Meet Your Colleagues - Richard Littler

Here at SERC we are keen to promote internal colleagues to allow staff the opportunity to get to know each other and put a face to the name, particularly due to the size and scope of SERC.

This week’s “Meet your Colleagues” features Richard Littler. Richard is a Customer Services Assistant here at SERC. 

What does your role at SERC involve?  

I work for both the Customer Services and LRC departments. While based in customer services I help manage the info@serc.ac.uk account, answer student queries via phone and in person, process enrolments and assist with any and all administrative duties as required.

Within the LRC department I check the books in and out for students and staff alike. Help keep the books in the Dewey Decimal System. Assist with student applications and ensure students are aware of the e-library/e-resources and try to ensure a quiet atmosphere for all students to be able to study in the LRC effectively.  

Tell us a bit about your background?

After school, I followed my passion and studied hand craft baker and patisserie. I deeply enjoyed the baking environment but after a year I decided the unsociable working hours were not for me and chose a career change by studying Level 3 diploma Business Administration at SERC.

Upon completing my qualification, I started under a temporary contract for the business services in SERC, preparing timesheets to be signed off by staff working on the projects/courses, assisting with the set up and recruitment for the CSR courses and admin duties for the paperwork of all projects/courses. When my contract ended, I took up a permanent contract externally but when a temporary contract was advertised for SERC’s customer services I successfully applied and resigned from my old job as SERC was closer to home and I had positive thoughts of the culture at SERC. The risk paid off as I was made permanent, took up a one-day post in the LRC temporarily which was then made permanent also. 

After this I took a temporary contract within the training organisation for 1 year and really enjoyed my time there with my colleagues and working directly with the students and lecturing staff.

I have since returned to Customer Services and the LRC and have been recently working on the Aspiring Manager’s Programme. As cheesy as it sounds, I am still just as happy working for SERC as when I originally started due to the close-knit and friendly culture I experience with my colleagues.  

What 3 words best describe you?

Empathetic, relaxed, chatty.  

What do you like to do outside of work?

I am deeply passionate about my pets and love my dog, cats and hamster all the same. A perfect day to me is sitting in my back garden with some music, a drink and my Pomeranian-collie cross, aptly named Loki, sprinting round the trees in the garden when he’s not trying to jump into the same chair as myself. As the cats and hamster are indoors, I go back and forth to make sure everyone gets attention.

When I’m not with my pets I enjoy going to concerts in the form of single-piece orchestra performances with friends, rock concerts, listening to operatic-pop, and days out with my friends and family.

I also enjoy playing the guitar. I bought a violin a couple of years ago, although I don’t think its right for me and Im certain the pets are glad it now remains in the case! 

If you could swap jobs for a day who would it be and why? 

I think it would be interesting to swap jobs with the President of the European Commission. Just to have the power to push forward mass renewable energy expansion to help prevent further pollution. However, as my underlying reasoning for this would be for animal welfare, I could end up causing mass economic destruction in the midst due to not properly considering the consequences. I would probably need a Groundhog Day experience not dissimilar to Bill Murray’s to find the best possible sequence of actions via trial and error. so Ill maybe stay put for the time being!

List 3 items you would want with you if you were stranded on a deserted island?

Sailboat, fishing rod, and a spinnerbait. If I fail to escape, I will hopefully end up tan and not hungry…

What is your favourite film and why?

I’ve seen plenty of noteworthy films of various genre’s and anyone who knows me is aware my favourite genre is horror. However, my favourite would be Sleepless in Seattle. It has sentimental value as it brings back fond memories from childhood. Being the youngest child and only boy with a sister and 4 cousins. I would regularly see Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan films growing up; this was a commonly loved film in the house. So, when I gave it a chance again when I was older, I thoroughly enjoyed the plot line, characters and the fond memories of watching it with my cousins and sister. 

Where do you most want to travel, but have never been? 

I have never been to and would love to travel to Patagonia in Chile. I think it would be worthwhile to see the native wildlife, especially with all the talk of climate change and deforestation, as it may not always be prevalent. Plus, there would be plenty of mountainous ranges to hike and the Torres del Paine National Park which has everything I would want from a long walk. Mountain ranges, wildlife, trees and good weather due to the geography. Although due to the amount of time I would need to spend away from my pets to enjoy trips such as this I’ll likely delay any long-term travel plans. 

If you would like to partake in “Meet Your Colleagues” please contact Calum Donaldson (Marketing and Engagement Intern) at cdonaldson@serc.ac.uk for more details.