Alex's Blog

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Lead Representation Role

During my time as an undergraduate and postgraduate student, I have always been actively involved in the promotion of the student voice. I have done this because I think it is fundamentally important as one of the universities main stakeholders that students can give feedback. This feedback allows students to make suggestions and improve the quality of the student experience.

During my undergraduate degree, I was a course representative, which involved promoting the views of fellow students from my course to the programme directors. This was a great experience, especially as my course was brand new at the time meaning feedback was essential. This year as I have embarked on postgraduate study, I felt like I wanted to be more involved with this process. So, I decided to combine two representation roles continuing as a course representative, lead Masters representative. My new role is very stimulating, as I am the first point of contact beyond programme directors for students on a management Masters course. Within this role, I directly manage twelve-course representatives, helping to solve their queries in an orderly and appropriate manner. In addition, I chair meetings, organise events, write monthly reports, run my own social media page and feedback to university hierarchy about the overall student experience. This role has really broadened my experience, allowing me to be more hands on dealing with school specific and at times complex issues, which all aim to improve the quality of the student experience at the university.

If you are passionate, have the courage to challenge, and have excellent time management skills then this is a role I recommend to anybody currently in a UK university. Too often students complain about the university experience but are unwilling to do anything about it, representation is an opportunity to contribute positively and make change happen.

[alexnash-blog]

Viable New Year Resolutions: 52 films

This week I want to address the New Year’s resolution. These are frequently made but solemnly kept. Although resolutions are meant to encourage people to make a positive change to their lifestyle, many set their goals too high or goals that are likely to make them.

I myself am not immune to failing to create or stick to a realistic and meaningful resolution. So, this year I wanted to try something a little different, instead of seeing a resolution as a chore I wanted to view it as an opportunity to do something enjoyable and productive. Having thought very carefully about this, I decided to watch 52 films that I have never seen before (new and old). I thought that this was realistic as it is only 1 film per week. So far, I have really enjoyed it, using it as an opportunity to broaden my horizons and be open-minded about all types of film and cinema. However, this resolution also has a broader purpose, with the increasing focus on mental health I have tried to use this resolution to pursue a better work-life balance, which has been difficult as I am trying to obtain a distinction on my MSc in Human Resource Management.

 Once I have watched a film, I tick it off my list and write a brief review about what I thought of the film and the reasons why it made my list.  Currently, I am on my 10th film, so I still have a long way to go before I finish my resolution. I suppose the underlying message of this blog is to ensure that a resolution is something that you enjoy and use as a development opportunity, rather than a constraint. If you would like to keep an eye out on my progress or have any suggestions (I currently have 40 films written down so far!) see & contact me via my social media platforms.

[alexnash-blog]

Giving a little back: blood donation

In recent years, I have realised the importance of giving something back wherever possible. As a student, it can be very difficult to commit to donating regularly to charitable causes. There are several other ways in which we can help others, my way was to become a blood donor. Donating blood changes lives, whilst I understand that becoming a donor is not for everyone I felt it was important to share my experience of donating to ease people’s fear and increase the understanding of the process.

The first time I gave blood was in early September, prior to this I had no idea what to expect. However, much to my surprise the experience was painless. The process is very simple, where you first register, go through some simple checks, hydrate and donate. During the donation staff members made me feel very comfortable and safe. Firstly, the area for donation is sterilised before everything is connected (the needle only stings for a few seconds!). Once the needle is fitted the process does not take long, although during my first donation I did forget to repeat the squeezing motion, which increased my donation time significantly!

The process of becoming a donor is not complex, as it only takes a few minutes online, and the donation is even more straightforward because of the excellent care provided by the professionals. Giving blood is not something that should be scary, rather it is something that should make you feel as if you can make a difference to somebody’s quality of life. I donate for my grandmother who had several blood transfusions during her long battle with kidney failure. Being able to give blood is one of my greatest achievements, and made me realise that I can make a difference to those who may be suffering.

See links below to both the Welsh & English blood service if you feel like signing up or just want a little more information: 

https://www.blood.co.uk/

https://www.welsh-blood.org.uk/

[alexnash-blog]

Respect

As I sit here waiting for Saturday's latest round of six nations fixtures to start, I feel it is of utmost importance to share one of my experiences this week. Last week I was given the opportunity to meet one of my role models, international rugby referee Nigel Owens (MBA). Most people know Nigel for his fantastic refereeing ability, as he is often considered to be the best of his generation. However, on Tuesday night I had the chance to see Nigel in a different light, that only enhanced my respect for the man. Nigel delivered a lecture on the developing a better awareness and respect for LGBT, bravely sharing his life story where his sexuality was a huge barrier for a number of years. Without the support of his peers and the WRU, he said that he’d unlikely to be refereeing today. 

