Alex Marsh

Current employment:

Technical writer of education research, employed by Philip Harris Education.

What degree did you study?

I did a teaching certificate in Chemistry and Education at the University of Nottingham and a BA in Sciences and Mathematics with the Open University.

What are your main duties of work?

I write notes for use and manuals for school science equipment. I also attend science exhibitions where I talk to teachers about ideas for new and existing products. We also 'invent' our own new products from time to time when the opportunity arises.

What are your favourite aspects of the job?

I enjoy having the time to do experiments and then enabling students and teachers to do the same by writing clear illustrated instructions. I get to travel in the UK to visit schools, factories and exhibitions. I also travel to India and America when projects have required it to help customers (schools) to make the best use of our equipment.

What kind of salary can a graduate expect to earn in the first 5 years of doing this job?

From £14,000 to £18,000 depending on the location within the UK and the specialist subject area. My current salary is less than if I had stayed in teaching and gained promotion.

How has your degree helped you?

I had my teaching certificate, but doing my degree showed that I was more versatile. Actually doing the degree whilst I was teaching forced me to manage my time very effectively. Without the degree I would not have been promoted within teaching, and would not have been qualified for the technical writing job.

Any further information?

I was a teacher of Science for nineteen years before I moved into the education equipment business. I moved because I wanted a new challenge, not because I had fallen-out with teaching. My current job relies on the experience I had as a teacher.

I am still learning, but not as quickly as I used to! The broad base of my OU degree has served me well, allowing me to get into new areas of interest outside of my original Chemistry training. I have been involved in Physics, Maths, ICT and other sciences. I continued to study during my teaching and writing career.