Hi, I’m Dan and in the final year of my Digital Marketing BA (Hons) Degree at the University of Portsmouth. I had the opportunity to take an industry year last year and I’m so glad that I did!

My journey to university wasn’t as straightforward as many people’s. After school, I did a BTEC in Construction Management, but quickly realised it wasn’t for me. I did finish the course but looked for opportunities in different areas for afterwards. I spotted an advert for an Advanced Apprenticeship in Marketing in the Marketing & Admissions department of the college I was already at. The idea of organising events, managing social media and learning about websites sounded interesting so I applied and got the job!

I spent the next couple of years working with the lovely team at college, getting more experience of marketing from my job and learning about marketing theory through my Apprenticeship. I realised I was enjoying my studies; although I hadn’t particularly been interested in higher education before, I realised I did want to learn more about marketing. Some of my friends had gone to university and I knew they were enjoying it, so I thought perhaps now was the right time for me. Coming to the end of my Apprenticeship, aged 19, I applied to Portsmouth and got an unconditional place.

During the first year of my course, I was aware of the option to do a ‘year out’ in the third year but I didn’t really think about it much. I had just spent two years in a workplace, so it wasn’t really on my radar. And I certainly hadn’t applied to Portsmouth specifically because it had a placement year option. In the second year, we had some specific tutorials on preparing for work and for a placement year if we wanted it; we covered things like CV-writing, establishing your LinkedIn profile and getting ready for professional life. I started to think about the idea again and decided it would be interesting to see what marketing was like in a different type of industry, so I decided to apply.

Initially, I set out determined to get a placement with a big, well-known company – I think because I thought they would have a big marketing budget to spend! It was certainly very competitive: there was usually an interview or two and some tasks set, it was quite a long process. I got turned down for two roles, but I’m a pretty positive person so I decided to take it as a learning experience, and it did help me understand where I might not have been getting things quite right.

I also had a long chat with one of my tutors. I had been set on working with a large firm, but my tutor helped me to see that there could also be a lot to learn in a small business too. I started to broaden my search and applied to a really small company in the healthcare industry. Third time lucky - or it was for me!

Very quickly, I was given lots of responsibility for their marketing, almost complete creative control, which was amazing. I think they could see I felt confident and ready, so they usually just let me get on with it: email campaigns, graphic design, blogs, events, networking, content-writing. I felt like I was expected to have some knowledge, I wasn’t an apprentice anymore, so I wanted to go in and hit the ground running. I feel I did that - but every day was a learning curve.

Being in a small company certainly meant I got to experience all aspects of marketing in a way that I am sure I wouldn’t have done in a bigger company. In fact, I got the full small business experience, even helping pack boxes in the warehouse if there was a rush on! I never felt like an intern, I was always made to feel like a valued member of the team. I think I was also right to pick a different industry for my year out. It gave me insight to marketing to businesses not just consumers, as well as the legal and regulatory issues around the world of medicines and healthcare. It certainly helped me brush up on the clarity and effectiveness of my communication skills!

Although I’d worked before, I still got lots from the year. I was a few years older by then and the organisation was really different from where I’d worked before. Of course, once the pandemic hit, I finished the year working from home, which was tough. I had to induct the person who was taking the placement after me over Teams, which was hard for us both. And I missed just grabbing a coffee with my colleagues.

From a practical point of view, this was a paid placement year, so it meant I had a bit of financial stability. When I’d been doing my Apprenticeship, I was still living at home, so this was the first time I had felt I was in control of my own finances; I felt like an adult, paying rent and my own bills. And, after two years as a ‘poor student’, I felt independent and glad to have the responsibility. I was also able to save quite a lot too, so that helped going back to into my final year. The University of Portsmouth run the placement year as an extra qualification in professional practice. I kept an eportfolio of my experiences, which has been useful to look back on and it means I get an additional qualification too.

Coming back to University for the final year, it seemed like everyone else had had a great placement, too; no one had any horror stories. I think we all came back very focussed. Our conversations now, in group work and seminars, are so much more professional. We had all done really different things, so we’ve brought back what we learnt to our classes and we’re gaining from each other’s experiences. And it feels like we’re all more connected now.

I don’t think experience is ever wasted! It all helps you stand out. When I come to applying to jobs after University, I know it is going to be a big help. I know a couple of people who graduated last year with First Class degrees, but still haven’t got jobs and they didn’t do placements. The year also opened up some opportunities and built my confidence to do a bit of freelance marketing to boost my income and my experience until I finish.

If anyone is thinking about their degree options, I would say pick the one with the year out! My placement year has enhanced my degree; seeing what I learnt in action has been so valuable. I think it has also been really good for my personal growth, my confidence, working with others and taking ownership of tasks. I feel a lot more switched on to business now – and ready to graduate!

Fellow marketing student, Tetiana, adds: "Through all the exciting projects I worked on during my placement, I developed communication, negotiation and project management skills. My role was focused on campaign coordination, data analysis and reporting. I am very grateful to have had the pleasure to learn from and work with amazing people. It was the most rewarding experience of my life - I would definitely recommend students who are considering undertaking a placement to do so. You will not regret it!"