天堂视频

I’m required to think and write creatively every day in my current job. As a Marketing Officer for a university, it is my job to ensure that the content we are putting out there for potential students to see is engaging and informative.

My role is very much about the journey for our audiences; how can I create content that excites them and engages them to the point where they move from someone who is quite interested in us into someone that ultimately applies to study? I’m also required frequently to communicate with these audiences face-to-face as part of recruitment activity – and having studied English for so long, my confidence in verbal delivery is high. Choosing the right language to suit the audience is essential, and that translates to all content, including social media, published and online.

Studying English gave me the skills and confidence to think and act creatively, and that has served me very well in my marketing career.

Post 16 Education: AS Level Spanish; A Levels English, Theatre Studies & Psychology

Higher Education: BA English; MA in Creative Writing

Why did you choose to study English?

I had always found English interesting. At school English was mostly about studying literature, which was not my favourite part. I am a creative writer – I love to create stories, characters and memorable moments for readers. University offered me the chance to improve these skills specifically, and shape my learning experience to focus on the topics I was most interested in. At University you are trusted a lot more to shape your own learning experience, and as a writer that was something I really valued.

English is an immensely broad subject, so the answer to ‘what is English about’ can vary massively depending on who you ask. Given my preference for English language and storytelling, English is about creating worlds and stories for readers to get lost in. It can challenge one’s beliefs, expand your imagination and give you the skills to think creatively.

George’s experience as a student

I loved it. It was a big step up in terms of the quality of work that is expected of you, but that encouraged me to work harder and to really engross myself in what I was doing. There was such a huge variety of different modules to choose from and I was given the freedom to choose the optional modules that allowed me to shape my academic experience. I was required to do a lot of work away from lectures and seminars, rather than have it taught directly to me or spoon-fed. This really helped me improve my independence when it came to research and having the confidence in what I was writing.

Career

I am a Marketing and Student Recruitment Officer at the University of Essex, overseeing all recruitment and marketing activity for their Events and Hospitality Management courses at the Edge Hotel School (the UK’s first hotel school of its kind.) I’ve had four jobs since finishing university, the third of which was my first marketing job. It came from contacts I had made during my first job at the Students’ Union of the uni I studied at – someone saw in me a hard working attitude and aptitude for marketing and gave me the chance to prove myself in a role that had recently opened up.

My first role was a great introduction to marketing and I was supported by my workplace in getting a relevant professional qualification. After 18 months I was ready to move on into a position with more responsibility and was offered a more senior job at another university.