Emma W.
About me
| Emma W. | |
| Language and Linguistic Science | |
| English Language & Linguistics | |
| Undergraduate | |
| James | |
| 2012 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Engagement Manager | |
| Plunkett Foundation | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Advertising, marketing and PR / Charity and voluntary sector | |
| Small business (0-49 employees) | |
| 2017 | |
| £26,000 | |
| £26,000 |
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A day in the life of a Engagement Manager in the United Kingdom
Advice and support for anyone looking to get into marketing
My career goals when I graduated
To work in an organisation where I could make use of my communication skills and be creative.
My career history
2012 - 2013: Graduate Boarding House Assistant, Headington School
2013 - 2014: Marketing Assistant, Headington School
2014 - 2016: Marketing Assistant, Stagecoach in Oxfordshire
2016 - 2017: Marketing Manager, Prolinx Limited
2017 - Present: Engagement Manager, Plunkett Foundation
What has helped my career to progress
Volunteering outside of work in my local Rotaract group, completing various professional courses, saying yes to new opportunities, talking to more experienced people for advice.
Courses taken since graduation
2013 CIM Professional Certificate in Marketing
2015 CIM Certificate in Digital Marketing
2016 Shaw Academy Diploma in Social Media Marketing
How my studies have helped my career
Helped me think in different ways, using frameworks and models, as well as drawing on real life examples. They have also pointed me towards useful resources or blogs which I check regularly.
What surprised me about my career so far
I never thought I would actually get to work in a marketing/communications role even though that was the dream.
Where I hope to be in 5 years
I have now reached my goals of working in a Marketing department for a charity so in the next 5 years I hope to set up my own business and to be able to share my knowledge and expertise with other small businesses and charities.
My advice to students considering work
Be open to different opportunities. Don't just look at the job title. Volunteer in your spare time to gain new experience. Find a mentor.
My advice about working in my industry
I would say marketing is a varied industry. Increasingly it is becoming more competitive and more closely aligned with sales. This brings about more targets and pressures within departments. On the whole, it is an enjoyable sector and offers good all round experience - the skills you use in the job are transferable to many industries.
Other advice
Work out what is important to you as a person, your core values, then choose an organisation which reflects many of your own values. It will make you happier in your job.
Contacting me
Ask me questions about career development, finding jobs or marketing specific queries. Happy to mentor students looking to get into marketing or anyone considering it as an industry to work in.
What I do
My role oversees events, communications and membership and I am responsible for bringing them all together to form an engagement strategy to get new members and encourage more communities to be inspired by our work.
Skills I use and how I developed them
Communication - Talking to colleagues, building relationships with external suppliers and writing formal documents for the company. It is such a broad skill but being adaptable and learning the in house style has helped me develop my writing.
Time Management - One of the hardest skills to truly master but I feel I have made great progress. If I have something very important to do I do it first thing before even looking at emails. And I make sure I always leave work on time.
Creativity - Challenging what the company has done before in an effort to rethink ideas and ways of doing things. Coming up with ideas in a culture where it is very much 'We've always done it this way' can be hard but very worthwhile when you succeed.
What I like most
Meeting new people and understanding their backgrounds and their communities. I enjoy coming up with new ideas, campaigns and plans and I like when these then go on to be implemented and are successful.
What I like least
The office can be super quiet and some days this is really demotivating.
What surprised me most
There is a real mix of people who have been working at the charity for a long time, which is both challenging and helpful.
Next steps...
If you like the look of Emma’s profile, the next steps are down to you! You can send Emma a message to find out more about their career journey. If you feel you would benefit from more in-depth conversations, ask Emma to be your mentor.