Graduate in Business and Marketing at University of Chester Mark Martin, on how his studies helped prepare him for his career
I GRADUATED with first class honours in Business and Marketing from the University of Chester in 2010.
I had been keen to follow a marketing career for a number of years, as it is a personal interest of mine.
It made perfect sense to study at a university which was close to home, meaning that I would not have to face the additional expense of moving away.
Regardless of this, I would have happily relocated if I had felt that the University of Chester did not meet my requirements.
However, the Chester Business School at the University of Chester had a fine reputation and I had also heard many good things from friends who had attended the establishment, who spoke fondly about the welcoming atmosphere and helpful tutors.
Luckily, the reputation and recommendations proved to be accurate. Despite the expenses involved in university study, I would personally recommend it to anyone.
Other than the work relevant skills you acquire, you also pick up a number of life skills which are equally as important in the future.
Personally, I also improved my time management, presentation and writing skills, all of which have proved to be of vital importance to me in my first graduate job in the marketing department of Moneysupermarket.com.
I do not believe I would have been eligible for my position in the company, which I was very proud to obtain, if it had not been for the various work placements and volunteer positions the university arranged for me throughout my three years of study.
One of the most stimulating positions the Careers and Employability department helped me find was at the Waterways Action Squad, based in the Ellesmere Port Boat Museum.
A position arranged for my Work Based Learning module turned out to be equally as influential in the long run, as it helped me understand which areas of marketing I would prefer to work in.
Although I found it very tough at the time, the experience I gained helped to point me in the right direction for the future, and also helped me pick up a number of vital marketing skills which I have found to be useful in the real world of work.
All of this experience helped to make me stand out from other applicants when I applied to Moneysupermarket.com, where I currently work in the marketing department as a search associate. This basically involves writing content for the company’s website and online partners, as well as managing a number of mini-channels which will help my career progression through allowing me to pick up skills and experiences which can be utilised on larger channels in the future.
I would ideally like to work in other areas of marketing in the future, but I am enjoying the challenge of managing some insurance channels and learning how a big organisation works.
I realise that none of this would have been possible without the University of Chester, and I would recommend my course to anyone with an interest in pursuing a business or marketing-based career
