Content Director, Emma Oliver, returned to the lecture theatre to share industry comms insights with students at Loughborough University’s Business School.

1284 Communications was invited by Director of Student Experience Rachael Mabe, who also chairs CIM MIdlands, to deliver two guest lectures, focussed on how undergraduates can start professionally evidencing their skills.

Emma has three years of experience teaching at the University of Sheffield’s School of Information, Journalism and Communication, where she specialised in digital media, building a personal brand and creating professional business plans. Prior to that she was a Programme Leader in Journalism at the University of Derby.

Over two days in Loughborough, Emma spoke to undergraduates from Marketing, Management, Finance and Accounting, International Business, and Business Analytics, focusing on how to communicate skills effectively and plan a successful career. 

She provided practical advice including:

• How employers rate transferable skills and the importance of selling yourself
• Why personal branding matters and how to form a plan and execute it
• Creating a network on Linkedin by interacting with relevant professionals
• Showcasing personal skills such as problem solving and critical thinking, adaptability, emotional intelligence and resilience - essential assets in today’s workplace.

Rachael said: “Emma delivered an engaging and highly practical session on careers and employment skills, and using LinkedIn professionally for our second-year business students. 

“The session combined expert insights with actionable advice, to help our students to start thinking strategically about their career development.”

Rachael commented: “Emma broke down complex topics - from building a personal brand to optimising LinkedIn for visibility - into clear, relatable steps that can be applied to students across business disciplines. The interactive activities and real-world examples kept our students engaged.

“Student feedback was overwhelmingly positive, praising Emma’s approachable style, clarity, and deep understanding of how digital tools shape modern recruitment. “We were delighted to have her share her expertise and would highly recommend her as a guest speaker.”

Emma said: “It was fantastic to see such enthusiastic students taking a proactive approach to their personal development. Helping the next generation of professionals understand their value and how to communicate it is something I believe makes a real difference.

“I was really impressed with the students who came to speak to me afterwards about their plans for their future and asked for advice on how to reach their goals.”