Lydia studied Advertising and Brand Management at Manchester Met, graduating in 2022. We asked her for an update on life after graduation.

What did you like most about Manchester Met?

I really just loved the whole experience as a whole – meeting new people and friends, talking to tutors, getting to know students in seminars and lectures and learning about all the different areas of my course! All of the staff at Manchester Met are super helpful and offer great opportunities for students, and the University itself gave me such a great life experience.

What did you do after graduating?

After graduating I moved back home and started looking for roles within marketing and social media, and whilst I was looking for jobs I had a clothing reselling shop on Depop, which was great for hands-on work experience and having money income! After some job hunting, I secured a role as a Marketing and Admissions Officer at a private school, which primarily involved managing admissions and giving tours of the school to prospective parents – with creating general marketing material as well. 

So…what are you up to now?

Whilst my first full time job was great work experience, I soon realised that I wanted to get involved in more of the social media/creative side of things and head back to Manchester to enjoy the city life and be closer to friends! I started looking for more creative roles and eventually came across a Marketing Assistant job at A Place in the Sun (APITS Limited). After reading the job description I knew this was the perfect fit for me, so I applied, had interviews, and got the job! I’ve been working there now since July and I’m having such a great time, both with the role I’m doing and the people I work with. 

How did your studies prepare you for work?

My course really helped with my overall marketing experience and proved a great advantage when I applied for job roles after University. I’d say the most beneficial unit would be the ‘Consultancy Project’ that I completed in my third year. The unit involved working within a group and carrying out a project for a live client – in my case our client was Robert’s Bakery and our project was to formulate a social media strategy! It was really helpful in preparing myself for work after University, as I experienced a ‘live’ and ‘hands on’ project, whilst having the benefit of our tutor to guide and mentor us throughout the process. I’d definitely say if you have any opportunity to get involved in a live client brief – take it!

What other advice would you have for current students?

A piece of advice I would give is to go that extra mile when applying for jobs and really show off what you can do. Reach out to employers independently, showcase any of your work alongside your CV (a portfolio is a great idea – that’s what I did!) and build up a strong LinkedIn profile. And I’d definitely say don’t worry too much if your first job hasn’t got everything you’re after, you get to learn what you like and don’t like as much about certain roles and responsibilities – but it’s all great experience and gives you so many skills for future endeavours!