Tasha M.

Marketing & Design Administrator
Happy to mentor
Happy to be contacted

About me

Tasha M.
Philosophy
Philosophy
Undergraduate
Alcuin
2015
United Kingdom

My employment

Marketing & Design Administrator
York Conferences
United Kingdom
Advertising, marketing and PR
Medium-size business (50-249 employees)
2014
15,600
15,600

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A day in the life of a Marketing & Design Administrator in the United Kingdom

Working in a job I love straight out of University

How I looked for work

I mostly used the Careers Gateway, along with a bit of Googling. I applied for a whole bunch of 'prestigious' graduate schemes and got through a couple of stages on some, but was ultimately rejected. I applied for a handful of roles through the university's Careers Gateway and even got an interview for one, which again rejected me! York Sport was my last ditch effort to find work for the summer. Having made a great impression this turned into a full-time job.

How I found out about the job

Careers website (University of York)

The recruitment process

I applied online for the initial summer internship that led to my full-time job. I was invited to an interview about 3 weeks later after I'd assumed I hadn't got through. The day after the interview I got a call saying I'd got the job!

After my internship I was hired on a casual basis for the remainder of my time at university. I interviewed for the full-time role I now have in April and started in June after graduating.

My career goals when I graduated

My mid-term goal was to explore the world of marketing further and figure out what I was really passionate about. Long-term my goal is to specialise before moving up into management.

My career history

My career is just beginning really! I've worked in Marketing full-time for just over 8 months now, previously working part-time and voluntary for various University groups.

What has helped my career to progress

People are what has really progressed my career. Whether that's students electing me on my college committee, friends asking me to do freelance work, acquaintances spreading the word about my work or the people at York Sport taking a chance on me and giving me the trust to develop as a marketing professional.

Courses taken since graduation

None as of yet, but this year I will start my Professional Certificate in Marketing with the Certified Institute of Marketing.

How my studies have helped my career

I would never have been exposed to the opportunities I have if I hadn't gone to University. There really is no place like it to develop and explore yourself.

What surprised me about my career so far

I'm most surprised by the fact I not only have a job, but that it's in marketing and I love it. I would never have thought I would be in a job that I absolutely love straight out of University!

Where I hope to be in 5 years

I have no idea where I'll be in five years, but I hope there's less administration!

My advice to students considering work

The workplace is more important than the role. The role has the potential to change as your employer discovers more about you and you develop as a professional. Chances are the company won't. Is there room for you to make the role your own? Is a promotion likely? Will they support you through professional training? These are all important questions you may not think about when starting out.

Secondly, take every opportunity that seems even slightly relevant to your prospective career and make it your own. Work hard in voluntary roles, make an impression, go the extra mile, and people will remember you. Make yourself invaluable to a company!

My advice about working in my industry

Do your research and stay up-to-date! From consumer behaviour to the latest Facebook metrics, it's crucial you stay on top of the latest marketing trends and data. This might sound time-consuming and scary but it isn't if you're passionate about it. There are so many social media pages and useful websites filled with this stuff is easy-to-digest formats.

Keep pushing yourself to learn more! I had no experience in the business analytics side of marketing, but through online resources, talking to colleagues, and voluntary learning courses, I've developed skills that make me an invaluable member of the team.

Other advice

Once you get yourself a placement/internship/job somewhere make yourself indispensable. Go the extra mile, change the way things are done and get involved. Make it so they simply cannot do without you!

Contacting me

I'm happy to answer any questions you may have about entry-level marketing, internships and finding graduate jobs.

What I do

I am responsible for the planning, implementation and analysis of all York Sport’s marketing activities. From app development and social media marketing, to print design and event management, I co-ordinate all of our marketing with the approval of my line manager. A key part of this is analysing our return on investment and other key performance data, which informs our future marketing strategy.

Skills I use and how I developed them

Design: Throughout primary, secondary and further education I've always studied at least one artistic subject. When I got to University I was keen to find an outlet for my passion and settled on becoming a Creative Marketing Officer for my college which really refined my skills.

Organisation: Balancing my degree, part-time employment, voluntary positions on societies etc and freelance design work was key in developing my organisational skills! The administration element of my current job developed these essential skills even further.

Analysis: One of the cornerstones of my degree in Philosophy was analysis; whether it was analysing a dilemma or an argument. I already had good analysis skills from my A-Levels in Religious Philosophy and Politics, but University was where they were really developed.

What I like most

I like having control of entire campaigns, from inception to completion. It's highly rewarding when I can see the financial success of a campaign and the contribution it makes to the company. It also makes me highly competitive - with myself! I'm always trying to best my past results.

What I like least

There's a lot of day-to-day tasks that aren't the juiciest or most engaging, but they're necessary for the smooth running of the business. One of my most hated tasks is purchasing as it takes about 5 different administrative tasks to order even the most simple thing.

What surprised me most

My original plan was to pursue design-lead or creative advertising, as I really didn't like the idea of business-minded marketing. I've actually found the exact opposite! I would have never thought that I'd thrive on statistics, ROI and KPI's.

Next steps...

If you like the look of Tasha’s profile, the next steps are down to you! You can send Tasha a message to find out more about their career journey. If you feel you would benefit from more in-depth conversations, ask Tasha to be your mentor.

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