Well it's the third week of the Easter holidays and it's weird to think I only have four more weeks left at university until that's it for another year and only one more year to go until the time comes for me to go out and find a job in the world of PR and Marketing.
I've started to think about dissertation topics but I'm keeping that one quiet until all proposals are submitted. But what I can say is it's very interesting, I'll be learning a whole new meaning to the words PR and Marketing and it's something that's hopefully contemporary enough for employers to consider giving me a job, oh, and it applies to a lot of companies/ agencies if they have retailers as clients.
So I've submitted pieces of coursework before the holidays but as of yet have no feedback from the but I have been spending some time each day going over this blog (as it is still part of an assignment) and also doing some research for another assignment due in May. I should really also crack on with some exam revision... the one thing I do not look forward to... exams! I don't know what it is- whether it's because you have to learn everything and under the immense pressure that I put on myself I tend to miss some things out or the fact that I'm so worked up that I'll not have enough time, or I'll completely miss the point of the questions... I'd take a 10,000 word essay over an exam any day for the record!
A week today I go back to university for the final four weeks (the last push)... it just doesn't feel real honestly. I've got plans for the summer mounting up already it should be amazing. I'm in the throws of arranging a selection of a couple of weeks work experience in multiple places in order to really rack up the places I can say I've been to. Although doing an internship for one company over the summer last year was great experience, I can't say I've had a variety of places I've been to just yet. I would like to go to a selection of PR, Marketing, creative, consultancy agencies and so on with different specialisms and types of clients to be able to say I know how each type of agency works.
In amongst that I have plans with friends, trips to the coast, days out with friends and family, a two week holiday to Tenerife, extra shifts at my part time job and I'm sure much more will be arranged in the coming weeks. Now is absolutely the time when I feel like everything just about falls into place!
Showing posts with label bucks new uni. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bucks new uni. Show all posts
Monday, 8 April 2013
Tuesday, 12 March 2013
Careers Fair at BNU
Today was the careers fair at Bucks New University and our digital module lecturer gave us the opportunity to go down there and have a look and ask potential employers about future options or to also possibly gain primary research for any of our assignment projects.
Fortunately, John Lewis had a stall and myself and another member of my group interviewed them about their marketing for our digital module and also found out about careers in marketing for John Lewis. Unfortunately they don't have a graduate programme but they do offer work experience to anyone who applies through head office. Although currently I'm not too sure about working on the marketing for a retail store, I think any experience in any sector right now is valuable to put on my CV and crucial in getting a career after or even just before graduation.
Another stall that particularly caught my attention was Thorpe Park/ Merlin Entertainment. I'd never considered working for a company such as this, I'd always thought of agencies but then again, why not work there? They have to be as creative as possible in order to renew people's enthusiasm to come back to the park every spring/summer and this implies they would be a fun brand to work for. I think this would be an amazing opportunity but unfortunately rather than offer work experience they offer a graduate scheme. I think after more research into it I would definitely consider applying for it, such a shame I'm not graduating this year, but the time will pass quickly enough I'm sure!
So all in all a very productive day and once again an event to help get me thinking about my future and figure out what I really want to do as graduation approaches.
Fortunately, John Lewis had a stall and myself and another member of my group interviewed them about their marketing for our digital module and also found out about careers in marketing for John Lewis. Unfortunately they don't have a graduate programme but they do offer work experience to anyone who applies through head office. Although currently I'm not too sure about working on the marketing for a retail store, I think any experience in any sector right now is valuable to put on my CV and crucial in getting a career after or even just before graduation.
Another stall that particularly caught my attention was Thorpe Park/ Merlin Entertainment. I'd never considered working for a company such as this, I'd always thought of agencies but then again, why not work there? They have to be as creative as possible in order to renew people's enthusiasm to come back to the park every spring/summer and this implies they would be a fun brand to work for. I think this would be an amazing opportunity but unfortunately rather than offer work experience they offer a graduate scheme. I think after more research into it I would definitely consider applying for it, such a shame I'm not graduating this year, but the time will pass quickly enough I'm sure!
So all in all a very productive day and once again an event to help get me thinking about my future and figure out what I really want to do as graduation approaches.
Friday, 8 March 2013
PR Story #7
This week's PR Story #7 is based around 'CIPR to explain PR in schools'. Naturally you can understand why this caught my attention being a PR student and I think this move by the CIPR is fantastic!!
According to a PR Week study and a ComRes survey 70% of respondents had no idea what PR involved, 9% thought PR revolve mostly around celebrity image management and only 7% were considering a role in PR. Not sure about you but I think these figures are shocking but then again I was once one of the those statistics not too long ago.
