Kristy Reynolds
BA(Hons) Human Resource Management

I started my career in retail with the Black’s Outdoor Group, after 9 years I was made redundant and moved on to become an assistant restaurant manager for KFC. I was passionate about training and keen to improve myself and my career options, so I went to the University of Stirling and gained a first-class BA (Hons) degree in human resource management which supported my application for my current position upon graduating.
I graduated in 2017 and I am currently working as a Learning and Development Manager at Dawnfresh Seafoods Ltd. My responsibilities are to lead, motivate, and mentor a multi-site training team to design and deliver professional development programmes for a vertically integrated seafood company with 650 employees. I have worked on a major transformation of the company culture to one with a stronger focus on operating excellence through analysis of staff capabilities and creation of a tailored strategy to drive the desired change. I have designed and manage the early careers offering, starting with school engagement, onto the creation of a robust graduate programme.
As a student at Stirling, I held two committee roles within the Women’s Rugby team, serving as both fundraiser and president. My time at the University of Stirling helped me to grow an amazing amount over a short period of time, allowing me to go from a shy 1st year who went to the sports bazaar and was too nervous to sign up for any club to the president of the Women’s Rugby Club in my 4th year. Additionally, I spent time as a module representative, which gave me crucial experience of co-ordinating between teaching staff and fellow students regarding how the module is set out and any grievances either party may raise.
I would recommend all students get involved in extra-curricular activities! From my non-academic pursuits, I have become a more confident and outgoing person. Also, I now have great examples of time management, networking, conflict resolution and problem-solving skills which used in job interviews. Getting involved with extra-curricular activities helps you stand out from the crowd and provides you with skills that employers value, as well as being a lot of fun!