What areas of service should I ask you about?

The Employer Engagement Team, of which I am the Manager, are responsible for:

• Employer Engagement – responsible for facilitating interactions between employers, students, graduates and academics and for promoting the services available to employers through Careers and Employability and the wider university.

• Employer in the Foyer – events inviting employers onsite to engage with students to promote their part-time and graduate jobs, graduate recruitment schemes and internships.

• Workplace Experiences – are the collective of employer-hosted experiences consisting of placements, internships, and project scholarships designed to help students and graduates become more employable.

• UniJob – an internal recruitment service which engages with colleagues in academic and support departments to source and advertise paid opportunities for students working for the University.

• Vacancy Advertising – encouraging employers to advertise their employment opportunities, through our CareerHub platform, for students and graduates of the University to apply to.

What piece of advice would you give to a Level 6 student about to graduate?
While it may seem strange to think about moving on after University and entering employment, my advice would be to do everything possible to make yourself stand out from the crowd in order to create a positive impression with potential employers. Your first job will probably not be your last, and does not have to determine the rest of your career, but use every opportunity open to you to help to ensure you get the job that you want when you graduate.

What piece of advice would you give to a Level 4 student just starting University?
Easy… make the most of every opportunity available to you! Throw yourself into your studies, and your social life, with energy and enthusiasm, work hard and play hard! Be prepared and organised, take nothing for granted, make the most of the help and resources available to you and most importantly enjoy it!

What motivates you in your work?
Without sounding too clichéd, I am motivated by the work that I do, by the team in which I work and by the colleagues that I work with. I am motivated by working alongside colleagues who are like-minded in their approach, who care implicitly about what they do, where opinions and contributions are valued and where there is flexibility to innovate and improve initiatives and areas of responsibility.

How do you relax when not at work?
If and when I get time to relax (is this possible with two fourteen-year-old children?), I let off steam by playing competitive netball which I thoroughly enjoy. I am also passionate about foreign travel; theatre, eating out and I enjoy socialising with friends.

What is your biggest career achievement?
Achieving a first-class honours degree in Work Based and Integrative Studies (Marketing and Management), whilst working full time, planning my wedding and having two young children (twins).

With which academic departments do you work?
My role requires me to create and maintain relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders including employers and recruiters, students and graduates and wider university colleagues, including academic and professional services. I work closely with my Career Consultant colleagues, who meet and liaise regularly with academic departments, to enable employers to get involved in the curriculum.

For employers this is a great way for them to share their knowledge and expertise, as well as promoting their brand and employment opportunities to students. For academics this helps to complement teaching by providing employer-related, authentic and active learning and assessment opportunities to help students successfully meet their module learning outcomes.