Some of our graduates explain how a degree in English from the University of Dundee led them down very interesting and diverse career paths.
Peter Anghelides
Manager, IBM
Peter is a line manager at IBM Hursley Park, the company's largest software development laboratory in Europe. He also works with the IBM UK graduate recruitment team. He lives in Hampshire with his wife and two children. In his spare time he is a creative writer, and has written three 'Doctor Who' novels for the BBC. He graduated with a MA (Hons) English in 1984.
Manchester-born Peter came to the University of Dundee because of its flexibility. "I originally wanted to teach core subjects at secondary school," he explains, "and Dundee offered a rare chance to do joint honours in English and Maths. I also wanted to be somewhere that I couldn't just nip home for the weekend, because living away from home is an education in itself.
"Dundee's four-year honours degree provided loads of academic opportunity. In the first two years my courses included English, French, German, Philosophy, Psychology, Computation and Statistics, before I concentrated on English for Junior and Senior Honours." In his final year, Peter was able to take a specific paper in the Texts of Shakespeare's plays, plus a researched dissertation on Alan Bennett's TV plays. "In 1984, John Schlesinger was filming Bennett's 'An Englishman Abroad' in Dundee, because the play is set in Russia and he thought the Caird Hall looked like Moscow! So I was able to meet and interview the author."
Peter says that the English department developed key skills by encouraging participation. "Academically, they provided small tutor groups, offered elective papers, and encouraged personalised research. More broadly, they arranged study visits to the Burn at Brechin, plus theatre trips at Bonar Hall, the new Rep theatre and elsewhere around Scotland. That gave me the confidence to get involved in the Students Association, to write for the student paper 'Annasach', and to run a candidate's campaign for Rector. The English department even gave me the chance to present the undergraduates' case for a new library to the University Grants Committee. And because my subject choices were so broad, and because the campus is so compact, I got to meet and study and socialise with a really disparate range of people--programmers, lawyers, dentists, economists, medics, historians, artists, and linguists--from all round the world."
In the four years after graduating from Dundee, Peter took part in an Oxford University summer school, did academic work in Glasgow's John Logie Baird Centre for Research in Television & Film, and worked as a journalist. Since joining IBM in 1988, he has interviewed and assessed hundreds of people for training schemes. "Companies these days rarely want to hire just niche skills. They look for graduates who have an aptitude to learn, who can communicate well, who can plan and organise, who demonstrate analytical reasoning, and who can take a variety of roles in a team. If candidates can demonstrate these skills, and they have a passion to work in your business, then they're ideal hires no matter what their degree. But I think studying English at Dundee gave me a sound foundation for all those things." And was it useful for those 'Doctor Who' novels? "Well, it didn't do any harm. Though let's be honest: none of my books are ever likely to appear on the reading list for the Twentieth Century Literature paper."
More about Peter Anghelides on Wikipedia.
Lianne Bibby
Lianne graduated in 2004 with a 2.1 Joint Honours degree in English and Philosophy. Although attracted to various aspects of the degree, Lianne found that Old and Medieval English alongside the Gothic became her key interests during the course of her Honours years. The ability to explore the development of literature; from its ancient roots up to the socio-political implications of the birth of horror proved of such interest that Lianne continued her studies up to a Masters level.
During this period, Lianne also took on the position of Vice-President of Communication for Dundee University Students Association. Having excelled in this position, Lianne became President of the Association. Lianne believes that the skills that are gained through an English degree, especially both verbal and written communication and presentation skills are invaluable to the private sector. At the time of writing, with her term of office drawing to a close, Lianne was looking to Management Consultancy as a potential career.
Looking back on her university days, Lianne can hardly believe the direction her career path has taken in comparison to her expectations upon entering the undergraduate program. As Lianne says:
‘you never know what you’re capable of until you get a glimpse of it.’
