- Content and Learning Specialist at Pearson Education
- BA French and German, 2015
Maddie Kilminster graduated with a degree in French and German in 2015. She now works as a Content and Learning Specialist at Pearson Education.
What first attracted you to Birmingham?
"I fell in love with the beautiful campus and was sold by the balance between city and campus life. Not to mention that the modern languages department is one of the best in the country!"
Can you tell us a little about your career progression since graduation?
“After doing an internship at a translation agency in Berlin, I returned to the UK and entered the field of publishing. I was drawn towards publishing because I have an interest in literature as well as education. Joining the production department at Scholastic was ideal as it allowed me to gain a foundation of knowledge about the publishing industry. After 18 months, I was motivated to pursue further opportunities in educational publishing, focusing on editorial work, and have just been offered a new position at Pearson!"
How do you feel your studies have influenced or helped you in your career?
"My year abroad, as part of my degree course, has had a major impact on my career. Teaching English in Germany gave me a taste for producing learning materials. A Public Relations internship in Paris was a formative experience: I learnt lots of life skills. Being able to demonstrate to employers that I’m independent (having travelled alone) and have worked in other cultures has made me very employable."
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
"At Scholastic, I made rapid progress and was soon working on titles across multiple lists (fiction, non-fiction, languages books and magazines, and textbooks of all different formats). The highlight was leading a project to produce a ‘bookazine’: I even got to see being printed at the factory!"
What did you enjoy most about your time at Birmingham? Any favourite memories of campus?
"I really enjoyed founding a campus magazine called ‘The UoB Linguist’ which allows students the opportunity to read and write articles in the foreign languages they are studying. It was great to work as a team to make the idea a reality and a success."
What advice would you give to current or prospective University of Birmingham students?
"Be bold, be visible, get involved. Always try and do as much as you can to supplement your studies such as being on the committee of a society, on a team, or doing voluntary work. These are the things that give you an edge, show your initiative and give you the real life skills that employers look for."