BEING SEEN

A number that could be replaced​

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"I felt really unvalued, really unseen. I wasn't even sure that I was living actually my life. I was working so hard and I just knew that I am just a number

and I can be replaced really easily."

 

RECOGNITION

Discovering that thinking is her superpower

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"I was surprised that I can think that much — and my thinking is my great power. I'm more uncertain now, but in a confident way. Uncertainty doesn't scare me that much anymore."

 

INITIATIVE

Learning from what goes wrong

 

"The beauty of NWC is that I can make a mistake and learn from it and it will be a great gift. It's trial and error — and now I know, and I can do it differently."

 

REWARDED

A network she no longer fears

 

"I'm no longer afraid of where I'm gonna get my network from. They're all here. I can ask anyone — because we're not going to be students here forever. We're going to be seniors."

BEING SEEN

Lost in London, applying into silence

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"I had recently moved to London, did not know anyone, didn't have a job. I was just going out all the time trying to keep busy because I didn't have anything to work towards."

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RECOGNITION

Seen for the first time by people who didn't have to say it

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"I was getting praise from other people — people that you don't feel obliged to say it. That's what made me grow more confident in myself and my talents."

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INITIATIVE

Discovering she could lead

 

"I can lead. I've just never had the opportunity to. But also I've never been confident enough. It showed that I can."

 

REWARDED

Tangible evidence of who she is

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"I've now got very tangible evidence of my work — evidence of what I can do and what I'm good at. I've got more belief to present that to employers."

BEING SEEN

Searching in a tunnel for a light

"It's like when you're in a tunnel and you're looking for a light. And you just want to get to the light, but you can't find where the light is. That's how I was feeling."

 

RECOGNITION

Discovering she was a connector

"I didn't really know that I could be a connector for people. Being in an environment where people are open to suggestion — I realised I had that skill."

INITIATIVE

Her idea on a shirt

"We came up with the new chances thing. And then the next week James had already put it on a shirt. I was like — oh my god, we came up with that. Your thoughts are valued for what they are."

REWARDED

The programme as a springboard, not a finish line

"It's not like a step out of this directly. It's through this that I'm going somewhere. There's very few people in the job market today who can say that I've actually done something of my own."

BEING SEEN

Going around the rat race

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"I was questioning what is it that I can figure out — probably going around the rat race people are talking about. Just trying to find a job and not really do something valuable that actually adds to your character."

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recognition

Creativity that could become income

 

"I knew I was creative enough, but did not know how to get that work out. I started exploring AI with NWC and so much so that I actually made an income out of it. I freelanced — and had a client."

 

REWARDED

Optimistic instead of frightened

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"It has definitely made me very optimistic about everything — rather than being confused and frightened about the job market in London."

BEING SEEN

Life felt super repetitive

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"No matter how much I tried, I couldn't find anything. Life felt kind of repetitive — every Tuesday and Thursday I have uni, and then I'm at home not doing anything. Life felt just super repetitive."

 

RECOGNITION

From introvert to collaborator

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"I used to hate group projects. But when I got to NWC I didn't have a choice — and I realised that when I'm working with a team, it's so much better. The different opinions and perspectives — it's a lot more fun."

 

INITIATIVE

A deeper way of thinking she didn't know she had

 

"It sorted sparked something within myself to start looking at things in much deeper thought and deeper meaning. I never really thought of myself to think about things that much. It really surprised me."

 

REWARDED

Never skip the random emails

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"The first thing I know now is to never skip out on those random emails you get. Because sometimes it can turn out to be something so good for you — like NWC was for me."

BEING SEEN

Lost, uncertain, applying blindly

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"I would say lost. Not sure. Am I even doing the right thing? What even are my skills? What's my stronghold? Are my ideas good? Are they any good? Are they valuable? Do I think the right way?"

