Briefly, could you tell us about your background and career before joining King’s?
I started my career in an entry level post at a satellite campus of the University of Buckingham in 2013. Then I side stepped to a similar role at SOAS University of London 18 months after. At SOAS I worked my way up the ladder through different roles as Department Officer, Department Manager and my final role as Head of an area. I spent about three years in that role until I felt as if I needed a change which brought me to King's. I started as a Senior Programmes Manager and moved into the Associate Director of Education role.
When did you join the Faculty?
I joined the Faculty in February 2023.
What was it like moving roles within the Faculty, what support and encouragement did you have from colleagues and managers?
The move itself was relatively comfortable, colleagues already knew me from my previous role and so were very supportive. My line manager and their manager were also very supportive, making time to answer questions and help me get a sense of the role I was applying for. The hardest thing was probably overcoming my own insecurities and actually listening to what people were saying, when that happened it really reminded me of the skills I have accrued over the years that will help me in the role.
What would you say to someone looking to develop and grow within King’s but unsure about where to start?
I would encourage people to find opportunities for development, whether that is a secondment, some shadowing work, lending a hand to a service area when they need it, training courses or even challenging their manager to help them develop. The next thing I would recommend is keeping a skills diary, I have one which I regularly complete with examples of where I have learnt new skills either through development or work. This has helped massively when it comes to completing applications and you just can't remember when you have done something.
Finally I would encourage anyone wishing to grow to become comfortable with change. This can often be scary and as humans we hate it, but the more comfortable you become with it, the better you will become at throwing yourself into the unknown and succeeding. Whether you start changing processes, email templates or even the way you approach your own career, the more changes you put in place and attempt, the more comfortable you will become and that will help you grow.
What is your favourite thing about working at King’s?
The College listens, sometimes it does not implement things immediately, but it does listen and you often get to see changes further down the line. Obviously the Faculty is the best for the work we do for the NHS and the group of students we work with, and working with a group of staff and students you are passionate about is very important to me.
What do you do with your time outside of work?
I like fixing things, whether it is a small DYI project at home or fixing the car, I am always one to throw myself into those situations. I probably make the problem worse but I like giving it a try!
Quick fire:
Favourite film?
The Dark Night Batman film
Dream dinner party guest?
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, US politician
Favourite place?
Nepal