BA Politics 2015 graduate and Research Manager at The National Gallery
Why did you choose to study at Royal Holloway?
When I attended the open day, I was instantly struck by how welcoming and friendly the atmosphere was at the university compared to the others I visited. Being from the countryside, having an intimate campus set in beautiful grounds really attracted me.
What did you enjoy most about your course?
Studying Politics really enabled me to build my critical thinking skills. The course sets out to challenge how you think about the world and I can honestly say that my perspective has changed as a result of studying Politics at Royal Holloway.
How did Royal Holloway help you to discover opportunities and prepare you for life after university / to find your purpose in life?
The university has an outstanding careers department which continues to assist for two years after you leave. They provide courses on networking, writing a CV, and interviews.
Tell us about your career journey since graduating and what you are doing now.
While studying at the university I carried out an internship with a management consultancy and when I graduated I was brought on as a Consultant. I led major learning and development programmes internationally while domestically focusing on patient satisfaction research for the NHS and private providers. I've also worked for M&C Saatchi providing research for the Home Office's counter extremism strategy, where I drew largely on my experience from my degree. I'm currently at the National Gallery heading up visitor satisfaction research, articulating the voices of the millions of visitors we get every year.
What advice would you give to students thinking about a career in your sector?
Don't hold back on the huge range of opportunities the university offers. The most valuable asset I have is my network of contacts. Building your own network will allow you to meet interesting people with different skills and draw on their experience. Working in the consulting world, you have to be able to build networks that last to ensure long term growth.
What is your greatest achievement to date?
Carrying out an end to end culture change programme for a leading Russian airline. Having just left university, it was a big step going to Moscow to work with stakeholders, with a language barrier, to design and finalise plans for a programme impacting all front-line members of staff and senior directors. This was the airline's flagship training programme leading up to the 2018 World Cup. If you went to watch the World Cup in Russia, chances are I helped make your experience better, which is a great feeling.
