Charlotte’s Journey in the Equality Academy

Charlotte was in the final year of her PhD in Medical Humanities (English Literature) when she applied for GCIL’s Professional Careers Programme.

An academic career was becoming less viable — it would likely mean moving away from her established support network and the trusted healthcare professionals she relied on. Charlotte had always been interested in working for the NHS, and the programme offered an ideal opportunity to make that transition.

Starting a new role

Through the support of The Equality Academy and GCIL, Charlotte began a placement as a content designer at NHS Education for Scotland (NES).

In this role, she put her skills in writing, research, and public engagement to use by creating accessible content to help people understand NHS careers. At the same time, she developed entirely new skills in content design, digital marketing, and communications — expanding her professional toolkit and growing in confidence.

Next steps and long-term impact

After eight months in her placement, Charlotte successfully passed her PhD viva and secured a permanent role as a content designer with the Scottish Government.

She credits her success on the programme to the strong support from her NES line manager and the GCIL placement co-ordinator. Their guidance helped her discover a new career path, build the skills she needed, and grow a network of supportive peers and mentors.

Charlotte’s journey shows how the right opportunity, combined with dedicated support, can open doors and create lasting change.

 “Without them I wouldn’t even have known about this career, never mind developing the skills and knowledge to secure a permanent role and focus on climbing the content design career ladder. The programme has opened so many doors and helped me build an invaluable network of fantastic people.”

GCIL continues to support Charlotte and other programme participants as they build careers with purpose and impact.