Alex, Product Manager, Fuel3D
My ambitions are very much focused on running my own business.
Initially, Alex McGrath wanted to go into trading and investments. He studied for a BSc in Accounting and Finance after applying through UCAS Clearing.
But during his degree, he developed the skills and interests to explore new avenues in technology.
Alex took an internship at Fuel 3D, an innovative 3D capture and imaging start-up in Oxfordshire. This led to a full-time position at the company.
The course Alex discovered through Clearing set him in a different direction, and he hasn't looked back.
"My ambitions are very much focused on running my own business. I'm hoping to branch out and work in the software app arena," he says.
"The University of Greenwich helped a lot with defining my character."
Kiran, Specialised Commissioning, NHS England
The best decision I ever made.
Originally from Birmingham, Kiran used UCAS Clearing to enrol at the Medway School of Pharmacy. She has since progressed to senior roles within the industry.
After arriving, Kiran quickly fell in love with the university. She became Vice President of the Medway Pharmacy Students Association during her studies.
"There is such a close-knit community," she says. "The tutors and the Student Union went out of their way to help me settle in."
The industry experience of her tutors helped Kiran to find work placements with a local pharmacy. It paved the way for strong career progression.
After graduating, she joined Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust as a resident pharmacist, before roles at King's College Hospital and then lead pharmacist for dispensary and services development at Barts Health NHS Trust.
"If someone offered me the choice again during Clearing, I would take it," she says. "Coming to the Medway School of Pharmacy was the best decision I ever made."
James, Quantity Surveyor, BAM Nuttall
The programme leader helped me decide Greenwich was perfect for me.
On results day, James Gray thought his plans to study accounting and finance had gone.
"It's daunting if you don't get those first places at university," he says. "You're thrown into limbo."
But through Clearing, he spoke to the course leader at Greenwich and decided to enrol. "He was so enthusiastic," says James. "He helped me decide Greenwich was perfect for me."
During his studies, James gained a placement with a construction company as a trainee quantity surveyor, which suited his preferences.
"I wanted a job where I'm not sitting at a desk 9-to-5 doing the same tasks every day," he says. "I want a career that is varied but that still has the fundamentals of maths and finance."
He enjoyed the role so much that he asked about future employment and was offered a graduate job once he'd finished his degree.
James's journey from the disappointment of results day to an exciting new career shows the huge value offered by Clearing.