What features and attributes distinguish your courses – Human Resource Management MA (MA HRM) and International Human Resource Management MA  from comparable postgraduate programmes taught at other institutions?

The two courses I head have several distinct features and attributes:

• It fuses theory with practice equipping students for the work environment
• It includes a number of skills workshops where students can hone their skills in a safe environment
• The way in which it is taught encourages interaction in the classroom
• We encourage a methodical approach to problem-solving which stresses the importance of diagnosing the causes of problems before ascertaining, amongst the various options, the most appropriate managerial tools to solve them.
• We pay for one year’s CIPD membership for all students
• We provide our students with a separate textbook for each core module.

What was your first job? What did you learn from it?

My first job was as an Employee Relations Journalist working for a specialist fortnightly magazine. It was a great introduction to the world of work. I needed my specialist Employee Relations knowledge when interviewing a variety of people from a range of different occupations and organisations in order to weld their words into articles fit for publication. It improved my communication and interpersonal skills and forced me to multi-task, sometimes working on more than one story at a time. It was interesting, I learnt new things all the time and was able to build on the knowledge I had acquired at University. I found this experience to be personally fulfilling especially when I wrote something which then influenced the ways in which others behaved at work.

What is it that motivates and drives you in your career as an academic?

I enjoy discovering what other academics have written and applying this research to my own areas of interest. It is especially appealing when I can include this in my lectures to students and discuss with them the relevance of such research to their own studies.

If you had five top tips for new postgraduate students at Westminster Business School, what would they be?

1. Read as much as you can about the subject you are studying, and don’t restrict yourself to one text book
2. For International students whose first language isn’t English please try to think in English – rather than in your own language
3. Use the sources of information that the library has to offer particularly on referencing your work and producing literature reviews
4. Attend everything you are offered
5. Make the most of London’s cultural opportunities

How do you relax and unwind during your spare time?

In my spare time I read a lot and when the weather is fine I enjoy walking in the countryside. I occasionally go to the gym and pretend that my feeble attempts at exercise are making a difference to my health.

Quite a lot of my time is taken up with working for a charity that promotes health and well-being for women. As ‘chairman’ of the board of trustees I help set the strategy and direction for the charity and of course the knowledge I have around MA HRM / MA IHRM is incredibly useful.

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