Failure is just part of the journey; lean into your errors and keep going forward. Don't stress out about things not going your way — I was a kitchen porter and handed out leaflets outside the station after university and still ended up doing ok!

Gen is a Team Leader in the Vulnerable Children Taskforce, currently working in the UK Government. In his current role, he works on child exploitation, youth crime and child refugees. Prior to this, he worked on trade diplomacy and Brexit as a Desk Officer in the Department for International Trade and in the COVID-19 Crisis Response Team in the Department for Business. Before joining HM Government, he worked in the international development sector including the Inter-American Development Bank and as a consultant.

He co-founded the UK Government's first Asia Network in response to the hate crimes happening during the pandemic, and sits on the Civil Service Race Forum, having been heavily involved in shaping and promoting the UK Government's Diversity and Inclusion agenda. He is also an instructor for the Army Cadet Force and is passionate about all things mental, spiritual and personal growth.

Do excellent work always, but it's equally important to focus on your relationships. You will need the help of others to progress and, by the same token, always take the opportunity to help those who are new or who would benefit from your expertise.

Working at the crossroads of strategy, public policy, and transformative technology, Melissa is responsible for leading Access Partnership's efforts in addressing the impact of immersive technology and virtual worlds. This includes conceptualizing and managing our Policy Innovation Hub and Policy Labs (Metaverse and AI).

Don't worry too much about where you start. You will most likely switch roles as you better understand what you enjoy doing. Treat your career as a journey.

Following his studies at LSE, Zaheed spent the early part of his career working as a headhunter before training at Herbert Smith Freehills where he qualified as a technology lawyer. Zaheed spent time at some at a boutique technology law firm working with startup businesses before moving in-house at US technology company Rackspace. He is currently working in-house at Google within its cloud business.

Internal initiatives:

• Advancing Black Careers LSESU Society: The Advancing Black Careers Society provides a platform for Black students at LSE to participate in a wide range of career development activities such as networking events, panel discussions and skills development sessions.

• LSESU BME Mentoring Programme: The BME Mentoring program at LSE connects black and ethnic minority students with alumni mentors to foster support and guidance for personal and professional growth. Through structured mentorship, participants engage in regular meetings with mentors from July to November and receive guidance on various aspects including academic and career support.

• ACE PGR Initiative: LSE's Attaining Comprehensive Equality in Postgraduate Research Initiative builds on the work undertaken at undergraduate level by the Widening Participation team. The scheme emulates the principles of LSE’s existing Access and Participation Plan - which focuses on reducing barriers to accessing higher education at undergraduate level. The scheme provides tangible support to UK postgraduate research (PGR) candidates from minority ethnic backgrounds who are underrepresented at PGR level in several UK universities, including LSE.  

External initiatives:

• Rare Recruitment: Rare Recruitment offers a platform dedicated to facilitating employment opportunities, including internships, open days, and training sessions, specifically tailored for students from ethnic minority backgrounds. Through partnerships with firms, Rare Recruitment equips students with skills training aimed at enhancing their professional profiles. 

• Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) London: SEO London is a UK charity, provides educational, training, and mentoring support to young people from low socioeconomic and ethnic minority backgrounds. Since 2000, they have facilitated career access across global industries, collaborating with leading corporations to offer industry insights, employability support, and exclusive job and internship opportunities. Their initiatives aim to advance workplace diversity and inclusion while fostering the long-term success of our alumni in key positions within prominent organisations.

• upReach: upReach is an award-winning social mobility charity founded in 2012 that have that supports undergraduates from lower socio-economic backgrounds to access and sustain top graduate jobs. Working in close partnership with leading employers and universities, upReach has delivered a programme of one-to-one coaching to eligible undergraduates. They currently provide personalised support to 3,000 students from across the UK, helping them to discover different career options, and develop the vital skills, networks and experiences needed to succeed in their chosen career and beyond. 

