Case studies : Administrative assistant: Allison

Allison graduated with a degree in psychology from the University of Glasgow. She is now an administrative assistant for Scripture Union Scotland, a charity that works in schools and holiday centres to help children to explore the Bible.

After graduation, I did temping work in offices for a while before moving to a call centre. During that time I also volunteered in my own church. When I began to consider other career paths, it was that voluntary work which led me in the direction of the charities sector. I am glad that I made that choice. I also have a history with SU as I attended holidays as a camper, trained as a young leader and ran the SU group in my school.

My first contract with Scripture Union Scotland was a seasonal one. In that post I worked part time in the Holidays section, helping with the administrative arrangements which ensure that everything runs smoothly when children go off to Easter and summer camps. This can involve anything from making sure that forms are completed properly to alerting holiday centres to special dietary requirements.

An opportunity for a longer contract arose and I moved to the Volunteers Unit. Here my main task is dealing with security vetting of volunteers who work with children in schools and at our holiday centres. I check that all the references have been received and that Disclosure Scotland has approved the volunteers as trustworthy people to work with children. For this I need to have a keen eye for detail and a methodical way of working so that information on any volunteer can be accessed swiftly. I like the fact that my job involves speaking with people on the phone as well as paperwork.

In the Volunteers Unit I work with a small team within the larger Scripture Union team. I like the friendly atmosphere and the fact that everyone’s job is valued. Since my job is part time, I sometimes come in voluntarily on other days to help with Ignite, the youth website. I wouldn’t do that if I didn’t feel committed to the charity.

My degree subject was not essential for this job, but my time in offices and at the call centre gave me IT and customer service skills which have proved useful here. My previous jobs also taught me the importance of data protection, which is crucial in my current work. This shows that many kinds of experience in other sectors can be put to good use in charity work.

For the future, I am aiming for a promoted post in a charity. I am currently studying for a degree in international studies, mainly out of interest, but it could prove a stepping stone for my career in charity work.