His talk changed my perspective regarding the LGBT, despite being respectful of every person regardless of race, gender, background, class and sexual orientation I know I still have a lot to learn. I now understand that I have a responsibility not only to respect LGBT but also support and contribute positively by promoting their rights to equal within society. For too long now this group has been opposed and not afforded respect they deserve for no reason. Therefore, if people like myself who claims to understand and respect the LGBT community, we must do more by attempting to change people’s mindsets and promote equality within society.

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CIPD Student Conference

This blog details my experience at the CIPD Student Conference held at City Hall Cardiff in October 2016. This was an excellent opportunity provided by the CIPD (HR professional body) to understand their influence on professional practice within HR and broaden my understanding of what their membership offers HR professionals.The conference came at a really good time, as I had just started my Masters in Human Resource Management.

The day was very informative, as I was able to hear from and ask questions to current HR leaders, who discussed their career paths, key tips on how to be successful, and emerging challenges facing the industry. I also got the opportunity to network with fellow students and HR experts in the South Wales area. I have since joined the CIPD Linkedin group, which facilitates discussion and gives student members the chance to engage. I am hopeful that the CIPD will continue to offer more accessible and useful events that are tailored for the student CIPD members.

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Insights Profile

Towards the end of my undergraduate studies, because of my connections with the HR team at the university, I was given the chance to get my very own Insights Discovery Personal Profile. For those who do not know, this profile helps organisations understand their workforce, helping them to develop employees professionally and personally. Within this profile, each individual understands their strengths, areas for development, working style and preferences. The idea is that by understanding preferences, individuals will understand how their style impacts others within the workplace. It is believed that this understanding can create a more collaborative team, develop interpersonal skills, create a productive environment and enhance team performance.

My profile was incredibly accurate, with results suggesting that my work style is based on preparation, a fundamental understanding of the area and logical principles. My strengths from this profile suggested that I am a reliable and consistent worker, that tries to find practical solutions to problems in an objective manner. Whilst my weaknesses suggest that I favour risk adverse solutions, because of an overreliance on the tried and tested.

Although there are question marks over the reliability of Insights, I am really glad that I got the chance to undergo this exercise. The process has allowed me to better understand my personal preferences, enabling me to use these findings to further my personal development and become better equipped for the workplace.

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Undergraduate to postgraduate study a smooth transition?

The decision to go into employment or undertake further study after undergraduate studies is often a difficult one, in my case this was no different. However, since making a firm decision to undertake postgraduate study I haven’t looked back. Since starting, several of my friends and family have asked me what the key differences are between undergraduate and postgraduate study, which is the central theme of this blog!

The answer to this question is far from simple. The key differences are the expectancy to deliver more work within a smaller time frame; the amount of research required; quality of work make a masters different and arguably more stressful. An important difference between these levels of study are that assignments are left open to interpretation rather than being overly prescriptive. Having continued in the same institution at a different campus initially I was quite worried about the change. However, these worries have since been quashed because of similarities with my undergraduate course. Clearly, I have enrolled on a well designed and accredited course, taught by enthusiastic and supportive members of staff, but most importantly I have found a good group of friends to share my experience with. This transition from my perspective has been relatively smooth, which has allowed me to stimulate and develop my autonomy, mastery and purpose.

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Cardiff Met HR Work Experience

It has become clear that in modern times just having a degree is not enough! This is a harsh reality that I was lucky enough to realise in my final year as an undergraduate student. Instead of sitting feeling sorry for myself, as a highly motivated individual, I wanted to increase my credibility within a professional environment, and demonstrate that I could be an asset to contemporary organisations. Despite initial difficulty I persisted and managed to secure a voluntary work experience with my universities HR department. During the academic year, I managed to work with the HR team alongside my studies where I gained an understanding of contemporary HR, exploring HR practices and getting involved with the design of various training schemes. Despite being a volunteer, my background in education allowed me to critically evaluate and make suggestions on how to improve training and E-learning programmes. Furthermore, I made some strong connections with HR professionals and was lucky enough to get the chance to undertake an insights profile. This experience throughout the year, allowed to me learn about my strengths and areas for improvements, but also the changing demands of a contemporary HR department. Most importantly, by undertaking this experience I was able to make an informed decision to undertake an accredited Masters in HRM. Since begging the Masters the work experience has helped me apply theory to practice. The take home message for this blog, is don’t be afraid to market yourself, persist and develop your skills even if it is voluntary!

Alex