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.

I manage the HR department for a family run company, so am responsible for helping the company recruit, develop and retain a high calibre, engaged workforce.

As we are a relatively small company, I provide HR assistance at all stages throughout the employee life cycle. In a typical day I could be shortlisting job applicants and arranging interviews, working with line managers on a disciplinary matter, helping welcome a new starter into the business or dealing with the paperwork for an employee that has decided to move on - no two days are ever the same.

I enjoy seeing the difference that HR can make within a business: people are at the heart of every company regardless of the industry, so this is a role where I can really have an impact.

There are always the 'negative' parts of HR, such as redundancies or dismissals. I try to overcome these by ensuring that I deal with everyone fairly and consistently, and remember that we're all human at the end of the day.

I have an interest both in business and in people, so this is the perfect match for me. I enjoy a role where I get to meet and work with different people on a daily basis and because no two days are ever the same I'm never bored.

The most important skills are people skills: I have to be able to work with people at all levels of the business and be able to deal with difficult conversations regularly. It's also important that I have good commercial skills and knowledge of the business, so I can really understand how HR can contribute to the overall business strategy.

After leaving University in 2010, I realised I wanted to take some time out before pursuing my long term career, and applied to go and work in Walt Disney World, Florida. The application process took a long time, so I worked full time in retail in the meantime which I ended up thoroughly enjoying.

Eventually, I was fortunate enough to be offered a role at Disney, and so worked a year long programme in EPCOT's World Showcase from 2011-12 where I worked in Food and Beverage and was selected to be a Disney Trainer, training new Cast Members.

When I returned to the UK, I started applying to graduate schemes and in 2013 went to work for a national Estate Agency on their management training scheme, where I worked in the lettings department while undergoing training placements in Finance, Marketing and HR.

All of my work experiences from my retail role, Disney placement and graduate scheme made me realise that HR was the direction I wanted my career to take, as it ticks all the boxes in terms of my interests and skills, so in 2014 I started studying a MSc in Human Resources Management part-time and began working as an HR Assistant. I was promoted to HR Coordinator in 2015, and to HR Manager in 2016. Earlier this year, I moved companies and am now the HR Manager for a family run business.

I am still working on my Master's degree, which should be completed later this year upon submission of my dissertation in September. I plan on taking at least a year off from study after that, but in the future would like to undertake an Employment Law qualification as I feel that this would link my undergraduate degree and current career path together.
In terms of future career goals, I'm quite happy to remain as an HR Manager for now as I really enjoy my job. I'm particularly passionate about employee engagement however so in the future perhaps I will move to specialise in that area, perhaps as a Consultant working with different businesses.

I started a Law degree unsure of whether or not I would pursue it as a career in the long term. I did end up going down a different path, but having the degree definitely opened doors for me and I do use a lot of the skills I gained from my degree in my career. So my advice would be that if you think the course is for you, even if you're not sure whether you'll go on to be a Solicitor or Barrister, it's definitely a great course to do.