Meet our people

Joseph Wilkes - Careers Adviser

Joseph Wilkes - Careers Adviser

"Back in 2003 I completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Guidance and the Qualification in Careers Guidance (QCG), before spending the next four years giving careers advice in schools and colleges. I started in Hackney, working for the local government youth support service before moving to a further education college in Southwark. Though it was worthwhile, the work was becoming repetitive - that’s when I decided that I wanted to work with a different client group.

I heard that the Institute were looking for an adviser, and to be honest, I jumped at the chance. They offered the opportunity to work with students as well as professionals, specialising in the kind of in-depth guidance I thought would lead to much more variety - and so far, it certainly has.

As well as having more interesting days, I’ve learnt a lot about the world of physics careers and opportunities available to physicists - it’s been great to travel around the UK and Ireland and meet people at such different stages of their careers. Of course, it can be challenging: my workload’s substantial and sometimes I can be incredibly busy. That said, I’ve developed strong organisation skills, even helping organise the Institute’s careers fair.

Why do I do it? It’s rewarding - and at the end of the day, I genuinely enjoy helping people ... even when it means getting up at the crack of dawn to catch a flight to Dublin or a train to Newcastle."

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