About me

• Special Educational Needs Teaching Assistant
• Studied: BA (Hons) Early Years and Childhood Studies, 2020
• Contact me on LinkedIn

About my career

My first job after graduating and my current job is as a Special Educational Needs Teaching Assistant. Using my qualification, I applied for jobs straight after finishing my degree. I was lucky to find an amazing role local to me through my council’s job website. I’ve gained so many new skills since starting my new role and I have been fortunate enough to work alongside many professionals who know the primary education field very well and have helped me become more confident. I gained many skills whilst studying at Manchester Met. I am much more confident in my own abilities and I am not afraid to ask for any support if I need it.

I did placements in a local nursery, and I recommend anyone to complete a placement. It may take up a lot of time but in the long-run it is worth it. You gain so much being hands-on in the job and being able to get a feel for whether a certain field is for you or not. You can explore new options and gain insights into the opinions of other professionals and their career journey. I was lucky to have an amazing placement with lots of opportunities and I felt like part of the team whenever I was there. Alongside my degree, I chose the Practice Route option, which allowed me to gain the Early Years Educator qualification alongside my degree. This required more placement hours but it enabled me to go so much deeper into my degree.

Since starting my new job, I have been able to gain many CPD opportunities so far. I have been able to explore the world of online safety, working memory, and how to make an outdoor space suitable for young learners.

My top tip for students

Go with your heart. When leaving university you may want to follow what your friends are doing but it is really important you do what you want to do. I did lots of research and browsing online as well as LinkedIn to find many jobs available. Make sure you book a CV session whilst at university as it enabled me to ensure I included everything that I needed.

I’m inspired by

Josie Gabi. Josie helped me through all my university experiences, always had time to chat and made sure that if you needed support, you got it. Josie is a credit to Manchester Met. 

Why I love Manchester Met

I loved my time at university as it enabled me to meet so many new people, and I have gained some friends for life. Manchester Met also allowed me to be the person I am today. I am much more confident in my abilities since leaving university.

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