LIVERPOOL BUSINESS SCHOOL CAREERS AND EMPLOYABILITY CASE STUDIES Read student and graduate case studies from the Liverpool Business School
To take all the opportunities that are made possible to you – especially through University. This is a very competitive career path, so you need to stand out to employers. Even if you have some self-doubt, or do not feel 100% confident in doing a certain activity/summer school, just go for it. You will not regret it, and it will always be a talking point, and learning experience for potential employers! They love to see how you’re different, and relish challenges! I wish someone had told me I’d be where I am now to save me years of worrying!
GRADUATE CASE STUDY LIVERPOOL BUSINESS SCHOOL www.ljmu.ac.uk/studentfutures 2 CAREERS AND EMPLOYABILITY CASE STUDIES
What did the application/selection process involve and how did you prepare for each stage? The application involved submitting my CV and completing an online form, followed by a telephone interview, and finally two rounds of interviews with a presentation and Excel test. To prepare for each stage, I researched the company and role in detail online. I also practised competency-questions and ensured I had as many examples as possible.
I had a part time job at McDonald’s for 5 years, as well as my sandwich year at the NHS. This allowed me to see how finance was applied outside of my studies, whilst it was slightly different to University, this meant I was learning even more! The 2 summer schools in Asia I believe are ultimately why I am where I am now. How doesn’t ploughing a rice field and riding a cow help you stand out in an interview?! I went to both the Universities there for 2 weeks, studying their language and culture, as well as working alongside their students creating business presentations. Both experiences helped me grow as a person. Being so far from home with people I had only just met meant that I had to be the most confident version of myself – and it worked!
Since graduating from the BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance degree, James Ryder has progressed into his current role as a Senior Accountant for Start-Up Rent-a-Car.
❙ Professional written and spoken communication skills - In every job you must communicate with senior staff right down to stakeholders. So this skill is crucial, as it really represents you and your team/ organisation.
What kind of work experience and volunteering did you do to help you get where you are today?
❙ ICT and technology / Digital Literacy - Everything is online now. I started my role this way – even down to a teams interview.
CAREERSSTUDY IN ACCOUNTANCY, BANKING AND FINANCE
In second year, we completed an Excel training course, which definitely helped with the Excel test. I was able to use the skills I learnt, such as pivot tables, conditional formatting and vlookups, to pass the test. What help and support did you access from the Careers, Employability & Start-Up Team? The Careers, Employability & StartUp Team helped me to prepare my CV and cover letter, while also helping me decide on what type of accounting role I wanted to apply for. They have great experience and can offer helpful, friendly advice when you are unsure. What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability? Use the resources offered to you. Complete as many extra qualifications as possible, such as the Microsoft Excel course and SAGE. It will help you in your new role and employers really value good Excel skills. Get advice from the Careers, Employability & Start-Up Team on your CV and ask tutors about their experiences in their careers. Try and complete a placement year as it will give you great experience to complement your degree and put you ahead of others without experience – this definitely helped me during the selection process. It will also give you a break from your studies and helps you decide if you would like a career in your field.
Which are the most important employability skills you learnt during your time at LJMU and how do you use them in your day to day role?
What advice would you give to other students wanting to pursue this career path to improve their chances?
I help to manage the finances of local grant agreements for the Liverpool City Region. These range from small business grants, to large local council grants totalling millions. I check claims that are sent in, observing if they comply with the contracts, and if their invoices/defrayment are eligible -this then allows payments to be made, if not accruals are put onto the finance system. Alongside this, I work with all areas in the Finance department, as well as regular communication with grant recipients.
What does your job involve?
❙ Planning and organisation - New tasks come in daily, so list making is essential, to see what needs to be prioritised and what steps have already been completed.
What does your role involve? My main duties and responsibilities consist of producing, reviewing and analysing the management accounts and ensuring the accuracy of the financial statements. I am also a Business Partner for one of the eight areas within the North West Group, working alongside seven branches to help them review and improve their profitability and ensure they hit their KPI’s. Once our statement period ends and we have reported on our financial performance, I visit our daily rental branches a couple of times a month and perform audits on branches to ensure they are meeting operational requirements. I also provide any training to employees so they are capable of understanding the financial statements we produce and can improve the profitability of the business. Why did you decide to apply for a graduate scheme? I applied for a graduate scheme as it provided a good structure to my role and I could see where my career would/could go, as you are immediately considered a future leader. Employers offering graduate schemes are investing a lot of time and money in you, which makes you feel valued.
Olivia Astbury is an Accounting and Finance graduate who now works as a Strategic Investment Fund Officer for the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority GRADUATE CASE
Tell us about how you got to where you are today. I started on the IG Grad scheme in September 2018. The grad scheme was structured as an initial 6 months in Trading Services in which you’re trained to deal with clients over the phone. Once this was done there are 4 x 3 month rotations that you arrange yourself for departments you’re interested in.
Melissa Teesdale graduated from the Accounting and Finance programme in 2016. She now works as an Audit Manager for Princes Ltd.
GRADUATE CASE STUDY LIVERPOOL BUSINESS SCHOOLwww.ljmu.ac.uk/studentfutures 3CAREERS AND EMPLOYABILITY CASE STUDIES
❙ Numeracy and financial literacy - Quick mental maths is fundamental to my role. You need to quickly and accurately calculate the number of shares needed to be traded. – in some cases multiplying my the share price to know what kind of notional value you’re looking at ❙ ICT and technology / Digital Literacy - There’s a growing desire in the industry for employees with coding skills. Strong Excel skills are a necessity and expected.
What aspects of your degree were particularly useful in the selection process? My placement year really helped me prepare for a real job and was also one of the reasons I got my first job after graduating. It helped me understand what is expected in a professional job, from simple organisation skills to meeting strict deadlines. It also made me less nervous for interviews, as I had more confidence and real life scenarios to discuss. More importantly it gave me a break, so I came back to third year more motivated to get the work done and do well.
I would also add that whilst you should apply for as much as possible, all applications need full effort or they’re just a waste of your own time. If there is a question on the application that gives space for a long written answer, just giving a one sentence answer will mean your application will be the first to be discarded when they’re shortlisting.
I am responsible for risk management (in terms of both financial reporting and wider business risks); monitoring and reviewing J-SOX internal controls; and planning and performing internal audits.
There’s also a lot of admin that goes into enabling and maintaining our offering of 15,000 shares. As I’ve gained experience in the role my responsibilities have also shifted to a more ‘bigger-picture’ focus. Involving projects such as expanding our offering to new regions, reviewing our pricing structure and analysing the efficiency of our department.
❙ Analysis, problem solving and decision making - Given the timesensitive nature of financial markets, problem-solving and decision making needs to be quick and effective.
When my main responsibilities were done I was able to start learning some coding skills. At the end of my rotation I applied and was offered a role on our Shares Dealing desk so I left the grad scheme early and began this as my permanent role. What does your job involve? My primary role is to buy and sell shares to ensure are holdings are within our risk tolerances. Any large client trades will also come through my team as we’ll make the trade on behalf of the client in the market rather than via our standard OTC offering.
What kind of work experience and volunteering did you do to help you get where you are today? Since my work experience was an accounting based role the knowledge wasn’t directly transferrable but the skills I had picked up were. The company I did my placement at was heavily reliant on excel due to outdated accounting software so I became more proficient than a lot of my peers by the time we returned back to university. There was no excel test in my application process but It allowed me to speak confidently about my abilities when asked about them at the interview.
What does your job involve?
What does your job involve? My primary role is to buy and sell shares to ensure are holdings are within our risk tolerances. Any large client trades will also come through my team as we’ll make the trade on behalf of the client in the market rather than via our standard OTC offering.
Which are the most important employability skills you learnt during your time at LJMU and how do you use them in your day to day role?
What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability? Get as much experience as you can. Experience always looks good on your CV – it is a competitive job market and many candidates will have a good degree. It also helps during interviews when you can refer to the experiences and skills you gained in other jobs. Even if it’s voluntary work, it might actually help you figure out what type of work you do/don’t like or what type of company you want to work for. Also take time to tailor your CV and covering letter to the company/job.
Make sure you understand the company’s business model/how they make money before interviews. Be personable and sociable throughout the assessment centre. Keep in mind that you’re always being assessed, even while on breaks, and that they’re looking for someone they would like to work with. Apply for as many placements and jobs as you can, as early as you can. It’s much easier to dedicate time to applications when you don’t have deadlines.
What advice would you give to other students wanting to pursue this career path to improve their chances?
What relevant work experience and skills did you use during the selection process? I had worked each summer in different accountancy firms and completed a placement year in an accounts department, so I referred to this experience during applications and interviews. I also tried to evidence real-life skills and IT/Excel skills because I was told that these were sometimes considered more important than any theory I had learnt at university.
Aaron Christie graduated from the BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance degree in 2018 and is now an Equities dealer at iG
GRADUATE CASE STUDY
For my first rotation I worked in our risk department dealing with both Market and Credit risk. My primary role on this was working with the output of the risk models to identify any potential issues outside of the company’s risk appetite and take preventative measures when necessary.
What did the application/selection process involve and how did you prepare for each stage? I was fortunate that I had been approached on LinkedIn for an interview for my first job as an Internal Auditor. There was an initial interview, which was based on my experience, my CV and my understanding of the company and the market. This stage was quite easy to prepare for, as I was confident about the content of my CV, and I had researched the company and the market in detail beforehand. I then had a second interview with four different managers/directors. This was more focused on whether I would fit into the company and its values. Luckily, I was rather relaxed and I was really open and honest which I think they appreciated, and it obviously got me the job!
