- Neil Halpin
- BA Dutch and German
- Graduated: 2001
- Technical Account Manager, Yahoo!
Why did you choose to study Dutch Studies in general and at UCL in specific
I had previously visited the Netherlands on numerous occasions and had developed an interest in both the country and the language. Having studied German at school for years, I was interested in combining I was also interested in combining German with another language, and thought Dutch would be a good choice. UCL was one of the few universities which offered a 50/50 degree combining both.
What did you like most about your degree programme?
I liked the fact that my studies were not only language-related, but encompassed other areas too, such as literature, linguistics and social history.
What was it like being a student at the Dutch department?
I always enjoyed my time at the Dutch department, which was much smaller and intimate than many others at UCL. There was a lot of flexibility and due to the relatively high staff-student ratio, it was always easy to approach the lecturers.
How has your degree been of benefit to you since you took your degree?
When I graduated, I thought: what now. I did an EFL course and lived in Germany for a few years, where I taught English, before retuning to London. It turned out that Yahoo! was looking for a Dutch speaker to join a team in their search marketing department, so that their sales staff in Amsterdam could be supported. For two years, I spoke Dutch on a daily basis. I then moved to a more pan-Euro role with Yahoo! and continue to work directly with some of the largest Dutch advertisers, though I now also use my German regularly too. Additionally, I managed, with great ease, to learn Spanish some years back, using many of the learning techniques I'd picked up at UCL. I never really expected Dutch to feature particularly in my post-university career. How wrong I was!
Anything else you want to add about your experience at UCL or your career since leaving UCL?
I really enjoyed my time at UCL and my year abroad at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam and the Universität Hamburg; I would whole-heartedly recommend a combined Dutch/German degree at UCL to anyone.