Lewis J. Donaldson
Since graduating in the summer of 2008 I have frequently encountered incidences where the knowledge and experiences, gained throughout my time at university, have helped me to succeed. These achievements have been vastly varied, and indeed some have been more important than others, but my appreciation is equal nonetheless. I have mainly found my degree helpful in the working environment, as I know that the obligation to deliver presentations in tutorials has vastly improved my confidence to speak out and to stand by my ideas. I enjoyed most of my English tutorials during my time at Dundee because I felt my tutors actively encouraged me to consider all sides of an argument, which I feel is invaluable to thinking broadly and to respecting others in the event of disagreement.
I also feel that the promotion of independent study supported by the availability of tutors (through one-to-one meetings and email) was beneficial to cementing a sense of independence and self-reliability which has been an aid in all areas of my life since.
Finally, the practical skills of how to truly appreciate literature has broadened my library and enhanced the experience of reading. I also find my knowledge of literature very useful when watching the 'Arts and Books' round on Eggheads!
Craig Elder
Deputy Head of New Media, The Conservative Party
I graduated from Dundee with a 2:1 Joint Honours degree in English and American Studies in 2002, and started work on a PhD in Postmodern American Literature the following year.
In 2006 I took a break from my studies to work for the Conservative Party in London, where I'm now Deputy Head of New Media.
When I started my degree I would never have imagined that I'd end up working in a political party's headquarters in the run-up to a General Election campaign, but I guess it just goes to show you how many doors a degree in English can open for you!
More about me: http://www.craigelder.co.uk
Spencer Fancutt
Spencer has done fabulously well since graduating from Dundee University with a Joint Honours MA in English and American Studies in 1995. Before his mortarboard hit the floor he moved to Japan, where he has been ever since using his considerable talents in essay writing on life in Japan; teaching English as a Foreign Language, and Literature as a Not-Foreign Language at Aoyama Gakuin in Tokyo; and translating manga for Top Shelf, an American publisher. He still has time to play extremely average squash, and to talk about himself in the third person.
None of these things, except the squash, would have been possible without four years of intensive mind-expanding in the English Department at Dundee. Reading novels for four years might sound wonderful for someone with an aversion to hard work, or for those who go around saying 'veritable plethora' a lot, but for a secondary school student with an undecided career plan and a love of language, it really lets the dogs out. The course texts allowed me to explore the greatest thoughts of the greatest writers of many different periods and styles, in many books that I would not have touched previously (anything over 200 pages without a firearm in it). The small tutor group sizes saw to it that you did your homework as it was very difficult to bluff your way through a seminar unprepared, except for Critical Theory where you were in no better a position for meaningful contribution if you had read the Derrida before you arrived than if you had come directly from a rave.
A few highlights: my socks being blown off in my first seminar, with Prof Stan Smith on Auden's "The Shield of Achilles"; Keats nearly getting my head kicked in when my own Keatsian effort was discovered by its recipient's boyfriend; Dr Robb showing great restraint when presented with my marvelous comparative essay on the dramatic techniques of Oliver Twist and "Tam O'Shanter"; another essay by Borges allowing me to shamelessly invent an entire bibliography and several footnotes in exploring his relationship with fact and fiction.
Vonnegut, Carver, Coover, Marquez, and Rushdie now jostle on my bookshelves next to Shelley, Bronte, Elliot, Hogg, Stevenson, Said, Foucault and countless others. The poets are angst-ridden in the loft, the dramatists plot and complain in the closet, and Kafka is on his own under the fridge where he feels most comfortable. They are all members of the family due to the course at Dundee.
After watching On The Waterfront, I took on the position of student rep for the department, which I could not and will not recommend more strongly. It did give me the opportunity to go to polite parties with staff and overhear nuggets like, "He says he's a socialist, but he's got a pedigree cat," and to see normally staid professors drinking highly impressive amounts of wine with impeccable savoir-faire while quietly disparaging Virginia Woolf out of earshot of the Women Writers lecturer. Finding out that these strange creatures were, in a sense, human, gave me the notion that teaching English might not be all that bad after all, and became a factor in my decision to move to Japan.
My love of the English language and literature has continued to grow, and I haven't stopped writing poetry and essays since. When I did my second Masters at Sheffield in Advanced Japanese Studies, it was literature translation that I chose for my thesis which earned a distinction even though I passed the other papers by the skin of my teeth. It has led most recently to the translation of a 400-page book (AX Volume 1: A Collection of Alternative Manga) released in July, 2010, which just goes to show how very clever I am.
