Sophie (BA Graphic Communication 2013) and her mother Julie (BA Business Admin with French 1979) launched HelloGrads.com in 2016, when they set out to support students and graduates in negotiating life after university. They had found that there was no singular resource that would provide unbiased advice to new graduates.
Together, as a new graduate and the mother of two new graduates and a student, Sophie and Julie set to tackle the gap in the market and started their business.
Since launching seven years ago, HelloGrads has supported thousands of young people through its dedicated website and social media channels as well as bespoke events.
The website offers information on everything from signing rental agreements and career direction to dealing with stress and managing savings.
Over the years, many people suggested they should consolidate all they’d learnt and share it in a book and, after the coronavirus pandemic struck, they felt the time was right.
They teamed up with two more alumni, Chris Gilleard (BA Illustration 2013) who has illustrated the book, and Lizzy Tasker (BA Graphic Communication 2013) who worked on the page layouts and artwork.
The book offers a one-stop shop for navigating real-world challenges that all new graduates face when leaving university. Whether it's about finding a job, relocating, moving home, or financial security, Julie and Sophie have brought it all together in Survive & Thrive, offering graduates the answers before they even have the questions.
Find out more about HelloGrads.com online. Survive & Thrive is available on Amazon.