• Bright Network: Bright Network is a high-growth media tech platform changing the way undergraduates and graduates connect with leading employers. With over 300 firms already on board, Bright Network enables companies to reach and recruit a diverse and inclusive pool of high-calibre talent.

• BYP Network: BYP network was founded in 2016 to harness the power of the black community. Through AI powered platform 'Javelin' they connect Black professionals to personalised career opportunities such as jobs, mentorship, events & content based on their career goals.

• Inclusive Graduates: Inclusive Graduates is the not-for-profit arm of Inclusive Boards. They work with undergraduates and professionals from underrepresented groups. Through their A-CAN (African Caribbean Alumni Network) campaign they have direct access to over 20,000 role model black undergraduates and recent graduates across the UK.

• 10,000 Interns Foundation: The 10,000 Interns Foundation exists to challenge the under-representation of Black talent in the workplace through its internship programme, its Black talent network and its training and development opportunities. The Foundation also provides support for socio- economically disadvantaged and disabled students and graduates both within and beyond the internship programme.

• Parity Project: The Parity project seeks to improve the employability and employment outcomes of Young Black Men living in London. By utilising the skills and expertise of corporate volunteers, ELBA will deliver a range of interventions that support greater labour market engagement and participation among Young Black Men, and raise awareness of and vital access to sustainable career opportunities. The offer the young men corporate insight tours and visits, networking seminars and employability sessions with industry professionals, in addition to mentorship, work placements and shadowing schemes.

• Eagles Graduate Programmes: Eagles is a six-month, paid graduate development programme. It is a unique opportunity for recent graduates to join a top London firm and gain up to three weeks of inclusive training, giving them the tools and experience to build a career in the City.

• Migrant Leaders: Migrant Leaders is an independent UK registered charity that inspires and develops disadvantaged young migrants across the UK to broaden their horizons and capture opportunities well beyond their aspirations, through the knowledge, skills and confidence their programme provides to take on leadership roles in major public and private sector organisations.

Sector specific:

Banking and finance

• Uncovering Prospects: Uncovering Prospects is an annual event for high potential students of black heritage, which will be held virtually in 2022. Students attending will be due to graduate in 2023 or 2024, and will be interested in exploring internship opportunities in the City of London. Through informative presentations, panel discussions and informal networking, this virtual event offers attendees the chance to learn from professionals working at the world’s top City firms. It’s a unique opportunity for students to come along and discover the graduate programmes and penultimate year internship opportunities available at a wide range of organisations.

Creative industries, including journalism

• Creative Access: Creative Access is a social enterprise providing career-long access, opportunities, support and training to make the creative economy better reflect society. For individuals from communities under-represented in the creative industries, they provide career inspiration through events, role models and mentoring, access to careers through CV clinics, paid internships and jobs

• Journalism Diversity Fund: The Journalism Diversity Fund (JDF) awards bursaries to people from diverse backgrounds who need help funding their NCTJ journalism.

• Mama Youth: MAMA Youth offers a series of training programmes throughout the year to create training programmes that equip young people with the skills to become work ready and gain employment within the broadcast and media industries.

Law

• Aspiring Solicitors: Aspiring Solicitors helps aspiring trainee and qualified solicitors from diverse backgrounds prepare for and secure work placements, vacation schemes, training contracts and Associate roles with some of the UK and Ireland's top law firms, legal departments and in-house legal teams.

• Black Solicitors: The Black Solicitors Network is the primary voice of black solicitors in England and Wales; committed to achieving equality of access, retention and promotion of black solicitors since 1995.

• B.U.I.L.D.: The Black Undergraduate Internship and Lawyer Development programme helps to provide work experience and mentoring opportunities for talented students (university level and above) from the Black community available from A&O Shearman.

Public relations

• Taylor Bennett Foundation: The Taylor Bennett Foundation is a charity that exists to encourage black, Asian and minority ethnic graduates to pursue a career in communications through their award-winning PR training programme, and internship and mentoring programmes. 

