Jobs and Careers Spring 2019 - 134

"I knew this
was where I was
meant to be!"
James Devlin will soon assume the role of dean of the
School of Business at the University of Leicester
Why did you choose to go into your
particular field? It was a lucky coincidence!
After graduating with a degree in
economics, I started working for a bank
and was responsible for managing
people's money. As part of one of our PR
campaigns, I got to lecture a group of local
sixth-formers about economics and my
job. It was my first taste of teaching and I
loved it - far more than being a banker!
I began to think about how I could do
this for a living. Shortly afterwards, I saw
that the University of Nottingham's School
of Management & Finance was looking for
a tutorial assistant. It's the job in academia
that's right at the bottom of the ladder,
but it's an important one nonetheless.
I applied and got an interview. In most
cases you'd need a PhD, but luckily I
was interviewed by someone passionate
about research in the banking area, and
at the age of 27 I got the position. It
meant sacrifices - no more company
car or mortgage discount! - but I
knew it was where I wanted to be.
How did you get to where you are today?
Once I got my position in the university,
I began to study for a PhD part-time,
which took five years to complete. I was
given a temporary lectureship and, in
time, a permanent one. I essentially had
to go right back in my career in order
to go forward. It helps to be good at
teaching to get on in academia, but
ultimately you have to be good at research
and getting your work published, so
I had to learn a whole new skill set.

134 /// JOBS & CAREERS

My job has provided me with lots of
varied opportunities - I worked in London
at what is now Cass Business School and
in Kuala Lumpur for a while before coming
back to Nottingham. And I've gradually
climbed the academic ladder, going from
senior lecturer and professor to run my
own department to becoming an associate
dean and finally dean of the Business
School at Nottingham two years ago.
Over the summer, I'll be taking on
the role of dean at the University of
Leicester School of Business, so now
there are new challenges ahead.
What do you love about your job? You
have quite a lot of freedom - your time
is your own to manage, and you have

What is the biggest challenge?
Staying positive in the face of
rejection. Those who do are often
the ones who are successful. 
Are there are particular highlights
that have stuck with you? I took a big
gamble in 1991 when I left my job at the
bank. But in 1996 at the UK Academy
of Marketing Conference I won the best
paper prize out of over 200 academics.
It was a real life-affirming moment -

"You have to be a certain kind of person
and have inner steel to do this job well"
the opportunity to follow your own
curiosity, research, discover new things
and inspire students and colleagues.
You can make a positive difference
with your findings too, For instance, you
can discover how consumers make their
financial decisions, mistakes they make
and what might be done to help ensure
more people have better pensions.

I'd definitely made the right decision.
The day I got made a professor was
also a hugely significant moment!

What do you like the least? Marking!
Also when you're trying to get your
research published, it gets sent to other
academics for their comments. Dealing
with reviews and criticism is never nice!

Would you recommend your job to
family members and friends? You have to
be a certain kind of person and have inner
steel and confidence to do the job well.
It's a great job for the right person.  

Where would you like to end up in your
career? I would be very happy if I saw
out a decent term as Dean of University
of Leicester School of Business - I have
no intention of moving on from there.
Jobs and Careers Spring 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Jobs and Careers Spring 2019
