concourse newspaper, volume ii, issue 10- graduation 2015
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ÂTRANSCRIPT
With this years graduates Profes-
sor Nick Fosket, Vice Chancellor,
reflects on graduation and
shares his thoughts about leav-
ing this year.
One of the greatest pleasures as
Vice Chancellor is attending our annual
graduation ceremonies and congratulat-
ing students on achieving their degrees
and awards. Graduation is a
grand occasion, with the spectacle of aca-
demics and students in their gowns, and
families and friends joining in the cele-
brations.
Students, partners, parents, grand-
parents, brothers, sisters and friends all
come to Keele to share a pinnacle life
event. We know that the picture most
commonly found on display in fami-
ly homes is the graduation photo. It
seems to mark ‘the end’ of education and
the progression towards a job and career
although, in reality, most people will
choose further study at some point in
their lives. It is the climax of three, four,
or even five years of hard work.
But alongside the celebrations, there
is inevitability some nervousness about
the next phase of life, whether it be find-
ing a job, travelling around the world or
choosing a further course of study. Will I
be successful? Have I made the right
choices? Will I make new friends?
I also very much enjoy giving the wel-
come talk to parents and new students
who arrive at Keele for the first time in
October each year. Those first few days
are also a time of excitement,
of celebrating academic achievement in A
levels and also one of nervousness. Will I
be successful at Keele? Have I made the
right choices?
Will I make
new friends?
So it’s much
the same at
both the start
and the end of most students’ lives at
Keele.
Of course, for the vast majority of stu-
dents it all turns out very well. Whilst at
Keele, they make lifelong friendships.
They study hard, get good degrees, enjoy
the high quality of teaching and the devel-
opment of independent learning skills
along the way. They apply for interesting
jobs or other opportunities and get offers
that enable them to progress in the direc-
tion they want their life to play out.
It’s not by chance that Keele usually
does so well in the National Student Sur-
vey (we were No. 1 in 2014) and also in
the annual survey of graduate employa-
bility. And of course, most have a great
time along the way. At graduation I often
ask students if they have had a good time
at Keele, and almost always the answer is
effusively positive – “It was great”, “Had
a fantastic three years”, “I don’t want to
leave”, “My friends at other universities
wish they had come to Keele”.
Several of our honorary graduates this
year are Keele alumni who have then had
very distinguished careers and achieve-
ments, for which we have recognised them
with an honorary doctorate. Each of them
talks positively and emotionally about the
way that Keele was a major mitigating
factor in their success and personal jour-
ney.
Continued on page 2...
Congratulations Class of 2015
Concourse Keele Universi ty ’s
Careers Advice Advice
Graduation Edition July 2015
Discover your options after graduating 4-5
Recent graduates share
their experiences
Special thanks to:
Professor Nick Foskett,
Vice Chancellor
Victoria Taylor
Joseph Baker
Adam Hughes
William Janes
Daniel Chorley
Keele Careers and Employ-
ability
Image c
red
it: K
eele
Un
ivers
i-
PROFESSOR NICK FOSKET, VICE
CHANCELLOR
Tuesday,14th July, 10.15am Graduation Ceremony
“there is inevitability
some nervousness
about the next phase
of life”
Est.1964 concourseonline.com
3-9
Contributors
Volume 2 Issue 10
“Will I be successful? Have I made the right choices?
Will I make new
friends?”
PAGE 2 CONCOURSE VOLUME 2 ISSUE 10
Fulfilling a life-long ambi-
tion
2
Vic’s top tips for surviving
graduate life.
3
Careers: so what next? 4-5
I’ve had some of the most
memorable experiences of my
life on the road.
6
Honorary Graduates 7
I became a man, I put away
childish things.
8
It may be a case of good tim-
ing or luck, but you will find
what you’re looking for.
9
Concourse : what’s in store? 10
Highlights
What are undoubt-
edly the three most
significant years of
our lives have final-
ly come to a close.
For many this end-
ing will be met with
celebration and ex-
citement, for other it
will be tinged with
sadness and a deep feeling of anxiety.
No more all-nighters in the library, no
more cheeky late night Dominos and no
more wasting our student loans on a Mon-
day night at the Union.
From here on out, you’re expected to be
‘proper’ adults, capable of looking after your-
selves, with a dreary 9-5 job, stable relation-
ships and savings in the bank.
I’m not going to lie, I’m so relieved that I
Letter from the Editor Carrie Hodgkins
have decided to stay on at Keele and com-
plete a masters course. Despite studying
here for three years, I don’t feel like I’ve
finished. There’s so much more I want to do.
Concourse is one of them. I’ve have so
many plans for the publication which I hope
to implement in the upcoming year. So,
while all my friends are off starting their
careers and earning money to pay off stu-
dent loans, I’ll still be here, living the stu-
dent dream.
I wish everyone who has graduated this
summer all the best and hope they’ll start
their new lives with as much confidence and
optimism they can muster.
But for me, it’s another year of squirrels,
Tuesday nights at Horwood Bar and slog-
ging it out in the library as I try to complete
a 25,000 words dissertation. Cheers!
In the middle of August I am stepping
down as Vice Chancellor at Keele after five
great years. Like everybody else at key tran-
sitions, I am asking
the same questions
of myself that
new students and
new graduates ask
themselves – don’t
think being nervous
about the future is
the prerogative of
teenagers and
twenty somethings!
But as I go on to
the next phase I
Continued from page 1…
Although, nothing is ever 100% wonderful
and, even at Keele, every student will have
moments which were academically or per-
sonally challenging.
