Emma Connor, alumna, MSc Marketing

“I knew it was what I wanted to do,” Emma explains, “but after I graduated, I struggled to get a job in the marketing industry as I did not have any experience and my degree wasn’t relevant.”

Return to education

As a result, Emma decided to get back into education, and began looking at the best places to study a Master’s degree. “LSBU’s course was perfect for me, as I wanted to study in London, and the degree was one of the few that was a conversion course while still offering depth and detail,” she says.

Freedom of choice

Having missed out on studying marketing at undergraduate level, Emma relished the opportunity to surround herself with a subject that fascinated her so much. “In particular, it was great that I had such freedom when it came to choosing the topic of my dissertation,” she says. “I really appreciated that I wasn’t forced to focus on the same areas as the lectures.”

Internship opportunity

As well as working with our academics – a group she describes as ‘a knowledgeable team who all want you to succeed’ – Emma made the most of the wider opportunities LSBU offers students to gain work experience. “I took a three-month internship with a fitness start-up as a social media manager,” she says. “It gave me a great insight into how start-ups work, and how much thought goes into a brand before it is launched.”

Networking helped me with future employment

Emma also worked hard to network with LSBU alumni, and it was through that route that she was able to secure a place on the Havas Media graduate scheme before she had even graduated – something she is enjoying very much.

“The scheme involves me working in four different areas of the business over the course of a year, learning about how each one works and how they interact within the context of a media agency,” says Emma. “I’m really enjoying it, and I love seeing how the work I’m doing is impacting on brands and helping them grow.”

Skills and knowledge

Emma says she uses the skills and knowledge from her degree on a daily basis. “I often give presentations, and also input into marketing strategies – things I didn’t know how to do before my degree at LSBU,” she says.

Looking for promotion

Within the next five years, Emma is setting her sights on promotions at Havas Media and becoming a manager – all made possible, she says, because of her LSBU degree.