Eg Sales Executive for Napolina, Marketing Executive for edible oils and Buying Executive for Princes own brands.
It is a two-year programme of four different six-month rotations, which help you to develop a broad understanding of three key areas within commercial banking: you complete one placement in Coverage (clientfacing), one in Credit (risk management), and two in Products. The structure of the programme also helps you to build a strong network, which is key for when you finish your training! For all rotations, it’s key that you are strong on Excel and PowerPoint and are willing to learn.
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The scheme that I am currently undertaking is a rotational scheme. I will take part in 3x 8-month placements in Buying, Sales and Marketing, with each placement being for a different brand than the previous placement.
Dealing with buyers, suppliers and third-party companies means the above skill is critical. It is so important that when dealing with customers, whether that be through email, over the phone or at an in-person meeting that proper language is used. People won’t want to admit it, but impressions count massively to the success of negotiations and improper language or communication is a red flag to many people.
What does your graduate scheme involve?
Ollie Evans is a Business Management graduate who now works as a Commercial Graduate at Princes Limited GRADUATE CASE STUDY www.ljmu.ac.uk/studentfutures
Josh Highley graduated from the BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance degree in 2018 and is currently completing a commercial banking graduate scheme at Lloyds Banking Group. CASE STUDY
What kind of work experience and volunteering did you do to help you get where you are today? My degree was 4-years long and was inclusive of a placement year. I secured a placement role at Start-Up Rent-A-Car and thoroughly enjoyed my time there, whilst also learning a lot. I was able to get a real sense of responsibility in my work, understanding how to conduct business meetings with prospective corporate accounts and how to look after existing accounts. All of which has helped me operate my current role at Princes. Start-Up was quite full on and hard work, it gave me understanding of the work ethic I would require to be successful and a ton of transferable skills which I was able to show in the original 500-word cover letter when applying to Princes Ltd.
One thing I would suggest is making use of all your experiences so far. I’ve done a bit of work as a Campus Brand Manager for Start-Up and also speaking with the recruitment team at Princes, they say it is vitally important to show that any experience you have is relevant for what you are applying for. For example, with Start-Up there is an element of sales in the role and saying you ‘just worked’ at Starbucks isn’t great, however, when you say ‘I worked at Starbucks where I was tasked with upselling orders and hitting targets’, it sounds a lot better and more relatable for the role you are applying for.
Being tenacious and resilient is really important for me. When starting out at my new placement it is a very nervy experience and you’re not going to get everything right straight away. Mistakes were made but you have to be resilient and understand that everybody makes mistakes and it’s just a great way of learning and bettering yourself.
In certain scenarios I will have to make decisions without the advice or expertise of my line manager who is otherwise engaged. In this situation, I must analyse the deal and decide to either agree or negotiate depending on what I believe the best action is for the company.
What advice would you give to other students wanting to pursue this career path to improve their chances?
❙ Tenacious, resilient, growth mindset
Which are the most important employability skills you learnt during your time at LJMU and how do you use them in your day to day role?
What does your graduate scheme involve?
What did the application/selection process involve and how did you prepare for each stage? It involved an online application and online tests, followed by a video interview, and finally an assessment centre (which included a numerical reasoning test, group presentation, five short work-related scenarios and an interview). It helped that I had already applied to lots of schemes, as practice makes perfect with these things, especially video interviews! The assessment centre was different, but I made sure I researched what the day would entail on Glassdoor. What help and support did you access from the Careers, Employability & Start-Up Team? The Careers, Employability & Start-Up Team were probably sick of the sight of me! I had support with my CV, applications and interview preparation, which was really useful, especially when applying for my placement year as I had to create my first professional CV. What relevant work experience did you use during the selection process? Having relevant experience from my yearlong placement as a Finance Analyst and summer internship at an insurance broker really helped me in the interview processes, as I was able to provide relevant evidence of my skills. Additional work experience in restaurants, offices and even working for my dad’s building firm gave me plenty to talk about in the interviews and allowed me to demonstrate that I had the five or six key skills the hiring staff were looking for. What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability? Try your hardest to get a placement, as it helps you not only to improve your employability but you come back to your third year more mature and university seems like a breeze after you’ve spent 12 months in work! Apply to as many roles as you can - you’ll get better at the tests and video interviews the more practice you have. I got so many rejections (but learnt from each one) and sent so many applications without hearing anything back, but it only takes one! Focus on the key skills mentioned in the applications and learn to sell what you’ve done whether that is in the workplace, at university or in your hobbies and then just apply, apply, apply! Would you do anything differently if you were a first-year student again? I suffered from the “it doesn’t count towards your final grade” mentality in first year and ended up with a high 2:2, so this was the grade I had to show on my placement applications. It’s quite limiting when you’re wanting to get the really sought-after placements, so make sure you get a good grade in first year!
Really think about how you word your answers, look interested and have 2/3 questions to ask at the end of each interview session.
GRADUATE
❙ Professional written and spoken communication skills.
❙ Analysis, Problem Solving and Decision Making
Tell us about how you got to where you are today. The application process was three stages. The first was to write a 500word cover letter detailing why you wish to work at Princes and on this specific scheme. Following that, there was a telephone interview where I had to complete a SWOT analysis of the group. Finally, an assessment centre where I took part in various activities and a final presentation of a new product development I had created, following a brief that was sent to me a week before the assessment date.
Why did you decide to apply for a graduate scheme? I always wanted to move to London, so that was initially a big driver for me. However, having spent my placement year working in the finance department of a manufacturing company, I discovered that this side of finance was not for me and that I wanted to be in a client-focused role where I would be driven by getting a deal done rather than by month end!
LIVERPOOL BUSINESS SCHOOL
Patrick Stamp is a Business and Finance student who is currently undertaking an industrial placement as a Management Accountant & Controller at Bosch
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Three things you like about your job:
To explore what niche area of finance I want to specialise in for my graduate scheme applications; Global Markets, Economics, Accounting, etc.
❙ I am able to contribute to the improvement of our NHS every day, which gives me great personal satisfaction.
What help and support did you access from the Careers, Employability & Start-Up Team? It was thanks to the Careers, Employability & Start-Up Team that I was aware of the internship opportunities available to me. The team were also very supportive in helping me to ensure that my CV and covering letter were suitable for the application and in improving my communication skills. What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability? Networking is crucial. Speak to as many people in the working world as you can. Ensure your LinkedIn is suitable and up-to-date and fully research any organisations or jobs that you apply for. More importantly, show your personality in everything you do because that is what separates you from other candidates. Keep a smile on your face and don’t be too embarrassed to promote yourself. Utilise the Careers, Employability & Start-Up Team and speak to them about the full range of careers that are available to you with your degree. It is very easy to restrict your options simply through a lack of knowledge of the career paths that are open to you. Any other advice? I would stress the importance of keeping good attendance and preparing thoroughly for exams and coursework. Make the most of your time both inside and outside the classroom.
Where did you find out about the placement?
❙ To get practical Excel experience – pretend uni accounts are definitely useful for our development, but nothing can compare to building a real life £200,000.00 accrual!
Describe the role you are undertaking and your main duties: Management accountant duties, for example: reconcile EBIT across the Power Tools, Automotive Aftermarket, Bosch Engineering Group, Original Equipment, and other divisions to ensure the income statements are correct and up to date. Controller duties, for example: Track debits from various companies and ensure that time lags associated with price promotions do not interfere with Economistturnover.duties, for example: producing detailed monthly slide packages covering economic data, capital markets, indices, currencies, interest rates, property markets, labour markets, automotive markets, inflation, retail inflation, household saving, manufacturing markets, and construction markets. These are then used by the Head of UK Operations to adapt company strategy based on my findings.
❙ Flexibility – The nature of reviews and clients that I am involved with varies immensely, which makes every day exciting. I am also encouraged to participate in different work streams such as R&D and other corporate schemes, which again add to the diversity of my role.
GRADUATE CASE STUDY
Why did you want to do a placement?
❙ To improve my CV – having a name like Bosch on my CV, a company that turns over €71.5bn per annum, instantly conveys connotations of pedigree that I previously did not have.
RateMyPlacement, I also recommend Indeed and Milkround.
Now, I am fully responsible for the progression of audit reviews from the planning stage to the finalisation of the report and for providing assurance that the key systems in organisations, financial and otherwise, are working effectively.
❙ Opportunities for both personal development and career progression. I had exceptional support to become ACCA-qualified and also feel like a valued member of the organisation.
For the telephone interview, memorise your CV as you are always going to get asked “walk me through your CV”, and then have a few flashcards around you with some standout experiences you have been part of – be as concise as possible and always quantify your impact with Fornumbers.theMicrosoft Teams interview, learn a combination of behavioural and technical questions. Next, learn who the CEO is, business divisions, revenue, cultural pillars, and industries your firm is in. Finally, search your interviewers on LinkedIn and try and find a common interest from their profile, then leverage this in your interview to build a rapport.
What help and support did you access from the Careers, Employability & Start-Up Team? Around five CV and Cover Letter reviews, the online CV robot (CV360!), and two mock interviews. What relevant work experience and activities did you use during the selection process?