Perhaps, they may have even doubt-
ed whether they would achieve what they
wanted from coming to Keele. However,
that’s all part of the process and working
through those sorts of challenges typically
makes the outcome even more special.
shall take with me very fond memories of
Keele, of its triumphs and its occasional
challenges, and I shall always remember
the excitement of graduation, the smiles
on student and parent faces and the
cheers during and after the graduation
ceremonies. Have a great summer, and
good luck in whatever you will be doing
next.
The Concourse Team also wishes
Professor Foskett all the best with
his future endeavours.
Image credit: Keele University
After 3 years of being an under-
graduate, Gerry Watkins graduat-
ed from Keele at the age of 73.
Rather than going to university when
most people do, in their early twenties,
Gerry took a job in banking on the advice
of his parents.
“I’d always resented not having the op-
portunity to go to university,” he said in an
interview with the Stoke Sentinel. Finally,
he was motivated to apply to Keele
and was accepted onto a foundation
year.
“I looked at Keele’s website and
fully expected it to say I was too
old.”
But the University accepts stu-
dents of all ages, and after complet-
ing his foundation degree, Gerry went onto
do a degree in History and American Stud-
ies.
His life at university was very different
to anything he’s previously experienced. He
found himself writing essays, studying both
history and literature through time and
even spending a semester abroad in the
U.S.A.
However, Gerry adapted very quickly,
finding himself in familiar territory as he
was born in Keele. He can remember
playing beside Keele Hall when he was
younger, but that was when the Universi-
ty did not exist and the land was used as
an Army camp.
“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my degree.
But the past six months have been a
challenge, with my dissertation, essays
and exams,” said Gerry.
After all his efforts, alongside many
other students, Gerry completed his de-
gree in July this year and graduated with
a 2:1 class with honours.
His daughter, Rachel, aged 44, said:
“I’m super proud of him. I find it so in-
spiring that somebody of his age could go
to university.”
Gerry’s success is testament that any-
one can achieve their dreams if they
strive hard enough and chase them re-
lentlessly.
Fulfilling a lifelong ambition
CONCOURSE EDITORIAL TEAM
Image credit: Keele University
Some of you may remember Vic in
her role as SU President 2012/13,
but before that she was a student
just like you.
Wow. Concourse. I owe you a lot.
I knew having something extra-curricular
would look good on my CV – ‘Hey employ-
er, look at me, I didn’t just get drunk and
stumble through my degree, I got drunk,
stumbled through my degree and ran the
student-led magazine!’ But I didn’t realise
that it would teach me skills that have
helped me get to where I am today.
It was about a year ago that I finished
my time as President of Keele Students’
Union. That job took over my life – I lived,
breathed, ate, drank and, once or twice,
slept KeeleSU and loved it. Getting in-
volved with Concourse, got me involved
with the Union and set me up for my elec-
tion – I definitely didn’t see that coming
when I walked into Sam’s bar for my first
meeting.
In some weird combination of timing,
fate and a solid rant about the Tories, I
managed to land a job straight out of
Keele. They always tell you to give exam-
ples in interviews and I clearly remember
talking about my editorial work and my
experience of covering the national stu-
dent demo for Concourse.
So, I packed up my shitty little flat,
had a ridiculously emotional leaving do in
the KPA, and left university like the
grown-up I most certainly wasn’t. The
night ended
with my
Mum blast-
ing Metalli-
ca out of
her over-
stuffed car.
I cried most
of the way
home.
For me,
leaving uni-
versity was horrendous for about three
days. I hated not being in my office, my
friends were moving on (or staying put)
without me and I never knew when my
next night out would be. I wasn’t ready to
be stuck at home with my Mum (even
though she’s ace) and I definitely wasn’t
ready to take out a £3000 graduate loan
to pay for an extortionate shoe box in the
city.
It took me six months of walking
around London to gather myself after
Keele – it was a bit of a detox. I was ad-
justing to my new weird sense of normali-
ty; a Monday-Friday, 9-5 working week;
having to arrange to meet with friends,
rather than just turning up in your PJs
with a bottle of wine; being expected to
contribute to grown-up conversations at
work.
But I got there and employment has
been great to me. I know I very much
landed on my feet at Gingerbread – I’d
drawn up a list of my top ten charities and
they were snugly sandwiched between
Amnesty and Shelter. And it just so hap-
pened that they wanted a Law grad with a
passion for politics as much as I wanted
them.
It’s a good fit. My job mainly involves
writing content for our website and re-
searching what else is out there. My edito-
rial experience with Concourse really
comes into play when I’m proof reading
tricky fact-sheets about Maternity or Tax
Credits.
I’ve picked up other exciting bits in the
year I’ve been here, like meeting with the
Department for Work and Pensions to talk
about Universal Credit and being second-
ed to Policy to cover a period of recruit-
ment. The people I work with are ace; they
are at the top of their respective games,
they want to help me develop and I feel
like they pretend to be genuinely interest-
ed when I tell them about my latest foot-
ball/housemate/boy drama.
“I got drunk, stumbled through my degree and run
the student-led magazine!”
PAGE 3 CONCOURSE VOLUME 2 ISSUE 10
VICTORIA TAYLOR, CLASS OF
2013
Image credit: Victoria Taylor
Vic’s top tips for surviving grad life
Get a hobby
Walk around, write, do your thing. You
will find you have so much free time so
use it to invest in yourself; it pays back
the best dividends.
Take every chance
Do as much as you can
and seize every opportuni-
ty thrown your way.
