Luke's university challenge

Luke's university challenge

Luke Ratcliff left RGS in 2018 after taking A-levels in history, psychology and biology to study history at university and now works as an outreach assistant in. student recruitment for Teesside University

Q: What did you go on to do after leaving school?

A: After A-levels I went directly to the University of Lincoln and went straight into hospitality management from there. This built some skills which I use in recruitment and marketing. I didn’t take a gap year to travel but I would recommend this to students as I do think it is the best time to do this.

Q: What was it that inspired you to follow your current career path?

A: Honestly, I have never been blessed with a clear career path to work towards. I was never inspired to work towards a certain job so have mostly followed what has appeared in front of me! I left hospitality as I wanted to plan for the future and family which hospitality isn’t always great for. I find my current job suits me very well, it is an incredibly well-balanced job. I enjoy time spent in and out of the office, talking to people and individual working, and it also is a satisfying job, helping people along their own paths and careers (Even if I don’t know my own!)

Q: Can you outline a typical day?

A: My day can vary depending on the priorities of the day. Some days are spent at external events, involving a lot of customer (student) interactions and talking through their options. I run my own events on campus, which involves a lot of project management and logistical organisation. My days in the office are spent on communications and liaising with various stakeholders, such as RGS head of careers, Mr Walker. I spend a lot of time working towards our recruitment goals and interactions.

Q: What have been the highlights of your career to date?

A: Running major events such as the open day and British Psychological Conference on campus. These large events really help lots of people and I bring over my customer satisfaction goals from hospitality into the university environment. I would say my career is more slow burn though, I have developed a lot as a person, and I have a great overall view of how a business works and the multiple departments that all work together to achieve a similar goal.

Q: What’s the best bit about your job?

A: The people. Working in the North-East exposes me to some fantastic people and I get to help students as a main priority in my job. In an area like the Tees Valley, which is very different to rural North Yorkshire, I can really see the impact of education and how an institution like Teesside is vital in helping people, who sometimes have fewer resources and awareness, achieve career paths previously seen as unattainable.

Q: And the worst?

A: The higher education sector is going through a lot of challenges now, not just Teesside but all institutions. The teaching and outcomes outside of university are still amazing but the financial environment is difficult now which affects how much we can help students. We would love to do more but often face financial barriers.

Q: What have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced?

A: My biggest challenge hasn’t been a specific task or role, I would say it has been more mental. As I said earlier, I have not been one to have a clear path, so my main challenge has been finding meaning through a career and balancing this out with a personal life. Not everyone has things lined up for them and just because you don’t follow the same path as friends and family, doesn’t mean you are doing something wrong.

Q: What was the most important thing you learnt at RGS?

A: I learnt the value of quality people skills, being honest, working hard, understanding the people around you and being open to opinions or help.

Q: What extra-curricular activities were you involved in while at RGS and how valuable were they?

A: I was a part of the rugby team most of my school life. The skills you learn in groups like this may seem like they are not transferable to a work environment, but they are key to being able to adapt and work with lots of different people.

Q: What do you wish you’d known back then?

A: I wish I had more of an awareness of the full career path. I think it helps to not just think about the next step, what you enjoy or think would be beneficial to study, but look at specific careers and explore the options out there. I studied history because I enjoyed it, even as I left university, I had no idea that law would have been an option for me. Being able to work backwards from a specific career or sector would be useful in choosing your next steps.

Q: What was your dream when you were at school?

A: I never had a career dream, my goals have always been more personal. Developing great friendship bases, seeing the world and going through life with my partner. I think it is very important to balance both. Careers ebb and flow, having a satisfying non-work life will help you enjoy every week!

Q: What is the one piece of advice you’d give students interested in following a similar career path?

A: If looking at the marketing and recruitment area, I would advise developing awareness of the type of area you would like to go into. Some are more competitive than others and may need some more work experience to find success in. I work in education which is quite a stable environment but areas such as finance or tech may be more volatile.

Q: Who was your favourite teacher and why?

A: I remember Mr Spiers very well and have seen him recently as he works near the Tees Valley now! His ability to link history to active events and make us think about how we can use the past to inform the present was useful and something I still do today. I have developed into a critical person who can evaluate and filter through sources of information more effectively because of the way history was taught at RGS.

Q: Who or what inspired you when you were at school?

A: A large part of my inspiration at school was probably my current partner! We met in lower sixth and we have been in a relationship, for about eight and a half years, ever since! Almost everything I do is with our life together in mind. Having someone, whether friends or family, to make the work you do and outcomes more valuable is important.

Q: What would you say has been your greatest success?

A: My greatest success is quite a difficult one, I haven’t made major career leaps or discoveries, but I am quite proud to have maintained a high standard of myself throughout all the challenges early adulthood throws at you! Buying our own house at 24 years old was a particularly big moment, especially in the current housing climate.

Q: What are your hopes for the future?

A: I am hoping to continue building a great life with my partner and see where that takes us. We are fortunate to be able to have seen lots of amazing countries and start a new life for ourselves. We would like to move to Scotland at some point so I anticipate a career change in the near future but we will have to see what is laid out before us!

Q: What do you miss most about Ripon?

A: I miss the community the most, being able to know so many people and have that support readily available is amazing. 

Luke's university challenge
Luke's university challenge