Even though many of our graduates will have progressed in their careers since completing a case study, they are still of interest to students who wish to gain an understanding of the world of work.

My main role is to support and develop the student rep system within the University. This involves:
- Providing support such as training, advice and information for a network of student course representatives and faculty representatives.
- Working with University staff to develop the student rep system.
- Providing information and support for University staff on working with student reps.
- Gathering feedback from students and information from other organisations to help develop our services.

I also help to support the Union's elected student officers and get involved in other projects within the University and Students' Union.

I am involved in lots of different projects so my work varies a lot and tasks change at different times of year. However, each day usually involves most of my time spent at my desk, plus some time in meetings with colleagues or University staff. I also may have meetings or training sessions with students.

I am based in the Students' Union building but I also have meetings in other University buildings and sometimes at a different campus about a mile away. Occasionally I travel to other Universities for conferences.

Here is an example of some typical activities:
- Responding to email or face-to face enquiries from students.
- Organising meetings and events.
- Writing reports for committees.
- Planning and delivering training sessions for student reps.
- Planning how processes will work, e.g. how student reps will be recruited.
- Meeting staff or students to discuss ideas for new projects or activities.

I am doing a lot of work on improving the student rep system and it's great to feel like I can have an impact and influence on what happens in the University in a way that makes things better for students.

I like the fact I get to work on varied projects and with different groups of people - student reps, University staff, student officers and Students' Union staff.

I really enjoy delivering training sessions and helping people to learn and develop.

I have lots of different tasks to work on and it's not always easy to manage my time and fit them all in.

Universities are big organisations so it's always difficult trying to instigate any changes across the institution. You have to work with a lot of different people who all have different ideas and priorities, and you have to navigate the decision-making structures such as University committees.

At the end of my undergraduate degree I was elected as Education Officer in the Students' Union. Ever since then I have been interested in student unions and student representation.

Oral and written communication skills, diplomacy and negotiation skills, teaching/training skills, networking, team working, planning and organisation, analysis, information gathering, IT skills.

Knowledge of the Higher Education sector and student unions.

I needed a degree or equivalent to apply for this job.

I had an induction which lasted about 2 weeks and included meeting the key people I work with, learning how my organisation works and learning about my areas of work/main projects.

After discussion with my line manager, I have attended training sessions on confidence, assertiveness and management skills to help me develop my skills further.

In 2003, the year I finished my undergraduate degree, I was elected Education Officer at my Students' Union for one year.

I then worked for short periods as a library assistant, in a Student Union supporting student representatives, and as a University administrator.

In 2006 I returned to University to study for an MA in Sociological Research, followed by a PhD in Sociology. Whilst I studied for my PhD, I did some teaching in my department and also took a course in teaching and learning in Higher Education.

After completing my PhD thesis I spent a few months looking for work before starting my current job.

At the moment I'm not sure what direction my future will take. I could return to academia and pursue a career as a researcher/lecturer in Sociology, I could continue to work in student unions and work my way up to being a manager, or I could work in a University in an administrative role, supporting student representation, research or educational development. I would like to continue working in the Higher Education sector.

Unless you want to pursue a very specific career that demands specific qualifications, I wouldn't worry too much about having it all planned out when you first leave University. When I was younger I spent a lot of time worrying about which career to pursue and in the end I have changed direction several times and done things I would never have thought of, just because of opportunities that came up along the way. I think you need to have a strategy for getting a job, but don't worry about whether it's the perfect job - you won't really know until you try it. I think the most important thing is to get some concrete work experience, even if it's not quite what you were looking for, then you can build on that. It's much easier to apply for jobs once you already have some experience.

If you want to work in Higher Education, there are a wide variety of roles available. Check out www.jobs.ac.uk for vacancies. If you want to stay in Sheffield, it's a good sector to work in as there are two large universities in the city, plus their student unions (which are separate organisations).

There are lots of things you can do as a student that are relevant to a career in HE, including being a course rep, getting involved in your student union, working as a student ambassador or undertaking other part-time jobs on campus. You could also find relevant voluntary work, e.g. outreach activities in local schools and colleges, student mentoring schemes, volunteering to support other students through Nightline, welfare campaigns, etc.

When you are looking for a job, many Universities now run graduate schemes or employ paid graduate interns. They often want people with recent experience of being a student so that you can engage with their students.