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03 Welcome to Quest 05 History of Quest07 Why Choose Quest?09 A Typical Day at Quest11 Careers Team13 Working with Us15 Social Life17 Accommodation 19 Alumni Network21 How to Enrol

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Welcome to Quest Professional. We are an independent training organisation offering a refreshing and uplifting alternative to university and preparation for working life. Many years of experience ensure that our innovative professional programmes result in real success stories.

At the centre of everything we do at Quest is a focus on building confidence within each and every one of our students: confidence to develop the key skills needed for today’s job market and confidence to help them prepare for, and ultimately embark on, a successful career.

We understand that young people need more than a suite of qualifications – important though these are – to succeed. Employers are also attracted to motivated individuals who display wider competencies such as resilience, tenacity, great communication skills and excellent team work, all of which Quest Professional courses are tailored to develop and enhance.

If you are looking for a stepping stone between school and the working world, or to enhance your employability after university, then Quest Professional could be the right place for you. We look forward to meeting you soon.

Claire Granados – Principal

WELCOME TO QUEST

“The best thing I have learnt so far and what is different about Quest is each lesson is different so I am learning things like IT, business skills, business correspondence, which are all completely new to me.” Edward Keville, Professional Diploma Programme, 2019

“There are a great group of people around and you learn things really relevant for the workplace, a lot of good skills that I haven’t learned before and building your confidence to move into the workplace.” Felix Tritton, Graduate Training Programme, 2018

“If I hadn’t gone to Quest, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to even interview for my role or pick up the phone on my first day. I feel that the skills I learnt at Quest help me daily, from speaking to clients and writing letters to updating data sheets and creating new excel spreadsheets. Quest has helped me immeasurably!” Hebe Williams, Business Apprentice Programme, 2017

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19281912 1924 2007St James’s College was founded by Monica Spencer-Munt, a private secretary to Lord Churchill. The College was named after the palace where her career began. Here Monica pioneered a course which was to become the blueprint for one of the most successful secretarial courses in the country. The 1980s and 1990s saw the introduction of professional qualifications in management and marketing, as St James’s began to align itself with modern day business needs.

Queen’s Secretarial College was established with the aim of meeting the needs of young women, excited by the opportunity of a career. Demand for a Queen’s training course soared between the Wars, when it became fashionable and acceptable for young ladies to train in secretarial skills, presentation and decorum.

In June 2007, the three colleges merged, forming Quest Business Training, known today as Quest Professional offering courses to both boys and girls. With professional training, personal development, recruitment experts and a supportive alumni network, Quest now plays a crucial part in the future success of more than 150 young people each year.

Sylvia Golledge founded the Lucie Clayton Charm Academy. Having spent time in Paris, Sylvia had observed how poise and grace gave a social advantage to young women. The early timetable was based around developing such skills, before broadening and offering shorthand, typing and flower arranging. By the 1990s, flower arranging had been replaced by advertising, finance, human resources and, of course, IT.

HISTORYOF QUEST

Quest Professional evolved from the successful merger of three highly regarded London Colleges: Queen’s, St James’s and Lucie Clayton. Each College has its own distinguished history dating back to the 1900s and a long-standing reputation for producing high-quality, excellently trained and presented young graduates.

Today’s professional training has a very different face to those early days, but Quest continues to provide an inspirational and unique environment developing highly sought-after individuals.

We are committed to remaining current, and since its creation in 2007 as an alternative to university education, Quest has continued to innovate its curriculum, maintaining a strong reputation with top-end employers and establishing strong links with recruiters. As Quest continues to flourish, we will strive to remain at the forefront of professional employment preparation.

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WHY CHOOSEQUEST?

Dynamic recruitment arm with strong links to City of London employers who favour Quest

graduates

Dedicated careers advisors offering one-to-one CV and interview

coaching

Support gaining work placements with significant

London employers, guaranteed to

enhance appeal

Exposure to a wide range of

industries, helping to consolidate career choices

Highly personalised teaching,

maximising strengths and

building confidence

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Proven employability

record - 87% of graduates secure

a job within 8 weeks (2017)

Practical classes focussing on the

acquisition of key employability

skills

Lifelong career support

Central London location

Expert trainers – many of whom herald from the

commercial world

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A TYPICAL DAY AT QUEST

The majority of programmes at Quest Professional consist of four classes per day and run from Monday to Thursday each week. Fridays are set aside for work experience, giving students the opportunity to gain practical office experience.

