Emily Young is studying a part time Master’s in marketing at Kent Business School and is currently in her second year.
Here, she reflects on securing two very different placements during the Summer that have changed her outlook, boosted her employability and paved the way to her future career.
“I took my undergrad at another university in Modern Languages and Business, but it was the area of Marketing that really appealed to me the most. I am a people person, and I loved finding out what drives someone to buy into a brand or make a purchase. I also loved being able to work creatively and as part of a team.
When I moved back home to Broadstairs, Kent I applied for the part time Master’s course at Kent Business School while continuing an administrative role I had taken on with the NHS during the pandemic.
While the locality was obviously essential to me, I loved the employability benefits of studying at Kent, as I was keen to obtain some placements and get a feel for the industry I wanted to enter.
The course was brilliant from the start – Master’s students often have a very diverse range of backgrounds, and it was great bouncing off one another. While I had already studied a business discipline, many others came from areas like music or humanities or already worked interesting jobs.
At the beginning of 2022, I saw an advert for an Intern at beer brand, Budweiser, in London, which really piqued my interest. The role would involve on-trade marketing with pubs and restaurants who stocked the well-known brand. I was thrilled when they offered me a 10-week placement from April until June.
I was given the role of On-Trade Marketing Intern for the duration, which meant working on marketing initiatives within pubs and restaurants such as those surrounding The World Cup or The Premier League that tied in BT Sports and the Budweiser brand. I also handled inventory management of branded goods like beer mats and glassware and managed the website functionality changes.
The team were a dream to work for, so welcoming and trusted me with a great deal of responsibility from the get-go. I loved every minute of working there.
During my placement I was well aware that come June, I would need more income and experience and so I started to apply for a summer placement. Employability Advisor, Nicola Urquhart reminded me that while big brands like Bud were great, sometimes SMEs or small businesses were another way to get well-rounded experience. She pointed me in the direction of several members of the alumni who had set up businesses and I sent off some applications
I applied for the role of Marketing and Business Development Intern to a company in Maidstone called BJF who offer construction, buildings services, and mechanical & electrical services. Carl, a former Kent Business School student works at the firm as the Marketing and Business Development Manager. After a quick chat over the phone and then a more formal interview, he welcomed me to the team part time for July and August.
Small business life was a world away, but just as fast paced. I delved into so many areas, but a great focus of mine was social media, working on the company’s policy and ensuring updates were relevant and up to date.
As the company were appearing at the Construction Expo later that year, I was also charged with ensuring the stall was up to scratch with the right merchandise and marketing materials and that their presence was suitably promoted. I also worked on press liaison, even appearing in a video for Kent and Medway Healthy Workplaces.
It was really inspiring to work with a Kent Alum who had absorbed everything KBS stood for and was really making a go of things. We reflected on many experiences we’d both shared – from the Pitch It! Competition to student bars and areas, it was a nice sense of familiarity to the working day.
My placement came to an end in August, but I felt really changed as a person. Being able to apply the theory of my course practically has been really valuable. I can only thank both teams at Budweiser and Carl at BJF for these opportunities.
This year I am finishing my MSc Marketing with the final few modules. and looking to start my Marketing Report in the coming weeks, which will be due in August. I am pleased to announce that I have been offered a part-time role at a local marketing agency, ExtraDigital, whose Commercial Director was also a Kent alum!
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