All in all, I owe a huge debt not only to the Student Loans Company, but more importantly to the English and American Studies departments for nourishing mind and soul, and would highly recommend the course to anyone who thinks university is first and foremost about firing the imagination and finding out what this humanity thing is all about, before you go learn a trade.
Emma Gibson
Macmillan Publishers
I graduated from the University of Dundee in 2007 with a degree in English. I went on to do a law conversion course but quickly realised that I missed the atmosphere of university, the opportunity to engage in literary debate and, much to my surprise, I even missed writing essays! So, I moved to London where I now work as a Senior Editorial Assistant at Macmillan Publishers. I am also the co-editor of Nutshell, an independent literary magazine set up and run by myself and four others. It's great to be able to employ the skills and knowledge I gained whilst studying for my degree, and to once again spend my days working with people who are passionate about literature.
Studying English at Dundee enabled me to develop my interest in literature and I am now able to further this in my daily work. I am also starting a Masters course in literature.
Catherine Farrell
I graduated from a joint honours degree in English and American Studies in 2010, after which I decided I wanted to travel. I spent 14 months working and travelling in Canada where I had the time of my life. Upon returning to Scotland late 2011, I began to consider the prospect of a postgraduate course. At this time I also returned to working for Bridge FM Hospital Radio in Dundee, where I had worked as a Production Assistant throughout my undergrad degree. This time round I was given the opportunity to present my own show and I soon realised that my passion for radio, music and broadcasting was developing into a desire to seek within the industry a career.
I’m now packing up in September 2012 and moving once more, this time to England to start a Masters course in Radio Production at the University of Bournemouth.
Whilst I may not be following a career route related to my undergraduate degree, I cannot emphasise highly enough the personal value and significance of studying in Dundee. I have fantastic memories from my time at university and know I will utilise the skills I gained from four years within the English/American Studies departments.
If you are thinking about studying English at the University of Dundee, I say go for it. I believe this course can be entirely instrumental in shaping your path in life.
Karen Graham
External Relations, University of Dundee
I studied English, along with Philosophy, at the University of Dundee from 2003-2007. The English department at Dundee were incredibly supportive in many ways and I left with terrific memories. From performances with the JOOT Theatre Company, through being encouraged to explore my own research interests, to one of the most nourishing environments in which to attend and participate in conferences, it really was a brilliant place in which to learn and develop whether you intended to continue to study or move on to the job market.
Sheila Rawlings MA (Hons), PGCE Dip, RSA
Dyslexia Support Tutor/ Tiwtor Cymorth Dyslecsia
I graduated as a mature student in 1992 and am convinced I would not be where or who I am today were it not for my English degree from the University of Dundee. Initially after graduating I spent several years in secondary education teaching English, and became a middle manager in a large London comprehensive.
During the past five years, I have specialised in dyslexia support and I am now employed at a Welsh university as a specialist teacher and assessor working with dyslexic students at undergraduate and postgraduate level.
Jason Sellars
I graduated in 2001 with a 2.1 Single Honours English. I now work as a freelance professional trumpet player. I still live in the Dundee area but play all over Scotland and the north of England.
The variety of work I do varies greatly. On the commercial side, there are corporate gigs at places such as Gleneagles, where I have played on several occassions. I have also played at numerous music festivals with various bands. My first love remains playing jazz, and I co-lead my own jazz quintet with my brother. I also do freelance recording work and have recorded with songwriter Michael Marra among other people.
I very much enjoyed my time as a student at the University of Dundee. In first year I studied English, Politics, and Geography and in second I did English, American Studies, and Philosophy. I decided to take single honours in English as I enjoyed it the most. I found the department to be a friendly place and the re-establishment of the English Lit Society helped to bind things together. Music was always important to me and I was a member of the music society also.
Although what I am doing now would seem to have no obvious connection with having an English degree, I feel I have benefitted greatly from it as a person; far more than I would have done as a musician by going to music college.
