Education:
BA Media Studies, Christ College. Msc Environmental Management, University of Stirling
Current Job:
Generous Scotland Programme Assistant
Employer:
Changeworks
I spent a year working with SWAG as a surveyor or research assistant. That’s a fancy way of saying we were the people with clipboards who come knocking on your door from time to time. That coupled with my degree from Stirling University gave me a good understanding of Scotland’s waste issues, recycling and waste prevention initiatives.
What’s a typical day like?
The Generous Scotland Programme is a waste prevention project that focuses on maximising the role of charity shops in Scottish communities. Helping local projects start up and facilitating partnerships in different local areas is a large part of our work.
A typical day for me will include a mix of maintaining projects and doing the admin for various partnership building events. We also develop best practice guides for charities, and go out and visit some shops that we work closely with. These shops would have registered with our Beacon Shop scheme and will receive help from us in implementing a waste management programme, conducting energy and waste audits and trying to set up exchange and recycling schemes.
Best bits of your job?
Watching partnerships take off. Its great to watch people who haven’t spoken before, meet and find common ground to work together.
Worst bits of your job?
Having to make a lot of phone calls! I hate phones!
What would you like to be doing in five years time?
In five years time, I think I would like to be working in the environmental sector in another country like Argentina or Guyana. I like the waste prevention and recycling sector and it would be interesting to see how different countries approach these problems.
What advice would you give to someone considering a career in waste management, prevention and recycling?
Keep trying, it can take a while before you find yourself in the ideal job situation but it’s definitely worth the wait. Volunteering and short-term work can give fresh graduates the elusive ‘work experience’ that most employers look for.
