Talyn Hushon - Graduate Scheme Case Study

Talyn Hushon graduated with a degree in History in July 2025 and has secured a place on the Impact Local Government Graduate Scheme as a Graduate Management Trainee.

What does your graduate job or graduate scheme involve?

My graduate scheme will involve working with the leaders of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, with the main aim of making the Liverpool City Region a better place to live and visit.

Why did you decide to apply for a graduate scheme?

I applied for the graduate scheme as I had an interest in working for local government. I found the graduate scheme through the announcements which were published on canvas via the Student Futures team. I applied via the local route, which meant that I was guaranteed an interview with my chosen council (in my case, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority!) if I was to pass the other stages. Additionally, this particular graduate scheme offered the opportunity of working towards a level 7 qualification in Leadership and Management. This added qualification would be beneficial when applying for future job roles, thus opening more doors for me!

What are you looking forward to about your job when you start?

One thing I am most looking forward to is working in a job which focuses on making Liverpool a better place to live. As someone who has lived in Liverpool all my life, I am really connected to my city and have seen first-hand the struggles people have faced.  I look forward to assisting the changes which will make the city a better place for all. I also look forward to gaining experience in four separate departments within the LCR, and being able to pick those departments myself. I feel that gaining experience in multiple areas will allow me to figure out what it is exactly that I am most passionate about. Finally, I am most looking forward to gaining a level 7 qualification alongside my working responsibilities.

What did the application or selection process involve, and how did you prepare for each stage?

The application process involved multiple stages, competing with both current students and graduates across the country. The first stage of the application process was a standard form, followed by a situational judgement test (SJT). To prepare for the test, I completed practice tests online which gave me a sense on how to best answer the questions. The next stage was the completion of a video interview, which I had to record myself. I was not aware of the questions beforehand, and you were only given one chance to re-record answers, so the pressure was on, however, the video went smoothly. After passing this stage, I was invited to attend a virtual assessment centre which was 4 hours long. It consisted of three different stages: a written task, a group task and an individual presentation task. To prepare, I attended a virtual workshop ran by the Impact team, which gave me tips on how to best tackle the assessment centre stage. Finally, the last stage was attending an interview with my chosen council which occurred virtually. To prepare for this, I attended a virtual workshop which was ran by a Graduate Scheme training company, and I practiced how to answer questions using the S.T.A.R method.

Did you access any support from the Student Futures team during your time at LJMU?

I completed an internship with Hayley Fallon from the Student Futures team during the summer of 2024.  The internship really helped to prepare me, especially for the interview stage for the graduate scheme. I was also in-contact with Hayley via email, who offered her support to me during the process.

What relevant work experience, skills, volunteering or Student Union activities did you use during the selection process?

During the selection process, I often referred to my recent job role as a student staff member at JMSU (John Moores Students’ Union). Given that the particular job I was applying to was based on making life better for the Liverpool community, I was able to link this to my job with the Students Union as my role was centred on making life better and easier for fellow students.

What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability?

Firstly, I would advise students to sign up with Unitemps in the Student Life Building. I joined Unitemps at the end of first year and from that point I have completed a wide variety of jobs, all of which have given me something to talk about in interviews. Unitemps is completely flexible, which is good for those students who may have a part-time job or other commitments. Secondly, I would advise students to book a careers meeting with a Student Futures staff member at the very least once per academic year. At these appointments, students can have their CV's checked for possible improvements which would increase their chances of securing a job after university, as well as asking advice on how to get into a certain type of career.

Would you do anything differently in terms of your employability if you were a first-year student again?

I would definitely engage with the Student Futures team more. As a first-year student I was unaware of the services on offer at the university, as I was mainly concerned with adjusting to university life. However, the Student Futures team have been a significant part of my employability journey and are one of the main reasons I was able to succeed in the Graduate Scheme process.

How has studying your specific degree subject at LJMU helped you to develop the skills, knowledge or experiences that will help you in your future career?

Studying a humanities subject taught me how to critically analyse, a skill which is of great importance when dealing with real-world issues. This particular skill will help me in situations where I am asked to offer my input on a particular situation impacting the city, and how it can best be solved. Studying history has also taught me how to work as part of a team, as the course involved completing several group projects. This experience will help me when having to work with fellow graduates on the programme, as well as when working with other team leaders. Studying a history degree has also made me much more aware and educated on societal issues, knowledge which will be of great use to me in my new role.

Any other advice you would give to LJMU students around careers and employability or your own experiences not covered in these questions?

My main advice would be to give the application a go, even if you don't think you'll succeed! I almost did not apply to this graduate scheme, as I had never completed a SJT before and automatically assumed I would fail. However, this was not the case and with each stage despite assuming the worst, I actually succeeded! Therefore, my advice would be to give it a go, even if you think you'll fail!

Support from the Student Futures team 

If you want to talk about potential careers options with your degree, need help finding opportunities or want support with your CV, application forms or preparing for an interview, you can get advice and guidance by booking a 30-minute 1-2-1 careers meeting with a Careers and Employability Adviser from the LJMU Student Futures Team.  You can also come along to a Careers drop-in or CV Café which take place weekly at the Careers Zones for quick careers queries.

If you are thinking about starting a business, freelancing, pursuing a side-hustle or have an idea that you want to explore further, email the Start-up Hub and a member of the team will be back in touch, or visit the Start-up Hub website.

For help finding part-time, temporary or casual you can fit around your studies, email the Unitemps team or visit their website.