In November 2009, Manchester Metropolitan University with Manchester Digital hosted a Professional Development Day (prodevday) for students interested in discovering the Digital and Creative Industry Sector in Manchester. The purpose of the day was to show current and recent graduates what Manchester has to offer in terms of careers, placements, internships, part-time work, study and mentoring. A whole host of exhibitors from industry attended and gave their views on CV's, along with advice on graduate career progression. As part of the event, cameras were issued to students to 'crowd-source' the day and attendees were encouraged to tweet under the tag #prodevday09.

The success of #prodevday09 was repeated in November 2010, with extremely positive feedback from students, employers and tutors about the format and "buzz" surrounding the event.

The format of ProDevDay has evolved over the years, but informality, networking and a shared passion for digital remain critical success factors. We hope the videos give a flavour of the event and we would encourage others contemplating employer-liaison events to co-design them with the sector so that they reflect the culture, values and style of doing business.

You can read further reflections on ProDevDay here from Nicola Critchlow of the SRC Project and MMU Careers.