Samantha Elmes - Graduate Case Study
Samantha Elmes graduated with a Degree in History and English and is now working as a diplomat for the Foreign, Development and Commonwealth Office (FCDO).
What does your job involve?
I am currently the UK’s multilateral engagement lead for the Caribbean. Essentially this involves deepening the UK’s relationship with CARICOM, the regional multilateral, on areas of mutual importance. These issues can range from climate change, COVID-19 recovery, improved access to finance, creating a positive environment for British Business, regional security, good governance and much more.
Working for the FCDO means that we change jobs roughly every 3 years. I have been in the office for 8 years now and have worked in Parliamentary Relations, Communications Department, Talent Management, Consular and now in the Caribbean. In consular, I headed the Murder and Manslaughter Team where I provided consular assistance to families who had been bereaved overseas – a tough but incredibly rewarding job.
We are often referred to as ‘generalists’ meaning that we should have the capability and skill set to turn our hand at just about anything. I will change jobs again this summer and who knows where I will go or what I will do!
How did you get to where you are today?
I applied to the FCDO through an internship. The internship lasted 11 months and whilst there was no guarantee of becoming permanent, I managed to secure a position and have been here ever since.
Three things you like about your job:
- That we change roles every three years, being able to do something different means that we are constantly learning and improving
- Opportunities to see the world! We can live in so many different places, learning and experiencing different cultures is fascinating
- We get to make a difference. Sometimes Foreign Policy can feel abstract and perhaps academic but in actuality on the ground, real difference is made. Whether that is through delivering projects that improve a countries development or lobbying for human rights and equality in some difficult places.
What skills are important in your job?
Resilience and building influential relationships. Changing jobs and countries every few years can be tough. It sounds glamorous but when you miss family moments or the internet hasn’t worked in three weeks it can become tough and that’s being at a ‘nice’ post! The ability to connect with people is vital. Ultimately, you can be the smartest person in the world but if you can’t get people to like you and trust what you have to say you’ll struggle to have an impact as a diplomat.
What work experience / volunteering did you do to help you get to where you are today?
I never intended to work for the FCDO. In all honestly, I didn’t know what it was or what it did before I got an internship. However, the soft skills I learned through part time jobs and volunteering were invaluable. Working in retail, I learned how to speak to all kinds of people, volunteering for a magazine taught me the power and influence of language.
What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability?
Find opportunities to improve those soft skills. Being an effective communicator, being able to adapt in different circumstances is incredibly important.
Support from the Student Futures team
If you want to talk about potential careers options with your degree, need help finding opportunities or want support with your CV, application forms or preparing for an interview, you can get advice and guidance by booking a 30-minute 1-2-1 careers meeting with a Careers and Employability Adviser from the LJMU Student Futures Team. You can also come along to a Careers drop-in or CV Café which take place weekly at the Careers Zones for quick careers queries.
If you are thinking about starting a business, freelancing, pursuing a side-hustle or have an idea that you want to explore further, email the Start-up Hub and a member of the team will be back in touch. For more information about the Bathgate Boost Award, visit the Start-up Hub website.
For help finding part-time, temporary or casual you can fit around your studies, email the Unitemps team or visit their website.