Whether it’s taking on a
project, meeting someone
new or trying something
you’ve never even
considered before.
Show that you
are keen and
enthusiastic.
Apply for jobs you
can actually do
Sure, I want to be CEO of
Amnesty International, but
I’ve got a lot to learn first.
There’s no safer place to
learn about what being an
adult means than in a job
you can nail.
Apply for jobs you totally can’t
do
Shami Chakrabarti needed a PA
the week after I finished uni. Hell
yeah, I applied for it. Hell no, I
didn’t hear back… but you never
know. I could have made it work...
1
2
Stick at it
I spent my first few
months of work bored out
of my mind.
Don’t leave a job on im-
pulse and try not to move
on in the first year. You’ll
find your groove. It might
just take some time.
Don’t beat yourself up
There are many panics on bleak
Sunday evenings that there isn’t
enough time to do all the things I
want to do with my life. But there’s
time. Loads of it. Just sit in an emp-
ty office at 4pm on a sunny Friday
afternoon and you’ll see how slowly
time actually moves…
4
3
5
6
#4 Show an interest:
It’s vital that you don’t just go
straight into a sales pitch of your
qualities and experience. Tell the recruiter
exactly why you are interested in this spe-
cific role or training scheme that they are
offering, so that it is clear that this is a
genuine, well researched application from
a motivated candidate.
#5 Show enthusiasm:
Articulate why you would be interested in
working for their organisation. Most re-
cruiters believe in the organisation they
work for and want you to feel the same
way so make sure they think you do!
#6 Sell yourself:
Draw the recruiter’s attention to the specif-
ic skills and knowledge that you can offer
in relation to the opportunity – make the
links between your profile and their re-
quirements explicit and lead them to the
detail on your CV. Make it as easy for them
as possible to find key information.
#7 Observe formalities:
Be formal – the devil is in the detail. If you
have a name on the letter you should end it
‘Yours sincerely’, otherwise ‘Yours faith
fully’.
#8 Finishing touches:
After designing a beautifully formatted
letter, pdf it as an attachment for email, so
that your hard work is preserved and the
recruiters have a hard copy to attach to
your CV.
Is your CV now perfect but you’re
agonising over the covering let-
ter? Here’s our advice on getting
it right.
#1 Tailor it to the role you’re applying
for:
Start with the vacancy itself. Recruiters
can instantly recognise a thrown together
letter or email that has not been designed
with them in mind. Tailor every letter to
each job application – research the employ-
er and role to make sure you can do this
effectively.
#2 Be personal:
Always try to address it to a named per-
son. When possible ring or email and ask
who this should be and check their title. It
will show you have an attention to detail
and that you really are passionate about
the vacancy.
#3 Clarity:
Make it clear in the first sentence why you
are writing to or emailing the recipient, so
they know why they should bother reading
your communications. (I am writing to
express an interest in/respond to/make an
enquiry regarding…)
Let’s start at the beginning; writ-
ing your life story on two sides of
A4 is no mean feat, so where do
you start?
#1 Tailor your CV for each application:
Frustrating though it is, there is no such
thing as an effective general CV. CVs
should be designed with a specific job field
or role in mind, and then tweaked for each
application to match the job description,
person specification and/or advertisement.
Start by making sure you know what the
recruiter is looking for then you can show
them you have it!
#2 Keep a clear format:
Create a CV that is clear and accessible by
using separate sections, clear statements,
active language and a plain font. It is im-
portant to sweeten up a recruiter by mak-
ing your CV as easy to read and navigate
as possible.
#3 Qualifications, employment and ex-
perience:
It is important that you use reverse chrono-
logical order, so that your most recent work
experience and qualifications are seen first.
In other words, don’t start with your
GCSEs. Remember to mention the univer-
sity you attended (often forgotten…) and
draw out any relevant skills or knowledge
gained from your degree/masters/PhD, as
this is a significant aspect of your profile.
Also, be sure to articulate clearly what you
have gained from your employment, volun-
teering or work experience. Recruiters val-
ue experience and skills gained from all
settings not just the academic one.
#4 Maintain professionalism:
Think carefully about your email address
and any social media to which you provide
a link; consider the message that you are
sending out to employers. Some of the best
CVs are let down by applicants using fluffy
bunny emails or social media links where
summer ball let-your-hair-down photo-
graphs can be found. These look unprofes-
sional and convey the wrong impression
you’re trying to make.
#5 Include a covering letter:
Your CV should always be accompanied by
a tailored covering letter or email – see the
next instalment which discusses this. Any
experienced recruiter can spot a generic
application from ten paces, which will
make a poor impression and your CV will
most likely be discarded.
#6 Proofread before submission:
Last but certainly not least, spend time
checking the content for spelling, grammat-
ical accuracy and correct dates; make sure
there are no unexplained gaps or inconsist-
encies. A CV which shows a consistent high
standard will look much better than one
which contains unnecessary errors. It is
always useful to ask someone else to check
your CV for you to spot any silly mistakes.
Take a look at our website for more de-
tailed CV guidance with what to include
and what not to include!
Writing a cover letter
PAGE 4 CONCOURSE VOLUME 1, I SSUE 1
Careers: what next? Crafting Your CV
Image credit: Keele University
Visit:
www.nationalcareersservice.direct.org.uk
for more useful information
Ima
ge c
red
it:
nin
efe
ett
all
.com
Congratulations! You have made
it to the interview… So, how do
you make sure you shine on the
day?
