Lisa Hancock
Subject: BSc Geography
Graduated: 2017
Place of work: Nottingham City Council
Position: Traffic and Safety Technical Officer – NCC graduate scheme
What made you choose to study geography at the University?
Geography allowed me to go to university without the pressure of having to decide upon the specific career I wanted. The eclectic nature of studying geography meant that I developed a wide range of transferable skills; especially as Nottingham has an unrestricted choice across BSc and BA modules.
Additionally, the fieldwork opportunities have always appealed to me, something that not many university courses offer, especially so frequently.
What skills did you acquire during this time?
Vital skills learnt include teamwork and communication whilst studying geography, also due to me working part time in retail and as a student ambassador on open days and UCAS visit days. The flexibility of a geography degree allowed me to develop in areas that interested me and different ways of assessment allowed a broad range of skills development.
As previously mentioned, field work was of importance to me, during which I learnt how to use an array of equipment I hadn't previously come across, all of which assisted me in completed my own research project to complete my dissertation.
What are your fondest memories from your time at the school?
One of my fondest memories was during the first week with the school. Everyone was so welcoming and made me feel very happy to have chosen geography and to be studying with a group of friendly academic staff and students surrounding me at Nottingham.
I also really enjoyed the school's open days where student ambassadors and academic staff promoted the school as well as the University generally. This broke down any existing barriers between academics and students as we were all working together with a common goal of aiding potential students with their choices for the future.
Where are you working now and what does the role involve?
I currently work at Nottingham City Council as a Traffic and Safety Technical Officer. This is part of NCC's graduate scheme, which involves monthly skills training in a variety of areas, which aids my development.
A key part of this role is creating the legal orders behind all things traffic and transport – from the implementation of double yellow lines to resident parking schemes. I use programmes such as SignPlot, ParkMap and CAD in this role, none of which I had used prior to this experience.
What advice would you give to someone considering following a similar career path?
Getting experience early is key, even if you don’t know what career you want to go into after university. If I hadn't had work experience with a transport consultancy company (which I found out about through a member of the School of Geography alumni), then I wouldn’t have been aware that this career path suited me.
These opportunities are often a pathway to confirming a job after graduation – I received a job offer from the company I completed my work experience with, yet I chose NCC after careful consideration as this was the best choice for me.