Sarah's new job is a career investment

Sarah Clarke has started 2010 with a challenging new job as Marketing Assistant for Investors in People North East.

The 22 year old graduate, who hails from Middlesbrough but now lives in Newcastle, will be closely involved in encouraging businesses and organisations right across the North East to improve their productivity and competitiveness through the Investors in People Standard.

Sarah studied Marketing and Management at Newcastle University. During her degree course she spent a year working with digital audio and computer systems company DACS Ltd in Gateshead.

"I thoroughly enjoyed my degree course and my year out in industry where I could put the theory into practice," she said. "Being placed with a smaller company meant that I was involved with all aspects of the business and I learnt a lot.

"The appeal of joining Investors in People was the opportunity to work with businesses and organisations involved in every sector from engineering, food, retail and heath to education, design and construction."

Sunderland-based Investors in People North East has a team of 24 backed by more than 40 specialist advisers and assessors. More than 2000 businesses and organisations in the region are already working with Investors in People, now recognised as the UK's premier business improvement tool.

Sarah will be responsible for the production of a wide range of regional marketing material including the website and a newsletter. She will also liaise with the organisation's pr consultants and arrange workshops and other events.

"A lot of my friends from university have gone to London to find jobs but I wanted to stay in the North East so was really delighted to be successful because I knew this was my ideal job," she said.

"The region already has the highest percentage of organisations working with Investors in People in the UK and I'm looking forward to helping to boost that figure even more. The team is so friendly that I have already settled in and am enjoying the job very much," she added.

Alison Davies, Senior Business Solutions Manager for Investors in People North East, said: "We had a huge response to our advert from graduates and from experienced assistants so it was a difficult choice but Sarah stood out for us and we are delighted to have her working with us."