Interviews take all shapes and forms –
Skype, video interviews, face to face…but
these are the basics you need to cover:
#1 Be prepared:
Make sure you know what you’ve already
told them about yourself – re-read your
application so that you can think about
what they are likely to ask you such as
choices you have made in the past, why
you chose your degree at Keele, what skills
you have developed from extra-curricular
activities you have mentioned, how your
part time job has enhanced your skills pro-
file…
Go back to the job details and analyse
exactly what it is they are looking for in
their applicants. It could be anything from
effective presentation skills, commercial
awareness to research methods. Have an
example of how you have developed and
when you have used these skills. Make the
match easy for them.
Research exactly what the job or train-
ing scheme might involve so that you can
convince them you are genuinely interest-
ed in the role, not just the pay cheque
(good though that might be). Make sure
you know about their organisation and
what is happening in their sector – wheth-
er it is finance, retail or media. More often
than not, recruiters will expect you to be
informed.
#2 Conduct mock interviews:
Practise makes perfect. You need to be-
come comfortable being in an interview
setting and talking about yourself. During
the interview, you may need to describe
yourself, discuss your strengths and weak-
nesses or articulate your motivations. Be
proud to talk about your positive qualities
without being embarrassed or nervous.
#3 Have the right attitude:
Be enthusiastic and positive. The right
attitude is highly rated by recruiters, indi-
cating an intention to learn and develop in
the workplace. Your body language,
clothes, handshake and tone of voice, as
well as what you actually say, will all con-
tribute to making a good impression.
Embarking on an internship
Nailing that interview
specific paid experience, try out your cho-
sen career, and it may even lead to your
dream job! Keele Internships is available
to you for up to three years after you finish
your studies.
What help is available?
Keele Internships will guide you through
the application process, and you will get
help on your CV and cover letter – there is
lots of advice on Keele Internships website
and Careers staff at Keele will make sure
that your application is good enough to
send to the employer, therefore increasing
your chance of interview.
Top tips to get an internship?
Before sending your application to us, we
suggest you get your CV and cover letter
up to scratch – your cover letter will need
to be targeted for the role you are applying
for and you need to ensure that the profile
statement on your CV reflects the intern-
ship area of work you are applying for.
On every Keele Internship advert, the
company name is specified, so check out
their website and try and mention some-
thing about the company that you have
seen on their site – this shows the employ-
er that you are motivated and interested
and they really do need to know that you
want to work for them! Better to send in
two or three good quality applications
than applying for lots at a time!
One big advantage of Keele Intern-
ships, is that some of the roles are for
Keele graduates only, thus cutting out
national competition. Don’t be fooled
though into thinking that it’s an easy op-
tion! You’ll still need to prove to the em-
ployer that you are an excellent candidate!
Don’t just take our word for it!
Grant Mantle graduated from Keele with
a Business Management and Marketing
degree in July 2013. Grant worked at the
Trentham Estate for 12 months as a mar-
keting assistant. Things went so well, that
he is now on his second year of the intern-
ship.
Grant says: “The Keele Internship
scheme was brilliant – I was given appli-
cation and interview advice which was
very useful. They also kept me updated
me on possible internships I would be in-
terested in. The Trentham one came along
and I thought it was perfect.”
You’ve reached the end of your
degree, and you’re wondering
what do next? With so many differ-
ent routes it can be difficult to de-
cide – why not choose an Intern-
ship?
So what’s it all about?
An internship is similar to work experi-
ence, offered by employers or companies to
give students and graduates much needed
insight into a specific field or industry.
Here at Keele, there is an innovative pro-
gramme to help Keele graduates progress
with their careers.
Keele Internships is run by commercial-
ly experienced staff who have excellent
links with recruiting businesses. Intern-
ships are advertised on Keele’s website and
are all PAID. They last for at least 12
weeks. Recently collected statistics re-
vealed that up to 70% of Keele internships
led to extended, or permanent employ-
ment.
Many of the organisations offering in-
ternship roles are in fact looking to develop
their interns into future managers and
directors – some roles on offer lead to top
earnings and can have quick progression
routes to management and beyond. For
you, it can be an excellent way to get some
PAGE 5 CONCOURSE VOLUME 1, I SSUE 1
Here is a list of reliable, in-
formative websites, which can
help you establish a well-
rounded CV and give careers
advice.
www.nationalcareersservice.direc
t.org.uk
www.targetjobs.co.uk
www.prospects.ac.uk
www.keele.ac.uk/careers
www.keele.ac.uk/internships
www.jobs.ac.uk/ careers-
advice/resources
www.nationalcareersweek.com/re
sources/careers-websites
Useful Resources
Careers: what next?
If you have ever thought about
travelling after finishing univer-
sity, you’ll probably fine that it
changes your entire outlight on
life and offer some of the best
experiences imaginable. Joe
Baker, once VP Sport, shares his
adventures.
I never put a great deal of thought
into life after Keele. After all, I had been
so engrossed with Sport, SU Politics and
propping up the bar (as well as studying,
obviously).
I loved my time in the bubble, so
much so that I ended up spending an
extra year after being elected VP Sport.
Sadly, this only put off leaving the bub-
ble for another year. When March rolled
around and I made the call not to stand
in the SU elections again, I was at a bit
of a loss as to what to do.
An opportunity
presented itself one
night in the KPA.
Out of the blue one
of the Priest’s from
the church at home
called me up. He
offered me the chance to go out and vol-
unteer in South Africa.
The project itself was based in an or-
phanage in Northern Limpopo, where,
given my skill set, I’d be tasked with run-
ning the recreation programme for the
kids.
