Verity Gloe: BA Hons European Studies

Verity Gloe (née Baikie)

BA Hons European Studies, 1999

"I am now a Marketing Manager for a big company, 'Zooom GmbH' in Frankfurt."

Verity Gloe is putting into practice her degree in European Studies from the University of Luton - she's been living and working in Frankfurt in Germany since the year 2000.

After leaving the University in 1999, she first taught English in Mexico and then joined Ernst and Young as an assistant in their expatriate department in Frankfurt.

She worked for a while for a call centre software company in the marketing department, which involved working on projects in Singapore and Holland.

In the meantime, she continued her education, in International Marketing, Customer Interface and Marketing Operations through the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

These qualifications, including her keen language skills, are needed daily for her present job as marketing manager for Zooom, Europe's largest Powered Access Rental company.

Her job involves conducting market research, writing media plans, overseeing the production of sales support materials, as well as managing communications both internally and externally.

Verity said: "My university degree with foreign languages has been the key to my career success."

"Being involved in the Erasmus scheme at Luton was by far the best part of my university career. In my third year I took part in the scheme, spending a year at Luton's partner university in Strasbourg in France, which gave me the opportunity to work part-time during the monthly plenary sessions at the European Parliament."

"During my final year at Luton, I was involved in welcoming the incoming Erasmus students from abroad. Through these connections I got work in Mexico and then Germany. I remain in contact with many of the friends I made then, who now live on continental Europe."

"I would encourage all students to learn a foreign language, you never know where or when you will need it and it is a skill you never forget."

Interview took place in 2004.