Harri McLady

Current Employer/Organisation Name

Richmond and Wandsworth Council

What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?

Took a Masters in Urban Management and Development in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Worked in a Circular Economy Start Up for my first year out of full time education.
Returned to England and worked in Car Insurance Fraud.
Took my current role as a graduate scheme for urban planners in the Public Sector. Currently, I’m working in a rotation in Planning Policy, working on the Clapham Junction Regeneration Masterplan.

Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?

I love this job for using all my desires and talents, working with people, in different departments, working within my background of politics from Exeter while being able to develop my skills and honing new ones that come with working in the Public Sector.

Please tell us if you were a member of any societies, groups or sports clubs?

RAD, Jazz Band, voices, Politics Society, Politics Subject Chair and Community Chair.

What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?

The flexible nature of my course allowed me to explore my academic options and discover what I was passionate about that I didn’t have the option of knowing before I came to University. Doing this helped me develop what I love and let me explore ideas and subjects I wouldn’t have even thought about.

What did you most enjoy about studying here?

I loved living in Cornwall. I Truly felt I had my first opportunity to take life into my own hands and make the choices for myself. I loved being able to get involved with as much as possible, benefit from the people and experiences around me and to make an impact in what I did.

Why did you choose to study at Exeter?

I chose Exeter as a Russel Group University with a reputation for a very strong politics course.

What skills and experiences have been most useful for your career?

I think my experiences of balancing academic and working has been extrememely useful for my career. Being able to showcase your timekeeping abilities are invaluable for employers and being able to show that not just in an interview but day to day is golden.

What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?

For me, the best advice I can give is to work out what you learnt from your experiences, rather than just collect as much experience as possible. If you think you haven’t got enough ‘formal’ experience to put on your CV, you should find out how to reframe the skills developed from your societies and extra curricular activities. Before I started working, I had my student rep, my societies because at one point, they were my most important work. Employers want to work with people who can wield that passion into their work.

What are your plans for the future?

My plans are to keep working in my current role, work towards my membership for the RPTI and hopefully continue working within the Council and see where the future takes me!