LAUNCHING:
ALEX FLYNN
Company:
HE Student Engagement
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THE BIG QUESTIONS
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF PROFESSIONALLY IN FIVE YEARS’ TIME?
Working in an international marketing agency - preferably liaising with clients in Germany so I can tie in my degree.
WHAT IS YOUR PROFESSIONAL TITLE?
Student Opportunities Officer
WHAT DO YOU DO ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS?
Work on a range of digital and face-to-face marketing techniques to inform students at my institution about the cultural opportunities available to them in the city of Liverpool.
WHAT DID YOU WANT TO DO WHEN YOU WERE A CHILD AND WHAT CHANGED?
I wanted to be an actress.
WHAT ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS DO YOU HAVE?
BA German degree from the University of Exeter. I’m half way through studying an MSc in Marketing from University of Liverpool.
WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL AND WHY?
My mum - she's had a lot of knock backs throughout her career, most of which have come as a result of her sacrificing her career to bring up us children, but also due to redundancies in times of economic insecurity. It's been tough but she's persevered and got back to where she used to be through hard work and resilience. And gone through a divorce and done a degree in the mean time!
WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR CURRENT WORKING ENVIRONMENT?
My manager is great for encouraging professional development - I know I want to go on to something at a more corporate level and she's inspired me to think about the things I need to do to gain confidence and experience to get there.
WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE ABOUT YOUR DAILY WORK ROUTINE IF YOU COULD?
I'm happy with flexible working, and would like to travel more through work.
DO YOU FEEL YOU CAN BE THE SAME PERSON AT WORK AND IN PRIVATE?
Normally, yes.
WHERE AND IN WHAT ROLES ARE WOMEN IN THE LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE AT YOUR COMPANY?
There is a big problem in universities with women in leadership. I would suggest it is 60-70% women working at the university however there are maybe 3 in 30 in the top leadership positions, and absolutely no women in the top tier of Pro-Vice Chancellors etc.
DOES DIVERSITY MATTER TO YOU?
Definitely.
HOW GOOD IS YOUR WORK LIFE BALANCE?
It is good - working a lot of nights sometimes means not having much time to relax through the week... but I'm not one for having a quiet lifestyle! I tend to keep myself busy with socialising every weekend and through the week.
WHAT QUALITIES DOES BEING IN YOUR ROLE NECESSITATE?
People/communication skills to speak to/target different groups of students. Evaluative skills - as a relatively new university initiative there is a constant need to assess activities and make them as effective as possible.