Let me take you back to 2009, I just started 6th form and was taking Media, English and Product Design A levels. Media was by far the most interesting of lessons as it touched upon a lot of film theory but also advertising and marketing techniques- but never once did it touch upon PR, but then again why should it? I chose to do an Advertising Management and Digital Comms degree at Bucks but the beauty of it is that all first year marketing, business and marketing, ads and PR modules are the same and so if you decided to tweak your degree specialism at the end of the first year you can- therefore I switched to PR without having to start again! I choose the Ads degree because I thought from my A level experience that was what I wanted to do, but through my university experience I discovered that I would benefit more and gain more from a degree in PR. I think that the information on options for degrees and future careers is very limited within schools and generally universities can only really help you unless you are at the applying stage for university. Therefore, with some schools starting their GCSEs as young as Year 9 shouldn't secondary students be more informed of their decisions earlier on?
With most careers it's fairly obviously what your job will include: doctors, dentists, teachers, bankers and so on but with marketing, PR, advertising (that doesn't involve the creative) it's difficult to fully understand what a university course and career could contain. Plus the thing is, is that it is so much fun- I never anticipated I would be this interested and involved with a university degree. Whether it's the way it's taught with the mix of practical and real world learning at Buck's or whether it's just because the subject itself is of deep interest to me- I have no idea- but I'm thoroughly enjoying it now! I wish I could have been more informed at the time of applying to university however.
The CIPR have identified a gap in their industry that PR is not appealing or attractive to anyone below the age of roughly 17 and that there isn't enough information out there for school children to teach themselves about the basics of PR. Going into schools, I believe, is going to have a massive impact on the numbers that apply for PR courses or even internships in the future.
I also think on reflection it would have been good to have attended a careers fair at secondary school in, say, Year 11 that has stalls set up providing information about all types of careers, not just the obvious ones. I've lost count of how many times I've heard people say "well I wanted to do this, but then I found I couldn't because I didn't have the right subjects/ qualifications" which is quite disheartening to hear and knowing that those people are probably now in a job they wouldn't have necessarily chosen and may potentially not even enjoy. I'm not sure if some schools do run careers fairs, but mine didn't and I've not heard anyone else talk about a careers fair at their school; I think it should become more common practice, especially since trying to get work is only getting harder.
I think other professional bodies can take a leaf out of this book; it would be interesting to see the statistics for marketing/ advertising management/ business courses also and see if they match up. I'd like to know what you think about this- have you heard of anything similar being done within schools/ colleges?
According to a PR Week study and a ComRes survey 70% of respondents had no idea what PR involved, 9% thought PR revolve mostly around celebrity image management and only 7% were considering a role in PR. Not sure about you but I think these figures are shocking but then again I was once one of the those statistics not too long ago.
Let me take you back to 2009, I just started 6th form and was taking Media, English and Product Design A levels. Media was by far the most interesting of lessons as it touched upon a lot of film theory but also advertising and marketing techniques- but never once did it touch upon PR, but then again why should it? I chose to do an Advertising Management and Digital Comms degree at Bucks but the beauty of it is that all first year marketing, business and marketing, ads and PR modules are the same and so if you decided to tweak your degree specialism at the end of the first year you can- therefore I switched to PR without having to start again! I choose the Ads degree because I thought from my A level experience that was what I wanted to do, but through my university experience I discovered that I would benefit more and gain more from a degree in PR. I think that the information on options for degrees and future careers is very limited within schools and generally universities can only really help you unless you are at the applying stage for university. Therefore, with some schools starting their GCSEs as young as Year 9 shouldn't secondary students be more informed of their decisions earlier on?
With most careers it's fairly obviously what your job will include: doctors, dentists, teachers, bankers and so on but with marketing, PR, advertising (that doesn't involve the creative) it's difficult to fully understand what a university course and career could contain. Plus the thing is, is that it is so much fun- I never anticipated I would be this interested and involved with a university degree. Whether it's the way it's taught with the mix of practical and real world learning at Buck's or whether it's just because the subject itself is of deep interest to me- I have no idea- but I'm thoroughly enjoying it now! I wish I could have been more informed at the time of applying to university however.
The CIPR have identified a gap in their industry that PR is not appealing or attractive to anyone below the age of roughly 17 and that there isn't enough information out there for school children to teach themselves about the basics of PR. Going into schools, I believe, is going to have a massive impact on the numbers that apply for PR courses or even internships in the future.
I also think on reflection it would have been good to have attended a careers fair at secondary school in, say, Year 11 that has stalls set up providing information about all types of careers, not just the obvious ones. I've lost count of how many times I've heard people say "well I wanted to do this, but then I found I couldn't because I didn't have the right subjects/ qualifications" which is quite disheartening to hear and knowing that those people are probably now in a job they wouldn't have necessarily chosen and may potentially not even enjoy. I'm not sure if some schools do run careers fairs, but mine didn't and I've not heard anyone else talk about a careers fair at their school; I think it should become more common practice, especially since trying to get work is only getting harder.