❙ 6 week summer placement with Skipton Building Society ❙ Founded a capital markets research group ❙ I mentioned that I am a mental health first aider due to my mates struggling over lockdown. What advice would you give to students starting a degree now (or who are due to graduate in the next year or two) about how to succeed with an economic downturn potentially on the horizon? In my opinion, the fact there may be an economic downturn on the horizon is completely irrelevant to your job hunt. If you go out applying for jobs with an excuse already on your mind you are setting yourself up to fail. Obviously I’d just say try to get a minimum 2:1, do the recommended reading, build rapport with your lecturers, take pride in your studies etc. Make the most of every opportunity given to you, and if there are none then make some for yourself, there are more than enough resources provided by uni to achieve this.
What does your job involve?
STUDENT CASE STUDY LIVERPOOL BUSINESS SCHOOLwww.ljmu.ac.uk/studentfutures 5CAREERS AND EMPLOYABILITY CASE STUDIES
I first completed an internship with MIAA, who are the leading provider of internal audit for NHS organisations in the North West. My main duties involved observing meetings with clients, preparing terms of references for upcoming reviews and supporting on fieldwork. Since coming through the ranks in the organisation my duties and responsibilities have increased.
What did the selection process involve and how did you prepare for each stage? Very typical application process - fill in an online application, then take a telephone first round interview, then take a second Microsoft Teams interview, then I was fortunate enough to be offered the job! For the online application stage, there really is no excuse for not using the careers service and the online CV reviewer. They helped me revise my CV and cover letter probably 5+ times before I submitted it and it’s free and incredibly useful so use them!
2015 Accounting and Finance graduate Conor Joel-Welsh is working as a Principal Auditor at Mersey Internal Audit Agency (MIAA).
What kind of work experience and volunteering did you do to help you get to where you are today?
I would say if you have the opportunity to complete a placement as part of your course – do it. This gives you an advantage that so many others do not have the opportunity to have. If you don’t – go out and find some work experience in your chosen field, this is what sets you apart!
What advice would you give to other students wanting to pursue this career path to improve their chances?
❙ It helped in my interview that I had previous voluntary experience in HR as I could answer their questions using relevant examples.
Three things that I like about my job: The role is very varied, which keeps things exciting and fresh. Mitchells and Butlers are a great company who really look after their team, they offer development courses, a company car scheme, flexible working and are great at recognising the team. The travel motivates me. Each week is different and its great getting to visit and understand our different restaurant locations, attend conferences and visit suppliers.
GRADUATE CASE STUDY
What did the application process involve and how did you prepare?
The process involved submitting a CV and cover letter, psychometric tests that were based around situational judgement, and a face-toface interview. I have been told that the three key reasons why my application was successful were:
What placement role did you secure and what did this involve on a day-to-day basis? I secured a HR intern role supporting the sites across the south of the UK for GE Oil and Gas. This involved interacting with a variety of stakeholders from the employee client group, management and business partners. The role was demanding and time management was key. I was the first point of contact for the HR department for both the Farnborough site and HQ for GE Oil and Gas in London.
I completed a year long placement in the Digital Marketing team at Bentley Motors. I was treated as a valued member of the team and given the opportunity to be involved in lots of development and innovation projects. Completing work experience placement allowed me to put theory into practice and develop a better understanding of my course content. This placement also further established my passion for marketing which inspired me to open my own marketing consultancy company in my final year of university. I secured a number of clients including Bentley Motors and Curly Blow Beauty. This developed my confidence and experience which were vital in securing my graduate role.
As part of my Business Studies degree I completed a placement year in the digital marketing department for Bentley Motors. This experience allowed me to develop my business acumen and enrich my understanding of course content when I returned for level six. At the beginning of my final year at university, I applied for Mitchells and Butlers graduate scheme, after a number of interviews and assessment centres, I was lucky enough to be offered a place on the marketing graduate scheme. This was a 12-month scheme and started in October, it included a number of rotations, including working in various teams in both central and brand marketing. I had some amazing opportunities including developing the Christmas menus, developing a gin tasting masterclass for All Bar One, attending a champagne tasting session at the Moët Hennessy head office and celebrating our front line colleagues at the company PRIDE awards. Towards the end of the scheme I applied for a vacancy at one of our brands, Stonehouse Pizza and Carvery, as the Assistant Marketing Manager and was successful!
CAREERS IN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND RELATED PROFESSIONS
❙ One of the few CVs that stated the word ‘HR’. This was in the introduction saying that I was interested in HR as a career and that I had work experience in HR. The online tests were based around the GE beliefs so, if you have been on their website and understand their company beliefs it makes answering the questions a lot easier.
How do you feel that the placement has benefited you? Personally and professionally. I had not moved away from home before so it was a big change for me but doing something that I love helped me settle, alongside having an incredibly supportive team. My self-confidence, communication, and time management skills improved so much my family said that they didn’t recognise the adult that I had grown into! From employment law to taking minutes, I learnt so much and felt better equipped to return to university. What advice would you give other students to improve their employability? Work experience is key! Even if it is just for two weeks, get out there and volunteer yourself as a spare pair of hands. It won’t be glamourous; it will probably be HR admin responsibilities but ask questions and shadow people as much as possible. Also, we have interviewed so many people who don’t really know the answer to the first interview question of ‘Why HR?’ Some don’t even know what HR is about. Do your homework and make sure it is the right role and company for you.
Marketing for Mitchells and Butlers is so varied, you get to be involved in a lot of innovation and development work which keeps the role exciting. In my current role I look after the digital communications for my brand, from the website and app, to emails and social media. This involves working closely with agencies to brief artwork and generate creative and engaging campaigns. Here you get to really understand your audience, their needs and how best to engage them. I also oversee promotions and often get to work alongside suppliers to bring these to life. This can often include planning and attending photoshoots and events. Working in hospitality, one of the largest and most exciting campaigns I work on is Christmas. This usually starts in January and runs the whole year through. Tasks include envisioning and briefing the creative for the campaign and developing the Christmas menus this includes attending a lot of food and drink tasting sessions (no complaints here). My brand, Stonehouse, is very community centric so we often have lots of charitable events on around this time too which is extremely rewarding and makes me proud to be part of the team.
Holly Bradshaw graduated in 2018 from the Human Resource Management programme. She completed her sandwich placement at GE Oil & Gas as a HR intern, UK-South.
Tell us about how you got to where you are today?
Rebecca Morrison graduated with a degree in Business Studies in 2018 and now works as an Assistant Marketing Manager for Mitchells and Butlers.
PLACEMENT CASE STUDY LIVERPOOL BUSINESS SCHOOL www.ljmu.ac.uk/studentfutures 6 CAREERS AND EMPLOYABILITY CASE STUDIES
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What does your current job involve?
What will your graduate role involve? My graduate scheme is a 50/50 role as a HR adviser and training coordinator (lead). I am leading on the training activities for the plant and have one direct report. We recently have been granted £1m from the Government to upskill our employees and I am taking over this leadership role halfway through the grant process. As a general HR adviser, I am responsible for looking after a certain unit in the plant and dealing with day-to-day HR queries. At the moment, we are implementing a mass recruitment project for the proposed night shift, so the majority of my time is spent on arranging assessment centres, interviews and candidate medical screening appointments.
GRADUATE CASE STUDY LIVERPOOL BUSINESS SCHOOLwww.ljmu.ac.uk/studentfutures 7CAREERS AND EMPLOYABILITY CASE STUDIES
Isabelle Mooney, a 2019 Human Resource Management graduate, successfully secured a graduate scheme with Peninsula as an Employment Law Consultant.
GRADUATE CASE STUDY
What will your graduate scheme involve?
Why did you decide to apply for a graduate scheme? I applied through the graduate scheme internally as I took part in the undergraduate programme at Vauxhall Motors. I really enjoyed my time with the company and did not want to leave, so I put myself forward for the scheme and was successful.
❙ The training programme, and learning new practical skills on the job.
What did the application/selection process involve and how did you prepare for each stage? As I had completed an undergraduate placement with them, I was fast-tracked directly to the final interview stage (without having to go through psychometric tests and the assessment centre again). With my existing knowledge of the company’s processes and procedures, I entered the interview with ideas for how I would improve the current practices. What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability? I would suggest that you do a placement year, as this shows you to be a strong and employable candidate from the get-go. Complete a number of internships to gain an insight into how different organisations work. The university offer paid internships with local businesses, so definitely consider those. Don’t just copy what other students are doing if it doesn’t work for you – as philosophical as it sounds, everyone is on their own journey and things happen for a reason. If you do not get a certain job or placement that you really wanted, it may turn out to be a positive rather than a negative. What aspects of your degree were particularly useful in the selection process? I found the practical sessions very useful for when I entered the workplace, because I could adapt the approaches to my work. I feel that these gave me some advantage over other candidates too. My dissertation was a key talking point for interviews and sparked interest within other HR professionals, so this was a great way for me to make contacts and network.
I used my communication skills a lot. During the assessment centre, it was useful to talk to not just the assessors but also the other candidates to demonstrate my communication skills. I also used a lot of my knowledge from my year placement when completing the competency assessment at the assessment centre, as I had learnt a lot of practical skills from this.
