Employers know that if you’re getting a BU graduate you’re getting someone special."

At Bournemouth University I’ve actually done two courses. I did my undergraduate degree which was Advertising and Marketing Communications and I also did the CIM Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing. I really enjoyed my time at Bournemouth University and within the Media School. I know that it’s grown a lot in the last few years but when I was there it was in a really great place already, with all the diversity of the people there and the opportunities that you got with placements. It was a great atmosphere, lots of people all willing to help and all really friendly.

My course was a three year course with a summer placement. The placement was a minimum of ten weeks and I did mine at media agency in London called MediaCom, the biggest media agency in the UK. That came out of a relationship that Bournemouth University already had with the agency, so the agency actually came in and interviewed. I think they took about six or eight people so I was lucky enough to be selected for that and I did my placement. I lived up in London for about three months, which was a great opportunity and a nice experience to go through. It was great to have that midway through the university course because you came back in your third year and you had that extra understanding of how the industry works.

I initially thought I’d stay locally for a couple of years, get some money under my belt, get some savings and then move to London but I instead I joined LV. Originally they wanted somebody with experience but they felt that my degree was so well suited to the role that they would overlook that. So, I started here in 2007, thinking I’d be here for a couple of years but it’s such a great company to work for that I’ve been here ever since.

I think the course we did had a lot of kind of the real life skills that you needed. The modules of the course covered what was going on in the industry at the time, so that was when social media was really taking off and things like cash back sites were really taking off.

I think Bournemouth University really brings diversity to the local area. You know, it’s typically an area where lots of people go to retire so it’s great to have that mix of younger people. Lots of people from different places are bringing all of that different, fresh thinking and different creative strands to the area. From a social side of things as well it’s great to have that extra lively nightlife as well. Bringing in extra money into the economy is obviously great too, so an all round good reason to have a university in the local area.

The Media School particularly is close knit. Even after you leave the university if you’ve been to the Media School everybody kind of knows that you’ve done a really great degree and had some really great experiences when you’ve been there. Even now people work together really well, they look out for other BU graduates. You know that if you’re getting a Bournemouth University graduate you’re getting someone who is a bit special and has had that real quality level of education through their degree. I think it’s a really great university and I’d recommend anybody to go there.