Non-profit

• Charityworks Fast Track: The Charityworks Fast Track is an opportunity to gain professional development experience in preparation to launch a professional career in the non-profit sector as well as fast-track access to the Charityworks Programme.

Psychology

• The BiPP Network: The Black and Minority Ethnics in Psychiatry and Psychology Network provides a community for registered and prospective mental health professionals who self-identify as Black African or from the diaspora, Caribbean or mixed heritage to acquire social, emotional, psychological and developmental support. They work to advance the representation of Black people in psychiatry and psychology by hosting events and activities which address and tackle racial inequalities in the mental health profession, as well as providing advice, guidance and consultancy to organisations who wish to advance racial equity, diversity and inclusion.

Science

• BBSTEM: BBSTEM is a non-profit organisation campaigning for balance and representation of Black individuals in science, technology, engineering and maths. They aim to encourage, enable, and energise individuals in business, industry, and education to widen participation and contributions of Black individuals in STEM. They inspire the young Black British generation to pursue STEM subjects in university and beyond and they aim to have Black parity in the UK’s STEM workforce, from school to the highest level in industry.

Networking and mentoring are invaluable tools for university students, particularly those from Black, Asian, and diverse heritage backgrounds. These initiatives provide essential support, guidance, and access to opportunities that can significantly impact academic and professional success. Below are some networking and mentoring resources you can explore:

• Global Majority Mentoring Programme

• Before heading to a networking event, check out our networking webpage

Read our blog: 'Navigating inequity in the workplace'

Read our blog: 'Creating diverse and inclusive workplaces'

Blog by LSE Volunteer Centre: ‘Take Action: Black Lives Matter’

Choosing an inclusive employer is crucial for your career and well-being. Inclusive workplaces value diversity, treat everyone with respect, and offer equal opportunities for growth. Working in such environments boosts job satisfaction, supports your career development, and contributes to a positive work culture. 

Researching an employer to gauge their inclusivity involves several steps. Here's a guide:

• Company website: Start by visiting the company's website. Look for sections on diversity, inclusion, or corporate social responsibility. Companies committed to inclusivity often highlight their initiatives, policies, and diversity goals on their websites.

• Annual reports and press releases: Check the company's annual reports and press releases. Look for mentions of diversity and inclusion efforts, such as diversity hiring initiatives, employee resource groups, or diversity training programs.

• Employee reviews: Websites like Glassdoor (link) or Indeed (link) provide employee reviews that can offer insights into the company culture, including its approach to diversity and inclusion. Pay attention to comments related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. You can also reach out to current or former employees through professional networks like LinkedIn. Ask about their experiences with diversity and inclusion at the company and if they feel the company is genuinely committed to inclusivity.

• Social media: Follow the company on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram. Look for posts related to diversity events, employee spotlights, or DEI initiatives. Engage with the content and see how the company responds to diversity-related discussions.

• News and media coverage: Search for news articles or media coverage about the company's diversity initiatives or any controversies related to diversity and inclusion. This can provide additional context about the company's stance on inclusivity.

• EDI professional networks: Look to see if the organisation has an internal network for specific groups.

• Industry awards and rankings: Check if the company has received any awards or rankings for diversity and inclusion, such as being listed in the DiversityInc Top 50 or the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index.

• Diversity programmes: Some companies have diversity programs that gives students from underrepresented backgrounds exclusive work experiences.

By conducting thorough research using these methods, you can gain insights into an employer's approach to diversity and inclusion and make informed decisions about whether they align with your values and preferences.

Here are five websites to get you started:

• DiversityLink: Inclusive Jobs

• My GWork

• Inclusive Companies' 2023 rankings

• Inclusive Companies: Inclusive Top 50

• Social Mobility's Employer Index report 2024

• Equality Act 2010 webpages

• UK Equality & Human Rights Commission