“The people I networked with are now the people I work with.”
“The ACE Programme was a mirror, it showed you your strengths and areas to improve.”
“After ACE, I realised I’m much more capable than I thought… I have since worked for a range of accountancy and law firms.”
Fellows of our flagship ACE Programme were last month invited to come together to recognise and celebrate their amazing achievements in Making The Leap’s Life After ACE event.
Hosted by Smart Pensions at their London offices, over 40 Fellows and Associates took part in a networking session and heard presentations from members of the Fellows board, Wumi Eyiangho, Nikita Vaghela and Danyal Bhatti, who each reflected on their life before ACE, their time on the programme, and what advice they would give others having excelled in their career since.
Our ACE Programme has been designed to equip young people from less advantaged socio-economic backgrounds with the skills, confidence and outlook to pursue their career goals. Through our three-week programme, associates will have the opportunity to engage in mock interview sessions, attend masterclasses, practice their presentation skills and gain CV tips. So far, over 75,000 young people have benefitted from our work, with 91% of young people achieving an education, employment or training outcome after completing the ACE Programme across 2022 to 2023.
To learn more about our ACE Programme visit our website here.
For more career tips and tricks, follow us on Instagram or TikTok.
And read some key highlights from Wumi, Nikita and Danyal’s talks below.
Nikita Vaghela, Junior Paralegal, BNP Paribas
“Before ACE I knew that I wanted to go into law, but I wasn’t as confident within my experience because I started off Uni within Covid. Because of that, I didn’t get any chances to go any internships or work experience.
“After coming to Making The Leap, that really boosted my confidence on how to navigate the job market. I’d say the most transformative activity was mock interviews with different companies; it gives you a gist of how it would be to do an interview with a really big company.
“Networking was my biggest highlight. I did my networking with BNP Paribas – the people I networked with are now the people I work with so every little step you take can lead to something completely different.
“The workshop equipped me with essential skills and reinforced my commitment to a legal career. I left the workshop feeling empowered and ready to take my next steps in my journey.
“After ACE I attended each Job Search Wednesday and sat there for hours looking for job roles. Job search was challenging because I faced many rejections or not getting any replies, but persistence is key.
“My advice to jobseekers is just to stay positive, build your network, refine your skills and remain open to any opportunities. Every experience moves you closer to your role.”
Wumi Eyiangho, Associate Director, CBRE
“We learned about the power of networking – be open, don’t limit yourself, opportunities can be slim so don’t limit yourself in terms of geography, look outside of London, look at different cities, Manchester, Birmingham… go overseas.
“The second thing we learnt was punctuality – be on time. The next three jobs I had, my probation was extended every single time, and it wasn’t extended because I wasn’t good or they didn’t think I wasn’t able to do the job, it was extended because I was late. Punctuality is something that feels like a drag but it’s a habit that’s formed over time – it will be a valuable tool and you can use it to your advantage.
“The ACE Programme was a mirror, it showed you your strengths but also showed you areas to improve and I think the programme was a fantastic opportunity for me in my career.
Danyal Bhatti, Business Development Manager, Clyde & Co
“I came out of university and didn’t really have much want or need to go and get a job first – I was a bit lazy. Once I did start interviewing I realised I wasn’t very good at it and kept talking myself out of a job.
“Once I completed the ACE Programme I realised I’m much more capable than I initially thought I was. I came out of the workshop with a new sense of optimism and excitement about entering the workplace. The first interview I had out of ACE I got the job – I was a Sport and Literacy Business Development Business Administrator at the National Literacy Trust. I completed it with a renewed sense of confidence.
“I have since worked for a range of accountancy and law firms working within the business development and marketing space. Now I’m a Business Development Manager at a global law firm, Clyde and Co.
“My advice is to be a ‘sponge’. When I first started my career a lot of roles I had were with just one other person in the team that had way more experience than I’ve ever had, so it’s important to learn from them and gain as much information as you can from them.
“Don’t be afraid to ask questions, it’s not a weakness to want to learn more and have confidence in your communication, know your audience and build rapport.”
