Case study Arti Kumar MBE – Careers adviser for over 10 years
Information and Advice Service Email: advice@lluk.org www.lluk.org
Many people become a learning professional by acting on their instincts. Arti turned her love of writing into a career that exceeded all her expectations. Education to employment After leaving college in Bangalore India, Arti went to work as an assistant editor of a weekly magazine. Although she really enjoyed the work, it wasn’t long before she started to get itchy feet. Arti wanted to see the world and was determined to have a career that allowed her to pursue her own writing. Throwing caution to the wind, she took a position as an airline hostess on long haul flights, spending the next few years of her life circling the globe, eventually landing in London. After raising a family, Arti got the feeling again, “I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life just talking about nappies and bottles, I wanted to get back out there and do something of my own.”
At first Arti didn’t know where to start, so she decided to go back into education and start from the bottom. She gained a degree in contemporary studies but had no idea how what she had learned could be transferred into the working world. “Little did I know at the time, but this feeling of being lost would ultimately be the driving force behind choosing the direction of my career.” Soon after finishing her degree Arti was juggling two part time jobs, one doing administration, the other teaching Indian cooking in adult education at a local college. “This was a real stepping stone for me, I accidentally fell into education by looking after somebody else’s class while they were off sick, but it was something I couldn’t deny I really enjoyed.”
Finding her field
Looking back
Charged with this enthusiasm for teaching Arti saw an advertisement in a job bulletin that immediately appealed to her, a position for a Trainee Careers Officer.
Although Arti started as a trainee careers officer, the work she has done has resulted in her becoming an Associate Director, and although now she doesn’t work directly with students, she is instrumental in planning and developing future changes in the way career development and employability are delivered.
She knew her abilities were right for this role, but with no previous experience, she didn’t think she’d get it. Despite this she went for it, and was invited for an interview. What made Arti so interested in this role was her drive to help people who were in a similar position to her a few years ago. She was keen to work with young people to help them develop and explore the scale of opportunities that are open to them. It soon came to Arti’s attention after getting the job, that through careers education, rather than just information and advice, she was able to really empower the students she was working with. This led her to work on developing career management skills through programmes of study. These programmes have been rolled out in various universities and integrated with online systems. This work has lead to Arti winning awards and writing her own book that has been published since 2007, finally fulfilling what she’d set out to do from the offset.
Being a careers advisor has meant so much more to Arti than just advising students of what to do with their future. “I feel very privileged to have been able contribute to so many different projects, and writing my book has meant I have achieved my pursuit of a lifelong ambition. Without my career in education I may never have got that chance.” Even though Arti has been awarded an MBE for her services to education, she says that the most satisfying part of her career has been the buzz she’s got from enabling students to achieve their own success. We asked Arti what her advice would be to someone considering becoming a careers adviser she said,
“look at what really motivates you in terms of your interest, values and priorities. Research what the job really entails before you go for the interview.”
“I feel very privileged to have been able contribute to so many different projects, and writing my book has meant I have achieved my pursuit of a lifelong ambition. Without my career in education I may never have got that chance.” The information provided in this case study is not prescriptive or indicative of how to become a learning professional. For details on how to become a learning professional, please see the factsheet found on our website below. RW04/10/CS036
Contact Lifelong Learning UK Centurion House, 24 Monument Street, London, EC3R 8AQ
Ref: IAS/CG/2010/04
Information and Advice Service
Email: advice@lluk.org www.lluk.org/ias This information is available in alternative formats from Lifelong Learning UK
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