Kathy completed a BA in English and History of Art in 1999 before going on to complete an MPhil in History of Art in 2000. She is currently working as the Communications Team Leader at Leeds City College.
How did you get your career?
“After leaving Birmingham, I gained a job at The Federation of British Artists (an organisation which manages various art societies and The Mall Galleries). I worked there initially as a receptionist to get a foot in the door, and progressed to working as the Press Officer after a time. Having moved into Marketing, and finding it was something I really enjoyed, I then got a job in the Public Relations department at King's College London where I worked for several years. After this, I moved to Leeds to be with my then partner (now husband, and fellow Brum alumni from the Engineering dept!) and got another Press Officer Job at Park Lane College.”
How does your degree help with your job?
“I still work in the marketing team but instead of external relations, I’m now responsible for communications - to 2,000 staff and 55,000 students all spread over 20 different campuses and sites. Writing is what I do, and my degrees were the foundations of that. Writing dissertations of tens of thousands of words was the best preparation I could have had. It was only as a result of my degree that I managed to obtain a job in a gallery.”