Quest has a stable and committed staff, who are dedicated to maximising every individual’s potential. They follow a structured training schedule and use a variety of supportive methods to equip students with a diverse set of transferable skills, knowledge, confidence and career direction.

Each student’s training and development is supported by a dedicated personal mentor, who works closely with them and is the main point of contact during their time with us.

Throughout the course, we continually assess students’ progress based on the five key areas of competence most highly valued by today’s employers.

Graduation Day at Quest is a time for our students to get together with family, friends and colleagues to acknowledge their achievements and success before moving on to the next phase of their career. Graduates receive a Quest certificate, detailing the programme and individual modules completed, together with their achievement grade in each competence.

Example weekly timetable (for illustrative purposes only):

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Session 19.30-10.50

Office Skills Time

Management

Visit to the Bank of England

Current AffairsVoting & Elections

FinanceInvoicing

Work Experience(subject to availability)

Break15 minutes

Session 211.05-12.20

Law Copyright

Marketing Segmentation & Target Audience

ITMS Outlook

Diary Management

Lunch1 hour

Session 313.20-14.40

Personal Development Presentation

Skills

Career Development

Writing a Successful

Covering Letter

EventsHealth & Safety

Guest SpeakerRoxy Shakerifar

Group Head of UK HR Scott Dunn Luxury Travel

Break15 minutes

Session 414.55-16.15

Independent Work / Time with Careers

Advisor

Human Resources & Negotiations Performance Management

Shorthand Speed & Accuracy

Social & Digital Media

Strategy & Planning

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“I like the variety of lessons and that the trainers have qualified in and have all worked in the different sectors so they are really hands on and give great advice.” Georgia Schwier, Professional Diploma Programme, 2019

“There is no better way to be taught Finance than by an Accountant, there is no better way to be taught Law than by a Lawyer.”Danielle Corrigan, Professional Diploma Programme, 2017

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CAREERSTEAM Quest has a dedicated team of on-site careers

advisors who support students throughout their programme and into their future.

Our personalised approach, combined with each student’s proactive attitude to job hunting and determination to follow through from what they have learnt during their course, results in a consistently high proportion of graduates gaining employment upon leaving Quest Professional.

Our advisors work individually with each student, giving one-on-one career guidance, help with CVs and job applications and targeted interview training and preparation.

The Quest in-house recruitment team maintains an impressive network of long-standing relationships with employers all over London, so when the time comes for job hunting, there are plenty of opportunities available to students.

“I have been extremely impressed by Quest and the level of support provided to my daughters, not only during the course but the aftercare as well. Both of them have excelled since leaving Quest and gained so much from their respective courses. I strongly believe that Quest was the best decision for both girls.”Malcolm Read, father of Carn & DanielleProfessional Diploma Programme, 2016, 2017

“Quest helped me obtain this role by providing first class interview technique support and consistent CV advice throughout my time there, and after I had completed my course. Everyone at Quest was extremely supportive and proactive in helping me to secure a role in my desired industry, and helped me to make connections and gain relevant work experience.”Emma-Louise Sheehan, Executive PA Programme, 2017

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WORKING WITH US

What our clients say about us The feedback we receive from the employers we partner with is testament to the high calibre of our graduates.

“We have been delighted with the service. Quest has provided many wonderful candidates lots of whom have subsequently joined the company. Thank you for your support.”Olivia Sachsen-Weimar, Office Manager, Edmiston Luxury Yachts

“We have thoroughly enjoyed having Mimmie doing work experience with us on Fridays, while she completes her course at Quest. She was put forward by the recruitment team at Quest as someone who was eager and organised enough to keep up with the fast-paced nature of the job. We have been highly impressed with how quickly she finishes tasks that she is assigned; she has a positive nature and can-do attitude.”John Woodhouse, Managing Director, Bond Woodhouse Property Management

“Marsh & Parsons are lucky to have a great partnership with Quest. Their candidates are always professional and well prepared for the working world, whether they be undertaking work experience or embarking upon a successful career within the Property Industry.”Alice Brown, In-House Recruiter, Marsh & Parsons

“Quest offer a seamless service, contacting us only with matches they think suit our company profile and being on hand to offer support when required.” Charlotte Blake, Account Director, Pure Public Relations Ltd.

