TLC Christmas Party with my team!

So you heard that employers want candidates with experience and a degree? Well, BU’s sandwich courses are the answer. After two years studying at uni, those who enter their third year working on a placement or internship pick up numerous transferable skills, develop an in-depth understanding of the industry and put all of their theoretical learning into practice. A placement year is the perfect opportunity to dive into the real world with the help and support of BU, gaining invaluable experiences that future employers will definitely favour.  My placement year at TLC Marketing really complemented my degree and here’s why…

Christmas party with the girls

First of all, my confidence snowballed throughout the year with the more independence and responsibility I gained. It was really fun having the opportunity to tell my manager at the start the things in marketing that I enjoyed and having them handed over to me. With social media for example I took complete ownership of our social presence! I strongly felt that my existing skills were nurtured while I was also thrown in at the deep end with completely new challenges which was great too especially as they were always rewarding.

Me and my manager Emma at the Summer party

Secondly, there’s the agency culture which is a lot of fun within the marketing industry. I will always recommend going agency side as opposed to corporate because of this experience, which saw Summer and Christmas parties, frequent Friday nights out, easy going work days and of course that ‘work hard play hard’ ethic. Every achievement of mine was celebrated within my team and everyone received the recognition they deserved within the agency. One of my favourite things about TLC Marketing was definitely having office dogs every week, cuddling them in the Winter months and letting them fall asleep on our desks (too cute).

My placement poster

Lastly, the experience overall has really set me up for my future.I’ve had work published on The Drum, got the ball rolling on the agency’s eBook series and rubbed shoulders with some fabulous marketers and publishers – remember it’s also all about the contacts! I loved it so much that I couldn’t wait to put it all in my poster for the BU Placement Poster Awards… and won! All in all, it was great working on so many different hooks and initiatives for the agency and it was even better to prove the worth of marketing. If there are any marketers, advertisers, comms or similar course students looking for a placement, definitely consider the three roles TLC Marketing have to offer if you’re looking for something fun, challenging and rewarding! (PS. they have only ever hired BU students so far because we are so well prepped for the role – thanks BU!).

Good luck on your placement search!