Cherry Dawn Stowe
I was recently promoted to my dream job in the USA and I thank the education I received at the University of Dundee for this noteworthy achievement. I graduated in 2007 and I found the English department with its exciting modules and supportive educators particularly helpful in achieving my goals so quickly and successfully. I developed great organisational, analytical and critical thinking skills, all while having a great time with fellow students. My love of artful storytelling deepened, while my understanding of the world at large widened.
Throughout my degree programme the University of Dundee challenged me intellectually and creatively, and thus prepared me to excel in work and enjoy in life.
Christopher Strang-Moran
English Language Teacher
After graduating from the University of Dundee I studied for a month to become an English language teacher. I now teach English at elementary and junior high school in Hitachi, Japan. The work is great fun. I'm one of only two native English teachers at both my schools. Of course the Japanese English teachers are really friendly and speak English fluently, but it's always amusing trying to communicate in a Scottish accent. I get to eat lunch with the students which is always a laugh.
I'm terrible at Japanese but somehow conversation still works and the children are always trying to figure out which Japanese cartoons or pop bands I know. Hitachi is only two hours from Tokyo by train so I've been lucky enough to experience both small town Japan and the capital city.
Monica Straughan MA (Hons), MCIPR
Head of Communications (1996-2009) & Chief Officer, Strategic Communications (2009-2011), Scottish Environment Protection Agency; Freelance Consultant (2011-present)
Was getting a degree in English from Dundee a major turning point in my life? Absolutely! Let me expand...
When I first came to the University I was a mature student, and I'd had a nine year 'career break' to be a full time mother. I had been a journalist before the girls were born, and I suppose I had a vague desire to have a career in something akin to that. But other than a fierce desire for intellectual stimulation I don't think I had any real plan for what I wanted to do, or any real confidence in my ability to do it.
I was very fortunate with timing, because my search for new career path coincided with the early days of the University's 'return to studies' programme for mature students. This gave me the chance gently to reintroduce myself to the art of studying via a part time course in arts and social sciences. I discovered that I could read books, write essays, pass exams and argue the toss with the best of them. I also forged some strong and lasting friendships with some fellow mature students who, like me, went on to do full time degrees. We went on to found the mature students society and to become collectively known, I am told, as the 'vociferous bulge' (because we were the first largish group of mature students in the Arts faculty, and we weren't exactly shy and retiring).
When it came to launching myself into full time study I deliberated long and hard about what subject to choose as my major. In the end I plumped for English, for reasons I find easier to articulate now than I did then. I knew would enjoy it, I thought I could do it reasonably well, I'd always loved language and literature, and if I knew one thing about the world, it was that the ability to use words well matters in every walk of life.
Nothing in my working life has disabused me of that belief. Every organisation I have worked for, and worked with, be it government, business, industry, academia, pressure group, charity or media outlet, has one thing in common: the need to communicate effectively. And there are surprisingly few people out there who can do that! Using the right words in the right way is our species' most powerful weapon. Studying English teaches you to use words and to recognise how they are being used; to question an author's motives and understand how fluid and flexible language can be; to see how words, well used, can corrupt or inform or inspire. The critical analysis you learn to apply to everything from novels and literary criticism to plays, poetry and movies will equip you well for the big wide world. And perhaps you might even learn grammar and spelling along the way, and be able to put a case (on any subject) forward clearly and concisely. Believe me, these are rare and precious skills in today's world, and they are in great demand with every employer.
The University of Dundee gave me two big breaks - it welcomed me as a mature student and it provided me with an opportunity to study English. I haven't looked back since. So, dear reader, if you're thinking of doing either, or both, take this as a hearty recommendation from me.
David Willis
The decision to study at the University of Dundee's English department was pivotal moment in my life. I didn't realise it at the time but I was about to enter a fantastic institution, where inspiring professors would take me far beyond any of my expectations.
When I entered the department I had a mere interest in literature. Upon graduation it had become a central component of my life - something that has guided me ever since.
The knowledge I gained, the friends I made, and the inspiration I took from the University's English department, has made an impact upon my life that is impossible to overstate.
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