Taunton, England, United Kingdom
eco NRG Solutions are solar installers based in Bridgwater. They had no marketing department previously, so this role enabled me to really start from scratch, have free reign and make a difference. I started by revising company brochures, web copy and working with website designers to refresh the website. My duties included updating the website on Wordpress, creating and posting on social media accounts, liaising with customers to gain recommendations, organising events and building relationships. We worked with Trinity Primary School after we fitted solar panels on their school roof and I successfully got an article in the Gazette. I also ordered goody bags and assisted a presentation at the school about how solar panels work and the importance of our environment. Another achievement was gaining free drone filming on our biggest solar farm, negotiating with a company who needed footage for their own portfolio in exchange for the footage which we could then use on our website.
I was lucky enough to work at the beautiful Westonbirt, the National Arboretum on a temporary basis covering sick leave for 7 months. I was able to get the Marketing Support Officer job straight after my university exams. I feel this job allowed me to put all the theory I learnt at university into practice and it has also made me realise my passion for marketing, as well the important role of visitor attractions and putting on events to gain more awareness and visitors. The role included managing two websites, social media channels and sending out a monthly E-newsletter to an audience of over 30,000. I also gained knowledge of budgets, purchase orders, invoicing and improved my writing skills. During this role I also worked with the Friends of Westonbirt charity, managing their website, promoting fundraising on social media and raising awareness of community fundraising.
During my second year of university, we had a module whereby in teams we were given a small budget to run a charity event for the Stroke Association. We held a charity Zumbathon with the slogan, 'pull together in purple,' and attracted 60 participants. Our aim was to raise £900, however we actually raised £2000, making it the most successful student run event in three years. My role in this project was Marketer/Public Relations. My responsibilties included market research, liasing with the media, marketing through social media, reaching out to companies to gain goodies for our goody bags, writing press releases, setting up the venue and taking part where possible. I managed to get the event mentioned before the event to spread the word in local Cardiff newspaper, The Echo and again mentioned afterwards to display how much money we had raised for such a good cause. This university module taught me a lot about working within the media and I would love to gain some more experience in that area.
Henry Hunt is a local business run by talented fashion student Phoebe Garlick, who wanted to bring the country element of fashion into the city. I applied for this work experience as I saw an advertisement for an Event Management student to help organise and run the summer fashion show. I went to the interview and explained my love for fashion, granting me the placement. My responsibilities included liasing with media, flyering, sending invites through the email database, purchasing props, constant communication with models and the venue, setting up the venue and working backstage. In these two months I learnt a lot about running events in the real world and the importance of marketing to gain interest in the event.