» Drama
Andrew (graduated 2000)After graduating I had a brief flirtation with selling life insurance which taught me some valuable lessons about my career aims, primarily that they didn’t include selling. I did temping for six months in various office environments which was great as it gave me experience in how to settle into office work. My final placement was with the company I now work for. I work for a company which supports the work of higher education careers services and provides funding for research. The part of the company that I work for is concerned with publishing magazines. These publications are aimed at students, graduates and postgraduates and give advice about issues within higher education, as well as course information and job adverts. The main function of my job is to ensure that the magazines I edit are full of relevant, readable editorial. I plan what goes into them, read the copy to ensure it fulfils the brief and liaise with the designer to make sure the magazine looks great. I’m currently studying for the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) industry recognised qualification and I’ve taken lots of courses from HTML programming and other software programs (Excel and Access) to training in digital photography. I have benefited from my degree being a more academic programme than some drama courses. I picked up a range of useful skills including meeting deadlines and conducting research and I took modules on writing, which have helped. » English and history
EmmaI've been in the booktrade for nine years now, going from bookseller to shop manager. It's a job I love, find occasionally tedious, not fantastically paid, yet I'm the only one I know who looks forward to going to work! Bookselling wasn't a career choice at all. I did English and history at university and had no idea what to do when I graduated. So, I thought I'd try bookselling whilst I made my mind up. As it turned out, I loved it. I find it both challenging and rewarding. There was so much to learn and I really enjoyed the feel of the place. It's a job with romantic notions of sitting reading all day, but believe me it's hard work from day one. I worked in a very busy shop with four floors, over 100 staff and a huge amount of customers. So, customer service is the main part of the job, be it just taking their money or suggesting a book they may like to read. It's also about running your own section, managing your buying for it and keeping within budgets, returning unsold stock and watching your decisions at work. If you go on to become a senior bookseller you have a more defined role. This includes larger buying decisions, training staff (old and new) and helping to run the floor. More is obviously expected of you as most seniors tend to go on to management. I then became deputy floor manager, which involved all of the above only it was expected that I maintained this to a higher level, constantly. I was able to recruit staff, make managerial decisions and become duty manager. Due to all of this, training, working with other booksellers, loving the job and being enthusiastic about it, I eventually became a manager of my own shop. Admittedly it is vastly different than being a bookseller as I have to set budgets and customer service levels. Stock and sales become my priority and I do lose some of the bookselling. But it is worth it. After nine years I still find it a job I look forward to going to and one I love. » English language and literature
Emma (graduated 2002)When I first graduated I did some temporary administrative work to pay the bills while I was looking for a suitable job. Now I work as an editor for a charity/company which operates within the higher education sector. I do a lot of writing and editing and I’d say that the other skills I’ve gained from my degree are still being used but in a more abstract kind of way. For example, I can read something quickly and understand the essence and what angle the writer is coming from. This is especially handy when you’re writing news. I also do occasional freelance work, although not as much as I should. I’m studying for the NCTJ (National Council for the Training of Journalists) Foundation course in Newspaper Journalism, which is paid for by my employer. » French and German
Daisy (graduated 1997)Daisy is a community project co-ordinator with Groundwork - Camden & Islington. Daisy graduated from Cambridge University in 1997 with a degree in languages (French and German). During her years as a student she found herself becoming more involved and interested in politics and particularly environmental issues. Upon graduation she started working as a volunteer, initially for an environmental group, which mostly involved organising campaigns. This later turned into an opportunity to work for the organisation full-time as a project manager in regeneration. Groundwork is a regeneration charity trust. Daisy works in project management, which involves encouraging community groups to engage in the space around them and helping them to transform their environment, for example by creating a play area. Daisy supports the community groups in raising the funds to finance these projects and will run a consultation programme, then work with community members in transforming the area. The work is community led and often members of a tenants' association will approach groundwork about a regeneration project, or through auditing, spaces are identified that would benefit from regeneration and Groundwork approaches the tenants or the local community group. Working with community groups means that you have to be able to motivate people and be creative in being able to get their involvement. Facilitating meetings, drafting proposals, planning how to schedule available resources, identifying options and providing consultation are major aspects of the work. The fact that the work is varied, allows for opportunities to work with people on a team project that benefits the wellbeing of others, and allows you to motivate and inspire others to do well, are all particular motivations for doing community work. | 