What help and support did you access from the Careers, Employability & Start-Up Team? A lot! I used them to help me prepare for all stages of the application process and asked for feedback on my CV as well as advice on the telephone interview and assessment centre. I also made the most of the online guides available on their website and the resources on their Careers Zone 24/7 platform. There is so much invaluable information on there that you would pay a lot of money to have access to otherwise. What relevant work experience and skills did you use during the selection process?
2019 Human Resource Management graduate Dan Williams secured a role as HR Adviser/ Training Co-ordinator Lead at Vauxhall Motors.
What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability? Get as much work experience as possible! Starting from first year, do some volunteering or lots of small stints of work experience in different places. Although first year doesn’t count academically you can make it count by improving your employability. Everything adds up and makes your CV look a lot better, which will help towards getting a placement after your second year and a graduate job later on. Also highlight your strong points and what you have learnt in university and work experience. Make the most of the Careers, Employability & Start-Up Team, get your CV checked and practise for interviews/assessment centres. What aspects of your degree were particularly useful in the selection process? The experience of my lecturers. As they had come from the HR industry, they were able to give real-life examples of HR-related activities that put the knowledge we learnt on the course into perspective. This helped as I could use similar examples at the assessment centre.
Three things you like about your job: ❙ Becoming a manager for the first time ❙ Taking my next step up the career ladder ❙ Taking on the responsibilities of a HR adviser
I felt that a graduate scheme is the best stepping-stone to get where you want to be later in your career, and their strong focus on training equips you to do the job. I also thought you have more support if you are on a graduate scheme, as employers understand that you are fresh out of uni. Three things you are looking forward to in your new role:
❙ Working alongside other graduates on the programme, as there will be 19 of us.
❙ Putting into practice the knowledge I have learnt over the last four years in university. I am excited to start off my career in a company that is all about HR - it feels as though I have achieved my goal!
What did the application/selection process involve? After submission of my CV, I was invited to complete a telephone interview. The final stage was an assessment centre, which involved group and individual competency-based tasks as well as a one-to-one interview.
My 18-month graduate scheme in a HR and employment law advisory company is made up of a 6-month training programme followed by three rotations in documentation, employment law and advice over the remaining 12 months. During the documentation rotation, I will assist in composing HR documentation such as company handbooks and contracts. The employment law rotation will involve checking that companies are compliant with employment law, and during the advisory rotation I will advise organisations on any HR-related issues they are facing. Why did you decide to apply for a graduate scheme?
CAREERSSTUDY ADVERTISINGMARKETING,&PRINTERNSHIPCASESTUDY
Jack Griffiths graduated with a degree in Marketing in 2020 and is now completing a business and marketing internship with Mindless Mag.
www.ljmu.ac.uk/studentfutures
8 CAREERS AND EMPLOYABILITY CASE STUDIES
GRADUATE CASE
The best piece of advice I can give is to become a self-starter. The job market, particularly for students and graduates, is incredibly competitive, and finding opportunities is hard. Employers will value someone who can take initiative, you could consider starting a blog, doing some volunteering or joining a university society, or enrolling onto an online course. Do not rule out start-ups or going abroad for work experience, as they offer varied opportunities and exposure to more than one area of the business.
1. I had a lot of freedom to “make the role my own”.
I volunteered to be a Digital Marketing Executive for a small independent clothing company. This gave me lots of skills in social media marketing, CRM, e-commerce and copywriting. I stayed with the company until I got my role at Maple&Co and juggled it in my final year at university in Liverpool, even though the company was in Northern Ireland.
I assisted with tasks such as website and UX design, social media policy and strategy, branding, market research, competitor research.
Tell us about how you got to where you are today?
On my placement year at university, I studied abroad in Spain. I worked with the universities Digital Marketing team as their social media analyst, which helped develop my digital strategy skills, analytic reading skills and my creative skills. What advice would you give to other students wanting to pursue this career path to improve Get as much experience as possible and intern intern intern!!! Also, reach out to local companies near you and if you have some spare time offer to work for them unpaid, build your portfolio and your own brand name.
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Have initiative and create a 1-minute video of yourself displaying your skills and send it with your CV & cover letters, I guarantee you this will make you stand out compared to other applicants.
Naomi Bird is a Business and Public Relations graduate who now works as a Digital Manager at Miso Group
What kind of work experience and volunteering did you do to help you get where you are today?
I chose to study Marketing as it really captured my imagination, and I loved the combination of creativity, strategy and psychology. I really enjoyed studying marketing theories, concepts and models, but I also appreciated that I needed to gain real-world professional experience to enhance my CV and accelerate the development of my knowledge and skills. I started writing my own blog and taking up some editorial work with two major online student publications, this helped me secure a role in content marketing with an international start-up based in Lisbon during summer 2019. This was an invaluable first step into the world of marketing and allowed me to identify my values, strengths and career goals. These experiences then helped me secure the internship with Mindless Mag and graduate with a strong degree classification. As a result, I have secured a permanent role with Mindless upon the completion of the internship.
Tell about how you got to where you are today. Before graduating, I began applying for jobs within my degree sector, but the response was very slow. The competition was so high. I applied through an agency platform that connects employers to graduates called Digital Grads. Their platform is amazing, so easy to use and the staff are so helpful, in August, I applied for an internship role at Maple&Co and got the job! Since then, I have been promoted twice to Digital Marketing Executive in November, and now I am Digital Manager.
What did your internship involve?
Three things that I like about the internship:
2. Being able to make an impact. Working for a new venture meant I could actually see the impact that the work I was doing had.
What does your job involve? Main Responsibilities: ❙ Managing CRM ❙ Managing all digital platforms i.e. social media, website, blog, emails ❙ Writing newsletters and blogs ❙ Content creation ❙ Email marketing ❙ Market Research ❙ Brand collaborations ❙ Influencer Marketing ❙ Measuring Analytics / Insights ❙ Managing the community
I concluded the internship by producing a multi-channel marketing report for the founder of the company - this reinforced my learning and turned the research I had conducted into an actionable strategy.
3. I found the variety of the role exciting. I gained experience in marketing, as well as other areas of the business. What kind of work experience and volunteering did you do to help you get to where you are today? I knew I wanted to use my time at university to try out lots of new experiences and get out of my comfort zone. In my first year, I started my own music blog, which I think helped me secure a role at Mindless Mag as this showed the founder that I am a self-starter and am experienced in online content and Wordpress. I spent my sandwich year studying abroad in Norway, followed by a summer internship with a start-up based in Portugal. I also attended a summer school in China with Liverpool Business School. These international experiences were key in helping me get to where I am today as it shows adaptability and ambition. What advice would you give to other students wanting to pursue this career path to improve their chances?
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Would you do anything differently if you were a first-year student again? I would start applying or preparing for placement positions from first year, as some applications for big companies close at the beginning of second year. I would also apply for student advocate roles and volunteer for a community project or charity to gain more experience, or even apply for a summer internship/semester abroad to add valuable skills to my CV and have additional experiences to talk about during interviews. Being proactive and taking advantage of even one of these opportunities will help you find your career path, boost your CV and make you stand out!
PLACEMENT CASE STUDY LIVERPOOL BUSINESS SCHOOLwww.ljmu.ac.uk/studentfutures 9CAREERS AND EMPLOYABILITY CASE STUDIES
Which are the most important employability skills you learnt during your time at LJMU and how do you use them in practice? Creativity, teamwork and collaboration and planning and organising. Due to the fact my degree had a lot of group work, I really developed my ability to work with a variety of characters throughout my degree. This really helped when I would be put in similar situations within job roles as I knew how best to handle situations of conflict within teams or how best to show leadership. An example of this is as a student advocate as I am now a more experienced advocate who often has to act as a leader within a group at events. Because of my experience, I don’t shy away from this and use my growth mindset to resolve any issues to organise people to best complete a task.
I was the vice-president of the African Caribbean Society, a member of the International society and a mentor for international students. During my interview, I talked a lot about my communication and presentation skills gained from my course and my interpersonal, leadership, teamwork, adaptability and time management skills developed from all the societies and activities I was involved in.
What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability? Be open-minded and apply for jobs or companies that may not catch your attention at first. Just never say never. Don’t give up on searching for a placement!
The first stage involved sending a CV and cover letter followed by an informal interview with the company’s Marketing Manager and the current placement student. The final stage required delivering a 20-minute marketing campaign presentation on one of the company’s products to the Managing Director, Marketing Director, Marketing Manager and Sales Manager. The Employability Support Unit were a massive help throughout the placement application process. They went through my CV and cover letter to make sure I had covered everything on the job description. I also attended a mock interview with the ESU and they helped prepare me for the questions I was asked in the actual interview.
Tell us more about the internship: I took part in this internship in the summer between my undergraduate degree and my masters. At the time of being offered the internship, I was unsure as to whether I would go on to study my masters or get a full time job therefore the internship gave me time to research into both options before deciding, which proved beneficial to me as I believe I chose the right direction for me. I also wish to have a graduate role within higher education so it allowed me to broaden my experience within this area and I knew I would really enjoy the role. My role was a graduate case study co-ordinator and it was my job to liaise with recent graduates from LJMU, interview them and edit together videos that showcased the experiences of a variety of graduates. Typical day-to-day duties include making initial contact with graduates, recording data, liaising with members of the student advancement team at LJMU, editing videos and using software like Panopto to create a digital filing system for the videos I created.
