Quality Manager, Centre For Commercial Law Studies

Try to find things that you can do within your current role that might be deemed outside of what you're doing. 

It's always good to expand your knowledge, and it shows your team and your manager that you're willing to take things on.

Tell us about your career path.

I started at Queen Mary in 2012 as a Residential Support Advisor.  A permanent position became available for a Residential Support Officer: that was shift work, acting as the main hub for students living on campus who had maintenance issues.

In 2014 I got a job as an Office Coordinator at the School of Business and Management (SBM); I stayed in that role for three months, and then got the opportunity to act up into a programme administration role for six or seven months.  In December 2014 a position in exams and QA came up in the Centre for Commercial Law Studies (CCLS), which I applied for and got, starting in January 2015. 

As of January 2021, my role was regraded and I am now Quality Manager at CCLS.  I manage the Assessments and Quality Assurance team, which ensures the quality of new modules and new programmes, and maintains our relationship with our accreditation partners.  We also deal with exam boards, and appeals and complaints from students.

It sounds like you've worked in a range of different areas.  How do you think that diversity of experience has helped you at Queen Mary?

I didn't go to university or college: I went straight into an apprenticeship. So starting in Residences was good, because I got a sense of what university life is like: you see everything, especially with the shift work. Being in that role allowed me to understand the psyche of a student and the issues that students go through at certain times of the year.

Now I'm working in CCLS, it's predominantly postgraduate students who mostly don't live on campus.  My work in Residences was mostly with undergraduates.  So while my previous experience has given me some insight into the issues that they might be facing, it's a different type of student I'm working with now.

During your career journey, what did you find most useful in terms of the resources, people and other forms of support around you?

I would say the colleagues that I've met - people like Lorna Ireland, who I met at SBM.  Definitely the people who I've surrounded myself with - their influence on me hasn't always been conscious but it's been very positive.

And when it comes to people, it's not just about work but also in a personal setting.  Seeing my friends do something great drives me to be successful as well.

What barriers have you encountered in your career journey at QMUL?

Moving from Grade 4 to Grade 5 is very challenging. It seems to me that there are far, far fewer Grade 5 posts compared to 3 and 4 posts, so there's a lot of competition for those roles.

It was hard for me, and sometimes I would question if I needed to leave the university or look in a different field altogether to progress.  There were disappointments when I went for a role and didn't get it, and sometimes it's hard to see the transferrable skills you have if you're looking into moving into a different area of Queen Mary.  Right now there's a lack of clarity around how you can progress your career within Professional Services.

You mentioned thinking about maybe having to leave Queen Mary or go into a different industry.  What kept you at Queen Mary?

The knowledge that I've built up and the relationships that I've developed, working in quite a similar role for around eight years; I've grown an affinity to an organisation that I've worked at for more than a quarter of my life.  I never thought I'd be one of these people who would stay at one organisation for twenty or thirty years, but I don't know.  I wouldn't write it off.  I like Queen Mary!

Do you have plans for the next three to five years?

Right now, I think what I what I'm looking for is for something that accommodates my home life; this last year has been great in terms of working from home.  Any job needs to offer work-life balance that works for me. This last year and a bit has taught me is how important home life is - I have two young children.  Being with them over this last year has been has been fantastic; it's really changed my mindset and my focus.

What advice would you give to other people who are trying to develop their careers within Queen Mary?

Don't be afraid to ask for help. That's one thing that I found invaluable - for example, if you're applying for a new role, get feedback on your personal statement from people you trust. Talk to them about the opportunities available to you and whether you should go for them.

Try to form relationships with the people you work with, because it's always good to know people. The old saying is 'it's not what you know, it's who you know', and the value of networking has always been very evident to me. It's always good to surround yourself with like-minded people who want to progress.

Try to find things that you can do within your current role that might be deemed outside of what you're doing.  It's always good to expand your knowledge, and it shows your team and your manager that you're willing to take things on. It's good for potential employers inside and outside of Queen Mary to know that you're happy to take stuff on and learn.