Needless to say, I leapt at the oppor-
tunity and a few weeks later I flew out to
Dublin for a weekend of training, child
safety talks and meet & greets with two
other volunteers.
Eventually, June rolled around and
after an incredible year I left my role as
VP AU & Sport to jet off to the other side
of the world. We flew into Johannesburg
then drove north for around 8 hours,
eventually arriving at the orphanage in
the foothills of the Drakensberg Moun-
tains. What followed were the best three
months imaginable.
Playing sport, teaching the recorder,
fixing literally every-
thing I could get my
hands on, meeting some
of the most inspiration-
al people and seeing
some of the most beau-
tiful sights; it was 3
months I won’t forget in
a hurry.
One of my most
memorable moments
had to be coaching the
orphanage football
team. After some fran-
tic Facebook chats with
the Keele Football Leg-
end Keith Harrison, the
team put in a spirited performance
against the boys from the local school.
Since leaving I’ve heard they’ve started to
win games!
G o i n g b a c k
home was difficult
to say the least.
Myself and one of
the other volunteers had hired a car and
aimed to slip away without any drama,
but as tended to be the case with the kids,
they caught on and swooped down, insist-
ing that we stayed.
It honestly broke our hearts to have to
leave, and that first 45 minutes of driving,
down the old dirt lane, onto the main road
and finally onto the N36 heading south
was a long, silent journey.
When I got home I was never quite
myself. One of my mates diagnosed me
with Wanderlust, and I pretended to
know what that was until I found a dic-
tionary. It is defined as “a strong, innate
desire to rove or travel about.”, which
could not have hit closer to home.
I moved home and the next few months
passed in a blur of temp jobs, rugby, red
wine and dubious life choices.
All the while I was busy looking for
and planning my next adventure. Plenty
of options were tabled: Inter-railing, PGL
Leader and Camp America to name a few.
But it was through the Rugby Club that
I’d find my next challenge, and it would
take me back to Africa.
Rwanda is not normally the first coun-
try to spring to mind when discussing
rugby. But about 10 years ago, a handful
of men and women from a variety of local
clubs took it upon themselves to introduce
the game to Rwanda. Every year a group
travels out and spends 2 weeks out there,
supporting the newly formed Rwandan
Rugby Federation, distributing kit, coach-
ing and training. I went along on the 2015
tour.
Entertainingly, rather than being the
jolly green giant and spending all my time
with nuns and priests, as I had in South
Africa, I was probably the slimmest, light-
est traveller in the Rwanda group (a title I
haven’t held for many years, Dominoes in
Newcastle made sure of that).
We spent an amazing two weeks coach-
ing in schools, playing in tournaments and
training with local clubs, all the while
assessing what could be done to help the
game grow in an amazingly beautiful
country.
My whole life I’ve been adamant that I
wouldn’t be one of those people who would
come back from their travels and preach.
‘Travelling changed my life’ and
‘Everything out there really opened my
eyes’ are two sentences that I never want-
ed to say.
But they’re absolutely true, and I’m ok
with that. I’ve had some of the most mem-
orable experiences of my life on the road
and I wouldn’t change a single thing. Who
knows where the next adventure will take
me!
“I’ve had some of the most memorable experiences of
my life on the road.”
PAGE 6 CONCOURSE VOLUME 1, I SSUE 1
I left my role as
VP AU & Sport
to jet off to the
other side of the
world.
JOE BAKER, CLASS OF 2013
One of my mates
diagnosed me
with Wanderlust.
Image credit: Joseph Baker
Are you taking a gap year or intending to travel now you’ve graduated?
Concourse are launching our brand new travel section in September.
If you have any adventures, experiences or insights on travelling, whether you are a current student or a grad-
uate, we’d like to hear from you.
Email: [email protected] for more information.
On Thursday 16th June, Con-
course had the fantastic oppor-
tunity to interview Ruth Hunt, a
key figure within Stonewall and
nationwide.
At the end of the busy Graduation
Week 2015, I had the wonderful privilege
of interviewing Ruth Hunt, CEO of Stone-
wall LGBT charity. It was the first inter-
view I’d ever carried out and I was terri-
fied, especially since Ruth is such a promi-
nent figure.
But as I sat down in the Chancellor’s
Lounge, Ruth looked cool and casual, com-
pletely unfazed by all the attention she
was receiving. She immediately put me at
ease. At risk of sounding cheesy, there
was just something about her. Ruth was
so laid back and keen to answer my ques-
tions, that I suddenly felt like I’d been
interviewing people my whole life.
Earlier that morning, she had been
awarded the honorary Degree of Doctor of
the University in recognition of her out-
standing work in the LGBT movement.
She told me: “I’m very proud, very proud
of my honorary doctorate from Keele.”
Ruth first joined Stonewall in 2005 and
was promoted to Chief Executive last
year. Since she has been involved with
Stonewall, she has been part of some great
campaigns, including ‘some
people are gay, get over it’
and Rainbow Laces.
We had some really in-
teresting discussions, cov-
ering so many issues sur-
rounding the LGBT move-
ment. Our particularly are-
as of focus were the problems faced by
transgender individuals both socially and
politically. We also talked about the LGBT
community within black and ethnic minor-
ity groups.
Ruth had some really insightful
thoughts and opinions which has made me
rethink some of my previous assumptions
about LGBT issues and people. She even
shared some of her experiences regarding
her own sexuality and her personal diffi-
culties dealing with prejudice.
I can’t think of anyone more worthy of
an honorary doctorate from Keele.
