My entire university experience helped me grow and mature as an adult

Tell us about your career path since graduating

During my degree, I had the chance to work for a medical device manufacturer and was introduced to the expansive world of business technology and system implementations. I was able to use the transferable skills from my degree for project management and analysis of which customer and organisational needs to prioritise when it came to implementing new systems or updates for existing systems. The needs of customers were often influenced by local and national policies and my degree helped me to think strategically and better understand their most likely motivations and potential risks. After my placement year, I stayed on with the company for one day a week whilst I was finishing my degree. 

However, during my final months at uni, an opportunity presented itself and I took a leap of faith and switched to the automotive industry, where I worked in Sales Operations for Lexus at Toyota UK. This job taught me a lot about corporations and continuous improvement, including organisational structures and the Japanese way of working, effective collaboration across departments, how laws impact the automotive industry, as well as people management because I was managing a team of two for the first time. It was an amazing time, however, due to personal circumstances I decided to leave and stay in Sheffield instead of relocating to London. I then worked a year at a local company to implement a system for them before switching to my current position as Business Process Improvement Manager at Jeld-Wen Europe. As part of my role, I again use all the transferable skills from my degree together with my work experience to implement transformation initiatives, with a focus on system implementations / updates. I also support the teams in the various countries in identifying bottlenecks, risks, and improvement opportunities within their ways of working.

What did you enjoy about your time at Sheffield? 

I thoroughly enjoyed the extracurricular activities during my degree, like being a student ambassador, being part of PolSoc, and the SOOT scheme. They all allowed me to meet new people, hear a broad range of opinions, and give back by telling students interested in university about uni life, my experience, and encourage them to start this journey, even if they are the first in their family. I also benefited from alumni mentoring and have been in touch with my mentor for many years even after the programme had officially ended. My mentor supported me throughout applications and interviews, and encouraged me to follow my gut and stay true to myself, whilst ensuring that as an immigrant I have a stable footing in this country.

Many of the best experiences during my time at uni were thanks to the people in Sheffield and at the University of Sheffield I have been lucky enough to meet along the way. These include tutors, lecturers, members of staff in the faculty and fellow students, who have become my friends. 

How do you think Sheffield helped you prepare for your career?

Apart from the examples I mentioned previously, my entire uni experience also helped me grow and mature as an adult. Finding my place in the world, how I want to live my life and influence change, helped me to be clear on my goals, my priorities, and what I want to get out of a job. That is a very useful filtering mechanism to channel my energy into the things I am really interested in, continue to learn and grow.

What advice would you give those interested in pursuing a similar career to you?

When choosing to work in the corporate sector as a former politics student, there will be instances when you disagree with company policies, projects, and strategies because you understand that a decision made by the company hurts the environment, disadvantages certain groups of people, or outsources a problem then affecting another region. Whilst this can be frustrating and demotivating, I would encourage you to speak up. Share your thoughts with colleagues, start conversations with a coach or mentor and management. I have experienced many times that colleagues simply did not know about the bigger picture and how they can take action. Speaking up and asking questions has, of course, not always changed an entire strategy but raising awareness amongst employees of a business helps to ask more questions, build pressure, and influence change. So, even if you choose a corporate career, you can still do political work, even if it is not officially part of the job description.