Partner Development Manager

“My role is based around account management and communicating with businesses about how they can best use technology to be successful.”

“I have worked with a diverse range of clients – universities, government branches, start-ups, large corporations – to help solve issues they’re facing. My day-to-day involves problem solving, risk evaluation, and writing up businesses cases, but also a lot of storytelling, listening and empathy.

“I’ve always been interested in going into a technical industry. I studied Computer Science at high school but decided to do a BA because I wanted to explore the subjects I was passionate about and learn about how people see the world, how society operates, and develop those teamwork skills to carry into the tech field.

“My degree was varied – I learned how coding worked, studied another language, majored in English and Linguistics, did courses in Psychology and Statistics – that breadth of thinking has really helped me in my career.

“Microsoft head-hunted me for my first internship while I was still studying. I didn’t believe it was a real offer at first, but they recruit people from all kinds of different backgrounds like sales, marketing, and relationship management.

“In my recent roles, I’ve been able to put my linguistics stamps on projects I’ve worked on, and I’d love to get into AI and natural language processing and proofing. I’m so excited by how technology can connect us, make us more human, make life more beautiful and move us towards the world we want to live in.

“There will be so many jobs that require technology in the future, and people from an Arts or communications background shouldn’t be put off – we can teach you what you need to know when you’re on the job, what we’re after is people with a great mindset and attitude. Don’t be misled by job descriptions, it’s always worth taking a chance and applying because you could be exactly what companies are after.

“To any students or new graduates, I’d say the most important thing is not what you do but why you do it. If something is relevant and important to you, that’s more powerful than doing a degree because you were told to.”