David Clampin
Course: PhD History
Graduated: 2007/08 Academic Year
Destination approx. 6 months after graduation: Lecturer, Liverpool John Moores University
Background
I attended a comprehensive school in Coggeshall, Essex, before becoming a member of Witham Six Form Centre (in Witham, Essex) where I gained A Levels in History, Politics and Economics.I then worked for a while at Pearl Assurance before leaving to do a degree at Coventry Polytechnic. After graduating I worked as a Media Sales Manager at Haymarket Publishing for four years. I then became Area Sales Manager for Capital Radio where I worked for three years. After this I worked for a short while as a Special Projects Manager for Adscene Newspapers before joining the BBC Worldwide as a Direct Marketing Acount Manager.
In 2002 I left this most recent position to go back into education and went to do an MA in Propaganda and Persuasion and History at the University of Kent, which I passed with Distinction. I then came to Aberystwyth in 2003 to do my PhD (Title: The Role of Commercial Advertising in Britain during the Second World War). Choosing Aberystwyth University was a big step not only for me, but for my wife too. It meant selling our home in Canterbury, Kent so that we were able to move closer to Wales. My wife also had to give up her job in order to support me on this move.
I specifically chose Aberystwyth as I came in pursuit of my PhD supervisor, Dr Sian Nicholas who was best suited to my area of academic interest.
Where are you now?
I am now working as a Lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University. I lecture in modern British history to undergraduates. I enjoy the showmanship of the job and I have a strong passion for the study of history.How did you get there?
I heard about the job at Liverpool John Moores whilst I was teaching at De Montfort University, Leicester. A colleague of mine at De Montfort had seen the advertisement and thought I might be interested. The job was not broadly advertised; in fact it was only advertised on the Economic HistorySociety website. So, had it not been for my colleague, I may not have come across the job at all.The History department at Liverpool John Moores is slightly weighted towards modern British history, so I was at a real advantage given my subject knowledge and experience in this area. My more mature years and life experience meant that the interview panel felt I would be more able and ready for the job than younger graduates not long out of higher education.
My academic life at Aberystwyth was crucial for helping me to get to where I am now. As mentioned, the topic I chose to do for my PhD played a major role in my getting offered the job I have now. I believe another factor in getting offered the job, was my being so closely linked with some of the history Lecturers at Aberystwyth University. They are all very good at networking and are well known experts in the field, and are therefore all very good names to be associated with.
Whilst undertaking my PhD at Aber, I was responsible for doing some of the teaching for the History department on undergraduate courses. I taught mainly first year students on the Introduction to History module and on Dr Sian Nicholas’s World War One modules. Obviously, this experience of teaching has helped me gain my current teaching post, as it’s unlikely anyone without previous teaching experience, regardless of subject knowledge, would likely be offered a Lecturer post.