Claire Murphy graduated with a degree in Marketing in 2020 and then went on to study a Masters in Cities, Culture and Creativity MA Why did you decide to apply for your postgraduate course? When studying during my final year, I attended a PG open day at LJMU to explore the options of furthering my studies and I found a couple of courses that I was interested in. Then, after finishing my undergraduate during the global pandemic, I thought that going onto a masters programme would allow the world a year to go back to some sort of normality while I developed and widened my knowledge surrounding marketing. I chose to study Cities, Culture and Creativity as I enjoyed the creative side of my degree and marketing a place rather than a product and the programme had a module that was focused entirely on this.
What relevant skills and extracurricular activities did you use during the selection process?
What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability? Get involved with as much as you can while at university, whether that’s getting a job, joining a society, securing an internship with Unitemps or going abroad. You don’t necessarily have to work throughout the whole of your degree in order to look employable. Getting involved and showing that you are proactive increases your employability.
POSTGRADUATE CASE STUDY
Mariama Balde Djaura graduated from the BA (Hons) Business Studies programme in 2019. Here, she reflects on her 12-month placement as a Marketing Assistant at Bullen Healthcare.
How have you benefited from previous work experience, career research, membership of professional bodies, involvement in Student Union activities?
Broadening my knowledge around this area with the other modules on the course has meant that I can explore other career paths that I wouldn’t have considered before, which is invaluable to me.
Getting 10 or 15+ rejections is completely normal and in fact helps you gain more experience with application forms and confidence at interviews. Always proofread your applications and get feedback from the ESU or Careers, Employability & Start-Up Team – they are wonderful teams and will make sure you get the support you need!
I wanted to increase my understanding and awareness of the world of work, and accelerate my personal maturity, self-awareness and ability to articulate skills and achievements. I was also keen to gain skills specific to my Business degree and employability skills required for my future career. What did the application/selection process involve and how did you prepare for each stage?
Why did you want to do a placement?
I was a member of the yoga society for all four of my years at LJMU and was president for two of those. This experience has been one of my favourite elements of university life as it allowed me to meet like-minded people and have a break from studying. Being on the committee has also given me something to put on my CV and talk about at interviews. I have also worked part-time for LJMU as a student advocate, which involves me assisting with university events like open days and school visits, as well as get involved with promotions which was a useful experience as I was able to gain some marketing experience to support my degree. Finally, I took part in a funded internship with Unitemps last summer between my undergraduate degree and masters, which allowed me to build skills both working full-time and working remotely. I thoroughly enjoyed this and due to my aspirations to working within a similar role after university, it was a very valuable experience for me.
Which are the most important employability skills you learnt during your time at LJMU and how do you use them in your day to day role?
In the summer after graduating I got a part-time internship at Constellations Events. This internship was the first chance to put my marketing knowledge into practice. Getting this experience was what provided me with a stepping stone to get a real job. I also currently volunteer with LCR Pride Foundation on their Marketing Committee. It is great to be a part of such an important charity in the city and getting involved in a huge event. What advice would you give to other students wanting to pursue this career path to improve their chances? My advice would be that if you are ever in a networking scenario, meeting new people or are even just starting a new class, always introduce yourself. Remember that first impressions count and especially in such a competitive job market, having a great first impression could be the difference between getting the job or not.
Planning and organisation, teamwork and collaboration and ICT and technology / digital literacy have been very important. I believe within the roles that I have had since graduating, working within a team and being able to collaborate alongside being organised are probably the most crucial skills to have. I remember when I would be in seminars or would have group work assignments in university and I would hate taking part in them because of conflict or because some team members may not be pulling their weight. But now being in a work environment, these group scenarios are real life and it does happen during your career. You can have colleagues who are difficult or don’t stick to deadlines but learning how to get along with your colleagues whilst maintaining professional is incredibly important and being able to work with people will get you further in your career.
GRADUATE CASE STUDY
GRADUATE CASE STUDY LIVERPOOL BUSINESS SCHOOL www.ljmu.ac.uk/studentfutures 10 CAREERS AND EMPLOYABILITY CASE STUDIES
I had completed a sandwich placement at Bentley Motors as a social media and digital content coordinator. This was a great help to me when applying as I’d had 12 months’ experience running global social media accounts. I’ve always enjoyed creating content, since I did a Media Studies A-Level and tried to keep this skill up by creating things like invitations or leaflets on Photoshop in my spare time. If any of my assignments allowed for anything creative, I’d use Photoshop, just to maintain and enhance my skills. This has paid off, as I now use these skills on a daily basis as part of my job.
I would also suggest that if you have the opportunity to get involved in some sort of volunteering, I would take it. Not only will volunteering help you to get experience in your chosen career but volunteering will also help you realise what it is that you don’t want to do. What relevant experience/skills did you use during the selection process?
Amaya Carney-Smith completed an MSc in Digital Marketing in 2020 and now works as a Marketing and Communications Officer at Liverpool BID Company
After graduating from the Business and Public Relations programme in 2017, Sydney Keighrey joined investment company MSIF as a Marketing Manager.
Tell us about how you got to where you are today. When I graduated I was concerned as I had 3 years of learning behind me but had no actual in-person experience or on the job experience in marketing. So, despite knowing what marketing was, I’d never had the ability to put it into practice. Fortunately, a few weeks after graduating I was able to get an internship at Constellations Events in the Baltic Triangle and this is what really kick-started my career. The team there were extremely welcoming, friendly and really threw me into the deep end to give me the experience I desperately needed. Within a month of working at Constellations part-time, I was then able to take the experience I had learned from the internship and put it into a full-time job at a marketing agency. I have since had 3 different marketing jobs in different sectors since working at Constellations in 2017, but each role has opened my eyes as to what I want my career to be, which industry that I want to be a part of and which elements of marketing I like to work in.
What does your current role involve? I have quite a varied job role here as I am currently the only person within marketing. My duties include creating content for and managing our website and social media channels; writing press releases to showcase the work of MSIF; and organising and managing events. Using these different formats allows us to reach different people, enabling effective communication to take place. Overall, my job role is about communicating who MSIF are and what we do to the public. What did the application/selection process involve and how did you prepare for each stage? I found out about the role through an email from the Employability Support Unit. The initial application required a CV and covering letter, which I had reviewed by the ESU before sending it off. When I was invited to attend an interview, I asked if there was anything they would like me to prepare, and they suggested I look at the social media channels to see what I thought of the current activity. The interview with the CEO and investment director lasted around 20 minutes. They asked me about myself and my experience and about certain things I had mentioned in my covering letter. It was a nice interview where I was given the freedom to talk about my past experience and how I felt I could improve MSIF. I had analysed their Twitter page, suggesting how they could improve by showing them similar businesses who were achieving higher success rates. After the interview, I was invited back to deliver a 20-minute presentation to all of the investment directors, comparing MSIF’s online presence to its competitors. I was nervous, but the presentation went really well. It took me a whole weekend to make the perfect presentation, but they offered me the job straight after my presentation. What relevant experience/skills did you use during the selection process? I had completed a sandwich placement at Bentley Motors as a social media and digital content coordinator. This was a great help to me when applying as I’d had 12 months’ experience running global social media accounts. I’ve always enjoyed creating content, since I did a Media Studies A-Level and tried to keep this skill up by creating things like invitations or leaflets on Photoshop in my spare time. If any of my assignments allowed for anything creative, I’d use Photoshop, just to maintain and enhance my skills. This has paid off, as I now use these skills on a daily basis as part of my job.
Ever since graduating, I always knew that I wanted to get a MSc. Marketing is such an ever-evolving topic, things are always changing and the job market is increasingly competitive so having an extra qualification can only ever be a positive. It is important to say, getting a Masters is more than just learning and gaining practical experience, it is also a really positive networking opportunity. You are able to create relationships with your peers who will be working similar jobs and you never know when this might come in handy. Whether it’s future job opportunities, creating positive collaborations or even asking advice from like-minded people. What kind of work experience and volunteering did you do to help you get where you are today?
What did the application/selection process involve and how did you prepare for each stage?
For the first and second interview, I researched the company in even more detail (values, vision, size, awards, profits, industry sector, recent news, products, departments) to be able to impress the interviewers. This paid off, as their first question was ‘Can you tell me what you know about the company?’, and one of the interviewers said she was impressed with my knowledge of the company. In addition, I prepared answers to typical questions like ‘what made you apply to this company/graduate scheme?’ and competency-based questions like ‘tell me about a time when you have shown great leadership skills/initiative/teamwork/communication/organisation skills?’ Most importantly, I had a mock interview with a careers adviser in the Careers Zone, which helped me to be more confident for the actual interview. I also looked for interview tips on LJMU’s Careers Zone 24/7 website. I ensured my presentation looked professional and there wasn’t too much text on the slides. I practised the presentation a lot to make sure I knew all the content and that it would fit within the allocated 10 minutes. This improved my confidence and reduced my stress and anxiety on the day. What help and support did you access from the Careers, Employability & Start-Up Team? Throughout my time at LJMU, I asked the Careers, Employability & Start-Up Team for advice on my CV and cover letter when applying for jobs and placements, which made me more confident and put me in a good position when I applied for the role at Net World Sports.
GRADUATE CASE CAREERSSTUDY
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For the application, I conducted thorough research to show real understanding of and enthusiasm for the company in the cover letter and tailored both documents specifically for this application, making sure they contained all the skills listed in the job description to increase my chances of success.