Highlights:
[CARRIE] ‘What sort of things do you do
at Stonewall, what are you main responsi-
bilities?’
[RUTH] ‘My job is to run the organisa-
tion: to make sure that we have a really
clear strategic vision for
the next five years and to
make sure that the staff
are all swimming in the
right direction.
Also, one of my key
roles is about managing some of the more
difficult conversations with people who
are really antagonistic about LGBT is-
sues, so we can bring those people into the
organisation as well. So, kind of a figure-
head and a leader for the organisation.’
[CARRIE] ‘How would you like to see
greater awareness of LGBT issues being
raised?’
[RUTH] ‘At Stonewall, we’re really aware
that a certain type of gay people are in the
public eye now. People have a good aware-
ness about some gay people, but there are
so many LGBT people from black and mi-
nority backgrounds who have much lower
visibility, and there are loads more
[LGBT] women than we see.
It’s really about that next stage of rais-
ing awareness really, and at Stonewall we
will always have some great campaigns,
like the no bi-standards campaign, which
encourages people to call out
bad language when they
hear it and things like that.
I loved the Rainbow Lac-
es campaign where we try
and get all the sports clubs
to lace up and to kick homo-
phobia out of their sport.
But really we want individu-
als to be the champions, you
know. The Student Union President at
Keele, a heterosexual guy, is one of the
best allies that the LGBT communities
have got. We’re really proud of that. We
want people to be the champions now and
really push that through.’
[CARRIE] ‘Would you agree that, in re-
cent years, transgender issues are becom-
ing much more problematic than those
faced by homosexuals?’
[RUTH] ‘There is certainly a difference
how LGB people are treated and how
trans-people are treated. I think that’s
very clear. I think that we often experi-
ence prejudice in the same way and that
people who are homophobic and trans-
phobic don’t see the difference.
There are some very real issues, partic-
ularly facing trans young people, concern-
ing access to services, being able to choose
the most appropriate bathrooms and
changing rooms to use and even just hav-
ing the space to be
themselves without
experiencing prejudice.
I hope that Stone-
wall can support organ-
isations, institutions
and individuals to help
push back that preju-
dice. We need to increase better under-
standing of issues faced by trans-people.
You can view the full transcript of the
interview on our website.
Follow Ruth on Twitter: @ruth_hunt
Interview with Ruth Hunt
PAGE 7 CONCOURSE VOLUME 1, I SSUE 1
Honorary Graduates
CARRIE HODGKINS, EDITOR IN CHIEF
Ima
ge c
red
it:
mir
ror.
com
“I’m very
proud to re-
ceive my hon-
orary doctor-
ate from
Keele.”
“Keeping a
secret can
really get
in the way
of being
yourself.”
“We want
individuals
to be the
champions.”
“The visibility
of bi-sexual
people is much
lower than les-
bian and gay
people.”
“I’m just a lesbian who likes wearing
ties.”
Considering a postgraduate de-
gree? Then Adam Hughes, recent
graduate who has gone onto do a
masters has some words of ad-
vice.
You know when you watch an early
episode of a sitcom, before it’s really found
its feet, and all the old familiar actors and
elements are there, but everything seems
a little off? Or in Invasion of the Body
Snatchers when Donald Sutherland
points and shrieks at Veronica Cartwright
before cutting to the credits? Or those
creepy Japanese robots that look like peo-
ple with rubber skin that are probably
going to rise up and slaughter us all one
day?
This is all some horribly convoluted
and self-indulgent way of saying that be-
ing a postgraduate student isn’t for every-
one. Even if you soldiered through three
years of undergraduate study.
Is it your first big plunge into the
stuffy, tooth-and-nail world of academia?
Or an elaborate, expensive way to put off
getting a real job for one more year? No
matter your reasons for doing it, however
noble, mis-
guided or risi-
ble they may
be, provided
you’re willing to take on the burden of
more debt, it can’t hurt to have an extra
qualification under your belt now, can it?
Even though, allegedly, we’ve weathered
the worst of economic armageddon, and
the outlook is brightening as graduate
jobs and salaries are rising. Alleged-
ly. Allegedly.
For whatever reason you’ve decided to
rain check the dreaded real world, you’ll
be an old spectre, haunting your campus
of choice. Freshers will be uneasy around
you as you queue up in Select and Save,
wearing the all- nighters and early morn-
ings of the past three years on your un-
shaven / un-BB creamed face. Just like
the topographical map of some horribly
stressful, pissed up continent.
But it’s easy for postgrads to feel that
way; like the sad dogs they cart out for
those RSPCA adverts set to Coldplay
tracks. Little guidance is ever given on
the topic, which is probably why
the higher education section of The
Guardian reads like a slab-
sized Dungeons and Dragons instruction
manual for postgrad scrubs.
Yet, however much of a snakebite-
chugging lad or lady you once were won’t
matter once your usual cohorts have sal-
lied off into the real world of nine ‘til five
internships, or more likely, the dole
queue. It may be a case of starting your uni
friends circle from scratch. But per-
haps after three years of propping your
head up in 9AM criminology lectures, re-
gretting those last few sambuca shots the
night before and enduring breakfast feasts
of stale Dominos crusts and Relentless,
you’re ready for such a change of pace.
If you can handle the social upheaval,
break out of the undergrad chrysalis and
spread your magnificent new postgrad
wings, you’ll find yourself in the midst of
an all together very rewarding year or two.
It may not be as zany as your time as an
undergrad, but, hey, these things pass.
