From Hospitality to HR Strategy: An Essex Success Story

Joby Gregory graduated in 2021 with an MSc Human Resource Management degree.

Looking back, what stands out most about your experience at Essex Business School, and how has it shaped your personal or professional journey?

Before completing the MSc Human Resource Management course at Essex Business School (EBS), I had begun a career in hospitality. I was looking for a change after an internship in the United States, and I always knew I’d like to work with people in my career, but in a way that directly impacted their personal and professional lives for the better. I chose this course and started at EBS in October 2020. It was one of the best decisions I ever made!

After graduating, I joined Thames Water on their leadership graduate scheme, where I was able to use my studies of human resource management to make real change at the largest sewage works in Europe (I won’t miss the smell!). From there, my career has progressed in various HR roles such as learning & development, organisational development and now strategic workforce planning.

One of the key standout takeaways is that the course provided the foundations for my career and the role I’m in today, leading strategic workforce planning for a large university in London. More importantly, however, it gave me the confidence and knowledge to completely change my career from a profession I thought I was destined to be in for life. It showed me that what you put in is what you get as an output.

What skills, knowledge, or mindset from your time at EBS have proven most valuable in your current career?

Knowledge gained from all the modules has contributed to my career journey and personal and professional development in one way or another. They cover a wide range of topics and content that human resources as a function is responsible for. Whether you’re supporting the creation of a new policy, note-taking at an employment tribunal or leading a staff development session, I can wholeheartedly say your learnings are utilised in every aspect of your role!

I would also highlight the benefits of this course being CIPD-accredited. Graduating with a CIPD Level 7 accreditation as well as a Masters in human resource management ensures you stand out when you’re job-hunting post-graduating. The resources, guidance and courses available to CIPD members during your time on the course and on completion are like gold dust.

Can you share a particular moment, project, or lesson from EBS that had a lasting impact on you?

My favourite modules were Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Learning and Development in Context. 

Before the course, I was eager to develop my understanding of EDI and expand my knowledge, and this module helped me do so while also considering future changes and trends. To create a fair, inclusive, and diverse workplace, it’s essential to understand the legal, professional, and personal context of the country, organisation, and team you are in, and this module provided all of that and more.

Additionally, the Learning and Development in Context module gave me a skillset that I’ve taken with me throughout my career and implemented in all my roles since graduating. We were tasked with creating a talent management plan for Airbus UK, ensuring we had a workforce with the right skills, critical roles and future talent covered for now and the next five years. I really enjoyed this module, and this is evidenced by the fact that this is my role now!

How did the EBS community (classmates, lecturers, or networks) support your development during and after your studies?

I found my time at EBS to be very positive, despite a potential challenge of having most of my courses taking place online (post-COVID). There was a sense of community and collaboration with my classmates. Whether it was working together in group projects or catching up outside of classes, we supported each other well. I think this is something unique about the University of Essex, as I had similar great experiences in my undergraduate studies at the Edge Hotel School!

One thing about EBS is that you can be confident in the knowledge and abilities of the lecturers. I felt right from the start that all the lecturers cared greatly about my development, and they supported me from my first week, all the way to gaining a place on a graduate programme following the course.

I also utilised the University’s Careers Support and Advice service, which supported me with creating a CV that stood out above the many thousands of applicants post-graduating. I would recommend contacting them to support your next career step.

What advice would you give to current EBS students who are preparing to start their own career journeys?

As you prepare to begin your career journey, you should research the role or graduate programme you really want and are passionate about, as this is where you’ll shine through. This can be done through researching an organisation’s values, mission statement and opportunities on offer and aligning these to your values and ambitions. Don’t be discouraged about a role or programme if the description on paper isn’t directly aligned to your degree – you have a long time to craft your career!

When it comes to applying to roles or programmes, a good tip that will help you with your first role is asking for a proofread of your application from EBS lecturers, the careers team or even a family member. This will give you another pair of eyes for the details you may have missed.

Use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method to structure your responses to applications and in interviews to provide evidence-based answers. You should try and create a bank of responses so you’re ready to answer any topic asked of you (i.e. Communication, project management, creativity, conflict management, etc). Before interviewing, it’s important to practice your STAR responses, your public speaking and answering questions on the spot (with classmates or lecturers), ensuring eye contact, tone, pacing, and deep breaths.

But overall, be authentic and don’t try to be someone you’re not, remain true to yourself and don’t compare to others, you will be at your best when you do this!