Jack Whitehead

Why did you choose to study Geography at Birmingham?

Firstly, I was deeply interested in Geography throughout my education, in particular with physical geography and therefore it was an easy choice to study geography a uni. I chose UoB specifically since

1) the campus and the city itself is somewhere I could see myself thriving.

2) The reputation of UoB Geography was very good for employment and teaching quality.

3) The level of choice offered by the course early on in the programme meant I could choose a wide breadth of modules and specialise into Human or Physical Geography once starting university which isn’t particularly common.

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

The analytical skills have been invaluable – within my role I have actively used R studio and statistics learnt from my course. As well as this, it allowed me to explore a true passion of mine – ecology – which I previously had no idea I would enjoy so much. Despite my current role not being related, it is certainly something I now want to pursue further.

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

Really pursue the questions and topics you are interested in. It will help your work and you navigate a very broad area and job market much more successfully. Along the way, also throw yourself into as many opportunities you can – not only is it a great way to meet people it will also help your employability more than you may think.