Darrin Steward

Darrin joined the University in February 2023 as Employability and Careers Consultant and is aligned with courses across the School of Health, Sciences and Society and the School of Business, Arts, Social Sciences and Technology. He is also the consultant for non-health-related apprenticeships across both schools, as well as for the Suffolk Doctoral College.

His role focuses on working with students, researchers, and graduates to support career planning, employability development, informed decision-making, and the achievement of career goals. He provides impartial one-to-one careers guidance through Microsoft Teams, in person, by email, and by phone, as well as contributing to course design and validation to ensure that Employability, Enterprise, and Entrepreneurship - the “3 Es” – together with the University’s Graduate Attributes, are embedded across programmes.

Before joining UoS, Darrin was Head of Careers at St Benedict’s Catholic School, where he led a complete redesign of the school’s careers programme. This work, which included embedding careers learning across the curriculum and strengthening employer and alumni engagement, was recognised in 2022 when the school achieved the Quality in Careers Standard (QICS) for the first time.

Darrin is a QCD Level 7 qualified careers adviser, a Registered Career Development Professional, a Registered Career Leader, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and a member of both the Career Development Institute and AGCAS. He holds an MA in Career Development and Management (Distinction), the OCR Level 6 Diploma in Career Guidance, the Level 6 Certificate in Career Leadership, a CMI Level 7 Certificate in Strategic Leadership and Management, a Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education. A strong advocate of lifelong learning, he is committed to helping students and colleagues build their knowledge, skills, and confidence.

Darrin’s advice to students:

1. Engage with the Careers Service throughout your time at UoS – it will help you develop the skills to navigate an ever-changing graduate labour market.
2. Take every opportunity to experience the workplace during your degree, through micro-placements, internships, placement years, or work shadowing. These experiences, along with effective networking, will expand your skills and career options.