Regine Raule

Why did you decide to participate in the professional training year programme?

I always knew I wanted to get hands-on work experience, to have that booster going forwards for when I graduated; to have that valuable experience on my CV. As my degree progressed, I felt undecided if this was the career path I wanted to pursue.  

When deciding on a placement it allowed me to assess what modules and areas I was really interested in and look for opportunities in those areas. What I found was that I was really interested in marketing, and I found a placement role that introduced me to this area.

What did you do on your placement role?

I was supporting market research and media content analysis studies. This was hands-on project work, ensuring the delivering to time of live research projects.

I was managing the marketing schedule of the business; creating and developing marketing content, helping to develop and launch a new company website, and organise and promote client events.

The benefits of working in a smaller company meant that as well as being exposed to all parts of the business, I had responsibility and ownership of tasks from the start. The onboarding was helpful and supportive and boosted my confidence as I progressed.

Did undertaking the placement role make you more employable?

Absolutely yes, because when my placement finished I continued to work for the company, part-time at first, before joining full-time once I had graduated!

The benefits were huge. Working in a professional environment was really important to help build upon skills I already had as a student, such as communication, time management and the ability to prioritise work. I also developed my technical skills using different platforms, tools and technologies, and I was constantly learning about the industry I was involved in.

I had a year’s worth of hands-on experience under my belt to put on my CV and to talk to potential employers about. 

I spent four years at Echo, before moving on to MediaLab, the UK’s leading independent media agency.

Why would you recommend undertaking a placement to other students?

If anybody is thinking about doing a placement, it’s so important to do so to get that experience of working with people in a professional level, developing your skills and getting your foot in the door within an industry.

If you could sum up your placement experience in one word…

Growth.