s made it into the profession, there’s so much you can offer in terms of insight and encouragement.
Don’t underestimate how rewarding it could be to share it.
Join the Careers in Ideas team
IP Inclusive has working groups responsible for the website, social media, resources and for building relationships with organisations upstream of the IP professions.
If any of the above sounds of interest to you, you can contact the Careers in Ideas Week team at [email protected]
There will be more information in the coming weeks about IP Inclusive’s Careers in Ideas Week.
Click here to find out more ways to get involved on the Careers in Ideas Week page