On Thursday 6 March, a group of recent graduates from Meridian Institute gathered for a careers masterclass with Marcus Delany, Managing Director at Brightwell Talent Partners. Drawing on his experience in executive search and recruitment, Marcus offered practical advice on building a professional profile, navigating applications and interviews, and approaching opportunities with clarity and confidence.

The session struck a chord because the instinct behind it is well supported by evidence. Marcus's emphasis on being deliberate from the outset echoes recent workforce research, which shows that prioritising mentorship, embracing continuous learning and sharpening skills helps early-career workers build confidence and lay a foundation for long-term growth. He was also quick to take the pressure off the room — employers don't expect first-time professionals to have everything figured out on day one, and what stands out is a willingness to learn and a focus on building skills and relationships.

Much of the conversation turned to the digital side of a professional profile, where small details matter more than people assume. As Marcus put it, a strong online presence does the early work for you: it gives recruiters something to find before you even apply, signals credibility that a résumé alone cannot convey, and builds a network that surfaces opportunities before they are publicly posted. He pointed to simple, high-impact choices, noting that people with a professional headshot on LinkedIn receive far more profile views than those without. Because recruiters tend to search by keyword, he encouraged graduates to feature industry terms in their headline, summary and experience to make themselves easier to find, and offered a practical trick: study the job listings you actually want, note the words and phrases that recur most often across them, and use those keywords yourself, since they are the terms recruiters use to find candidates.

The attendees were highly engaged throughout the interactive workshop and continued the conversation over supper in the campus courtyard. As Imogen Hartley (Diploma of Business, 2025) reflected, "I gained valuable insight into how networking and professional presence shape opportunities early in your career. It was an insightful and motivating session that reinforced the importance of being intentional and well-prepared when applying for roles." That sense of presence as a genuine advantage came through strongly on the night, with recruiters and hiring managers now looking beyond qualifications and a candidate's personal brand increasingly influencing their decisions. For someone just starting out, that levels the field: you may not yet have a long track record, but you can be deliberate, visible and clear about the value you offer.

The connection continues well beyond a student's final day at the Institute. Opportunities like this offer practical guidance as graduates begin their professional journeys, with honest advice and real-world insight shared by those a few steps ahead. Thank you to everyone who supported this new initiative by the Meridian Graduate Network — we look forward to building on this theme and offering other professional-development workshops to our community in the future.