You had your time to find yourself, and be
reckless and irresponsible and to never
clean your kitchen utensils. Now it’s time
to try adulthood, with training wheels on.
Not to get all Corinthian on you, but it re-
minds me of this line from the Bible:
“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I
understood as a child, I thought as a child:
but when I became a man, I put away
childish things.”
You may well find yourself amongst an
older crowd, perhaps of a more internation-
al bent, full of new ideas, stories and inspi-
rations. And they’ve either returned from
the real world to carry on their education,
or travelled from abroad – much further
than you with your daysaver ticket. These
are real people, with knowledge of the real
world, and a bit of time in their company
will probably do you more good than anoth-
er sesh at the SU
with some bell-end in
a Jack Wills shirt.
You’re no longer
the hour or two your
tutors fear every
week, where they
have to walk you and your cohort through,
say, linear equations, or Dostoyevsky, or
the amygdala, or something. They’ll afford
you some leg room in your studies, and all
they expect is a sharper edge to your work.
You’re running with the wolves now.
They’ll take a serious interest in your in-
terests, since it appears that you’re really
taking an interest. And seeing a tutor or
lecturer talking about what they want to
talk about is like pure unadulterat-
ed jazz, maaan…
That isn’t to say that your three
years as an undergrad have been worth
nothing, of course, far from it. But be-
fore he painted the ceiling of the Sistine
Chapel, Michelangelo probably had to
paint a few garden sheds. And as the
legendary Canadian poet and philoso-
pher Drake did say, started from the
bottom, now we here.
Finally, the government are begin-
ning to see the value of postgraduate
courses, and not as that clunky awk-
ward step between an undergraduate
course and a PhD. The market for such
a qualification is gestating, and given
another year, you won’t even have to
sell a major organ to fund your Masters
to boot! Funding for a course that didn’t
come part and parcel with an undergrad
degree was terribly scant for years,
leading many to march away from high-
er education with the modest debt
they’d already accumulated. But that’s
all set to change.
The number of people with degrees,
and the
n u m b e r
of post-
gradders
(to coin a
term) is
rising and rising, despite the govern-
ment’s best efforts to put everyone but
pony-obsessed, inbred to-the-back-
teeth yahh-ing toffs off higher educa-
tion, so a little something more is need-
ed to give your CV that extra bit of
gloss. And, let’s be honest, no-one really
gives a flying toot if you camped out in
the Brecon Beacons for five days eating
moist rice for a Duke of Edinburgh
Award.
Final verdict? To postgrad or not to
postgrad? To bite a bigger hole in your
finances to up your employer cred, or
scurry as far as you can from anywhere
vaguely resembling a lecture hall and
taking your chances? If my scrawl has
convinced you in any way, well, you’re
easily led, and maybe further education
isn’t your thing. I suppose whether you
decide to carry on or otherwise, is a case
of you flexing your independent adult
muscles, rather than, say, a sixth form
careers advisor, intent on torpedoing as
many students as they could to univer-
sity.
So, while you’re languishing in the
muggy British heat of what’s probably
your last long summer before you’re
boring and incontinent, why not put
away childish things and have a cheeky
peek in a prospectus or a website. Don’t
listen to me. Believe in yourself! Allez-
vous-en!
“I became a man, I put away childish things.”
PAGE 8 CONCOURSE VOLUME 1, I SSUE 1
ADAM HUGHES, CLASS OF 2014
Being a postgraduate
student isn’t for every-
one.
The government
are beginning to
see the value of
postgraduate
courses.
You’ll find yourself in the
midst of an all together
very rewarding year or
two.
Ima
ge c
red
it:
Ad
am
Hu
gh
es
For a small number of students and
graduates, the process of choosing a ca-
reer path is relatively simple and
straight-forward. To the lucky few of you
who find yourselves studying in a field
you love, I envy you. Unfortunately, I
have found myself to be part of what
seems to be an enormous number of
graduates who lack direction, and for
whom the desire and ambition to follow a
specific career path is hard to come by.
I, like many others, have arrived at
the one year graduate mark. Since leav-
ing, I have held two jobs, one as a gar-
dener in the west-country, and the se-
cond as an administrator for a local coun-
cil, both separated by a couple of months
of unemployment. Although I have en-
joyed the work I have done so far, I am
still left craving an occupation that I find
stimulating, challenging, and ultimately
fulfilling. As a consequence, a feeling of
being adrift with no direction in a large
world has become a recurrent feature in
my life.
The reason I mention these personal
feelings and experiences is that I am
acutely aware I
am far from
alone in having
them.
Throughout
the many dis-
cussions about
careers and work I have had since leav-
ing Keele, it has slowly become more
apparent that this feeling is not limited
to recent graduates, but also people in
various phases of their life.
Initially, it was surprising to find
people with much more life experience
than I in this situation. However, it oc-
curred to me now that the notion gradu-
ates SHOULD find passion and a rele-
vant career path immediately after leav-
ing university is unreasonable.
After leaving Keele University I had
expected to spend my year transitioning
into a stable job with prospects to be
hopeful about. Much to my dismay how-
ever, this has not happened. Although
my expectations were not met, this is not
a message of pessimism.
I have learned, as I have grappled
with the idea of finding a fulfilling ca-
reer, that uncertainty and indecision are
not to be feared but to be embraced and
accepted.
It is fine to not know what you are
going to do next. But be sure to keep an
open mind, be patient, and enjoy yourself
in the mean time. This will give you the
optimism you need to keep going like it
has for me.
their lives.
