Robbie M.
About me
| Robbie M. | |
| English and Related Literature | |
| English and Politics (Equal) | |
| Undergraduate | |
| Goodricke | |
| 2010 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Marketing and Business Systems Manager | |
| inlec.com | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Large business (250+ employees) | |
| 2013 |
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A day in the life of a Marketing and Business Systems Manager in the United Kingdom
My career goals when I graduated
I wanted to find a job that would provide me with interesting work. I really enjoy problem solving, and in any business there are always many opportunities to do this.
My career history
I started at my current role as an 8 week software implementation assignment. The company let me stick around and now I project manage the company's business & marketing systems. In 2019 our company was acquired by a FTSE100 company, which has enabled the work I do to reach a wider audience.
What has helped my career to progress
Being adaptable, applying old skills to new problems - listening to what others have to say and analysing each problem before coming to a conclusion. Being proactive in my own development has been important to me - I think sometimes you may need to learn skills that your employer might not know exist in order to solve new problems.
Courses taken since graduation
I was awarded the Google Front End Developer Scholarship in 2017. This isn't directly related to my day-to-day role, but it has helped me to have a greater understanding of what is reasonable to expect from our developers, and hopefully to communicate with them more effectively. I've taken the Google Ads/Analytics certifications and keep these up to date, as well as completing a Project Management Diploma.
How my studies have helped my career
My studies at York have enabled me to think critically and logically through the various different problems we're presented with in the business. I enjoy being able to find new ways of working that are more efficient, and removing the pain points our users/colleagues have with the applications we develop.
What surprised me about my career so far
When you are at University, you quickly become used to being surrounded by people who have similar skills to you. I've found that in my current role, I have completely different skills to many of my colleagues, which helps us to work together and play to our strengths. I think it is important to realise that most of the skills employers value are probably not the skills you focus on yourself - often we focus on what we don't have, or which qualifications could provide a magic bullet, whilst ignoring all the great skills we have learned through our time at York, or through experience in the world of work!
Where I hope to be in 5 years
Making a difference.
My advice to students considering work
Don't be disheartened by a tough job market. The skills I learned during my degree are well valued by my employer. My employer probably has little interest in South African Politics and Literature, but being able to research and write about a topic, and critical thinking is definitely useful! Think about how you might apply the skills you already have, before spending money learning new ones.
My advice about working in my industry
Dedicate time every day to learn about something new in the industry - find blogs you trust, and join networking events. If like me you aren't working in a large city, then there are some great Slack groups you can join that will put you in touch with people within the industry - if you ask for help politely most people will be really pleased to help - offer to solve each-others problems and you will build up your own knowledge.
Other advice
Be proud that you studied at York
What I do
Marketing and Business Systems
Skills I use and how I developed them
Analytical problem-solving skills. Research skills. Communication skills & project planning.
What I like most
I enjoy that my job includes two subjects, just like my degree!
Next steps...
If you like the look of Robbie’s profile, the next steps are down to you! You can send Robbie a message to find out more about their career journey. If you feel you would benefit from more in-depth conversations, ask Robbie to be your mentor.