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Marion Patel

What is your current role and what does a typical week look like?
I’m the Placement Officer for the School. I’m involved in delivering the provision for students seeking, undertaking, and returning from placements, as well as building relationships with employers to increase opportunities for them.

Within the placements team we also work in collaboration with Student Opportunity’s central services to increase the employability skills and careers awareness and readiness of our students. A typical week could include delivering workshops or events, student support and advice, and employer engagement – alongside the admin associated with maintaining and improving placement services.

Which part of your role do you enjoy the most, and what are the biggest challenges?
I love the variety – terrible cliché I know, but no two days are the same -which definitely keeps things interesting. Having moved over from University’s central services, I am also really enjoying working within a department. Here I can get to know students, and so support them better, and the environment is dynamic and receptive enough to have the opportunity to change and create services and resources. The flip side of that is finding the time to do, change, create all those things…

Which skills help you most in being able to perform your role?
Communication – for connecting with employers, collaborating with colleagues, and understanding and supporting students needs. Also, massively helpful for managing expectations and building good relationships, both big parts of the job.

What is your favourite place on campus and why?
Probably the footpath between Gibbet Hill and main campus…A new discovery for me since taking this role, despite having worked at Warwick for a few years. Now I’m up and down it all the time, and am yet to get tired of the scenery (beautiful with each new season) or the inclines (really good for the leg muscles - especially when you’re almost late and navigating them at speed!).

Can you give an example of something that has made you feel part of the community while in Life Sciences, and what could be improved to enable this?
Everybody I’ve met in Life Sciences has been incredibly welcoming and supportive, so I’m fortunate to feel very much part of the School community already. Life Sciences is a big place, but getting involved in events like Open Days and Welcome Week activities has been a great way to get to know people and activity outside my work area. As has making tea in the atrium kitchen – there’s never a shortage of new faces and interesting exchanges in an office kitchen!

What are your main interests or passions, outside of work?
Hanging out with my 2 small-ish kids is where a lot my outside of work energy goes…I like to be outside, so we do a lot of walking and exploring, gardening, and attempting to grow stuff we can eat (only semi successfully). I like baking and cooking and having little sous chefs who’ve moved out of the licking-everything-they-see/chopping-off-their-fingers-when-your-back-is-turned phase is lovely.

Interview date December 2022