We caught up with Robyn Walker, an alumnus of our Tourism and Events Management course. Here's what she had to say about her time at Northumbria and her career since graduating.
What is your current job role and what does it involve?
I’m actually starting a new job at Seaton Sands holiday park
in the next week. So I don’t have direct experience of the job yet, but my role
is an Events Coordinator. In this position, I will be planning and executing
events and will be the main point of contact for the owners of the caravans. I
will also be assisting in communications with the owners, to ensure they are
aware of all the events that will be taking place.
How did studying at Northumbria help prepare you for your
career?
On my placement year, I went out to Disney World in Florida
on the Academic International college programme, which gave me so much
real-life experience. It allowed me to encounter and face many scenarios, which
I now come across in my working life.
During the course, we also had modules in Employability.
These modules gave me confidence for life after university, especially by
developing my understanding of how to present myself in job interviews and
real-life work.
Throughout the degree, we were also able to put what we were
learning into practice through live projects. For example, in my second year I
was involved with a pop-up café project. This really helped me understand what
I was learning in the classroom, by putting it into practice.
Did you make use of our Careers Service- if so, can you
explain how they helped you?
I used the Careers Service in my final year of university as
this was a key time in starting to consider my next step. Finding employment
after university is a very daunting experience, however the Careers Service
helped me navigate my way through resources and helped me focus my career
search.
What skills did you learn from studying Tourism &
Events at NU?
Studying Tourism and Events helped me put my passions into
practice. The practical aspect of the course gave me real-life skills and
helped advance my communication skills whilst also providing invaluable
experience.
What was the support from academics like on your course?
How did the teaching staff help you achieve your goals?
As the Tourism and Events course is a focused business
course, you get to know your lecturers and academic staff personally throughout
the four years. This made approaching them very easy, they were always very
welcoming and helpful with any support I needed.
What advice would you give to students considering
applying to the course?
I would say if tourism and events is something you are
interested in, don’t be scared and go for it! Don’t be intimidated by the
business side of things as there’s plenty of support and guidance throughout
the course to increase your understanding.
As a graduate, do you give back to the
university? Are you involved in any volunteering such as guest lectures? Are
you part of the alumni association?
I have not been involved in any volunteering
or lecturing since graduating, I am however part of the Alumni Association.
