Throughout university, I experienced ups and downs with my mental health. My headspace often wasn’t consistent from one day to the next, but the school was very understanding and supportive. I went through phases where I couldn’t attend any lectures in person, but there was a great process in place where someone would reach out to me to check in. Through the support of my lecturers and the course administrators, I always caught up with what I missed and achieved things I never thought possible. My dissertation supervisor in my final year was also a great resource for support and keeping me accountable throughout the entire process.
I did a placement year too! After interviewing for marketing and PR positions, I decided to undertake my placement at a community radio station in Portsmouth. While I would strongly advise against doing an unpaid placement, the experience I had at the radio station was unparalleled. I organised massive broadcast events, trained people in the studio, and created probably 60 ads for broadcast on air. Doing my placement at a radio station meant I was able to get a taste of the industry I wanted to go into, and moreover, compelled me to teach myself the Adobe Suite in a very short period of time, which has since come in very useful.
The first few months after graduating feel a lot like standing on a frozen lake. After spending 17 years in some form of education, you’re suddenly in a very different world. I had aspirations to go into a very specific field - audio production - so while I could have very quickly gone into a marketing role, as a lot of my friends did, I stuck with my part-time customer service job and held out for a career I was excited about. It was definitely worth waiting for, because I am now very proud to call myself a professional podcast producer.
Having my degree from Loughborough meant I knew I had the support of the Careers Network behind me, as well as a solid foundation of knowledge about the history and impact of my industry. I also found it very helpful to have my dissertation to talk about in interviews. Employers are always really keen to see your passion, and what says passion better than 12,000 words?
I’ve learned skills such as perseverance, curiosity, and the ability to “just get on with it”. In my final year, I began freelancing as a researcher for a PR company, so the research skills I’d learned in my degree became very useful. The perseverance I learned through completing my degree allowed me to keep patient and calm in my job search. The curiosity inspired by learning from experts helped me keep learning constantly, which in turn supported job applications and interviews. Finally, just getting on with it helped me carry on with my part-time job while I searched for a career.