Elaine P.
About me
| Elaine P. | |
| Eighteenth Century Studies | |
| Eighteenth Century Studies | |
| Taught Postgraduate | |
| Wentworth | |
| 2006 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Development Director | |
| Bootham School, York | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Charity and voluntary sector | |
| Medium-size business (50-249 employees) | |
| 2009 |
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A day in the life of a Development Director in the United Kingdom
Briefly describe the organisation you work for
I work for a Quaker school in the centre of York.
What do you do?
I am responsible for the management of our community relationships (with a particular focus on our alumni network both in the UK and internationally) and I develop and implement fundraising strategies for the school.
Reflecting upon your past employment and education, what led you to your current career choice?
I am a chartered accountant and worked for Deloitte and PricewaterhouseCoopers before becoming a company finance director. My professional experience is very useful in my current role which needs strategic and project management skills.
Is your current job sector different from what you thought you would enter when you graduated?
Yes. I graduated as an undergraduate in 1986 and my career has moved through three distinct but equally interesting phases.
Describe your most memorable day at work
The most memorable day this year was talking to the school students about what makes me proud of them, our alumni and the history of the school. I then asked them to tell me what made them proud and the response was amazing.
What’s your work environment and culture like?
I work in an office with some travel around the UK and internationally. Our Quaker ethos is very important and I think staff and students work in an environment that treats everyone fairly and encourages personal development. I work full time during term time and I do often work on Saturday mornings to run events in school, but I have an afternoon off during the week in place of this and that suits me.
What extracurricular activities did you undertake at university and what transferable skills did you develop through these?
I was on the committee of the Economics Society.
What would you like to do next with your career?
I have a couple of voluntary roles with York based charities and I would like to continue to develop these and be more involved in promoting York.
What top tips do you have for York students preparing for today’s job market and life after graduation?
I think it's useful to have work experience and to be prepared to explain how the skills from that experience can be used in the role you want. You need to develop resilience and make sure you have good networks of friends and family to support you.
What topics from students are you happy to answer questions on?
Any of the roles I've had - working in the accountancy profession, business and project management, community relationship management, fundraising, volunteering
Next steps...
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