Caitlin now works as a Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement Officer. She is a fully qualified Careers Leader and Guidance Counsellor who has moved to working in Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement at an alpine boarding school in Switzerland, in the mountains, where she relocated to in August. Her primary role is devoted to creating a community of alumni who give back with their time, through mentoring students and combing back to school, and financially to support the school and future scholarship students.

Why did you choose to study your course at Manchester?

“I loved the campus on my visit to Manchester and the broad variety of courses for English Literature and the opportunity to take optional modules, such as Drama and Spanish. Also, Manchester in general is such a fun and friendly and welcoming place for students! It felt like a home away from home.”

Did you always know that you wanted to do the career you’re in? Did your course or time at Manchester help influence this?

“I didn’t really know what I wanted to do as a career, but I assumed I would be a teacher. My time at university taught me how much I love being in an academic environment but after trying out some work experience in teaching I realised it wasn’t for me, but working with alumni and students in a different way, through philanthropy and careers, was something I enjoyed much more and I still got to be in an academic environment that I loved.”

How did your course set you up for your career path?

“It taught me how to think creatively, and how to work independently as well as being a team player. Creativity in coming up with ideas for projects, how to communicate with different people effectively and tools of analysis that can help with metrics and researching what communications people respond best to are all key parts of my job that I learnt from being at university.”

What was the most surprising takeaway from your course that’s helped you in later life?

“I was most surprised at university that I actually wasn’t the only one who didn’t have their future career all mapped out, and most people seemed to be on the journey of learning through trying out work experience and trial and error what they wanted out of a future career. There is freedom to try things out and see what works for you and there is no better time than at university when so many opportunities are available to you and you can learn transferrable skills.”

What advice would you give to a student looking to start your course and/or join the University?

“I would highly recommend The University of Manchester as a place to study and the perfect place to meet new people in a friendly and welcoming environment before launching into your career. Take every opportunity you can whilst you are there as there is so many extra things you can do to boost your CV and your skills, and make sure to make use of the careers service who can give you help and advice or even put you in touch with alumni to mentor you. And always ask if you don’t understand something!”

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