Sam Sage

After graduating in 2019, I decided to take some time out to travel. I spent 3 months in Southeast Asia before the pandemic hit, forcing me to end my travels early and return to the UK. I then secured a graduate role at HS1 Ltd following an internship that I undertook between my second and final year of university. During my graduate role, I spent just over a year gaining experience in different departments, primarily focussed on sustainability. I spoke at the World Climate Summit in Glasgow, promoting the environmental benefits of high-speed rail to mainland Europe, and led on a successful consumer sustainability campaign in St Pancras International Station. I was then offered the role of Sustainability Manager, and more recently have been given additional responsibilities as Sustainability & Environmental Manager. The core requirement of my role involves delivering HS1’s Sustainability Strategy, which means involvement in workstreams across the business. I also lead on the development of HS1’s annual ESG report, highlighting progress against our Sustainability Strategy.

Why did you choose to study Geography at Birmingham?

I chose to study Geography at university because I have a genuine interest in the subject, and I recognised that environmental protection and enhancement is becoming an increasingly important side of business. I also wanted to keep my career options open, as a Geography degree offers many transferable skills.

I chose the University of Birmingham because it is one of the top universities in the UK for graduate employability. I also ‘got a really good feel’ for the geography department, the university campus and first year accommodation.

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

Despite studying for a Bachelor of Science degree, I was able to select a mixture of human and physical geography modules. This has proven beneficial in my current job role. Key priorities for HS1 include carbon and waste reduction, biodiversity net-gain and social value, all of which I studied throughout my course.

One of my degree modules focused on peatland ecosystems and my tutor specialised in this area. During my first year at HS1, I applied this knowledge to develop a consumer sustainability campaign focused on peatland restoration and increasing awareness about the importance of peatland ecosystems in the UK. This campaign won several awards.

I also developed more specific skills at university which have been applicable at HS1. For example, several university modules involved the use of GIS software. This software is used to map HS1 infrastructure, so having a good understanding of the process behind GIS mapping has been highly beneficial.

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

My advice would be to start thinking about what sort of career you would like to go into and tailor some of your modules around that. My dissertation was a big talking point during my interview at HS1 as the topic was very relevant to the industry. Gaining experience in the workplace is also a great way to stand out so try and make the most of internship opportunities and placements. Ultimately though, enjoy your time at university and don’t worry too much about what comes after!