I think other professional bodies can take a leaf out of this book; it would be interesting to see the statistics for marketing/ advertising management/ business courses also and see if they match up. I'd like to know what you think about this- have you heard of anything similar being done within schools/ colleges?
World of Student PR Update
Been a long time since posting on here; here's quick update on the world of student PR:
- Unfortunately I didn't get the PR internship due to my timetable not allowing me to commit to two full days at the PR company. Although I could be in for a couple of week's work experience over the summer there which will still be good as I was really attracted to the culture and size of the company.
- I got two 2:1's for my last two assignments so the running count this year currently stands at... 1 x 2:2, 3 x 2:1 and 2 x first. Although in general I'm happy, me being me can't ever be satisfied with anything, and that 2:2 is still niggling at me :( It's also niggling me that I got exactly the same 2:1 grade for both PR assignments and its so close to a first- I WILL get that first in PR before this year is over!!!
- Speaking of which, not including the Easter Break, I have 6 weeks roughly left of university with one exam, this blog assignment (10%) of digital marketing module and 5 more assignments left to do... sounds very daunting but exciting at the same time! It's really hard to believe that this time next year I'll be leaving education after approx 16 years in 6 weeks for good!!!
That's all for now, it's quite quiet at the moment, just working away on two more assignments plus Ad Venture report submission before Easter!
- Unfortunately I didn't get the PR internship due to my timetable not allowing me to commit to two full days at the PR company. Although I could be in for a couple of week's work experience over the summer there which will still be good as I was really attracted to the culture and size of the company.
- I got two 2:1's for my last two assignments so the running count this year currently stands at... 1 x 2:2, 3 x 2:1 and 2 x first. Although in general I'm happy, me being me can't ever be satisfied with anything, and that 2:2 is still niggling at me :( It's also niggling me that I got exactly the same 2:1 grade for both PR assignments and its so close to a first- I WILL get that first in PR before this year is over!!!
- Speaking of which, not including the Easter Break, I have 6 weeks roughly left of university with one exam, this blog assignment (10%) of digital marketing module and 5 more assignments left to do... sounds very daunting but exciting at the same time! It's really hard to believe that this time next year I'll be leaving education after approx 16 years in 6 weeks for good!!!
That's all for now, it's quite quiet at the moment, just working away on two more assignments plus Ad Venture report submission before Easter!
Monday, 18 February 2013
Weekly Update
Just a quick update on the world of student PR as I'm aware the past couple of weeks I haven' been blogging as much as I normally do due to assignment deadlines and other happenings. So here's the run down of everything that has happened lately in a nutshell:
- I had an interview today for a PR agency internship. I'm hoping it went well (I've not had many interviews, especially for internships, and don't really know what to expect), I'm keeping my fingers crossed as I' really keen to find an internship to follow alongside the rest of my second year in order to get some real hands on experience.
- This week is Employability Week (Reading Week) for my course and although there are some workshops going on at university I've been asked to fill in at Eyes Wide Open Communications where I interned over the summer as they need an extra pair of hands temporarily, so I'm excited to be doing that this week as I loved being there over the summer!
- I've handed in two more assignments which technically means I'm half way through my work load for the second year! (Where has the time gone!!).
-And finally, on a personal note, if you read my 'Happy Holidays' blog post you'll recall I wanted to lose weight as a new year's resolution and set myself the target of losing 2 and a half stone by next Christmas in order to be the appropriate BMI weight for my height. As of today I've lost 11 lbs and am so pleased, more because I've proved to myself I can do it and I can feel the difference already!!
Plenty of exciting times are to come and I can't wait!!
- I had an interview today for a PR agency internship. I'm hoping it went well (I've not had many interviews, especially for internships, and don't really know what to expect), I'm keeping my fingers crossed as I' really keen to find an internship to follow alongside the rest of my second year in order to get some real hands on experience.
- This week is Employability Week (Reading Week) for my course and although there are some workshops going on at university I've been asked to fill in at Eyes Wide Open Communications where I interned over the summer as they need an extra pair of hands temporarily, so I'm excited to be doing that this week as I loved being there over the summer!
- I've handed in two more assignments which technically means I'm half way through my work load for the second year! (Where has the time gone!!).
-And finally, on a personal note, if you read my 'Happy Holidays' blog post you'll recall I wanted to lose weight as a new year's resolution and set myself the target of losing 2 and a half stone by next Christmas in order to be the appropriate BMI weight for my height. As of today I've lost 11 lbs and am so pleased, more because I've proved to myself I can do it and I can feel the difference already!!
Plenty of exciting times are to come and I can't wait!!
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