Insights

As young people face an increasingly competitive job market, supporting their career development has never been more crucial. In celebration of Career Development Month, we are proud to highlight our ongoing partnership with Fulham Cross Academy. Over the past two years, we’ve had the privilege of working with bright and motivated students as they explore career paths in communications and other sectors.

Many of the students we work with at the Academy come from a diverse range of backgrounds, including those from Afghan and Ukrainian communities, families eligible for free school meals and students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. Our commitment is to ensure that every student has access to career development opportunities from Year 10 through their job applications.

Aligned with the academy’s emphasis on STEM and empowerment, we are proud to support initiatives that offer valuable industry insights, help students develop critical skills and prepare them for a broad range of future career paths.

Here are a few of the initiatives we collaborate on:

Mentoring Programme

Our mentoring program pairs Hawthorn professionals with Year 13 students for monthly guidance on career planning, goal setting, and soft skill development.

‘Working with Hawthorn has been a great asset for me as my mentor has helped me with what I could potentially do for my future and has given me useful advice also in how to manage the stress I have when it comes to my exams which has worked. I have really enjoyed my time being mentored by them and very grateful for the opportunity.’

Cadi, student at Fulham Cross Academy

University Applications Workshop

Through a mix of workshops and group discussions, our team helps guide students through the university application process, offering insights on university selection, crafting personal statements and meeting application criteria.

‘Hawthorn’s mentoring scheme has acted as a great support tool for my journey into university. For instance, discussing university options and CV improvement. The personal statement support has been the most helpful as I was provided with a clear framework and an amazing starting point. I was also provided with a range of examples of successful personal statements from Hawthorn employees themselves which was quite informative.’

Tabasom, student at Fulham Cross Academy

Empower Breakfasts

Hawthorn joins the students for breakfast or presents in an assembly to have a discussion with the students (ages 11-18) about career paths. Sharing personal stories, overcoming challenges and answering students’ questions.

One-Week Placement

Hawthorn offers students hands-on experience, where they join the team to shadow various roles and departments across the business. To give them comprehensive overview of career opportunities in communications.

‘During my work experience at Hawthorn, I improved on many valuable essential skills such as an increased confidence when presenting to a group as well as my research skills. I am more educated on how to research specific topics and relevant sites. Furthermore, Hawthorn helped me build my presentation creating skills. For instance, focus more on simplistic slides and expand while presenting rather than having an overload of information.’

Tabasom, student at Fulham Cross Academy