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 am a Manager within the Partnerships and Philanthropy Directorate at Unicef UK. First and foremost I am a fundraiser but I also like to describe myself as a professional relationship builder. I work alongside a selection of high net worth individuals, philanthropists, and global leaders to secure funds for Unicef's vital humanitarian work. This involves building meaningful relationships and developing personalised journeys for supporters. These relationships are mutually beneficial and deliver sustainable and transformational change for children.

Alongside this, I am the lead for Unicef UK's first and only gender equality initiative; the Girls' Investment Fund Task-force (the GIFT). The GIFT is a collective movement of philanthropists, business leaders and families that make social investments in UNICEF's work to protect and prolong the lives of girls. In its first year, the GIFT successfully leveraged over £400k to protect girls from gender based violence in Somalia and prolong the lives of HIV positive girls in Jamaica.

A typical day in my role at Unicef UK involves calling, writing or meeting with a number of my supporters to either thank them for their support, update them on an area of Unicef's work or invite them to an exclusive event that I think they might be interested in that will deepen their knowledge of Unicef's work. This is the best part of my role as I have the privilege of meeting some incredibly inspiring, caring and successful individuals who want to genuinely change children's lives for the better.

I make sure I spend a portion of my day reading recent reports and news articles, attending internal briefing meetings on various areas of Unicef's work to make sure I keep up-to-date with developments so I can pass these on to my supporters. For example, The Chief of Emergencies in Burundi recently came into the office to update us on the current situation for children in the country due to the political unrest. It is always incredibly humbling and educational when we get the opportunity to meet with our front-line workers.

I also spend time during working hours and in the evening going to networking events and sector events to meet potential supporters and other fundraisers to share learnings and sector trends.

There are two main reasons why I love my job: 1. I get to spend my time building relationships with people and, 2. I get to help these people have a positive impact on children's lives.

It is challenging to read and hear about some of the awful situations children around the world are facing. It can be quite overwhelming. However, we try to focus on all of the positive change that is happening as a result of our supporters generosity and Unicef's amazing front-line workers.

The main skills I need to do my job effectively are negotiating, influencing and communication.

Board Member - Volunteer Board Fundraising Special Interest Group, Institute of Fundraising: Mar 2016 – Present

Partnership Development Manager, The Children's Society: Sep 2015 – Jun 2016

Partnership Development Coordinator, The Children's Society: Apr 2014 – Sep 2015

Account Executive, KPMG UK: Oct 2011 – Mar 2014

Caseworker and Researcher, The Office of Toby Perkins MP: Oct 2010 - Oct 2011

I see myself working at Unicef UK for a good number of years and honing my fundraising and leadership skills. My aim is to become Head of Philanthropy at Unicef UK or another children's charity in the UK.

Alongside this, I have aspirations to do another MA or leadership qualification.

Have a genuine interest in protecting children and making a positive impact.

Try and gain commercial experience before pursuing a career at a charity, especially if you would like a career in major donor fundraising. It is always very helpful to be well rounded and knowledgeable in another area of work. For example, finance sector or law. This isn't essential but charities are always looking to learn from the private sector.