James Lindsay
Meet James, who landed his ‘dream job’ working for mental health charity Hertfordshire Mind Network.
| Current job role | Senior Marketing Officer at Hertfordshire Mind Network |
|---|---|
| Year of graduation | 2012 |
| Course of study | MSc Marketing |
Inspiring lecturers
James chose to study his postgraduate degree at Herts after attending a couple of open days, where he was impressed by the facilities and study environment. He says, ‘Herts had a good reputation, plus it was close to my family home in Watford. I knew I wouldn’t regret studying here.
‘My lecturers were inspiring, and their passion for the subject matched my own ambitions. The course content was also excellent, and we had plenty of opportunities to work with other students.’
One of his favourite experiences at Herts were the friends he made along the way, many of them from different parts of the world. James says, ‘I’m so lucky with the friends I made on the course. They were all easy to get along with and it was great to be able to learn about different cultures.’
His proudest moment
James says that completing his dissertation was his proudest moment, not just because of the result he achieved but the impact it had on the local community. He says, ‘My project investigated how effective social media marketing could be for a local primary school. I did a lot of research, including holding a focus group with parents. Following my research, the school decided to launch their own social media pages which now have thousands of followers.’
Becoming a published author
After graduating from Herts, James worked in market research for several years before experiencing mental health challenges in 2016. Once he recovered, he found his calling as a volunteer for a local charity, which soon progressed into a part-time role. He is now working in his dream role in mental health as a Senior Marketing Officer for Hertfordshire Mind Network and is also launching a memoir and self-help book in 2023 about his recovery from mental illness. He says, ‘I’ve already started writing more and I would love to get a second book published one day.’
Reflecting on his time at Herts, James’ advice to current and future students is to make use of the on-campus facilities, particularly if you live close to the University. He says, ‘Working in a place that isn’t home, like the LRC (Learning Resources Centre), meant that once I got home, I was able to relax and properly switch off.’