Rachel L.
About me
| Rachel L. | |
| English and Related Literature | |
| English and Related Literatue | |
| Undergraduate | |
| Vanbrugh | |
| 2014 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Director, IT Leaders Advisory | |
| Gartner | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Digital and IT services | |
| Large business (250+ employees) | |
| 2020 |
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A day in the life of a Director, IT Leaders Advisory in the United Kingdom
I took steps at York to broaden my skill set and got involved in a lot of societies
Briefly describe the organisation you work for
Gartner is the world's leading research and advisory company. We equip business leaders with indispensable insights, advice and tools to help them succeed and transform.
What do you do?
In my day to day, I speak with executives across Europe, Middle East, Africa, North and South America to help them with their key priorities. My role also involves presenting large scale presentations to organisations and at international conferences.
Reflecting upon your past employment and education, what led you to your current career choice?
Adaptability and flexibility - I took steps at York to broaden my skill set and got involved in a lot of societies. I was a key member of the York vision team but decided that my future wasn’t in journalism, but I could flex my skills to work in a number of different business roles . I’ve worked with clients directly as a Client Success Manager, worked as an operations manager and event manager too.
Is your current job sector different from what you thought you would enter when you graduated?
Absolutely! I could never have pictured being in this role, I didn’t even know it existed! But I enjoy it so much.
Describe your most memorable day at work
My very first presentation was a virtual conference with executives from across Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania - I was expecting 5 people and got 50!
Are there any challenges associated with your job?
It can get very busy and you have to be great at managing your time to be able to keep up. The role typically involves a fair amount of business travel so you need to be able to work very autonomously.
What’s your work environment and culture like?
It’s flexible - I do have a desk in the office but I’ve not been there much due to COVID, but in normal times it’s a mix between working remotely and in the office.
What extracurricular activities did you undertake at university and what transferable skills did you develop through these?
I was a Chief Sub Editor and Lifestyle editor for York Vision for two years, contributed to URY shows, edited poems for the York Juba Anthology and was the head of events for York Carnival, a day long event in the centre of York. I also lead a trek of the Great Wall of China for YUSU Fundraising, which I loved. All of this taught me collaboration, multitasking and also taught me the sorts of things I loved to do which has carried me through my career so far.
What would you like to do next with your career?
I really enjoy my job and so I’m keen to keep growing and developing, moving into roles which give me the opportunity to be involved with organisations more directly.
What top tips do you have for York students preparing for today’s job market and life after graduation?
Transferable skills is the key phrase! Focus on the things you enjoy and try to develop experiences which can be useful for roles outside of uni - this doesn’t have to come from formal jobs, even if it’s part of a society or something you have built yourself, show that you have something you found a passion for which is transferable!
What topics from students are you happy to answer questions on?
Life after Uni, moving to London after uni, being the first in your family to go to university, working in London, CV assistance, working in Advisory, working with clients, international business travel,
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?
I was actually a mentee on this programme when I was at York! My mentor and I stayed in touch and she referred me for my first job post-university and we’re still great friends now!
Next steps...
If you like the look of Rachel’s profile, the next steps are down to you! You can send Rachel a message to find out more about their career journey. If you feel you would benefit from more in-depth conversations, ask Rachel to be your mentor.