I’m Julia, and I graduated from the University of Exeter with BA French and Spanish in 2019. I recently completed a GBP Marketing and Communications role, promoting University business partnerships and research, and I have now progressed to a new role in the Student Startups team.
I came across the Marketing and Communications Coordinator GBP vacancy in the Career Zone Job Bulletin, which I subscribed to in my final year, as I was keen to hear of upcoming job opportunities. The majority of roles advertised in the bulletin are entry-level roles which are a good fit for recent Graduates, which is very helpful.
I was interested in getting a job in marketing or content writing, as during my year abroad in Spain I kept a travel blog, which I’d really enjoyed writing and designing. While at University I had been social media and publicity officer for my acappella group, and once again I enjoyed the experience of creating engaging content and sharing positive stories of the groups’ achievements.
“The GBP was a 6-month duration, which I thought was a good amount of time to get a feel for whether marketing was right for me.”
The GBP role was in the Innovation, Impact and Business (IIB) department at the University, who oversee partnerships and research collaborations between academics and businesses. I was unsure if I would be considered given I was not a business student, however the responsibilities of the role seemed to be writing and communications-focussed which appealed to me. The GBP was a 6-month duration, which I thought was a good amount of time to get a feel for whether marketing was right for me.
The application and interview process was quite speedy, I filled in an application form outlining my skills, interests and experiences and was invited to interview the following week. My interview panel (and soon-to-be colleagues) were friendly and down-to-earth which helped me relax and things seemed to be go smoothly. I was delighted and relieved when I got the call to say I’d got the job!
“I was an awarded an ‘Above and Beyond Award’ for the marketing support I had delivered to the IIB department in these initial 6 months, which was a huge boost to my confidence.”
I started my role working in a team of three on several projects for the IIB department. These included writing case studies, creating several new microsites (within the University website), launching a new research blog, and working with the University design team to create flyers and banners for events. I was an awarded an ‘Above and Beyond Award’ for the marketing support I had delivered to the IIB department in these initial 6 months, which was a huge boost to my confidence.
When my contract was due to end, I was offered an extension of my role for a further year, but was moved from the Communications and Marketing team into the IIB department itself – no longer delivering projects from afar, but now doing marketing ‘in-house’ so to speak! This was a change as I switched teams, offices and line manager, but it allowed me to build on the comms experience I already had while seizing new opportunities. I wrote press releases about partner projects, delivered social media training to various teams in the department, and supported the Student Startups team with their social media and student communications. This new setup gave me the chance to work with many different teams within the department and meet lots of different colleagues. In some ways, this was made even easier during the pandemic where colleagues in different offices or campuses were just a Microsoft Teams call away! I was also granted various personal development opportunities and took courses on Adobe InDesign, Digital Marketing, and Web Analytics to learn more about different aspects of marketing.
“My (current) role involves managing the day-to-day running of the programmes, responding to student queries, event planning and overseeing comms and social media. I’m really grateful that my GBP role paved the way for this opportunity…”
I am now working as Senior Administrator for Student Startups, who deliver a series of programmes to students which allow them to develop entrepreneurial skills and launch their own enterprises. My role involves managing the day-to-day running of the programmes, responding to student queries, event planning and overseeing comms and social media. I’m really grateful that my GBP role paved the way for this opportunity as I was already helping this team one day a week with their comms during my GBP, which was a fantastic way to get to know the team and the work they do. Rather than just promoting the success stories and final outputs of their programmes, I will now be involved in facilitating every step of the support they deliver to students.
Although this role progression may seem a sidestep from the career I was pursuing in marketing, a large part of my role will still be focussed on delivering communications, e-newsletters and social media which I know I enjoy. I also get to develop new skills in general administration, project management and event planning, and it is this exposure to new experiences that I think is important at this stage in my career.
“I would encourage anyone considering applying to a GBP role to go for it – I think it’s a fantastic option for a Graduate taking their first step in their career. Whilst working as a GBP, I would recommend you look for new opportunities to develop where you can, as this has really opened new doors to me and allowed me to progress.”
Before my GBP, I hadn’t considered higher education as a sector I would like to work in long-term but now I definitely am. Not only is the University a friendly and supportive environment to work in, there is also a huge range of roles available and a variety of opportunities you can get involved in. I have also found promoting the University where I was previously a student a very rewarding experience.
I would encourage anyone considering applying to a GBP role to go for it – I think it’s a fantastic option for a Graduate taking their first step in their career. Whilst working as a GBP, I would recommend you look for new opportunities to develop where you can, as this has really opened new doors to me and allowed me to progress.