Siobhan Coleman

School of English, Events and Marketing assistant at Birmingham City University 

Graduated in 2017 

Former BA (Hons) English Language and Literature student, Siobhan, answered a few questions for us about her time at Birmingham City University and what she has been doing since she graduated.

Hi Siobhan. What course did you choose to study and why?

I did English Language with Literature. I started out by doing the English Literature course, however during my first year I explored new modules including Language modules which made me look at Language in a new light. At school, I always believed that my strength was in English Literature and I never liked any of the English Language modules we did. The School of English at Birmingham City University opened my eyes to a new found enjoyment of Language and I decided to change my mind!

 When you started university, did you know what you wanted to do as a career?

I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do for a career, and this confusion continued throughout my time at university. I flitted around with the idea of teaching for a long while, however I decided not to pursue this unless I was really set on it. The reasons for toying with the idea of teaching came from working as a student ambassador. Before university, I was completely set on the idea of becoming a teacher, however when I stared working as a student ambassador, I became very passionate about working with university students and I loved the environment of the university, therefore I wanted to continue to pursue this career. I chose to do an English degree because I knew I would enjoy this, also because I wasn’t completely sure what I wanted to do for a future career, I thought that doing an English degree would provide me with a multitude of opportunities.

What is your current role?

I currently work in the School of English office as an Events and Marketing assistant. Although this particular job wasn’t in existence until recently, I have always had an interest in both marketing, and working for a university. Therefore this position is the perfect opportunity for me. I am extremely dedicated to the university and in particular the English department. I love being able to be a part of the events and interacting with students!

How has your life changed since you have graduated?

Since graduating I have relocated from my hometown, Cambridge, back to Birmingham. I have been enjoying setting up my flat with all the different bits of furniture I have been acquiring, unfortunately I'm not allowed any pets! I try and keep up with my fitness by going to the gym, although this takes a lot more time management now I am in a full time job! At university I never really took the time to write for pleasure. In all honesty I didn’t believe I was good enough, however with my job I have been writing blog posts and I am really enjoying this.

What main skill from your university days will you take with you through your life?

The life lessons that I have gained from coming to university are invaluable. Coming to university has allowed me to develop into an independent adult in a safe environment. Living away from home has enabled me to learn important skills such as cooking for myself, which is now a hobby of mine. On the academic side of things my confidence has increased dramatically. I have had to do presentations and drama performances which seemed really daunting at the time but these experiences have developed my public speaking skills, which in turn has boosted my confidence. Doing well at university and getting praise for my hard work and efforts has strongly improved my self-belief, something that I will now always carry with me.