Bethan Sykes

Income and Communications Officer, Birmingham Settlement

After graduating in July 2023 I spent the summer recharging and traveling around Europe with friends. Between September and October I worked at Tesco whilst searching for a new job. In October 2023 I was offered my current position at Birmingham Settlement, I worked full time until December 2023. I am now working remotely part-time in the same role with Birmingham Settlement whilst studying a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) at the University of Charleston in the United States.

Why did you choose to study Geography at Birmingham?

I chose to study Geography at Birmingham because of the opportunity to choose a mixture of human and physical modules throughout the duration of the course. When I started my degree I was convinced that I would be a physical geographer, but I ended up loving the human and social side and came out with a degree in BA Geography.

What skills/knowledge did you develop at Birmingham the helped you to follow your career path?

My degree at Birmingham helped me to develop my critical thinking, research, and writing skills through the varied assignment types. Writing essays, reports, policy papers and my dissertation has undoubtedly helped me to get to where I am today. During my time at Birmingham I got involved as a student ambassador and secured a student research placement through my wonderful personal tutor, Jessica Pykett. It is through this student research project that I am working in my current role with Birmingham Settlement.

What advice would you give to current students studying on your degree programme?

I would advise current students to get involved with as many opportunities as possible, one opportunity often leads to another. Networking and connecting with people is super important for future job prospects!