Kristy Reynolds

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 1^st 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 4^th 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!