Academic Registry

Profile

As the Director of the Careers Service, I am responsible for leading the service’s implementation of the Student Employability Strategy, and for providing appropriate support to enable academic and central departments to contribute to this agenda.

Roles and responsibilities

The Careers Service offers a wide range of opportunities, activities and advisory services, all aimed at enhancing the employability of York students and graduates. Support for students includes:

Employability tutorial: the online tutorial has been developed to guide students through the process of developing their employability skills and producing their own personal employability plan

Careers events: a programme of careers fairs, sector briefings, skills sessions and workshops on a range of topics, enabling students to develop employability skills, explore different sectors of employment and network with potential employers

Information, advice and guidance:

• a library of information on graduate employment, further study etc. for more detailed research
• a detailed website offering advice and information (www.york.ac.uk/careers) – a first port of call for students wishing to explore options and idea, and obtain advice on key stages in the process of enhancing their employability
• one-to-one advice and guidance
• e-booking and enquiry facilities Vacancy handling service, student internship bureau: opportunities to find term-time, part-time and vacation work or short, project-based internships, allowing students to build their skills and add to their CV

Skills and reflection: the York Award: a programme of skills and personal development for undergraduate students, designed to complement curriculum provision and encourage self- reflection

Volunteering: funding and consultancy for students who wish to build their employability skills through pursuing community projects; facilitated projects, signposting to local volunteering opportunities etc.

Enterprise centre: advice and guidance for student entrepreneurs, business competitions and projects, allowing students to explore the concepts underlying entrepreneurship or supporting them to take the first steps towards developing a business.

Work with academic departments includes:

• Delivery of bespoke workshops on career planning, job hunting etc.
• Training for students preparing for and returning from work placements
• Development and delivery of other bespoke events and activities e.g. careers fairs, on-line projects, employability-related modules
• Sharing of labour market intelligence / employer links
  
• Advice and guidance for supervisors on handling career-related enquiries, how to engage in personal employability planning discussions with students etc.
• Analysis and reporting on the destinations of leavers from the University six months after graduation

CV in brief

Following a degree in Biological and Biochemical Sciences, I began my career as an Information Officer for the National Poisons Information Service, providing telephone advice to members of the medical profession on the treatment of patients following deliberate overdose or accidental exposure to drugs, and household or industrial chemicals.

Having had enough of working night shifts and weekends, and wanting to pursue a more face-to-face advisory career, my next role was that of Careers Adviser, working for the University of London Careers Service (now The Careers Group). Over a period of 9 years, this involved working with students at King’s College, Goldsmiths College, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Royal Holloway and Queen Mary. At Queen Mary, I was promoted to the position of Head of the Careers Service.

After deciding the time was right to leave London, I took on the role of Head of Student Services at Leeds College of Music, moving my family to settle in York. After two years in this post, I was successful in my application for the Director of Careers post at the University of York, and have been here since 2009.

I am married with two young children, George and Madeleine.