Chris Walton
Masters programme, year of graduation and current role
I studied MSc Urban and Regional Planning graduating in 2016. My current role is a graduate Consents Officer at the National Grid in Warwick.
How has your Masters prepared you and given you relevant transferable skills for your current role?
I gained an awareness of how the British planning application process operates through lectures and workshops. These lectures and workshops also developed my awareness of the broad, wide ranging issues that planners have to deal with.
I also developed my project management skills through producing assignments which have multiple variables and require pulling various sources of information together to make a coherent argument.
What support have you had to help you make the move from your Masters to your job? For example from mentors, academics or Careers Network?
I was made aware of opportunities through e-mails from lecturers and Careers Network, which gave me the impetus to apply for jobs.
Please add any tips or advice for postgraduates looking to enter the job market
Keep your eyes and ears open and don’t ignore emails! Take into account the connections that the University of Birmingham, especially the Careers Network, has with employers and use those connections to your advantage.
The National Grid is the organisation responsible for power distribution in the UK. It has nearly 9,000 employees and in 2012/13 had a capital investment programme of £2.4 billion. It offers graduate schemes in a wide range of areas and postgraduates who join start on a salary of £28,500.