Graduate stories
Hear from our graduates at Birmingham
When you choose Birmingham, you benefit from an expert and dedicated careers service who will support you to develop the skills and knowledge you need to stand out and succeed in a competitive graduate job market. Our students go on to excel in a wide range of careers. Find out more about what some of our graduates have achieved and how their time at Birmingham helped them on their journey.
Zainub Butt
I am a Technology Data and Analytics Senior Associate at PwC UK and studied BSc Mathematics (2019). I was quite unsure of what I wanted to do when I started university but I knew studying Maths would open a lot of opportunities. I attended a number of careers fairs hosted by the Careers Network to understand what organisations I could apply to and also have a face-to-face conversation on the roles I could apply for, this really opened my mind to a number of graduate opportunities. PwC always stood out as the top graduate employer so I was keen to give it a go.
Baljinder Singh Atwal
I am a Solicitor at the West Midlands Police and studied Law LLB (2015). The university gave me so many life skills and abilities which I was completely unaware of until I left as a graduate. Being on a large course with a wide range of talented and diverse people allowed me to develop good social skills very early on. Outside of my course I enjoyed the whole host of opportunities available through societies and sport. I played rugby for the Law School and made some great contacts which I would not have met through my lectures and seminars alone.
Olamide Majekodunmi
I am the Founder of All Things Money and a freelance writer, and I studied BSc Business Management with a Year in Industry (2020). As I didn’t have plans to go into a graduate role post-uni, I didn’t use the careers services in my final year. However, when applying for my year in industry, I used the careers services then, and they did a fantastic job at recommending the best places to search for placement opportunities, proof-reading my CV and prepping me for the different interview processes I went through. I honestly couldn’t recommend the careers services at Birmingham more as I probably wouldn’t have landed my year in industry without them!
Alice Macfarlane
I am a content executive for LOOKFANTASIC and studied BA English Literature and French at the University of Birmingham. During my third year at Birmingham, I was the digital editor of the Comment section at Redbrick. This role taught me so much about journalism and leading a team. The experience was invaluable not only for my writing ability, but also for securing further opportunities in the industry.
Chris McAlister
I am an Assistant Private Secretary to Director General for Culture, Sport and Civil Society and Great Britain athlete (400m hurdles) and I currently work for the Civil Service. I studied a Joint honours BSc in Economics and Political Science and graduated in 2017. My course definitely highlighted strengths of mine which helped to push me, but mainly it just helped me enjoy politics which helped get me into this role.
Emma Large
I am a Library Services Officer and also a Co-Artistic Director of Kickback Theatre who studied BA Drama and English at the University of Birmingham. The university gave me the confidence to accept a non-linear career path. Birmingham inspired me to take a more holistic approach to the job hunt, celebrating the little wins and focusing on my own art in and of itself, instead of comparing it to my peers or industry leaders. It’s a hard pill to swallow, but one that has given me a more positive outlook on careers.
Gaby Mendes
I am the founder and director of Talk Twenties, which is an award-winning podcast and education platform for young people. The University of Birmingham and in particular the School of Education played a crucial part in the formation of my career and later, my business. They allowed me to see that we don’t have to accept things the way that they are and there is room to make positive change if you are brave enough to go for it. I can remember my lecturers encouraging me to write my dissertation and assignments on things other than traditional teaching and it allowed me to see that there was so much more to education than just the school system we see in the UK.
Reccy Midigo
I am a Paralegal (SQE trainee) at Burley Law who studied LLB for Graduates at the University of Birmingham. The University of Birmingham was extremely helpful in my career progression. My Personal Tutor and module leaders went above and beyond to provide mentorship and advice about career options after my studies and were references for various applications.
Elizabeth Conway
I am a BBC Sport journalist on the BBC Journalism Trainee Scheme and studied Modern Foreign Languages and English (2020). My time at Birmingham gave me so many experiences that I could talk about in my applications. This ultimately allowed me to get to interview stage. Burn FM radio and Redbrick helped me understand how to package radio shows, broadcast news and publish and propagate stories. I formed a great network of like-minded people and attended alumni events of people in the industry who I kept in touch with and gained advice from.
Kamil Rog
I am a Graduate Town Planner at Atkins and studied BA Geography (2020) and MSc Urban and Regional Planning (2021). Working well in a team is a key skill in many industries, and your time at University is the best way to grow and evidence your ability – be it through assignment group work or student societies and sports. Contributing to various student society committees during my studies developed the co-ordination, time management and leadership skills that are key to becoming a successful candidate. Your time at University provides many opportunities to become confident in your strengths, and Careers Network are there to help you apply that into your journey beyond.
John Sewell
I am the CEO and founder of Cosimo Art and studied BA History of Art (2018) and MA History of Art (2019). I’ve been really fortunate to have received a wealth of support from the University throughout my start-up journey; from an initial grant to cover the legal fees of setting up, to now working out of the brand new Exchange building in the city centre as part of the UoB Elevate incubator programme.