From Campus to Confidence: Helping Cambridge University students make their mark
- Susan Room
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
October 2025 - Last week I had the privilege of running, at Christ’s College Cambridge, a Make Your Mark Confidence & Communication Workshop for Cambridge University’s Women in Business Society (CAMWIB). Convened by Events Director Jiajia Liu, a Natural Sciences student with a keen eye for organisation, the session was designed to help members handle interviews, internships, and first roles with confidence and presence.
After introducing my Make Your Mark with Susan Room® framework - four pillars of confident communication: mindset, body language, speech and voice - we discussed the importance of mental, physical, verbal and vocal skills in the workplace.
By the end of the session, we’d raised self-awareness, tried practical ways to stay calm under pressure, and discussed tips to show up, speak up and make a mark authentically.
As ever, I learnt as much from working with these students as they graciously said they learnt from me. Not least, they strengthened my belief that making business voice coaching accessible to young people pre-workplace not only significantly benefits them, but it makes eminent commercial sense too.
Below I share three of the themes we touched on, and practical tips for each.
Please pass them on to young people in your life.
3 tips for successfully managing the transition between education and the workplace
1) Start early: build skills before day one
The transition from education to work can feel like going “from the top of the tree to the bottom of the pile.” That’s normal - and navigable - when you see yourself clearly and remember why you’re there. To do this:
Reframe your value. Organisations hire you for your fresh eyes, cutting-edge knowledge and your unique way of joining the dots—no one connects them quite like you.
Name the narrative. When you hear your inner critic shouting “You don’t know anything / You don’t deserve to be here,” label it as self-doubt, not truth.
Collect evidence. Keep a running list of your achievements and positive feedback, and review it regularly and especially before applications, interviews and during the first weeks.
☑️ Micro-habit: Once in role, each day, write one sentence about what you did that day to help your colleague/the team/employer.
2) Staying true to your style in male-dominated spaces
We discussed keeping your authentic energy in environments that may not mirror you - and using your voice to support that authenticity. To do this:
Notice and release tension. Muscular tension, anywhere in your body (toes, belly, shoulders, neck, jaw, tongue…), affects the sound of your voice. Notice and release tension.
Smile with intention. Smiling makes you approachable and likeable. It also raises pitch and invites interruption. Choose when and how much you smile.
Access your lower pitch. Do this by practicing, in private, making the non-verbal “er” sound (or your language’s equivalent) then speaking your first sentence.
☑️ Body language cue: Soften the knees, lengthen the spine, widen the collarbones. This frees the breath and steadies the voice.
3) Assess the culture before you say “yes”
A shiny website, job description and package are only part of the story. Culture is how people think, speak and treat each other when no one’s watching. To sense-check culture:
Listen to the voices. Are questions welcomed? Do juniors contribute in meetings—and are they credited?
Gauge autonomy. Can people dress as they choose? Are flexible ways of working respected?
Watch interactions. How do seniors engage with juniors? Not “as equals” in hierarchy, of course, but as humans with potential - future leaders in the making.
☑️ Practical step: Ask interviewers, “Tell me about a time a junior team member influenced a decision here - what happened next?” The answer you hear will be instructive.
Three takeaways for students entering first roles
How you feel about yourself - and how you make others feel - is as important as your CV.
Say yes to practice. Take every opportunity to build mental, physical, verbal and vocal skills; confidence is a trainable muscle.
See yourself as a peer in purpose (not rank). If someone treats you poorly, it may be because they see you as a threat.
Thanks, Jiajia and the inspiring CAMWIB members for the invitation, thoughtful questions and fantastic energy. Thanks also to Dr Doirean Wilson, Esther Stanhope, Melody Hossaini and Rita Kakita-Shah who joined me for a post-workshop panel discussion, skilfully moderated by Jiajia, and the formal dinner in the historic Gonville & Caius College - a memorable finale to a brilliant CAMWIB day.
The Business Voice Coach
Want to boost your early-career talent’s soft skills?
Mitigating nerves, speaking with clarity and using the voice effectively are just some of the many topics I cover in my Make Your Mark with Susan Room® framework.
Check it out if you’re an HR or L&D professional wanting to boost your people’s ability to make a lasting, positive impact.
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