Meet Andrew

How would you describe your time at Newcastle University?

Fantastic and rewarding. When I applied, I was at a point in my career where I felt very unfulfilled and lacked passion for what I was doing.

I needed to hit the reset button and studying at Newcastle allowed me to do just that.

It filled me with an energy and enthusiasm that I had not felt for several years, and I just couldn't wait to get started! I threw myself into being a student again and got involved in so many activities in and around campus.

I was a course and school rep and was lucky enough to get part-time work as a Student Ambassador and in the Robinson Library.

As well as this, I helped relaunch the Newcastle University Culture Club with some of my course-mates. We hosted social events, film screenings, talks and visits to various museums and galleries.

The pick of the bunch was definitely a trip to Yorkshire Sculpture Park! I learned so much from being involved in all of these activities. It was an amazing experience, I loved it!

What did you enjoy the most?

The people. I met so many people from around the world and working, collaborating and forming friendships with them was a privilege. I'm still in contact with so many of the people I studied with, one of them even did a reading at my wedding. 

I also really enjoyed the variety offered by the course. It offers a pathway into so many aspects of the sector and allows you to explore a wealth of options for the future.

We were able to visit some fantastic places and hear from different experts in their field, which was invaluable.  

What skills and knowledge have you found useful in your career?

In my current role as Senior Volunteering & Community Officer I put a lot of the skills I learned during my degree into practice.

We learned a lot about effective forms of engagement, how to work with different stakeholders and how to maximise outreach work. This is all work that I do now, engaging and promoting the National Trust to visitors, the local community, and the local council.

The biggest part of my role is the recruitment and management of volunteers which is something one of our modules focussed heavily on.

I remember discussing in depth in a seminar the difference between staff and volunteers and how their motivations differ. That's something I now think about on most days managing a team of 200 active volunteers.

A lot of the work that's done in our sector relies heavily on volunteers and we have a responsibility to provide engaging and meaningful opportunities for our people.

Another thing we learned was the importance of engaging new audiences. I'm revisiting old lecture notes at the moment to refresh my memory on methods to make our volunteer cohort more diverse and inclusive.

How did your degree help you find work in the sector?

I was very fortunate to be interviewed for two different vacancies towards the end of my degree. One of those was with the National Trust.

Five years later, I'm still here and loving it!

I wanted to diversify my career and find opportunities I otherwise wouldn't have had. Because of my degree, I have done just that.

What advice would you give to students starting the course now? 

Enjoy every minute of it! There's plenty of hard work to do but there's also so much fun along the way.

Time will fly faster than you think, so if you find something you want to be involved with while studying, make sure you do it.