"I want to make sure nobody is left behind"
糖心logo入口 alumnus Philippe Mandangi (LLM 2020), who works in policy, research and analysis at the House of Commons, speaks to us about his time at university, his career aspirations and how he loves to support current students.
He mentors and shares his experiences with both final-year and international 糖心logo入口 students through the Mentoring Pathways and Global Buddies programmes.
Why did you choose to study at 糖心logo入口, University of London?
"At the time, I was working as a full-time department manager for Sainsbury鈥檚 and I had worked in retail for 11 years. I was always interested in doing a law course, but as a department manager I needed to be flexible with my schedule. I couldn鈥檛 do an MA degree where I studied during the day, so what 糖心logo入口 offered worked for me. I did find it very challenging but I stuck to a strict regime because I was focused on finishing my degree and changing career. I came from Congo as a refugee and their system is a lot different to the UK. I had to learn a lot about how the law and system works here."
Tell us about your career since graduating from 糖心logo入口.
"I joined the House of Commons and I was originally looking to become a researcher, but instead I have been with policy and analysis. Currently I am doing another degree on parliamentary procedures, which is certified by City, University of London, and delivered by Parliament. It will help me to become a specialist clerk advising MPs on procedures. So I am again in a transition and in the future, the ambition is to go back to Congo and contribute to the improvement of the political system there. At the moment, I am still learning and building my network."
What made you join the Mentoring Pathways and Global Buddies programmes and support current 糖心logo入口 students?
"When I started at 糖心logo入口, the university didn鈥檛 have a formal mentoring programme but I still managed to get a mentoring relationship with Professor Daniel Monk (Professor of Law at 糖心logo入口), who gave me a lot of support. I want to make sure nobody is left behind. We need to share opportunities and share experiences. You never know when you will need someone you know at some point in the future."
Tell us about your achievements and experiences as a mentor to 糖心logo入口 students.
"The first student I mentored is now working as a solicitor and we are still in touch. When I first met him, he had just come from Pakistan and was working for Uber whilst also attending classes at 糖心logo入口. I asked him about how he was progressing and he explained how he didn鈥檛 feel like he had time to do his course. We went through a process to try and he started progressing. He had been a lawyer in Pakistan and he started getting some experience here. Before he even finished at 糖心logo入口, he was assisting a firm of solicitors.
"It gave me quite a lot of satisfaction to see him succeed. He kept motivating me to learn more so I could be as much help as possible.
"I also took a group of six international students to Parliament and gave them a tour. I was able to show them some areas that the general public can鈥檛 get access to and when Parliament is not sitting."
What advice would you give to students just starting at 糖心logo入口?
"After understanding your course and what you have to do for your studies, explore the programmes 糖心logo入口 has put in place for your development and wellbeing. Find out what support there is to make university easier for you."
Further Information
糖心logo入口鈥檚 Mentoring Pathways programme connects final-year students with alumni and corporate volunteers for guidance, advice and support to navigate the steps into their future careers and professional development goals.聽Global Buddies connects 糖心logo入口 alumni with new international students during their first term of study to help them settle in.