Get the BrookesEDGE and boost your employability
Want to boost your CV and improve your employability? Then BrookesEDGE is for you! By taking part in activities outside your studies you can earn the BrookesEDGE certificate and stand out in the job market.
What is BrookesEDGE?
BrookesEDGE is a co-curricular (or extracurricular) programme run by the University and Brookes Union. That means it involves things you do alongside your degree, such as mentoring other students, organising an event or making a video. It’s available to all students at Brookes.
If you log at least 50 hours of BrookesEDGE activities, you’ll be eligible for a certificate that you can add to your CV and talk about in job interviews. You can complete these hours throughout your time at university - there’s no deadline and you can work at your own pace.
Why should I join BrookesEDGE?
- It will enhance your university experience. Joining in with activities outside your course means you’ll meet more people and make the most of your time at Brookes.
- It takes skill and commitment to balance your outside activities alongside your studies. We think this should be recognised and rewarded.
- BrookesEDGE doesn’t just show you what activities are available to you - it will show you the skills you are developing and how to demonstrate them to employers.
- We’ll provide you with a certificate of achievement that can boost your CV and give you lots of good examples to talk about in job applications and interviews.
How do I find and join activities?
Visit the BrookesEDGE webpage to browse and join a wide range of activities, each of which will help you demonstrate at least one of the following UNESCO competencies:
- Systems thinking competency
- Strategic competency
- Critical thinking competency
- Futures thinking competency
- Integrated problem-solving competency
- Collaboration competency
- Normative competency
- Self-awareness competency.
You can also propose your own activities - for example, doing a work placement or volunteering in the community.
What do employers say?
Panashe Gumbo, Ebury financial services
“Being able to show that you’ve worked towards something like BrookesEDGE can make you an appealing candidate to employers. It demonstrates that you’re adaptable and keen to learn new skills, which is always a plus. I graduated from Brookes in 2019 so I know that entering the corporate world can be intimidating - it helps to have these experiences behind you.”
Hannah Vine, Wenn Townsend chartered accountants
“In our client-focused industry it’s really important to be able to communicate well and to have the confidence to accept that you can’t always have all the answers. Those kinds of soft skills that you learn outside your studies are really valuable. Job interviews are best when they’re a conversation, so having a wide range of experiences to talk about can only be a good thing.”
Any questions about BrookesEDGE?
Visit the BrookesEDGE webpage to find out more, or email brookesedge@brookes.ac.uk if you have any questions.