What’s your job title and how long have you been at Loughborough?

I’m a Graduate Management Trainee (Student Services/Marketing and Advancement) and I’ve been here a year and a half.

Tell us what a typical day in your job looks like?

Due to the nature of my current role, I spend three days per week in Student Services with the International Student Experience (ISE) Team and two days per week in Marketing and Advancement with the Global Engagement team (GET). A day with ISE could start by working on planning a vacation programme for international students, then supporting or leading the delivery of an event, and ending the day responding to student queries. A day with GET could start by attending a Teams meeting, then planning for an upcoming trip/conference, before welcoming visitors or prospective students for a campus tour. However, as a Graduate Management Trainee (GMT), there will also be days where I will be involved in extra-curriculars such as working on a sustainability project, attending a developmental training session or shadowing a senior committee meeting.

What’s your favourite project you’ve worked on?

There have been many projects that I have enjoyed working on during my time in Loughborough Sport, the Strategic Planning Team, the International Student Experience Team and Global Engagement. It’s hard to choose one but I would say there were two projects that I enjoyed the most. The first one was being involved in the planning and delivery of the University Leadership Group away day. This experience taught me a lot about the high scale level and details needed to run a successful away day. The second project, a recent one, was to project manage the Loughborough Festivities Programme for International students (and home students) who were staying in Loughborough throughout the Christmas vacation period. I really cherished the opportunity to have an impact on bettering the experience of international students who couldn’t travel back home.

What is your proudest moment at Loughborough?

There have been many great highlights in my time at Loughborough so far, but my proudest moment would have to be when my fellow colleagues and I established and launched the Early Careers Staff Network, which aims at supporting staff new to their career in Higher Education.

Tell us something you do outside of work that we might not know about?

Outside of work, my main hobby is Salsa and Latin dancing- especially when it’s in the Blackpool Tower Ballroom!

What is your favourite quote?

“In a world where you can be anything, choose to be kind” by Jennifer Dukes Lee

If you would like to feature in ‘5 Minutes With’, or you work with someone who you think would be great to include, please email Lilia Boukikova at L.Boukikova@lboro.ac.uk