Charley B.
About me
| Charley B. | |
| Biology | |
| Molecular Cell Biology | |
| Taught Postgraduate | |
| Vanbrugh | |
| 2010 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Examinations and Assessment Administrator | |
| University of York | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Education | |
| 2015 |
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A day in the life of a Examinations and Assessment Administrator in the United Kingdom
HE professional
My career goals when I graduated
I wanted to use my passion for Science and experience in working with children to become a Teacher.
My career history
I taught Biology and Science in Secondary Schools after graduating and doing my teacher training. I then made a change to a career in HE administration.
Courses taken since graduation
PGCE Science (Biology)
What surprised me about my career so far
That I'm not in the career that I had in mind when I left University!
Where I hope to be in 5 years
I aim to develop my skills as a professional administrator in the HE sector and continue to make a difference to the student and staff experience at the University.
My advice to students considering work
Think about what aspects of a job you do and don't want to do and then do your research. There are so many more types of jobs out there than you realise!
My advice about working in my industry
The HE sector is a rewarding place to work, which is why it is quite hard to get into. When writing your job application make sure you explain how you tick every box and reflect on what you learnt from your previous jobs, volunteering work etc.
Other advice
Get involved in groups, societies, clubs and take an active role in leading an event or project. You can then talk about this experience and the outcome in your job applications and interviews.
Contacting me
I am happy to answer any questions on:
- Applying for teacher training or teaching jobs
- Applying for jobs in the HE sector
- General questions about applying for jobs e.g. how to use a person specification to complete an application form.
What I do
In a nutshell I support the teaching of the Maths department by ensuring that exams and assessments that students take are written, marked, scrutinised, and used to calculate the final degree outcome. It is a desk based role in the general office and I use a lot of spreadsheets!
Skills I use and how I developed them
Extracurricular skills:
* Project management - doing my final year project in Biology helped me with being able to plan, deliver and evaluate a project from start to finish.
* Communication - working in tutorial groups and giving presentations as a student has given me the confidence to be an effective team player.
* Attention to detail - after all those hours in the lab I have a good eye for detail.
What I like most
I like the social aspect of the job; I get to work closely with other admin and academic staff.
What I like least
Checking exam scripts to check the marks given add up to the total mark. Not the most interesting job but an important one for the students!
What surprised me most
How little changes can make a big difference to staff and students, ultimately improving the teaching and learning experience.
Next steps...
If you like the look of Charley’s profile, the next steps are down to you! You can send Charley a message to find out more about their career journey. If you feel you would benefit from more in-depth conversations, ask Charley to be your mentor.