Louise Jack

Overview of current position and main responsibilities

I’m responsible for facilitating communications across the institution using various different channels, ensuring staff and students are aware of what’s going on. I’m always looking for ways to showcase and highlight the brilliant work that’s undertaken by staff and students, and improve engagement.

What was your career path to this position and subject area?

I’ve always enjoyed writing; I originally trained to be a journalist in Edinburgh but changed direction midway through my degree when I came back to Dundee and completed by undergraduate degree in Media, Culture and Society instead. After that, I floundered a bit in various administrative roles at the University of Dundee before I was encouraged to utilise my communications, writing and media skills when working as part of a Knowledge-Exchange project called Design in Action (DiA), based at DJCAD. Once DiA’s funding term ended, I worked at the University of Glasgow’s Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, providing communications and public engagement support, before coming back to Dundee for my current position at Abertay. No longer commuting four days a week to Glasgow has been a dream!

Do you feel you have a good work/life balance?

Absolutely. Having experienced the difficulties of working and living in different cities – particularly ones that are 80 miles apart – I am so grateful to now be able to walk my children to school every day and am close by if they’re ill and need picked up from school. I may have to work out-of-hours on occasion but I’m very rarely home as late as I used to be when I worked in Glasgow. I’m also really fortunate that my manager is very flexible, treats me like an adult and trusts me to get the work done.

Who inspired your career?

Lots of people! First and foremost, my mum who went to university as a mature student when my sister and I were still at primary school and went onto fulfil her career dream. And Professor Georgina Follett, the former Director of Design in Action. Up until that point, she was the most senior person I’d worked with in academia and I was amazed by how down-to-earth, considerate and kind she was to her staff…provided you got the work done! She saw my and the rest of the team’s natural talents and abilities and encouraged us to grow them. Without her generosity, I would be halfway up a career ladder I didn’t want to be on instead of doing a job that I love!

What career advice would you give your younger self?

Don’t ever let fear stop you; you are more capable than you know. But I probably wouldn’t have believed me!