Director Profile - Liz Gillings
Role in NAEGA
I have been a member of NAEGA since approximately 1997 and am now on my second term as branch director for the Eastern region. My first term was about eight years ago. I am also a convenor for NAEGA East which entails running the three CPD events for members in the region.
Career background
I became a careers adviser a bit by chance really as I had gone through several jobs since leaving school and hadn't found one that fitted. I therefore made an appointment at my local careers office and came out with information on Dip CG courses. I took my Diploma at Southbank Polytechnic in 1987 and completed my probationary year with Bedfordshire Careers Service in 1988. I spent a short time working in schools then moved on to work at the local FE College as a senior careers adviser. I found this work really interesting as it was with adults as well as young people and really developed my skills and knowledge but also used the skill I had from previous jobs in selling as I had to pro-actively develop the role, negotiate time and overcome barriers.
My education has been a bit back to front as I did my PG Dip first then followed it ten years later with my BSc in psychology which has really given me insight into working full time, studying and raising a young family at the same time. I have worked for the test publishers nferNelson and ASE as a guidance specialist and have also coordinated the IAG partnership in Bedfordshire.
Current job
I work currently as a part-time careers adviser in FE focusing on the yearly cycle of HE applications and also helping students to develop their employability skills. In my remaining time, I work as a freelance career coach helping highly qualified unemployed people get back to work. I prefer a practitioner role to a strategic one as there is less organizational, political maneuvering involved. The buzz I get from helping people makes me feel I've done something worthwhile. Over the last five years, I have completed a Diploma in Coaching and an NLP certificate.
Passions
I love my garden and I am learning new things all the time, such as slugs like cabbage and dogs and vegetable patches don't mix. Sons and husbands will, at a push, lift the heavy things but don't start talking about ideas for new planting regimens or suddenly the garden seems very lonely. I run or cycle to keep fit and go to the gym where I use the treadmill (boring) or join the spin class (less boring).
Weaknesses
Food.
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