Alumni

Dan MacDermid

Career Path: Norton Rose Fulbright: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Assistant
Location: Newcastle Upon-Tyne, UK

I graduated from Northumbria in 2019 with a degree in History and went onto working in School operations at Newcastle University Business School for 3 years. In this time I managed the Operations team for a time and then moved full time into the Student Recruitment team coordinating Undergraduate recruitment. I went into this with a love of events and presenting to people. I mainly work in people facing roles because of this. I took up the role of Co-chair for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for the Business School, which eventually led onto a full time DE&I role at Norton Rose Fulbright.

What are you doing now?:

I work within the Responsible Business team at the global law firm: Norton Rose Fulbright. I support the DE&I initiatives and activities for Europe, Middle East and Asia. This involves supporting our employee networks, raising awareness on DE&I issues in the workplace, and fostering an inclusive work environment.

What was it about Northumbria that made you decide to study here?:

I already loved Newcastle as a city and heard great things about Northumbria University especially for my course choice. Everyone was so friendly at Open Days etc and my lecturers were always there to support.

What was it like studying at Northumbria? (eg. were there a mix of lectures, seminars, team projects? Was the feedback constructive?):

As my degree choice was mostly independent study. I had some lectures and seminars throughout the week, but a lot of time was used for reading and assignments.

How connected was your course with industry? (eg. did you have a placement, work on projects? were there interesting guest lectures?):

As part of my course, we were encouraged to undertake work experience. I used my time to work in the historical education team at the Hancock Museum in Newcastle. We had a lot of support from the University in sourcing these opportunity and making sure we got the most out of them.

What was the best thing about your course?:

The variety of topics I could choose to study.

How did studying at Northumbria help you achieve your career goals/ give your career an edge?:

Northumbria gave me confidence in presenting and researching topics and refined my social skills when meeting new people.

Which skills/knowledge did you learn on your course that you use most now throughout your career?:

Research Presentation Public speaking Written communication Data gathering.

What did you enjoy most about your time at Northumbria University?:

The people I met along the way.

What advice would you give somebody who is considering studying at Northumbria?:

Research your course in depth to make sure it is the right choice for you. Also try to enjoy it! Uni can be a difficult and stressful time but also a lot of fun.