Name: Amber Vellacott
Subject Studied: BA Hons Multimedia Journalism
University: Canterbury Christ Church University
Year Graduated: 2017
What is your new/current role?
I am currently Campus Executive of a digital marketing training provider.
What does that mean exactly?
The company I work for is only a year old so it’s all pretty new and small so I take on quite a few duties. My main duties are general business admin, social media, content creation, customer service, social media, digital marketing etc.
How long did it take you to get a job ie Years/Months/Weeks from Graduating:
I finished lectures in February and got the job in April, I still had my dissertation and a few essays/pieces of coursework to complete whilst I started my new job.
When you applied for the job, what was the application/interview process like?
In December 2016 I realised that getting a graduate level job was going to be really difficult because I’d be going up against thousands of others. So I started applying for jobs then, I applied to almost every job in the media sector possible and had a few bad interviews so sent my CV into Sleeping Giant Media just asking to be considered if there were any jobs in the future.
In March I was called to come in for an interview for this new job and my interview involved an over the phone chat to gauge my basic skills and personality. Following that I was invited for a face to face interview just so I could prove I’d fit in with the personality of Sleeping Giant Media and Giant Campus. I think my interview and application process was very different to others, but the beauty, or maybe curse, of job interviews is you never truly know what you’re going to get. I met the business manager on the Thursday and was asked to start on the Monday.
How long have you been working in your new job?
Since April, so just over four months.
Did you think this is what you would be doing after you graduated?
Not at all, though I did want to work in some form of digital content creation. I still get to do this, but mixed in with many other responsibilities. But I can’t say I am unhappy that I didn’t end up in any specific journalistic job role, I think the digital marketing sector is where I’d like to stay.
What have you learnt about yourself since working in your new role?
I learnt that I never really knew what I wanted to do with my career. I changed my mind a lot during uni and settled on the idea of radio production for a year before graduating, but I really think this side of the media sector is for me. I learnt that you should never limit yourself based on your skill set, it’s so much fun to expand your knowledge and you will eventually find something you are good at AND enjoy.
Have you used your skills or learnt new ones during your time at your new job?
All the skills I learnt on my journalism degree have been transferable in one way or another to my new job. I came into it with pretty much no knowledge of digital marketing but have sat in on in-house training, listening to experts, and have learnt a lot. I suddenly have a new skill set that I can use in my future and it can only continue to grow as my career develops.
Have there been any challenges/surprises ?
The biggest challenge has been a 9-5:30pm working day! I’ve been working part time jobs since I was 16, but a full day sat at a desk five days a week is surprisingly very hard. I’ve also found the amount of free time, now I don’t have coursework, to be a massive shock, I don’t know what to do with myself in the evenings or weekends when I have nothing to procrastinate from.
And last of all, what advice can you give for Graduates who are looking for a job in their chosen industry?
I would advise Graduates not to be afraid of applying for jobs that say they need experience they don’t have, if you’re the right fit then it doesn’t always matter. I’d also advise them not to stick to one particular career path, you’re young, you have the time to try different jobs and find what you enjoy. Also, if there is a company you’d really love to work for then send in a speculative CV and cover letter that’ll absolutely stun them, you never know what may happen.
Gemma's Journey 