Sofia Bajerova, BA History

Sofia was one of our winners for the LinkedIn Challenge earlier in the year

For the LinkedIn Challenge, I chose to identify and follow ten companies. I wanted to improve my commercial awareness, as graduate employers see this as a key attribute especially for those interested in Law. Following companies of particular interest develops my understanding of the mechanics of their industry, what opportunities they may have for students or graduates and whether I may be suited to their companies. At first it was rather difficult to research and narrow down companies that would be beneficial to follow on LinkedIn. I instantly had several ideas but wanted to make sure that I was not simply following a lot of diverse companies with little interest, so instead I focused on a few that would bring me the most valuable information.

For my second activity, I used the Royal Holloway Alumni function to identify individuals who had completed a BA History degree. While considerable care was taken to understand all potential career paths available to me, my interest in Law specifically drove a focus on seeking out those who had become lawyers following a History Degree, in order to understand the path that they took.

I found the activities invaluable. By following businesses in the sectors that I find interesting, I found out about multiple job roles that I might be suited to in the future and have continued to research these opportunities in more detail. I was able to narrow down the type of company I would like to work for. I have seen how companies and industries have responded to the crisis in terms of holding international conferences online for example and certain companies have stood out to me as having the ethos that I find important for a working environment. I found and applied for opportunities such as virtual internships, and many that I can apply for in the future, to gain experience and improve my CV. I was inspired to take up more volunteering roles such as the Citizens Advice Bureau as many people had seen this as a key stepping-stone within their legal journey.

When using the alumni function, I was able to see in detail the paths that many people took following their degree leading to different job roles - this was really interesting and hugely beneficial. I discovered routes into roles I had not thought of and a variety of less conventional methods of getting into certain roles. And throughout this experience, I have connected with many people who have gone from a history degree into law, governance or other jobs which have become of interest, such as publishing or PR.  My new contacts have been willing to give me advice on their journey, what they look for in candidates and even offer me work experience when the time is right. Conversely, I also came to know rejection from people who simply ignore messages, which at first was difficult.

Overall, this challenge has made me much more confident in using LinkedIn and I very much look forward to continuing using LinkedIn.