The Guardian Sessions Room 

Tuesday 17 June

1pm - Making the most of your gap year: Volunteering and developing your skills set
As the popularity of gap years among graduates has increased, so too has the range of opportunities. But since you only get one shot at this, how can you make sure you make the right choice for you, and your future career?

• Matt Carter, Branch Staff, STA Travel

• Kitty Reading, Volunteering Project Manager, Worldwide Volunteering

• Diarmaid McDonald, Campaigns and Fundraising Officer - Volunteered with VSO, Student Partnerships Worldwide

• Dr Prue Chamberlayne, co-founder, Kanaama Interactive

• Isabel Choat, Deputy Travel Editor, Guardian News and Media (Chair)

2pm - But which sector? An insight into working in the Private, Public and Third sectors
Recent research suggests more graduates are seeking the security of a public sector career as we head into an economic downturn? But is it the best place for your skillset?

• Elaine Smethurst, Manager, Working For a Charity

• Paul Campbell, Urban Designer, Design For London

• Rob Farace, Resourcing Manager, Cancer Research

• Alison Benjamin, Deputy Editor SocietyGuardian (Chair)

4pm - Working in media in the digital age: What does the landscape look like?
Search engine optimising, videocasting, tagging, linking, seeding – let us help you decode the new digital media age and explore its opportunities.

• Daniel Rowles, Joint Managing Director, a-i digital/Site Visibility

• Alex Hens, Head of Digital Strategy, Thirty Three

• Mike Parsons, Managing Director, Tribal

• Sara Linfoot, Group Head of Content Solutions, Guardian News and Media

• Kevin Anderson, Blogs Editor, Guardian News and Media (Chair)

Wednesday 18 June

2pm - The global workplace, environments and sustainability
Salaries and pensions are no longer enough – graduates want to work for well-respected employers with bulletproof records on environmental and social responsibility. But how do you track down these organisations, and persuade them to hire you?

• Ann-Marie Wimshurst, Senior Sustainability Consultant, URS Corp

• Andy Hobsbawn, Co-founder, Do the Green Thing

• Diana Verde Nieto, Chief Executive Officer, Clownfish

• Jo Confino, Head of Sustainable Development and Guardian Executive Editor (Chair)

3pm - Media movers and shakers: Marketing and advertising career opportunities
A career in advertising means you could be dreaming up ideas for ads or placing them online, on TV or in the press. But how can you improve your chances of being among the 1 in 10 job applicants who wins a job in this competitive sector?

• Marc Sands, Marketing Director, Guardian News and Media (Chair)

• Ian Redman, Account Director/Managing Partner, PHD

• Jonathan Tapper, Account Director - Honda, Wieden and Kennedy

• David Fisher, Strategist/Head of Guardian Plus, Guardian News and Media

• Jules Griffiths, Director of Communications, Somerset House

 4pm - The hook: Broadcast, digital and print journalism
The stars of Fleet Street used to be outsiders with questioning non-establishment minds who forced themselves up the greasy pole. But now that it’s become a more respectable, graduate career, what are the new rules for getting yourself (and more importantly, your story) noticed?

• Jenny Kleeman, Freelance broadcast journalist, Channel 4 Dispatches

• Kevin Anderson, Blogs editor, guardian.co.uk, Guardian News and Media

• Dean Piper, Celebrity and Entertainment Columnist, Closer

• Paul Lewis, Staff reporter, Guardian News and Media (Chair)

• Dr Cecilia D'Felice, Psychologist, Writer, Broadcaster, Big Brother, Psychologies