I Got Hired: Social Media Assistant at USP Creative

Posted on: 18 December 2020 in Graduate stories

Joe Edge is a BA Hons Communication and Media graduate, now working as a Social Media Marketing Assistant at USP Creative in Liverpool.

Can you describe your current role?

My current role is as a Social Media Marketing Assistant at a Marketing Agency based in Liverpool. I found the role through Handshake, and was supported in the application and interview process by one of the Career Coaches in the Career Studio.

The materials they sent me before the interview helped to calm my nerves and make sure I covered all the bases in my preparation. Ultimately, this led to my success in the interview and starting me on my career path.

Which aspects of your course do you think have been the most beneficial to your career development? 

The ability to research has really enabled me to succeed, not only in my career, where finding interesting news stories to post on social media is a key responsibility, but also in researching new skills and job roles that can be beneficial to my future career.

Some aspects of my course required me to write assessments in different contexts and to different audiences, which has helped me in targeting my written content to these different audiences in real world scenarios. The flexibility in my writing has enabled me to succeed in my career path.

What was your best experience while studying your course at the University of Liverpool?

The completion of my dissertation was a really important milestone for me. It was the last piece of work of my time at University and t represented the completion of my studies and the completion of the most rewarding project I had ever worked on.

The support I received from my dissertation tutor Rosalyn Southern really guided me through the process, whilst also giving me enough room to nurture and develop my own research. When I completed my dissertation I really felt proud of a project that I had conceived, researched, developed and ultimately achieved a high mark on.

Do you have any top tips to share with future and current students?

1. Never be afraid to go above and beyond. Standing out is never a bad thing, particularly in the world of work.
2. Understand your value. Underestimating your value could stop you from pushing for something that you could be successful in.
3. You are a project. Don't worry about being the finished article because you will always be working on something. It will take time to develop your skills and nurture your talent.
4. It is never too early to get started. You might be delaying thoughts about the future until after you graduate, but thinking about it before you finish will leave you in a much better position than most people.
5. Always be working. The sooner you establish a hard-working mindset, the better you will do in life. There is one thing that unites all successful people, and it is a willingness to work. Learn to love it.