Â鶹´«Ã½

"After finishing my degree I spent the summer working at the University Widening Participation summer schools as a Lead Student Ambassador; following this I moved home to work and save money for a trip abroad. I then took a year out travelling through South East Asia, finishing in Australia where I worked and travelled further. Upon my return to the UK I moved to London and got my first 'proper' job after university working for Groupon as a Partner Manager. 

Following Groupon I moved into my first marketing role as Acquisition Marketing Executive for Milkround, a graduate recruitment website. From here I moved to the Guardian newspaper where I held two roles within the subscriptions marketing team before landing my current role as the Marketing Manager of The Hummingbird Bakery. I have been in London for over six years now and spend my holidays travelling around the world.

Last summer I worked on the marketing campaign to launch our Guildford bakery. This was our first branch outside of London so we could not be complacent with it. We hosted a VIP launch party as well as a huge public opening event. During our first week of trading we exceeded the forecasted sales by 114 per cent and cemented our place in the heart of Surrey.

My career plans and aspirations have changed a lot over time. Whilst at university I was very keen to work in publishing and did my dissertation on women’s magazines however this industry has changed a lot since my graduation. This is also very true of the marketing and advertising industry with huge technological advances and new tools being developed all the time. This is something our lecturers were always telling us, that we needed to stay ahead of the game.

Getting your first job after university is extremely hard and I would imagine now, with more people than ever before going to university, it is increasingly harder. Going through a placement year gives you the edge on students who have only academic experience. It also helps you to identify areas you enjoy about work. It prepared me for the world of work in a way that my studies did not.

My first two jobs after university were both referrals through friends and ex-colleagues and it certainly puts you on the top of the application pile. I would definitely recommend networking to my younger self and any recent graduates. Though I don’t wholly stand by the 'it’s not what you know, it’s who you know', it is definitely a combination of both. The more people you meet and stay in touch with the more options you give yourself down the line."

Choosing Â鶹´«Ã½

"In all honesty, I fell in love with Â鶹´«Ã½ from my very first visit. It was pouring with rain but the whole open day was simple. Being able to walk from the campus to halls to the train station to the sea was a huge draw. The staff were all welcoming and I didn’t find the other students/lecturers to be pretentious. This is one of the nicest things about the University, it is very laid back and inclusive. I think it’s the sea air.

Unlike other universities where the halls/student accommodation may be off campus Â鶹´«Ã½ has practically everything you will need within a ten-minute walking radius. This really facilitates learning, from popping to the library to meeting with your lecturers; it takes the hassle out of study.

I practically lived in the library in my final year, I loved it. My lecturers were also extremely helpful during my final year, often meeting with me outside o