Meet Beth Walters – a finalist in English at Queens’ College. In the first of a series of blogs about vacation work, Beth reveals how she found working at her College’s Alumni and Development Office
Hi Beth! Tell us about yourself – what do you study, and where are you from?
I study English at Queens’ College, and I’m originally from County Durham. I took a year out between my first and second years for health reasons and it was the most beneficial thing I could’ve done at the time, and I don’t think I would’ve had the confidence to apply for summer work, run a campaign for the CUSU elections and then get my dream job as a Trainee Librarian if I hadn’t. Taking time to work on yourself and your strengths can be a very underrated boon for the process of finding employment, and summer work can fit really well into this!
What made you choose to work for Queens’ College Alumni and Development Office?
I’d always been curious about ‘the other end’ of the admissions, to graduate, to alumni process, and the job offered a really good way to experience working in an office, within a college environment and acquire essential skills and experience. It was also a lovely chance to move back into college a month earlier than otherwise, work on my dissertation and earn some money which has certainly made the year financially easier.
Taking time to work on yourself and your strengths can be a very underrated boon for the process of finding employment
What were your day-to-day responsibilities and what did you learn? What was especially challenging/rewarding about the role?
I handled the creation of a lot of emails and letters generated by Queens’ College’s annual Telephone Campaign, processing the information donors gave by adding information to the database, using Excel and Word to mail merge letters en masse, speedily proof-read and tweak letters and an unimaginable amount of envelope stuffing! When there was a lull in the donation process I was able to assist other people within the office, accessing the college archive (an underground, damp but amazing wine cellar under the Old Hall of Queens’ College!) to find fascinating pieces of information to share with curious alumni about their past reports, correspondence and any other information the Alumni office used to be given! Then there was always the odd day where we’d have an alum wander into the college – this taught me to be flexible enough with my work so I could always make some tea for someone or direct them to the right person!
Start with environments that already know you
Do you know what you’d like to do in your early career once you leave Cambridge?
Yes, I’ve actually just accepted my dream job as a Library Graduate Trainee at Newnham College, Cambridge! I’d like to then proceed to get a CILIP accredited masters’ in Library Studies and become a more senior librarian within an academic environment. At least, that’s the plan currently, but everything could change when new fields become visible to me and I find jobs that will suit my strengths and passions!
Any plans for summer work this year?
I start my graduate job at the very beginning of September, so I will be spending my summer flat-hunting, moving in and have a much needed post-finals relax!
What’s your advice to students seeking vacation work right now?
Start with environments that already know you – your college, your faculty or libraries you access might have opportunities for you to get voluntary experience, shadow someone in a job you might like to try, or do a bit of paid work in a more administrative environment. I chose Alumni and Development because I felt passionate about my college, which made the endless admin of the Telephone Campaign far more bearable as it did truly feel essential and like it was making a difference. I made some nice friends within the office and learned skills I’ve now been able to discuss in my interviews for graduate jobs, alongside being able to offer up-to-date, recent references!