In the questionnaire I created concerning the challenges faced by Chinese art graduates during their transitional period, I discovered that a majority of respondents either haven’t used or are unfamiliar with the school’s graduate support resources. Considering my research goal of better assisting Chinese art graduates in finding balance during their transitional phase, I reached out to UAL Graduate Support and had a discussion with Seema.
During our conversation, Seema provided invaluable advice on how to find more stakeholders. She suggested methods like reaching out to alumni individually through LinkedIn – a slower but accurate approach to target my desired audience. She also shared recommendations for other expert resources, significantly enhancing my subsequent research efforts.
Seema also highlighted that September tends to be a period of heightened anxiety for many graduates. As new students begin their studies, recent graduates grapple with the challenge of securing employment.
In my survey, I identified a gap between students and the school’s resources. Seema delved into this aspect as well: UAL Graduate Support offers one-on-one guidance, but many individuals still fail to access it, with the silent majority possibly being even more significant. I believe this issue is common among Chinese graduates due to language-cultural differences and unfamiliarity with the UK education system. Consequently, they might not proactively seek support or utilize school resources. I view bridging this gap and making Chinese students aware of available resources as vital research directions. I aim to delve further into this issue, as it’s an essential avenue for helping stakeholders.
Seema’s emphasis on the individual connection aspect of graduate support sparked inspiration in me. As a result, I incorporated one-on-one interactions in my intervention, testing their efficacy in building relationships with stakeholders.
Seema’s guidance has been immensely beneficial, and I intend to maintain contact with UAL Graduate Support, sharing my research findings. I hope that my future research can establish a deeper collaboration with UAL Graduate Support, further aiding my stakeholders while offering the school a student perspective and addressing the needs of the graduates, supporting their endeavors.