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RECOGNITION

Rediscovering confidence she had lost

 

"I developed stage fright and completely lost touch with speaking and saying my thoughts out loud. When I got here, I discovered that I can be good at leadership — leading a team or a discussion."

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INiTIATIVE

A feeling

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"I made it for myself, cutting, arranging, piecing together images at a moment when words weren't enough to describe what it feels like to be a part of NWC"

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REWARDED

A relationship, not a programme

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"It's more like a relationship and you keep coming back to this place. Even if the programme is finished, I would love to contribute — even if it's not paid. Because I want to keep it going."

BEING SEEN

Fragmented identity, torn between directions

 

"I felt quite fragmented in my identity — mainly in finding my interest and purpose professionally. I had feelings of struggling with where I fit in professionally with my personal interests."

 

RECOGNITION

Better at collaborating than he thought

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"It made me realise something positive about myself — that I am actually decent at collaborating with people, understanding people, having patience with people and taking time to listen and learn."

 

INITIATIVE

Articulating himself better than he expected

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"There were times where I was impressed by the way that I answered and communicated my ideas. I was growing in confidence in communication — better than I expected."

 

REWARDED

Understanding his real identity

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"Understanding my real identity — in what I want to get out of my professional career and where that aligns with my personality. That's what I would take from NWC and beyond."

BEING SEEN

Life was good — but she wanted to explore everything

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"I'm just in a position where anything I see, I'm signing up. Going anywhere, doing anything. I want to try everything — so that from having that experience, I'll learn more about what I want to do."

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INITIATIVE

LinkedIn actually worked

 

"I always thought I'm not gonna get anything out of LinkedIn. But by being a bit more open-minded, by just saying give it a go — it worked. I surprised myself because it actually worked."

 

REWARDED

The why behind everything

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"You need to think about why you want to do something. Before, I just kept doing things because you're supposed to. But you should do things that you want to do and what benefit that has to your future."

BEING SEEN

Anxious overhwlemed - watching everyone else seeming to know

 

​"I felt a lot of anxiety and really overwhelmed with the idea that I have to find work in an environment where people are not hiring — especially with a degree that is being outsmarted by AI. I can see people saying you have to do this, this, this and this — and me not being able to do all of that. It was quite overwhelming."

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RECOGNITION

Discovering she didn't know what she didn't know

 

"Coming here highlighted skills that needed improvement that I didn't know needed improvement. There was stuff I thought I had under control — and it wasn't. I realised I pause a lot during my sentences and that could cause confusion. I didn't know I did that as much until I started working here."

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rewarded

Pushed into spaces she didn't know she needed 

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"I think the skills you learn in the programme you will use after. Because it forces you to get outside of your comfort zone — regardless of what your comfort zone is. It forces you, even if you don't want to, to go into areas you didn't want to do."

BEING SEEN

Four months with nowhere to go

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"Summer holiday is four or five months at Queen Mary. I did try looking for jobs but most of the places I applied to were around the university — and they have basically a policy saying if you're a student, we're not gonna hire you. That's literally what I've been told."​

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RECOGNITION

Events are more complex than he thought

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"Coming here and realising — oh my god, there's a lot more stuff than just organising a ping pong tournament. It's not just I've got an idea, let's make it happen. It's how are you gonna get people to come, how are you gonna advertise, how are you gonna pay for it. Going — why not?"

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rewarded

Speaking more than he expected

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"I generally just listen more. I don't really speak that much. But last week I was talking more than I was listening — and that surprised me. I felt more vocalised."

BEING SEEN

Knew what he wanted, didn't know where to start

 

​"I always wanted to be an entrepreneur, but I wasn't sure about how to start. NWC is giving me confidence about entrepreneurship — and I think it will help me in the future."

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RECOGNITION

Freedom he hasn't seen before

 

"I don't see that kind of freedom that people have here at NWC. It is not like other workplaces where there are set rules and set things that you have to do. You're a bit flexible to execute what you want."

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