What aspects of your degree were particularly useful in the selection process? The extensive commercial awareness and knowledge of the sports industry, for example from various guest speakers, played a very important part. One of my graduate scheme placements is within marketing, so talking about my marketing-related dissertation and experience from creating marketing plans for my course helped me to answer any marketing questions during the interviews, as I could relate back to them and the excellent grades I achieved. What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability? Don’t think that the first and second year don’t count that much, because if you have good grades, you are more likely to get internships. Also, when you apply to graduate schemes in your final year, you will need to refer back to your grades from the previous two years. Be proactive and get as much work experience as possible, because the harsh reality is that a degree on its own does not guarantee you a job at all. Work experience will help you stand out in interviews and you will have more varied examples of key skills required for the job. Try to get involved in societies/sports clubs, as these are highly valued by employers and again give you more varied examples for applications and interviews. Being in the committee of a society/sports team or a course representative develops your leadership skills, which otherwise might be hard to acquire before working in a full-time graduate job. Use your time wisely during university and try to network with as many people as possible, because you never know who might offer you a job.
2019 BA (Hons) Sport Business graduate Dimitar Stoyanov has secured a place on the Net World Sports graduate scheme and is looking forward to starting his career with the online sports retailer. IN SPORT BUSINESS
The selection process had three stages: submission of a CV and cover letter; first round of interviews at the Net World Sports Office; and finally a second interview and presentation to five managers.
The Careers, Employability & Start-Up Team frequently came into our lectures giving us information about possible career options, how to become more employable, and how to build up a good LinkedIn account, which all paid off in the end as I secured a graduate role before graduation. I also attended additional webinars on assessment centres and LinkedIn. What relevant work experience and skills did you discuss during the selection process? Apart from using examples from my part-time jobs, I relied on the two marketing internships I completed as part of my course at digital agency Rippleffect and at Decathlon. During my placement at Rippleffect, I learned how to use Google Analytics and Google AdWords, and at Decathlon, I created a marketing plan focused on increasing their presence in Liverpool. Talking about these experiences during the different stages of the selection process helped me because one of my placements during the scheme will be in the marketing department. Skills such as communication, problem-solving, teamwork, attention to detail, listening, proactivity and interpersonal skills helped me to write the cover letter and CV and answer interview questions. Moreover, I discussed my roles as vice-president/captain of the university basketball team and course representative, talking about the skills I developed, like leadership, organisation, presentation and influencing others.
What did the application/selection process involve and how did you prepare for each stage? I attended an assessment centre at Matalan head office, which required me to create a SWOT analysis on the retailer and the products they offer in comparison to the rest of the high street. I also took part in an interview and a group exercise. I researched the company and its competitors a lot to prepare for this role and was able to use my previous experiences from university to participate in the group task successfully.
I wanted to gain more skills and experiences needed to excel in my future career. Through applying my theoretical knowledge into practice, I hoped to expand my understanding of marketing and management, improving both my personal and professional development. Being an international student, I believed a placement would encourage me to be more confident.
BA (Hons) Business Studies graduate Anastassiya Yugay completed a yearlong placement as an Export Assistant at Rosario Exports during her time at LJMU.
Why did you want to do a placement?
What does your role involve? I assist the buyers in building ranges for the store and website, which involves meeting suppliers and researching the marketplace to see what other retailers offer. One of the main aspects of the role is to ensure a high-quality product is offered to the customer at a value price through careful consideration of fabrics used, design and fit quality.
Whilst I am fluent in both Russian and English, an opportunity to further improve my professional verbal and written skills should never be turned down. In addition, I was confident a placement would provide me with a better understanding of the business world, especially within the UK.
Business and Public Relations graduate Rachael May secured an interesting position as a Trainee Buyer at Matalan. CASE
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Three things you like about your job: ❙ Creativity: I really enjoy the creative aspect of this job as I have a say in the colours, fabrics and designs that are being featured in the range.
❙ Meeting and communicating with different suppliers from all over the world and building good relationships with them.
❙ Career progression: It is motivating to know that there is a career path in place to progress to more senior roles, which will enable me to travel frequently and be responsible for building full ranges that go into store.
STUDY PLACEMENT CASE STUDY
It will also be a stepping stone towards your future growth because further opportunities will become possible as a result. A placement will help you to understand what you want to do in the future and reinforce what type of work you are interested in. In addition, it will help you to expand your skills and knowledge that you could use to apply for future job roles. Would you do anything differently if you were a first-year student again? I would be more active in terms of applying for all the opportunities that the university offers such as Erasmus or internships abroad to help boost my CV and stand out from other candidates. I regret not taking advantage of such amazing opportunities. When you are a first-year student, you feel you have all the time in the world, but that is not true; time will fly so I would advise first-year students to explore study abroad/internship/ volunteering opportunities to gain relevant skills and knowledge that you could talk about in future job applications and interviews.
I was a member of LJMU’s International Society which allows you to explore cultures and traditions of students from around the world. The Export Assistant role involved communicating with clients from different countries and cultural backgrounds; therefore, the knowledge and skills gained from this society was a great help during the interview process as I was able to talk about my ability to communicate and interact with international people. What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability? Never give up applying! The process might seem very difficult, long and tiring; however, it leads to so many benefits. You might receive many rejections, but I believe if you really want a placement, the possibilities of getting one are very high. A placement year will enrich your communication skills and confidence, which will further benefit you throughout your final year in university.
CAREERS IN RETAIL AND SALES LIVERPOOL BUSINESS SCHOOL www.ljmu.ac.uk/studentfutures 12 CAREERS AND EMPLOYABILITY CASE STUDIES
Describe your role and main duties: As an Office Administrator/Exports Assistant within Rosario Exports, a British food exporter, my responsibilities involved dealing with customers via email and over the phone, using my direct marketing communication skills. My main duties consisted of processing orders and relaying them to the warehouse manager, monitoring the delivery of stock to the warehouse, organising the collection details with various shipping companies, and registering new product lines with the Ministry of Health. In general, this role required me to be organised and have a high attention to detail. Through using my leadership skills to work both independently and in teams, I completed a variety of tasks relating to increasing their customer awareness/interactions.
What relevant extracurricular activities impressed the employer during the selection process?
What help and support did you access from the Careers, Employability & StartUp Team? I used the Careers, Employability & StartUp Team for CV feedback and advice, which enabled me to collate all the skills I gathered throughout my degree and relate them to the specific requirements listed on the job description. This ensured that my application was focused on the key skills Matalan was looking for. What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability? Gain as much experience as possible in the field you want to go into, especially in fashion buying and retail as people are hired based on the experience they have. This can be achieved through a few weeks’ work experience at a retailer or completing a year in industry placement, which will give you the required skills and an idea of what is expected of you within the role. What aspects of your degree were useful in the selection process? During my time at university I took part in a Young Start-Up business module, in which we came up with a business idea as a team, and then started up this business from scratch. My team made it all the way to the national finals with our business idea! This process allowed me to work closely in a team with people who offered different skills to make this business work. The experience of embracing what different team members brought to the task now helps me in my job working as part of a team with other buyers/merchandisers.
What does your graduate scheme involve? Responsibility for running four to six stores, recruitment, training and development of employees, conducting monthly meetings with store managers to address key issues, and communicating daily with stores to monitor turnover.
What did the application/selection process involve and how did you prepare for each stage? After submitting a covering letter, I was invited for an interview with a HR manager and my future manager. I prepared by researching common interview questions and thinking of possible responses, and by printing off relevant coursework to show them. I also worked out the route to the office in advance so I could time it right - you’d be surprised by how many graduates are late for interviews. What help and support did you access from the Careers, Employability & Start-Up Team? I completed a paid 20-day data analysis internship with the Careers, Employability & Start-Up Team, which was later extended for a further 20 days. This opportunity helped me to realise that I enjoyed data analysis and I was also able to learn a new coding language as I worked, which later became really useful in my role at ASICS. What relevant work experience and skills did you discuss during the selection process? I talked a lot about the data analysis internship in the Careers, Employability & Start-Up Team and the skills I could carry over to the ASICS job from this - I think that played a huge part in my success, as I already had this experience as proof that I could do what they wanted. Although the experience from my sandwich placement wasn’t overly relevant to data analysis, I picked out some aspects from it that I knew would be useful, like extensive Excel work, experience of teamwork, and time management. As the internship was within the finance department, I really pushed in the interview how much I enjoyed the finance modules on my course and how I had gained my best marks in those. What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability?
Andrew Thomas graduated with a degree in Business Studies and now works as a trainee area manager for Lidl with responsibility for running up to six stores.
Matt Taylor graduated from the BA (Hons) Business Studies programme in 2017 and now works as a Business Intelligence Co-ordinator at ASICS in their head office in Amsterdam.
❙ Spending time with many different people, working to understand their needs and how we can help them. The Amsterdam office is a huge multicultural office with staff from so many different countries.
Get relevant work experience - something you can talk about in interviews that would make the employer interested. Most students have worked at McDonalds or behind a bar, so if you have experience you can relate to the job you have applied for, you’ll be a strong candidate. If your course offers a sandwich year in industry, definitely do it, and try finding a role relating to your career interests. Don’t give up the search! I only managed to secure a placement in my ‘last attempt’ interview at the end of June, which was quite late. Also, in interviews, be yourself. It’s a cliché, but it’s really what employers are looking for. They don’t want generic answers but want to find a person that will do a good job and fit in well with the company culture. Being yourself is also the best way to ensure that you end up somewhere that fits you. Would you do anything differently if you were a first-year student again? I would start coursework and particularly my dissertation earlier. My marks probably suffered because everything was very last minute, and it really isn’t fun or healthy pulling all-nighters and living in the library for the last two weeks of term!
