How long have you worked in Careers at York and what did you do before you worked here?

I started in Careers  in September 2007 and really enjoyed the work straight away. I had previously worked for two years as a receptionist for the University’s Open Door team – literally at the other end of the corridor from Careers! Before that, I was a Witness Liaison Officer for Cheshire Constabulary which had a whole different set of challenges but was still very rewarding.

What do you do in a typical day in your job?

My days are busy and varied in the Operations team. I can be in meetings planning the coming term or next academic year’s activity. I have an event allocation, so if I have skills sessions on that day, I will be preparing for that and making sure the logistics are OK, refreshments are booked, presentation slides and course materials are ready to go.

Mid-term, I interpret the student feedback we collect in feedback fortnight. This information helps Careers to produce a, ‘you said we did’ piece each term, because we really do listen to the feedback you give us! I frequently produce statistical reports to monitor how many people attend events or appointments and this in turn will help us to plan activity in the future. Other larger events, such as our annual graduate recruitment fairs take months to plan, so there is always something to do!

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I really love hearing what a difference an event has made to a student. In the past we’ve had students who have gained an internship and even a job, just by networking with the right people when we’ve had employers on campus! We also get very good feedback from employers on the quality of York students and this makes me very proud to be a part of the University.

If you could do any job in the world what would it be?

Ooh a tricky one – a designer I think, a product designer. I love all that – being able to decide the way everyday items look and work, I think that would be pretty satisfying.

What are you….? 

• Watching:  Breaking Bad (it is taking over my life)
• Reading:  Room on the Broom, The Highway Rat (to my 5-year old, but I rather enjoy them too)
• Listening to: London Grammar

Previous ‘Meet the Team’ blogs:

• Mhairi Oliver – Graduate Intern
• Kelly McDonald – Careers Adviser
• Sally Greenwood – Volunteering Project Officer
• Irena Zientek – Information Resources Manager