“It’s fantastic working with the Quest team and we always look forward to Quest graduates joining our team for a few weeks.”Sasha Seymour-Williams, Marketing Executive, Gail’s Bakery

“We have been working with Quest for over 4 years and have always been very impressed with the quality of training the students receive. We have recruited quite a few of our team members from Quest who work in a variety of different teams within Scott Dunn.”Roxy Shakerifar, Group Head of UK HR and Training, Scott Dunn Luxury Travel

“Our experience with Quest Professional has been nothing but positive. The team is efficient, switched on and approachable, and the students are excellent candidates for secretarial roles. We would highly recommend Quest and look forward to working with them again soon.”Rebekah Hendy, Head of Administration, Global Markets UK, BNP Paribas

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SOCIALLIFE

Quest students get to know each other very well during their time with us. Useful networks of contacts are established, and in many cases lifelong friendships are forged.

In London everything from the theatre, bars and clubs, restaurants and live music, to museums and tourist attractions is on the doorstep and easily accessible making it a vibrant and exciting city to socialise in.

We encourage a healthy attitude towards work-life balance and have a young, fun and dedicated events team who organise a brilliant range of social events, which aim to get our students mixing with each other as much as possible.

Our beautiful seven-story French Renaissance style building is located just five minutes’ walk from London’s central Victoria district, which has recently been transformed and is fast becoming one of the capital’s most exciting destinations for shopping, eating and drinking.

“Quest is like a key to the City, it’s a fast pass into London Life. It prepares you for every aspect of work. For me, Quest meant I had to get used to commuting, working longer hours and learning how to cope under pressure. Quest has the ability to open up so many doors and the possibilities for a role are endless. Quest has given me the confidence to excel as an independent individual.”Danielle Corrigan, Professional Diploma Programme, 2017

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Living in London whilst completing a Quest Professional training programme enables students to fully submerge themselves in all that the capital has to offer.

A modern and forward-thinking city, London is vibrant and fast-paced, yet it still retains a great sense of history and tradition. Famous for commercial activity, the employment opportunities available are vast, and we make sure that Quest graduates are prepared in the best way possible to grab them!

To make the transition to London life as easy as possible we have a number of carefully chosen accommodation options that we can advise on, in some fantastic locations. Talk to us for more information.

ACCOMMODATIONAND LIVING IN LONDON

“I had the best six months at Quest which helped me feel comfortable living and moving around London. While I was at Quest I lived in Hammersmith which was a short commute of only 30 minutes on the District Line. I happened to make good friends with a fellow student who also lived in Hammersmith, so we were able to enjoy the ‘commute’ together.” Bonnie Baker, Executive PA Programme, 2017

“I live in London so it is quite an easy journey in and only takes about half an hour which is really nice.” Felix Tritton, Graduate Training Programme, 2018

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ALUMNINETWORK

All graduates of Quest, Queen’s, St. James’s and Lucie Clayton are automatically members of the Alumni Network, which helps them stay connected to each other, expand their professional networks and keep in touch with the latest news and developments at Quest.

Alumni benefits and services range from social and professional networking events to career progression advice. We offer continued support after graduation and have an open-door policy when it comes to the CV writing, job hunting and interview advice needed by former students who are looking to make their next career move.

Many alumni are keen to give something back, becoming involved in mentoring and supporting the professional development of our current students or contacting us when a job opportunity becomes available at their place of work, which may be of interest to another Quest student.

“The best thing about Quest is the aftercare. They act as a family for life and you are always welcomed back through their doors when you need support!”Harriet Mitchell, Professional Diploma Programme, 2014

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Twitter @QuestLondon

Facebook @quest.london

Instagram @questlondon

LinkedIn Quest Professional

HOW TO ENROL

If you like the sound of what we offer and are interested in starting your career with us, then we would love to meet you!

Please get in touch with us to arrange a visit to Quest and to talk through your individual requirements.

1. MAKE ANAPPOINTMENT

TO COME AND SEE US

2. ENROLONLINE

3. START YOURQUEST JOURNEY!

5 Grosvenor Gardens London SW1W 0BD

www.questprofessional.co.ukinfo@questprofessional.co.uk

020 7233 5957

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www.questprofessional.co.uk

At Quest Professional, we are very excited about our future, and yours. We want you to imagine where you could be hours, days, or years from now, and we want to play a part in your success in getting there.