Humans of Warwick - Jill Grant

Jill Grant

Project Manager, Wellbeing Support Services

“I could probably write a book about everything I’ve seen while working here.”

“I started at Warwick in July 1985 as a Clerical Assistant in the International Office. It’s hard to imagine now what the University was like back then but let me try and take you back 40 years!

For a start there was so much manual admin. As well as being responsible for all the internal mail, making sure it was delivered where it needed to be, one of my first jobs was to mail out copies of the undergraduate prospectus. This would involve typing addresses, using a manual typewriter, no laptops or PC’s in those days, onto sticky labels and putting them on thousands of envelopes to be posted.

All the Professional Services teams were based in Senate House, not spread round the campus like we are now. There was no email, if you wanted to speak to someone you’d go and find them.I remember thinking when emails and the internet were introduced ‘how’s this going to help!’ The first few messages I sent were to find out if people were in their offices, this changed very quickly and soon became the way we communicated with each other.

Technology has helped in so many ways to make Warwick what it is today, but I feel that we’ve lost some of the human connection because of it. Everybody knew everyone and strong relationships were built through daily interactions. I like to try and keep some of that going today and have been lucky that some of the people I’ve worked with over the years, have become family friends away from work, two of them are godparents to one of our daughters.

Apart from how we communicate, one of the changes I’ve seen is how the University has grown. Roads have been created, buildings have been removed and new ones have gone in their places, I can still remember the swimming pool at Westwood and Hurst and Redfern residences. We’re also a lot less formal than we used to be, I definitely wouldn’t have dreamt about coming to work in my trainers. It was business wear all the way for everyone back then.

Forty years is a long time to be coming to one place of work, but Warwick has enabled me to have a career that works alongside family commitments. I’ve always loved my job, whatever role I’ve been doing. I’ve been lucky to have worked with, and alongside some amazing colleagues. I’m very proud of what I have achieved along my journey, the Open Day model that is used today is based on the one we created all those years ago, as is the Warwick Welcome Service. Setting up a Welfare Check team for students during COVID is also something I look back on with great pride. There has been so much more, maybe I do need to think about that book!

I’ve been very fortunate to have had line managers who have recognised my skills and experience and have given me the opportunity to prove myself time and time again, I am very grateful to them. I still get a strong sense of joy and purpose coming to work and I’m excited to see what’s coming next.”