YSJ London Network – inaugural event
Earlier this month we opened the doors of our London Campus to alumni for our first YSJ London Network event. London-based alumni were invited to join the Alumni team for an evening of networking, light refreshments and a keynote from the Head of Membership at the Royal Opera House, Jessica Thompson.
Introducing Jessica
After a greeting from the Fundraising and Alumni Relations Manager, Louise Gash, we welcomed Jessica Thompson as the evening’s keynote speaker. With a background in membership and fundraising, Jessica has a history of working in the non-profit sector. But Jessica also has a second, adjacent career. Not only is Jessica Head of Membership at the Royal Opera House in London, she is also a successful author with Mills & Boon and Orion Publishing. Over the years, Jessica has worked in a range of areas, including for Waterstones, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, and even York St John University!
During Jessica’s talk, she discussed her career journey so far and the key transferable skills she has picked up along the way. After starting her career as an Assistant Manager at Waterstones, Jessica moved on to pursue a career in marketing before becoming the Membership and Legacy Manager for Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. Jessica discussed her experience as a fundraising expert and her career in membership relations. By slowly building up skills and navigating tricky feedback, Jessica highlighted the challenges she has overcome in her career and how it has helped her succeed in her work.
Fundraising is storytelling
Jessica Thompson
Writing ‘for keeps’
After talking about her career in membership relations, Jessica also discussed her adjacent career as an author. Writing under the name Jessica Gilmore, she has released over 30 books with Mills & Boon and Orion Publishing. Jessica discussed the highlights of her writing career, one of which was a recent film adaptation of one of her books. The Hallmark movie Falling for You is based on her novel Baking for Keeps!
But how does she juggle two careers? Navigating being a writer and working a full-time job, Jessica pursues her writing career on her commutes and weekends. Although it can sometimes feel like a sacrifice, Jessica emphasised it is possible to do both.
Making connections
After an inspiring talk from Jessica, alumni gathered around the kitchenette for more food and socialising. Members of our London campus Careers team were also on hand for alumni seeking advice on their future careers. Regardless of when alumni graduated, or which campus they attended, everyone received the opportunity to make new connections as well as reuniting with old friends. It was especially wonderful to see graduates from our York and London campuses connecting over their shared interests.
We would like to thank everyone who booked and attended our inaugural YSJ London Network event. Whether you attended or not, we would love to hear your feedback on future networking events. Please take a couple of minutes to tell us what you would like to see at a future alumni event by completing our feedback form.
