I participated in lots of different things while I was at Birmingham. In my first year I was in the Birmingham Pussycats (Cheerleading Team). Then in my second year I studied abroad in Montreal, Canada as part of my degree. In my final year I was Chair of the Education Society.

They have all helped me in different ways throughout my career, including working with different teams, gaining independence and event planning experience.

Tell us about your career journey from Birmingham student to where you are today 

When I graduated from University of Birmingham I went straight into secondary school teacher training. After my training year, I taught for one year but quickly realised it wasn’t what I wanted to do. At the end of the year, I made the decision to leave and follow my passions, I worked in a temporary role in Events before getting the job I have now, organising industry specific award ceremonies and trade shows. 

Describe a typical day 

Most weeks of the year I am in the office busy preparing for our events but for 2 weeks a year I am onsite at the NEC making sure all our plans run smoothly. When I am onsite my day usually goes like this: 

I wake up around 6am and head to meet my team for breakfast in the hotel. By 7.45am we’re onsite and ready to help exhibitors with their stand build. Some exhibitors can spend tens of thousands on their stand that will be built in 2 days and taken down 3 days later, when the show ends. Lots of planning takes place prior and there’s a lot of problem solving to do if something goes wrong on the day. On a day when we have our awards gala, I head from the trade show to the awards venue to see our suppliers build the stage and set and meet with the venue team to confirm timings for the evening. I’ll be double checking the guestlist and answering last minute guest enquiries via email. I’ll stay there until the afternoon rehearsal and check that the host and the entertainment are happy with everything. From 6.30pm we open the doors to the Drinks Reception and then I’ll instruct the team on when to give the call to dinner. After the 3-course meal the award ceremony kick-starts, and we find out the winners of the awards who take home a trophy. By this point I can usually start to relax and know that all the planning has been effective and then it’s time to have a glass of wine before crashing to bed around 1am! 

What would be your top career tip? 

Follow your gut, especially in your early twenties and try lots of new things. Don’t be afraid to job hop to find something you’re happy with that encourages your development.