Darcey White
Current Employer/Organisation Name
Austin Moore & Partners LLP
What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?
Since leaving the University I have completed the Graduate Diploma in Law whilst working in retail and as a private tutor. Upon completing the GDL I secured employment as a Paralegal at a boutique commercial firm in Nottingham city centre where I work alongside one associate to provide employment and HR support to both individuals and businesses.
Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?
Whilst studying my degree I found that I really enjoyed tackling complex ideas, breaking them down, and applying them to different scenarios. Working in law gives me the opportunity to do these things, when clients come to us seeking advice we have to consider not just the law as it appears in statute but also case law and guidelines from bodies such as ACAS. We have to be able take these various elements, analyse them, and then apply them to the situation our client is faced with to give them advice on the various ways in which they can resolve the issue, and the risks associated with each solution.
Please tell us if you were a member of any societies, groups or sports clubs?
I was a member of the Classics Society throughout my time at University and was one of its 2 Sports Secretaries in my final year. Through Classics Society I played Rounders, Netball, and Touch Rugby on intramural teams. I was also part of the Animal Welfare Society.
What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?
Exeter offers a fantastically diverse course for Ancient History, the modules not only provide excellent content but also allowed us to step outside our discipline. Whilst learning about the historical events that constitute Ancient History I studied philosophy and sociology, among many other things such as feminist theory. It’s tough to pick a highlight, I enjoyed all of my modules. Having said that, there is one module that I love bringing up when people ask me about my degree; Magic, Witchcraft and Ghosts in the Greek and Roman Worlds. This module was unlike anything else I’d studied, I gave presentations on some of the earliest myths about werewolves and vampires. Throughout the module I was actively encouraged to challenge other historians theories and suggest alternative interpretations which was almost as exciting as the content.
What did you enjoy most about studying here?
After studying at a different university what really stood out was the Classics and Ancient History department at Exeter. All of the lecturers were incredibly supportive and very involved with the society, joining in with debates and pub quizzes – we even had a few football matches against them.
What skills and experiences have been most useful for your career?
Research and communication skills. My job is heavily research based, I have to find the most up to date information, take the time to understand it. When advising clients I have to summarise that information in a way that’s concise and easy to understand, whilst ensuring they have sufficient information to make an informed decision about how they want to proceed.
