Oliver Wells

1. Why did you choose to study at SSEES?

I really wanted to study Bulgarian and UCL was the only university in the country to offer it. The option to combine Bulgarian with Spanish (which I enjoyed at A level) was also appealing. I was anxious about moving to London aged 18 but going to the SSEES away day helped to calm my nerves.

2. What was the motivation behind studying your chosen course?

I visited Bulgaria aged 16 and had a lightbulb moment when, speaking English at a restaurant, I realised how ridiculous it is that I am in a foreign country and NOT speaking their language. I imagined the reactions a Bulgarian would get trying to order in Bulgarian in the UK. The day I got back home, I bought ‘Teach Yourself Bulgarian’, learned the Cyrillic alphabet and, almost on a whim, accidentally started a lifelong fascination with the language, culture and idiosyncrasies of this small country in Eastern Europe.

3. What did you enjoy most about your studies?

Being the only student of Bulgarian in my year meant 50% of my course was private tuition. This also allowed the course to be almost bespoke to my needs and I had the flexibility to ask questions and amend some lessons to what I was most curious about. Yordanka Velkova and Ani Ilkov (my lecturer in my first year) were patient, supportive and inspirational in making me confident to practise at every opportunity.

4. How would you describe your time at UCL, what was the highlight?

While I did enjoy the university experience as a whole, I found the first year difficult as I couldn’t find my feet due to being away from my support network and I struggled to find common ground with classmates from different upbringings and the cost of living in London. However, as my character matured and I established a healthy work/life balance (including maximising study time on my long commutes from Snaresbrook in second year), I started to participate more in student societies which gave me a platform to socialise and meet people who are still my friends today. Without sounding too cliché, my highlight at UCL was my year abroad in Granada and Sofia. Living abroad opened up a world of possibilities and exposure to different food, lifestyles, cultures and, of course, immersing yourself in the language so much that you begin to dream in your target language.

5. What have you been up to since graduating?

I moved back to Sofia a week after my last exam with nothing more than a suitcase and a couple of hopeful interviews lined up. With invaluable help from British expats I’d befriended on my year abroad, I got set up with a steady job at a multilingual sports betting company. I stayed here for almost 2 years until the (sad) reality of Eastern European wages began to bite. While my standard of living was very high in Bulgaria (excellent weather, keeping fit and lots of travel around the country), I still found myself asking my Mum for £20 to stay afloat at the end of the month which became untenable. After bouncing around minimum wage jobs for a couple of years in the UK, I got my foot in the door at the Civil Service in 2020 where I still am today.

6. What is your current role and what does it involve?

I work on trade policy. Since Brexit, the UK Government has been striving to create new trade partnerships around the world and my job is to try and streamline and strengthen these agreements so that they are most beneficial to all parties involved. I had been working on strategic communications in the Cabinet Office and FCDO before this, so moving to a trade-focussed role recently and being new to the thematic area means I feel like a student again!

7. How do you use your degree in your job today?

My current role requires some Spanish, but the foundational skills my degree taught me such as diplomacy, time management and patience with MS word formatting have been priceless and transferrable across all roles. In my last role, I got to represent the UK Government in Bulgaria and Montenegro, teaching their civil servants our own best practices in communications and crisis management. This was an incredible platform to expand my vocabulary in Bulgarian as well as seeing how beneficial knowing a language is to break down invisible barriers and add lighter moments to what can be intense and high-pressure work environments.

8. What are your future plans/aspirations?

Eventually, I would like to work abroad somewhere in Europe again. The cost of living in the UK is increasingly biting and, given the choice, I would rather wake up in a country with slightly less rain. On a serious note, I am enjoying my current role and am actively seeking to learn from experienced colleagues about what I could be doing a couple of years down the line, whether that be in the public or the private sector.

9. What advice would you give to current students?

My advice would be to make the most of every minute you have at university as it flashes by in an instant and you will look back and realise how fantastic the opportunities were. Join a handful of societies you’re interested in, including a sports one and a language one. Cycle into campus whenever you can and be careful crossing Euston Road!  To language students, I would encourage you to speak your target language at every opportunity and carry a little notebook around where you can jot down new vocabulary. Finally, go to the careers fair in your final year!