2020 Graduates: Where are they now?
Eight School of Social Policy 2020 graduates talk to Social Policy Matters about finding their current roles.
For Randy Lo (BA Sociology), now a Research Assistant at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, work is an exciting change. “I am actually quite happy with my job right now. It gives me a taste of what being a researcher is, which is something that I am interested in,” he says. “And of course, the friendly working environment really helped me to blend in despite being out of work for quite a while and only being here for a short time.” Though it took him some time to find his job, he has come to appreciate the value of managing that time. “Take time to look for what you really want, and take a break if you're exhausted. I could've probably optimised my time better. Taking online courses or learning some skills during that time could be useful.”
Naomi Gyening (BA Policy, Politics and Economics), is now a Business Consultant at Atos. She appreciates the opportunity to work with clients from a variety of industries. Though work isn’t always what she expected it to be, she values her new financial freedoms. “I like having money to enjoy life and plan for future goals,” she says. “I have learnt that work is not always going to be exciting, especially when starting out as a grad; you may be given routine tasks that aren’t always enjoyable, but are part of the job. Try many different things. If nothing else, you’ll learn about what you don’t like.”
Shayne Saysell (BA Social Policy and Criminology 2020) has joined the Police Now Graduate Scheme at West Midlands Police. “I’ve really enjoyed my first year as a Police Constable. It has exposed me to all sorts of community issues but also has allowed me to get stuck in, putting into practice degree skills and theory-based knowledge from criminology on how to relieve community issues and tensions.” COVID has certainly added challenges to Shayne’s new role, but she’s happy to be making a difference in her community. “The pandemic has meant that the policing world is only now starting to get back to normality. We’re so much busier as the restrictions ease and normality kicks back in. But the way I see it, if I can deal with the pressures of the pandemic early on in my career, there is nothing that can be thrown at me in the future that I won’t be able to push through.”
Megan Jackson (BA Social Policy and Criminology, 2020) is now a Communications and Marketing intern at BMI Group. She’s having fun with the creative side of her work, and has also learned a lot about building confidence in the workplace. “I often lacked confidence applying for opportunities as a graduate, as I didn’t have as much practical experience as other applicants. However, I’ve learnt that I pick things up very easily, and businesses are aware of the additional support graduates require to settle into the working world.” She found taking internships to be particularly helpful. “Internships are really valuable for establishing what you do and don't want to pursue as your future career. They are often the door into bigger opportunities, and if you really demonstrate your passion and value, in many cases they will extend or keep you on, like I have been!”
Sam Yarnall (BA Sociology) is combining work and study as Youth Support Worker in Training, Youth Group Leader, and an MA in Social Research. For Sam, the social side of work has been really important. “There are so many negatives about the pandemic but what it has showed me in my working life it that connections are possible in any format. What I am enjoying about work and further study is the people. The pandemic has made it hard, not impossible, to meet and make friends. But these hurdles are things to adapt to. Learning in any context is about adaption. Opportunities are available but you need to adapt with the climate to find them.”
Britt Hatton (BA Sociology), a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Reviewing Officer, is also enjoying the people-centred nature of her work. “The thing I enjoy most is the variety of work and people I deal with on a daily basis.” Searching for a job after graduation provided her with valuable insight. “My biggest mistake was putting too much pressure on myself to know what I wanted to do straightaway. There are so many jobs out there I never knew that I would be interested in. Something will come along—you just have to be patient.”
Jasmine Dady (BA Sociology and Social Policy 2020) works as an Information Project Officer at Northamptonshire Children's Trust. She learned a lot during her job search, too. “The best piece of advice I was given was to think about the type of area of work I was interested in and cared about, rather than a specific job role. I had no idea what I wanted to do when I graduated; I just knew I wanted to work in an organisation/company that was helping others. Don’t worry about not having your dream job role; you probably won’t even know it exists until you start working!” She found that being detail orientated was key to job hunting success. “When applying for jobs, make sure your cover letter is as specific to the job/company you’re applying to as possible, and make sure you write a new one for each role, not just use a generic one. It is time consuming but it really pays off. For Sociology/Social Policy graduates, make the most of the degree being so broad and the skills we learn being so transferrable. There are so many areas we can go into: local authorities, charities, research, teaching, government, civil service, law.”
Like many 2020 graduates, Megan Scanlon (BA Social Policy and Criminology) has found that much of her work as an Online Tuition Coordinator for The Access Project has been remote. “The pandemic has meant that I have worked from home for the last ten months, and I have not had the usual work life experience after graduating. However, it has been really interesting to adjust to new ways of working and develop my skills in response.” Despite these challenges, Megan finds fulfilment from working in an industry where she gets to make a difference in people’s lives. “I particularly enjoy my role when I get to interact with students and hear the impact the programme has had for them over what has been a difficult year. It’s really rewarding working towards contributing to lessening educational disadvantage and towards a wider, long term goal.”
Students and graduates who would like help with career planning can access a range of services via the University's Careers Network.