Katarzyna, a young female wearing white jumper with brown should length hair

Graduation may be over for another year but for ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú graduates the next part of their journey is just beginning

3 min read

Alumni Research and Innovation Services ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Business School Faculty of Business and Law Alumni Alumni stories Graduation

Graduation may be over for another year but for ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú graduates the next part of their journey is just beginning.

Next up for ‘meet our 2021 graduates’ is BA (Hons) Marketing alumna Katarzyna Stachurska. After completing a work placement in the ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú’s Research and Innovation Services department, Katarzyna has now secured a permanent marketing role and already gained so much valuable experience.

We asked Katarzyna to tell us more about the experience she’s gained and what she’s looking forward to most about her future:

What work experience did you gain during your work placement?

During my course I was keen to get real life experience of working in marketing and kept an eye out for placement opportunities. I approached the Department Manager of Research and Innovation Services and asked if I could observe and shadow.

During shadowing I learnt many useful things, such as how to use a number of platforms including Mailchimp for email marketing, Eventbrite to organise and promote events and WordPress. I attended meetings where the marketing strategies were discussed as well as the SIGHT (Supporting Innovation and Growth in Healthcare Technologies) Programme, and I was given tasks such as liaising with member businesses and copywriting for the website. I really enjoyed the work and I was excited to follow this career path after university.

Tell us about the role you’ve secured after graduating:

Once I finished volunteering, there was an opportunity for me to apply to join the team as a temporary project administrator. My contract was then extended and I'm now working more as a marketing communications assistant, which I really enjoy.

My role, so far, has included organising the project’s data, creating the newsletter, updating the website and posting on social media, as well as liaising with the member businesses and organising online events. Recently I supervised the filming of a short, promotional video and created a slide-type video promoting the programme.

Working in the team has given me valuable insight into a marketing/business career and built my confidence and self-esteem.

How did you stay motivated during the pandemic?

I know that it's hard and competitive out there for graduates so I was really determined to do my best, work hard to graduate with a good grade and gain as much as I can from my studies and current position at SIGHT.

What’s your favourite memory of ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú?

I loved studying at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú. Moving from my home country to the UK and going to university here was a big step and a new chapter for me. I'm really happy I made this decision. My favourite memories are from my first year where I met new people, made friends, experienced freshers week and lived in student halls. I also loved starting my course - it was exciting!

What are you looking forward to most after graduation?

I'm looking forward to moving to a bigger city, working in marketing communications at a big company, growing professionally and personally and being fully independent. I didn't have a chance to travel and explore a lot in the recent years, so I'm looking forward to doing that as well. I can't wait for this new chapter in my life.