Luckily, it all worked out – just a few
days later, I was offered a place at Initial
Officer Training at RAF College Cran-
well. But that sudden feeling of pressure,
confusion and anxiousness never left me,
and it made me appreciate how much
pressure finalists are under to make the
decision between further education, ca-
reer paths or gap years.
The message: there is something
out there for you. It may be a case of
good timing or luck, but you will find
what you’re looking for. Whilst I am cer-
tain there was a great deal of initial con-
fusion in deciding what the next post-
university course of action would be, I
cannot think of one person who has strug-
gled to move forward in their life. It’ll be
no different for you!
As for me, the military lifestyle and
career path had always been appealing.
Two months after finishing my exams
and finding out my results, I began Initial
Officer Training. The nine month course
was considerably different to student life!
No last-minute rolling out of bed for lec-
tures, or sleeping in till midday. It was a
packed schedule of air power studies,
Sometimes life after University
may not turn out how you expect
it to. Dan Chorley talks about his
unusual career choice.
After getting into Keele by the skin of
my teeth, my post-Keele experience was a
rather bizarre one. It was actually in se-
cond year which my graduate life began.
I had been a member of the University
Air Squadron (UAS), which is a part of
the Royal Air Force specifically aimed
towards university students.
Fortunately for me, I was hooked and
made the decision to get the application
process for the
RAF rolling.
After complet-
ing a gruelling
6-9 month selec-
tion period, I
was waiting for
the results on my application. A good
friend and neighbour asked me, “Not say-
ing you won’t get in Dan, but what are
you doing to do if your application isn’t
successful?”. It was at that point I real-
ised how all of my friends were feeling –
under significant pressure to make life
decisions that would affect the rest of
leadership development, physical educa-
tion and exercises in the field. But the
camaraderie amongst the people on the
course was something I had never experi-
enced before, and the vast majority of
them I am still in touch with.
I graduated from RAFC Cranwell in
March, and held with 8 Squadron at RAF
Waddington, who fly the E3-D Sentry (an
Airbourne Early Warning & Control air-
craft). In the last seven weeks I have be-
gun my phase 2 training at RAF Boulmer
and, all being well, I shall graduate in
the next few weeks as an Identification
Officer within the Aerospace Battle Man-
agement branch. The career options for
me are vast – I could end up on a variety
of exercises abroad, particularly working
with the US military and other NATO
nations. I could also be working with the
army and navy within the British Armed
Forces.
This time of the year may seem daunt-
ing, especially when you start to see the
Fresher’s 2016 Facebook pages exploding
on your news feed. But keep your head
up, and keep looking out for the right
thing for you.
“Be sure to keep
an open mind,
be patient and
enjoy yourself.”
“It may be a case of good timing or luck, but you will
find what you’re looking for.”
PAGE 9 CONCOURSE VOLUME 1, I SSUE 1
WILLIAM JANES, CLASS OF 2014
DANIEL CHORLEY, CLASS OF 2014
I have found myself
to be part of what
seems to be an
enormous number
of graduates who
lack direction.
Image credit: William Janes
It may be a case of
good timing or luck,
but you will find
what you’re looking
for.
What’s in store for Concourse
next year?
Concourse will be undergoing a revamp of it’s
look and style over the summer. It will be re-
released as a magazine in order to reflect the
need for an outlet where students can voice their
opinions about the things they feel most passion-
ate about.
We have a brand new editorial team in place who
will be working hard to ensure that a higher
standard of articles are published, ones which
and insightful and provoke conversation amongst
the Keele community.
There are lots of exciting plans for which there is
the opportunity for anyone to get involved in.
We remain dedicated to providing top-notch jour-
nalism and wonderful material for you to read.
We really value our contributors; without them,
Concourse would be impossible.
For any queries, please contact:
VOLUME 1, I SSUE 1 CONCOURSE PAGE 10
Jaime Marshall wins Student of the
Year 2015
Every year one outstand-
ing student is chosen as
the recipient of an award
which recognises out-
standing achievement,
both academically and
within the wider commu-
nity of the University. Jaimie Marshall was award-
ed the 2015 Neil and Gina Smith
Student of the Year Award at
Keele University.
Jaimie graduated from Keele
with a First Class Honours De-
gree in Biomedical Sciences. and
has been accepted onto the un-
dergraduate medicine course at
Keele, committing herself to a
further six years of study.
She has been described by the
Director of Teaching and Learn-
ing as “a highly intellectual and
most capable student”.
Furthermore, Jaime has
made vast contributions to the
Hockey Society winning Most
Improved Player in her first
year. By her final year,
she was Club Captain and Secre-
tary of the Athletic Union, pro-
moting sport and participation
across campus.
CONCOURSE EDITORIAL
TEAM
Congratulations and good
luck to the Class of 2015. Be
sure to remember us all here
at Keele and let us know how
you are doing.
Contact John Easom, Alumni
Manager for more infor-
mation:
Jaimie has
also worked as
a student am-
bassador, as a
demonstrator
in her School
and as a men-
tor, supporting
prospective and new fellow stu-
dents.
The interview panel members
were extremely impressed with
Jaimie’s drive and determina-
tion both to succeed in her cho-
sen area of study, but also to
make the most of every oppor-
tunity at Keele.
Her Director of Studies has
said that Jaimie has made an
“excellent contribution to citi-
zenship”.
Ima
ge cre
dit: K
eele
Un
iversity
Ima
ge c
red
it:
Keele
Un
ivers
ity
Winner of
the Neil and
Gina Smith
Student of
the Year
Award.