Three things you like about your job:
❙ Every day is a new day, there is always something new to learn, whether this is how to deal with employees, or new processes and procedures.
When I graduated, I took a one-year data analysis internship at the ASICS UK office in Warrington, manipulating large amounts of data using Excel, coding, and creating sales reports. Multiple opportunities came up during the year to work with the head office in Amsterdam on developing reporting software and assisting with data projects, which involved a lot of phone calls and web conferencing as well as almost monthly trips to Amsterdam. After proving myself on these projects, I was then offered a “proper” job in the Amsterdam head office, so I recently relocated there. My current role entails working very closely on multiple reporting software packages and creating tools that almost everyone in the company uses daily to make better data-driven decisions. I also work with customers ensuring the best possible data flow, both internally and externally. My business knowledge allows me to see things from a different angle than someone who is more IT-orientated, and so we are better placed to create packages that the business will use, as I understand where they can aid my colleagues and which information is relevant.
I applied for a graduate scheme because of the opportunities available. A lot of graduate schemes offer the chance to work in different areas of the business, which is great, because you see how different areas operate and just how important they are to the business being successful.
What did the application process involve and how did you prepare for each stage? There is a three stage process which consists of a group interview and then an assessment centre where you have an interview, Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis, role play exercise, numeracy and situational judgement test and then a final interview. Preparation for each stage was key. Information on the company is always useful to know, especially if the company does anything differently to its competitors. It was also key to prepare any information about yourself, e.g. when you have worked under pressure, your time management skills and experience of managing staff. Having answers to possible questions will make sure you are well prepared. Would you do anything differently if you were a first-year student again? 100% yes! If I were starting my first year again I would have definitely looked at securing a three-month internship over the summer before starting second year. When I was in my second year applying for placements, I realised that other candidates at assessment centres had completed summer internships and as a result they went on to the next stage of the process. Yes, three months isn’t a long time, so you may think that it’s not worth applying, but it could help you secure that placement or graduate job that you want.
LIVERPOOL BUSINESS SCHOOLwww.ljmu.ac.uk/studentfutures 13CAREERS AND EMPLOYABILITY CASE STUDIES
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Why did you decide to apply for a graduate scheme?
❙ The office culture is great! We can wear casual clothing and work flexible hours. Everyone is really friendly and approachable, and we have a gym in the office as well as our own restaurant. It doesn’t feel like a boring 9-5 desk job, and I think the office culture is important to being happy at work!
❙ The responsibility that I am entrusted with in my job. I am very visible across the entire business, and so it really feels like the work I am doing is worth it! Obviously it adds pressure, but I think that makes it more enjoyable. It is great to see so many people using the software I have played a key role in developing.
❙ The responsibility of managing upwards of 70 staff.
Three things you like about your job:
What does your role involve?
❙ The interaction with not only all levels of employees, but customers as well.
Jessica Kennedy is an International Tourism Management graduate who now works for Smaller Earth.
GRADUATE CASE CAREERSSTUDYIN INTERNATIONAL TOURISM MANAGEMENT LIVERPOOL BUSINESS SCHOOL www.ljmu.ac.uk/studentfutures 14 CAREERS AND EMPLOYABILITY CASE STUDIES www.ljmu.ac.uk/postgraduate GET A 20% DISCOUNT OFF YOUR LJMU POSTGRADUATE COURSE To discover more, call 0151 231 5090, or go to:
What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability?
How did you secure the job at Smaller Earth? Through my degree I carried out a four week placement at Smaller Earth. After a very successful placement I was sad to leave. I felt I was a good fit in the office and formed close relationships with the staff. Management gave me a very good review and even paid for my programme fees to go back to America to work for the summer. When I arrived home from America I received an email regarding a job vacancy for a full-time staff member at Smaller Earth. I applied right away and was scheduled in for an interview the following day. Completing the three-day Career Kickstart course at LJMU gave me renewed confidence; I was successful at interview and was chosen for the job. I have worked in different forms of education all my working life, from primary and secondary schools, to adult and further education. I have actually gone back to working mainly in primary schools, where my career first started and where I developed from. What support did you access in the Careers Zones? On arrival back to the UK following my summer working abroad I utilised the Careers, Employability & Start-Up Team specifically to gain more confidence in interview situations. This was something I feared when applying for graduate jobs and really lacked confidence with. After attending the three-day Career Kickstart course my confidence levels massively increased. During the three-day course I was given support and guidance on writing a great CV, assessment centres (which we got to practise which was brilliant) and most importantly how to sell yourself in an interview. On the last day of the course I had a mock interview with one of the staff from the Careers, Employability & Start-Up Team and it went amazingly well. I felt super-confident after it and no longer fear interviews. I put my success in my Smaller Earth interview down to the tips and guidance I received from the Careers, Employability & Start-Up Team. What relevant work experience activities did you use during the selection process? During my university studies I worked part-time as a receptionist/ administrator in a busy serviced office building. Here I gained skills and confidence when networking, speaking on the phone and answering emails. These skills helped me settle into my work placement easily. Also during university, I spent two of my summer holidays out in the USA gaining international work experience working on a summer camp. Here I met and worked with people from different countries and cultures which opened up my mind and instilled my passion for the tourism industry.
For tourism students specifically, get international work experience. There are so many opportunities available for students to spend their summer breaks working abroad and gaining life changing work experience. When employers see international work experience on your CV it shows you are responsible and independent. Throw yourself into your work placement giving it 100% effort. You never know what could come of a successful work placement. Keep busy! Whilst studying at university hold down a job, make time for friends, family and hobbies and also volunteer. I volunteered for both Guide Dogs and Ronald McDonald House charities whilst studying at university as well as working in a bar and in a serviced office. Therefore when it comes to interviews, I have a lot to talk about. The more relevant experience you have to talk about the better but any experience is good experience. Any other advice you would give to students about their employability? Utilise the Careers, Employability & Start-Up Team to make yourself as employable as possible. They are there to help you build upon your strengths and work on your weaknesses. They really helped me in my areas of weakness. Without the guidance, tips and interview practice they offered me who knows if I would have gained my graduate job at Smaller Earth.
LIVERPOOL BUSINESS SCHOOLwww.ljmu.ac.uk/studentfutures 15CAREERS AND EMPLOYABILITY CASE STUDIES Find flexible, part-time and temporary jobs that fit around your studies ... Earn some extra spending cash and enhance your CV using Unitemps at LJMU, our very own recruitment agency. availableAssignmentsatbothLJMU and externally, sign up now! To find out more or to register, scan the QR code or visit: ATUNITEMPSLJMU CONNECT WITH US: www.unitemps.com/branches/liverpool-john-moores-university unitemps@ljmu.ac.uk 0151 231 8888 https://bit.ly/38xNhl5
What does your current role involve? My main duties include updating the website, creating mail shots to send to agents and suppliers, logistics for events, creating content for social media, and updating social media channels.
BA (Hons) Events Management graduate Stephanie Mattu is working as a Sales Manager for Hilton Worldwide.
The first stage was an online questionnaire and submission of my CV. Following this, I had a phone interview with the hotel and then a faceto-face interview. The best way to prepare for interviews is to research the company to ensure you understand their values and to find out if it is the right place for you. I also made sure my CV was a true reflection of my education, work experience and volunteering – if this hadn’t been as strong as it was, I don’t think I would have got through to the interview stage! What relevant work experience and skills did you discuss during the selection process?
Sophie Steventon graduated from the BA (Hons) Marketing programme and is now working for pharmaceutical manufacturer ChargePoint Technology as a Marketing and Events Assistant.
Three things you like about your job: It is an interesting business to work within; my duties are varied; and the role is challenging so I keep learning.
What aspects of your degree were particularly useful in the selection process? A lot of presentation work we completed in third year helped me during the interview, as I was able to draw on these experiences and provide good answers using examples from both my placement and university.
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I spoke a lot about the volunteering and work experience I had done within the industry, which was key. Not all of my experiences were directly related to the role, but they still demonstrated that I was keen to utilise my free time to get to know the industry better. I also discussed how the skills I had picked up as an event steward, such as following direction but using my initiative, and as bar staff, such as having to work on my feet all day in fastpaced environments, were transferable to the position I applied for. What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability? Get as much work experience as possible! During my time at university, I worked as an event steward and in a bar alongside my volunteering. I also helped out fellow students on their live event module by volunteering as an extra pair of hands. This not only demonstrates to prospective employers that you have the drive to fill your extra time with productive activities but it is also key when applying for jobs that you have both the educational background and hands-on experience in the industry. Take the time to work on your CV! This is your chance to show potential employers the real you, so you should emphasise your strengths and really sell yourself. A strong CV could be the difference between getting a call back from an employer or not. Would you do anything differently if you were a first-year student again? I would probably tell myself to relax a little bit more and not worry so much. University is primarily about education, but it is also a time to find out who you really are as a person, what you like and don’t like and how to survive on your own! Mental health is such a prevailing issue these days and so I would definitely take more time to look after myself and not worry as much about what other people think!
