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 act as a link between the International Programme teams and the Fundraising department. A large part of this is creating a library of donor-friendly resources for use by the fundraising teams. These teams work with companies, trusts and statutory funders, and high-level supporters of the organisation. I need to make sure they know what work the organisation is doing in two regions overseas.

I need to gather and interpret technical information, such as briefs, operational updates and budget, written by the programme team, who are technical experts. I then need to 'translate' this, into compelling and engaging information that explains what programmes we are running, and how people can support.

I also manage funding gaps in my regions, and respond to queries from fundraisers across the department, helping them match programmes to their donors, or updating them on how a programme is progressing.

A typical day for me is working normal office hours, in the organisation's Headquarters in London. I spend a mix of my time in meetings, and working at my desk.

I would spend most of a typical day at my desk. I might be liasing with an emergency response officer to gather the information I need to write an update on an emergency appeal. This would involve explaining how the situation has developed, and how the organisation is supporting.

I might later facilitate a meeting with a fundraiser and a country officer, to discuss the possibility of submitting a proposal to a statutory funder on a programme in particular country.

The rest of my day might be taken up by responding to email requests, to update someone on what is happening in Ethiopia, or what livelihoods work we are doing. I might also be asking others to send me pictures or case studies for a report.

I learn a lot about the world of International Development. In order to be able to understand technical information, and to explain that to others, my role really requires me to understand what kinds of work we do, and why. I learn about the silent, ongoing emergencies that are happening around the world, that do not always get the media attention. I enjoy this aspect of research and learning.

I enjoy getting the chance to be creative, and to think about how to present complicated things in a compelling and clear way. I also like the feeling that my role could have a positive impact on the work being done to help people in difficult circumstances around the world. If I can help secure funds by raising awareness of what is going on, I have done my job well.

I also like the people-facing aspect of my role. It requires me to develop good relationships with people from across the organisation, essentially because I am always needing to ask them for information.

I had always wanted to work in the charity/third/non-profit sector. Before University I volunteered for 12 months in a School overseas, and volunteered for another 6 months in a rural community in Southern Africa afterwards. This really opened my eyes to the kind of circumstances different people live in around the world, and the work that NGOs do here. It increased my passion for wanting to be a part of this particular sector.

For me, a communications-based fundraising role is great. My degree in English Literature was all about interpreting and analysing information, and presenting that clearly in an original, clear and compelling argument. It developed my writing skills, and that is all really transferable to proposal writing. In order to gain support from an organisation on a large level, you need to be able to clearly explain why they should support you, and keep it engaging and interesting.

I went into a different fundraising role straight out of university, and when I saw this role it seemed to perfectly marry my interests and my skills.

Graduated University of Sheffield in 2012
Internship at the Children's Society - 3 months, 2012
Campaign Manager Graduate Job at a Fundraising Consultancy- 2013 - 2014
Team Leader, International Citizen Service Programme - Department for International Development - in Lesotho, Southern Africa - voluntary experience for 6 months, 2015
2015 - joined current organisation

I would really like to stay at my current organisation for longer, and in this field, building my experience before moving up the ladder.

For those considering English Literature - I've no regrets! I think it leaves you open to range of different career paths. Every organisation needs people who can write well, can be persuasive and articulate key information. It sets you up for a range of different things, publishing, teaching, fundraising, marketing, bid-writing, communications.

I would advise everyone to either take a year in industry, or to try out some internships in your summer holidays. Try some volunteering in an area that interests you. My first internship after University helped me get my first job. As much as giving me a little experience, its place on my CV showed potential employers that I had a demonstrable interest in pursuing a career in this particular area, and that I was being proactive about getting there.

If you want to work in the charity sector, there are lots of different routes. The same roles exist in charities as in other organisations - finance, HR, client/account management, programme management. You could start by trying to get internships in NGOs. You could also work in a private company before later moving into a similar role in a large charity - lots of people do this later in life.

Everyone talks about how competitive the job market is, and it's true, there is competition there, but don't be downhearted. I almost felt as if I would never get where I wanted to be after University, when people gave me advice not to apply for certain graduate schemes because they were so competitive. Don't let it put you off - I applied for one on a whim and got straight through to the final stages, so not applying was the wrong advice.

Think about what you want to do, and make a plan. Companies want to hire bright and enthusiastic people. Just be persistent and you will get there.

Jessica  BA (Hons) English Literature (2016)
Senior Administrator (Bursaries and Work Experience)  (Business, administration and public sector)

Accepts questions from students about their career