Why did you choose that particular degree course?

I always had a fondness for english and loved writing. I was unsure of what career I wanted to go into but knew I wanted writing to be a part of that. I always loved analysis and so I really got a lot out of my degree.

Tell us about your employer

I work for Flexeserve which specialises in food-to-go solutions and manufacturing hot-holding units. The company works from making the units themselves all the way down to ensuring the packaging and cooking process is suitable for the food's quality and longevity. It is a B2B company which works in providing units for large supermarket chains, restaurants, cafes and so forth.

What was the position you were recruited for. Please briefly outline the position you were recruited to within your organisation and summarise the business needs and role you fulfil

I was recruited for the Content and Performance Marketing Role. My role is to report on our KPIs and other analysis, such as on mail campaigns, advertisements, and website traffic. I also create advertisements, and social media content whilst creating blog posts and supporting copywriting. My role is very multifaceted as we have a small in-house team of 3 people (myself, my manager, and our graphic design lead) which requires us all to tackle a variety of areas.

What attracted you to this position?

As it was my first role, I really wanted an in-person role so I could learn a lot quicker and luckily this role is a 25-minute drive from my house. I also liked that it was an entirely in-house company where our manufacturing partners and head office were all in the same building as I've gotten to meet a lot of different people.

I enjoyed that this role has allowed me to grow in a variety of fields as my work provides me with courses I wish to pursue and so I can see myself being valued here.

What are the key skills you learnt at Warwick that have helped you with your career to date?

During my time at Warwick, I gained a multitude of skills from different places.

From my degree itself, I learnt the importance of attention to detail alongside how to become a better writer and adapt to a variety of languages and tones. This helps me a lot in my writing now as I am able to adapt depending on the audience for any written work.

Furthermore, my time at Warwick included many society activities from my time with the Literature Society and ball organising to being a social sec and even being a deputy editor at The Boar. These experiences allowed me to develop a multitude of skills from graphic design to event organisation and even adaptability as many of these roles were surrounded by the pandemic.

What has been your greatest career challenge to date and how did your experience and skills help overcome it?

I would say my biggest career challenge was a recent project of organising a CRM system.

Having just left university, the company I work for had no CRM system in place or at least one that worked outside of excel spreadsheets and so with the success of the business, this was becoming harder to use. I was tasked with a budget and finding a way to have an effective CRM system that did not cost an extortionate amount.

Most CRM systems that we looked at a cost far greater than the initial budget and so I worked on finding different platforms and plugging them all in via an integrator to develop a CRM system myself. This took a lot of research but I managed to do it and this work has been vital in speeding up the process of our operations across departments.

What top tips would you give to students looking for a career in your market sector?

The best advice I could give to any upcoming graduates would be to be selective with your application process as repetitive applications for work you would not even want can lead to major burnout and effectively reduce the quality of your application.

Take time to build a portfolio or become accustomed to software such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to present your various skills.

Graduate roles are competitive and so developing your skills outside of being a student will be a great help.

What do you know now that you wish you had known when you were applying for jobs?

I wish I took the time to develop my portfolio more as it would have saved me a lot of burnout at the end of my masters from application rejection. I was aware it was a very competitive time however the extremes of how competitive it was surprised me and so I felt a lot like giving up at times. I would definitely wish to have taken the time and applied for the things I wanted as opposed to searching for any work.

Any additional advice or comments?

I really cherished my time at Warwick and I'm glad that despite doing a ton of extra-curricular things, my fun was something I also prioritised. It is true when people say there is no time quite like university and so I'm glad I was able to enjoy my life as a student alongside developing my skills.

I would suggest not completely losing yourself to the job search especially if you are in your earlier years as being prepared is good but your memories will be what you will remember.