Nicola Wylie (RCM Coordinator)
Name: Nicola Wylie
Subject: BSc (hons) Physical Geography
Year Graduated: 2016
Where are you now and what are you doing?
I have just come to the end of a fabulous three month internship (Jan – March 2017) with Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC) as a Graduate Careers and Alumni Support Officer. Coming back to Lancaster University as a staff member was a strange prospect at first, but the staff dynamics are just as welcoming as the student life. After gaining experience working in higher education, I have secured myself a full-time job at Lancaster University and am very excited to start my new role (April 2017) as a Departmental Recruitment, Conversion and Marketing Coordinator (RCM) with the School of Computing and Communications (SCC). Higher Education was a sector I had not considered working in until I undertook my internship, but I have found it an amazing place to utilise my skills and pursue further development.
What would you like to do next?
When I began my internship with LEC my goal was to get a full-time position at Lancaster University, which felt a little unrealistic at the time. I can now proudly say I have achieved this, and so my next steps are to become an amazing RCM and see where my time at Lancaster takes me! Looking further into the future, I would like to progress within the Higher Education sector.
Why did you choose to study at Lancaster?
I remember coming to a Lancaster experience day back in high school/college and thinking to myself “yeah, I can see myself here.” Years later when it came to applying, I looked at several universities but none appealed more to me than the campus-style of Lancaster. The University is beautiful and so is the whole vibe and atmosphere. You meet people in your college, on your course, through societies and everyone is so friendly. The University also has an excellent reputation, both as a whole and LEC itself. The Applicant Visit Day (AVD) I was invited to after applying only affirmed that I had made the right decision.
What was your favourite part of your degree and why?
The flexibility of my degree is something that should not be forgotten. When I originally joined in 2013 I was studying BSc Earth and Environmental Science, yet I tailored my degree my way, and ended up graduating in BSc Physical Geography! The Erasmus placement I undertook as part of my third year dissertation was absolutely amazing – three months living and researching in Croatia! I met new friends, experienced an amazing culture and just had the best time. LEC is an amazing department that will cater to your every need, you just need to be proactive and ask the right people.
How do you think your time at Lancaster prepared you for what you’re currently doing?
My degree taught me a lot of specific knowledge that perhaps isn’t directly relevant to my role as RCM, however the method of study, report writing, dealing with data and other transferable skills are all highly useful. Further, I must thank the central careers team for offering internships to graduates, as this experience has helped springboard me into my current role – I would not be where I am now without Lancaster University, and it’s exciting to know that I will be giving something back as a staff member.
What did you enjoy most about your time at Lancaster?
It’s hard to pin down one thing I enjoyed most, the overall vibe was just great – yes there are hard and stressful times in your degree, but everyone is in the same boat. I enjoyed getting involved with the Society of Lancaster University Geographers (SLUGs), other societies, and the social spaces such as the campus bars – they are great for relaxing.
What advice would you give to current students?
I would say enjoy every second of your time at university, and don’t worry if you are unsure of your next step. If you have a clear career path then that’s great, but you have an entire lifetime to find what you love to do. I would advise everyone to do an internship if they can – the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) offer some great placements that make you stand out from the crowd.
Want to follow in Nicola’s footsteps? You can connect on LinkedIn