GRADUATE CASE STUDY
CAREERS IN EVENTS MANAGEMENT LIVERPOOL BUSINESS SCHOOL www.ljmu.ac.uk/studentfutures 16 CAREERS AND EMPLOYABILITY CASE STUDIES
What did the application process involve and what relevant work experience and skills did you discuss during the selection process? I saw the job advert on indeed.com and applied through their website. After attending an interview, I was offered the job. For my placement year, I had worked abroad in Vienna at a marketing and sales company through the Erasmus programme, which was a great experience, as it allowed me to live abroad for a year while gaining actual marketing experience. The placement definitely helped my CV stand out, so I would recommend doing a placement year to current students, whether abroad or in the UK. I also completed a social media marketing internship after university, which again helped me gain more experience and put me in good stead to secure a job in the sector. What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability? Get as much varied experience as you can, ideally in your first and second year while the workload isn’t as heavy as in your final year. It can help to not be too picky when you come out of university and are looking for your first graduate job. It can take a while to find your ideal job, but you will get there in the end, so don’t get too disheartened!
What does your role involve?
My main responsibility is to be out on the road and visit clients to promote the services the hotel offers. Sometimes this can involve just having a cup of coffee and a chat with a client, and sometimes this can be a formal presentation to 30 people! I also work on promotional and marketing collateral for the hotel to push special offers, which is where my creative juices can really flow.
What did the application/selection process involve and how did you prepare for each stage?
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JULIE SCATTERSON, UNIVERSITY RELATIONSHIP BRANCH MANAGER, SANTANDER UNIVERSITIES UK “ “ LIVERPOOL BUSINESS SCHOOLwww.ljmu.ac.uk/studentfutures
Where did you find out about the placement and what did the application process involve?
Why did you want to do a placement?
I wanted to improve my future career opportunities. The events industry requires a lot of practical skills and experience, which can only be perfected on the job; therefore, I believe the more opportunities I have to gain experience working in the industry, the more my skills will grow for a successful career in weddings and events. Starting as an intern, you are able to work your way up within a company without any initial expectations as you go in at a beginner level, so this allows for trial and error, which is only ever beneficial within a learning experience.
LJMU had a few links with placement agencies in Malta; however from my own research I found Sarah Young online. I then spent time researching the company and Sarah Young herself and emailed her my CV and cover letter. Before starting my internship applications, I only had a general CV for basic part-time work, so made sure I created a CV and cover letter tailored towards the events industry, which included all my relevant experience to date. I adapted the cover letter for each application, so for Sarah Young I included detailed information about how my knowledge and experience related to her company. After emailing my application, I was offered an interview. In preparation, I researched the company further and reflected on the experiences and positives I wanted to get across in the interview. I was offered the job at the end of the interview.
What did your role involve? The company is very small with only three employees, including me, as we work with a lot of outside third-party suppliers. I needed to stay up-to-date and familiar with every event the company was working on. The 12-month placement allowed me to see the full circle in terms of a wedding/event; from the initial client proposal to the agreement stage, followed by the planning, and eventually the execution of the wedding or event on the day. I also completed tasks after the event, including the closing of accounts. My main duties involved the organisation of the office, so keeping track of accounts, filing and emailing. I also communicated with other business professionals, for example setting-up site visits and business meetings with clients and suppliers. I was responsible for collating the couple’s choices from meetings/emails/phone calls to create briefs to send to our suppliers so they could confirm arrangements. I also managed the company’s Instagram account, creating a calendar with content for each month and gaining permission from clients to post their photos. This was very successful, as we saw a surge in client proposals, including some high-profile requests for events and weddings as well as more followers every day. What help and support did you access from the Careers, Employability & Start-Up Team? I had help and support from Karen, one of the Employability Advisers, with my CV and covering letter. The advice really helped me to best lay out and discuss my skills and achievements on my application. The great thing was that I still felt totally independent, as I was able to go away and work on the documents further until I felt confident that I had a great CV and cover letter. What opportunities did you engage in before your placement year? In 2017, I was lucky enough to be granted the Go Global award from LJMU, which allowed me to complete a J1-Traineeship working at Universal Studios in Florida for the Hard Rock Hotel. This hospitality role gave me my first insight into the events industry on a bigger, global scale. During my second year, I was involved in the planning and execution of a charity ball for one of my modules. My team held a ball in aid of Sands, raising over £1000. I also completed an LJMUfunded internship for a local art company as an events intern for six weeks, where I was involved in the planning of a school competition, working with schools, local communities, different venues and events professionals. I networked a lot during this internship and made potential contacts for future event work. I’m glad I found out about the opportunity to complete a placement abroad through Erasmus, which helped me to travel abroad once again in order to complete another experience within the events industry. What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability? Take every opportunity the university offers, and approach companies for short-term volunteering roles or internships. Don’t think that short internships will not be valuable; the knowledge you gain will only improve your existing skill set and will help you become more efficient within the workplace. The more opportunities you take on and challenge yourself with, the more passionate and driven you will appear to future employers. Hard work truly pays off in the end! My personal experience of this was being offered a full-time job as a Luxury Wedding and Events Planner at my internship company in Malta after graduation. This opportunity was offered to me two months into my 12-month internship, which was extremely overwhelming and rewarding. Your future is what you make it, so think and plan carefully and efficiently.
Laura Newton is a Events Management graduate. She talks to us about her yearlong placement as a Wedding and Events Intern at Sarah Young Luxury Weddings & Events in Malta.
Having a degree is a very valuable asset when you are entering the job market, but it’s not the only thing that employers will be interested in. Having had some kind of work experience makes you stand above other applicants, building useful skills that cannot be taught in the classroom as well as contacts that students otherwise would not have access to. A prospective employer will often look favourably on the effort taken by those who have been proactive and found and undertaken some sort of work experience, as it allows them to put their academic talent into practice and ultimately may give them a better chance to be interviewed for the most sought-after graduate positions.
Honestly, there was no part of my placement that I disliked. There were events that I enjoyed more than others, but there was not any part that I didn’t enjoy. The whole experience was extremely rewarding and showed me how much I enjoyed working and that I had definitely chosen the right path. My work throughout the year allowed me to gain the award of ‘Intern of the Year’, which I am massively proud of.
❙ I liked that I was trusted to do the work set to me. I was supported when I was unsure, but I was encouraged to get on with my work and complete tasks to the best of my ability. The people I worked with trusted that I would complete tasks well, that I would ask for help if I needed it. This was rewarding, it reinforced to me that I was capable of working in the ‘real world’.
Tell us about how you got to where you are today. I knew I wanted to go to University and experience all that being a student has to offer, but I wanted to get a Degree that would help me get a good job. I explored my options in terms of degree, focusing on more vocational courses and decided that Events Management seemed fun, interesting and a good fit for me in terms of academic quality and professional practise. I wanted to build my work experience up from as early as possible so that I’d have as much experience possible for when I started to apply for jobs in the ‘real world’. I organised and completed a sponsored paraglide for Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice– this introduced me to simple organisational skills that would be essential later on. I also volunteered with University of Liverpool, offering on the day assistance for a range of events, from graduation to their public lecture series. This introduced me to behind the scenes of events and gave me an insight to how I would have to work during my placement year. What did your internship involve?
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What advice would you give to other students wanting to pursue this career path to improve their chances?
Three things I liked about the internship ❙ I worked on a range of different events, from gallery openings, to cultural festivals, to the schools end of year degree show. The diversity allowed me to gain an insight into how you have to switch up your communication styles dependant on who you are working with and the type of event you are working on. ❙ I was able to gain real world experience that was essential to my securing a Graduate role. The tasks I completed on a day-today basis were rewarding, they allowed me to gain transferable skills, essential elements that go into event planning that can only be learnt through working. I was able to use this experience to evidence my competence in the workplace. As useful as a degree is, it cannot teach you how to act in a work environment.
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Anything you were not so keen on?
Start getting relevant work experience early, if you can’t get paid work volunteer when you can. It is essential to work throughout your degree. As much as an employer wants a degree, it is likely that they will also want someone who has relevant experience, or transferable skills. You can find opportunities through university or through different job forums. If there is a specific company or organisation that you want to work with, contact them directly and ask about any opportunities they may have available – the worst they can say is no.
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LJMU e-Racing Team are on the look out for business, marketing, PR, graphic design, film/media, english and journalism students to support our team this academic year. www.ljmueracingteam.com
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Elizabeth McNulty graduated in 2020 with an Event Management degree and is now completing a graduate marketing assistant internship.
LJMU supported me finding a placement and I was lucky enough to be able to complete my placement year with Liverpool School of Art and Design. I worked on a wide variety of events with lots of different organisations including BBC Radio Merseyside, Bluecoat and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, amongst others. The placement involved planning and assisting with events for the School and their partner institutions. My responsibilities ranged from liaising with venues and keynote speakers to distributing general and VIP invitations. The role covered all the areas that could possibly go into event planning and I was very privileged to work with people who helped me when I was unsure but also trusted me to do the best job I could. My time working at Liverpool School of Art and Design gave me an amazing insight into the creative industries. How to stage an event from concept to delivery, how to manage the things that go wrong, and celebrate the things that go well!
Go postgrad YOURTRANSFORMFUTURE WITH STUDYPOSTGRADUATE For more information, go to: ljmu.ac.uk/postgraduate Thanks to postgraduatemy degree I am working in a job I didn’t even know existed 12 months ago. Jess Irwin Masters in Art in Science
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