Why did you choose LSE, and why did you choose your programme of study?
After I completed my BA in International Politics, I knew that I wanted to focus on social policy and felt that I needed more in-depth knowledge in this area. As the LSE's Social Policy Department is renowned for its historical importance and cutting-edge teaching and research, it was an obvious first choice for me.
Overall, how do you look back on your LSE experience?
I loved my time at the LSE, especially the countless discussions with interesting people from all over the world about policy issues. Many professors inspired me and got me to appreciate the importance of evidence-based policy making and of rejecting simple explanations
Please describe your career path to date:
As I had already gained work experience through internships and volunteering during my studies, I was lucky to get a job before I graduated with a healthcare consultancy in London where I worked on projects as well as commissioned research on governance in the NHS. After a year and a half there I moved on to a policy officer job where I could use my knowledge about European social policy (it was a network of public social services in Europe). As Brexit put relocation to Brussels for this NGO on the cards, I changed jobs again a year and a half later and am now working for the Council of Deans of Health where I lead on international and research policy in health higher education.
Why did you choose your current job?
It was important for me to work for an organisation with a positive mission as well as integrity. The Council of Deans of Health seeks to raise the profile of nursing, midwifery and allied health professional subjects at universities, which I find very important. As I'm leading on the organisation's global portfolio, I am also able to use my experience and knowledge about European and international contexts.
Tell us about your current job:
Everything I do in my job is determined by what is valuable to our members, therefore I am in contact with them a lot to ask them to review papers I have written, provide me with examples for those papers, organise meetings with them to discuss topical and/or strategic issues, or share representation at conferences and external stakeholder groups with them. I also do a lot of desktop research on issues around research in health higher education and international health higher education. I also liaise regularly with colleagues and external stakeholders - which means good communication and social skills are important! I'm coaching a more junior member of team, which I enjoy very much as it allows me to share some of my experience in a very practical way. Finally, being organised, able to prioritise and getting things done on time without compromising quality is absolutely essential to my job as is keeping up to date with policy developments in my area.
What advice do you have for LSE students who are looking to enter a similar profession to you?
My advise would be to think carefully about what kind of job is right for you but also not to be too narrow. Getting your first job is much harder than getting subsequent ones, therefore it's good to keep an open mind when you start your career. I think my internships, volunteering experiences and my involvement in student societies helped me a lot as well, therefore I would strongly advise you to do a lot of those things before you graduate. Many opportunities, especially student societies, will never come again, so make the most of them!