Over the Christmas break, I not only took a step back from my studies to enjoy time at home with my family, but I also took the opportunity of a reduced workload to do some research into future prospects for when I leave UCA at the end of the academic year.
Throughout 2020, I had had a lot of time to think about what I wanted to be doing with my time and my skills, both those developed outside of UCA and throughout my studies. Luckily this lasted me a long time and took a large chunk out of the lockdown(s).
I came to the conclusion that I am a visionary; I like to come up with detailed and complex ideas given an incentive or a base idea. The part I struggle on is the physical doing of the project. I can have a range of ideas but I lack (or lacked) the motivation to do them. Why? I yet do not know, but I am sure I was one among many at the time.
That being said I took a shine to the idea of product photography, as discussed during some 1-to-1 sessions last term. This idea then lead me to look into promotional media, such as advertising, and ultimately onto the topic of digital marketing, particularly that of the creative type.
So there it began, my search for where I could use this in the professional world. I started by listing a few companies and brands whose marketing campaigns and advertisements I liked. This included IKEA, H&M and Apple. By selecting a variety of genres I was able to see what each position would require. For example, IKEA focused a lot on interior design, home and office environments and sustainability. H&M appeared simple, with creative yet straight-forward campaigns and visuals to promote their fashion lines. Apple provided a more digital and innovative approach to marketing campaigns; as a world leader in smartphone technologies and an icon in the tech world, they are known to have some of the sleekest and most premium looking campaigns out there.
A few clicks later and I found myself on the page of an entry-level marketing development program - the perfect opportunity for me to kickstart my career in the digital marketing industry! So, application filled out and ready to go...I will post an update when the time comes.
Simply put, the lockdown(s) of 2020 allowed me some thinking time which, for me, was beneficial since I don't have the backing of a future 4 years at uni which would put my prospects on hold for some time. I had to think now, and I think I may have gotten somewhere...
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