This is a guest blog written by Emily Wells-Burr, a BA (Hons) Public Relations graduate from BU. Emily describes her path to her current position as European Corporate Communications Manager at Enterprise Holdings since graduating in 2016.

I was the first person in my family to go to university. Never before had I moved away from my small town in the Southwest and when it came to ‘what next after A-Levels?’, I felt completely out of my comfort zone. At this point I had no idea of what my dream job looked like but was fortunate enough to have support from my sixth form tutor to explore what I enjoyed and was good at, which helped me to choose the Public Relations course at Bournemouth University.

Aside from the quality of the course, an important factor for me when picking a university was the financial support available. Coming from a working-class background, I had no one to rely on for financial help which was a big worry. I was so relieved that Bournemouth University offered a Widening Participation Bursary to help students coming from areas of low levels of higher education attendance. This support was hugely beneficial and gave me peace of mind throughout university.

What I loved about the Bournemouth University Public Relations course was the placement year. The placement year gives you hands-on work experience and you get to meet so many people from different walks of life, which is so invaluable both personally and professionally. My placement year was at Philips Electronics, where I later returned after graduation before my next move to Enterprise as European Corporate Communications Manager.

I never thought seven years after graduating from university I would be in a career that I love, achieving my goals and settling in the Southeast of England, which I now consider my home. Growing up in an area where income and career opportunities are low, I am so proud to work for Enterprise, a company that truly embraces fostering inclusivity in the workplace.

Alongside my role, I am on the board of the Enterprise Social Mobility Committee, where every member is passionate and determined to improve socio-economic diversity and inclusion. Enterprise ranked 10th place in the Top 75 Employers for Social Mobility, a testament to our inclusive culture where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive and achieve their ambitions, regardless of background.

Throughout my career so far, the three most valuable things I have learnt are:

1) be your authentic self

2) always ask questions and

3) network and connect

Anyone can learn a skill and improve in their day-to-day job but it’s the people around you that inspire, encourage, motivate and teach you. Whatever walk of life you come from, when you have a working environment that supports you to thrive, anything is possible!

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