Why did you study Linguistics/English Language at Queen Mary? Did you have a particular career path in mind?
I found the appeal of studying Comparative Literature and Linguistics in my passion for reading and natural curiosity for languages. I focused on pursuing a degree that I could enjoy, as I knew that was where I would be able to put in the work without burning out.
I also made sure that throughout my time at university I was investing time into my future so that when I eventually graduated, I would have a versatile skill set and tangible evidence of my strengths for prospective employers.
What topics did you like learning about and was there anything that surprised you in your studies?
In my first year I recall being fascinated about how priming works across languages, that being exposed to a word in Language A could trigger the recollection of a similar word in Language B. It led me to think about how the mind is structured and what other types of primes were possible - this would later become the topic of my dissertation, which won a national award and became a great source of personal pride and accomplishment.
I was surprised by a number of modules in my second and third years requiring empirical research / analysis. I was always fairly good with numbers in school but seeing somewhat advanced mathematics in a Linguistics module caught me off-guard initially. Thankfully, the modules were excellently taught and I was always supported along the way, these even turned out to be some of my favourite modules in my time at Queen Mary.
Can you describe your career path to date and touch on your current role? How did you arrive in your current role?
Throughout my time at university I worked part-time jobs as a Sales Assistant in retail and as an English Tutor at my local tuition centre, I also took on an unpaid internship in my final year as a Marketing Intern.
When I graduated in 2020, I continued working part-time as an online tutor and eventually applied for a paid internship in 2021 to the ELBA (East London Business Alliance) Eagles programme. This programme offers graduate placements at top London firms and I was able to leverage my experiences working while at university to land an internship at a global financial institution.
Throughout my 12-month internship, I made many connections – including with my current manager when I briefed her for an interview with the BBC and was offered an Internal Communications role in her team.
How do you describe the skills and knowledge you gained during your Linguistics/English Language degree to your employers?
When applying, I made sure to emphasise the versatility of the skills that I had developed studying Comparative Literature and Linguistics.
This ranged from describing how I developed my written communication skills to a high standard to discussing how I made conscious steps to improve my presentation skills. I think it’s always best to tell a story about how you have developed a skill to a high-level rather than have them assume it's something you’re naturally good at.
What are your career plans for the future/ Are you looking to expand your skill set in anything?
Within the next few years, I am interested in moving into Cyber Security. For now I am ensuring that I am well-connected with people working within the firm and meeting regularly with senior leaders to ensure I am learning about what I need to do (e.g. self-fund certifications, publications to read to keep up with the latest news, where to learn more about roles available to me etc.) so that when I am ready for a move or career change, I have all the pieces ready to put my plan into action.
How did your degree prepare you for your current job role? Which skills that you developed during your degree have you brought to your current job?
My many modules containing research projects taught me how to work well independently without relying on a teacher / professor to tell me what to do all the time. This is immensely useful when working at a large corporation as a lot of learning requires you taking the initiative.
I was also able to take part in a lot of group projects and, more importantly, lead on group projects. This is maybe the most undervalued aspect of anybody's time at university because it showcases to employers somebody that is proactive, that understands what it means to delegate and share responsibility. This is not something that comes naturally to me but something I pushed myself to do anyway.
Above all else, the skill that has helped me the most is my ability to plan effectively. To plot my goal, document a series of steps on how to achieve it, and then have the discipline to follow through. This was especially useful when working on my dissertation to break down a huge project into very manageable mini-assignments. And that’s often what's needed for any office or corporate job: to manage your time and workload as well as you can, to the highest level that you can.
Is there any advice you would give to current students or recent graduates considering their career options?
Take the proper steps to prepare yourself for life after university, ideally before your final year. In your first and second years, attend insight weeks with major companies, apply for their summer internship programmes, get some real-world experience under your belt! You don’t have to find the perfect company, just get that perspective for yourself of what you like, and just as important, what you don’t like.
This experience will also teach you how to manage your time, instil discipline, and give you another opportunity to demonstrate your competence in a professional environment to your next employer.
Your working experience doesn’t even have to be in an office / corporate environment, you can work retail, hospitality, tutoring etc. anything that lets you develop soft skills is also hugely beneficial.
What advice would you give to a prospective student considering the course you studied and Queen Mary?
Firstly, if you didn’t study Linguistics at school, don’t worry. The Introduction to Linguistics module is excellently taught and gets you up to speed.
There is such a variety of content available to you when studying Linguistics at Queen Mary. I learned about the languages of the world, language developmental disorders in children, how to create your own language and so much more. I think if you’re somebody who just likes learning in general, it's very easy to find something you like!
I would also suggest making the most of the best resource available to you, your lecturers! Actually go to their office hours, pick their brains for the best way to navigate an assignment or for advice. All of my best grades were the result of me preparing for meetings with the experts in the field and asking lots of questions!
What was special about your time at Queen Mary? Can you give one or two examples of your most memorable moments?
I love how collaborative and approachable everyone is! I made so many trusted friends within my cohort, with people outside of my course, and I am still in touch with a number of my professors. I think that is a testament to the great culture at Queen Mary.