Career Planning and Development : Personal Reflections

1. Aspiring Registrars
Career Planning and Development:
Personal Reflections
Cathy Lambert
Director of Student & Academic Services
Edinburgh Napier University

2. Introduction
• Career in HE management/administration for 20+ years
• Joined Oxford Brookes University in 1992 and moved to
Edinburgh Napier in 2004
• Variety of management roles covering Strategic Planning,
Recruitment & Partnerships, “Registry” functions and
wider student support
• Passionate about the student experience
• Introduced to the AUA in early career
• On Executive of the Academic Registrars Council (ARC)
and Association of Managers of Student Services in
Higher Education (AMOSSHE)

3. “So what do you want to do
when you grow up ?”

4. What is it that Geographers do?
“Geographers use many tools and
techniques in their work, and geographic
technologies are increasingly important for
understanding our complex world.”
Association of American Geographers

5. Reflections
• Inevitability of change
• Make your own luck
• Assume responsibility
• Create opportunities
• Take risks
• Networking
• Mentors

6. AUA
• AUA conferences – early 90s Glasgow, Preston,
Bristol
• Professional introduction to Scottish HEIs and SFC
• Personal introductions – 20 years later
• Importance of ongoing professional development
– Academic Registrars Council (ARC)
– Scottish & Northern Ireland ARC Practitioners
– Association of Managers of Student Services in
Higher Education (AMOSSHE)

7. Personal action planning
• Where do you see yourself if 2, 5 and 10 years ?
• What’s your career path ?
• Which relationships are critical to you ?
• What internal and external opportunities exist ?
• Who can you talk to ?
• What skills and experience do you have ?
• What are your own development needs ?
• How will you plug these ?