Behind the Scenes of my Marketing Placement Year

Are you interested in becoming a marketing placement student? Are you curious about what different work you might do on your placement? Read about my experience as a marketing placement student at the Careers Service to find out more. 

Hi, my name is Sophie and I am the current marketing placement student at Newcastle University's Careers Service. No day on the job is the same. One afternoon I’ll be in various meetings discussing upcoming careers events and the next I’ll find myself on campus creating content for social media.  

As a marketing placement student, I’ve spent a large quantity of my time becoming proficient with Canva. I use this software to design various types of graphics, from posters and digital screens found all over campus, to Instagram posts promoting Careers Service events and services.  

As a member of the Student Life Comms and Marketing team I also do copywriting. This varies from writing careers related blogs, to copy for the Student Life newsletters. 

Another key role I undertake is overseeing the Careers Service Instagram. This includes planning, creating, editing and posting content. I stick closely to a social media calendar as well as an event and general marketing plan to promote all the content created.  Using my own initiative and creative flare is crucial to stay on top on trends to keep our audience engaged. Examples of pieces of work I’m most proud of include Careers Wrapped, a how to find us reel and my day in the life. 

Moreover, as I work with people from a vast range of teams within the Careers Service communication skills are crucial for this role. Examples include, working closely with various colleagues to get weekly placement, internship and graduate vacancy roles which are promoted on ‘Vacancies of the Week’ on Instagram and a blog, attending team meetings, creating graphic design for specific events for colleagues, and more. 

Additionally, I’m involved in planning upcoming events throughout the year. Careers events include the Graduate Recruitment and Placement Fair, Placement Week, Creative Careers, Science Careers Outside the Lab, Internship Week, etc. Creating marketing toolkits for these events has taken up a large bulk of my time over the past few months. Despite all the hard work, it’s so rewarding to see my designs all over campus and the website. 

Does this kind of work interest you? Do you think you could be a suitable candidate to become a marketing placement student? Keep your eyes peeled for marketing placement vacancies on MyCareer!