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When Marketing student Eleanor Dickinson landed her graduate role, she didn’t expect that her first day ‘in the office’ would be spent working from home during a global pandemic.

Eleanor successfully secured her position as a marketing executive with Nielsen Brandbank, a company specialising in delivering digital content to brands and retailers across the globe, just before lockdown was imposed in the UK.

The 22-year-old from Northamptonshire said: “I feel so lucky that I managed to kick start my career despite these uncertain times.

“It’s definitely odd to start a new job working from home, but everyone in the team has been really friendly and we’ve been having daily video calls which has really helped me to settle into the role.”

Eleanor initially interviewed for the role of marketing assistant, and was delighted when she was offered the more senior post of marketing executive instead. She’s been able to put into practice the skills and theory taught in her degree.

“The content of the course has been invaluable in my graduate job because it’s all so relevant to industry,” she said.

“Part of my role has been researching trends in consumer behaviours, which have obviously changed significantly in the past few months. It’s part of what makes the job so interesting because coronavirus has caused such rapid changes in the market.”

Alongside researching consumer behaviour, Eleanor has been producing press releases, articles and blogs, as well as e-marketing campaigns.

The role started just one week before her last deadline, and Eleanor thanked the support of the university and her tutors in navigating the stressful period of deadlines in combination with the unfolding coronavirus crisis.

She said: “The university gave everyone a two-week extension on their assignments, which was a huge help for me.

“All my lecturers were really helpful with the move to online learning. They were so open to video calls to discuss ideas on assignments, and were always there to support us when we had questions.

"I really didn’t feel like I was missing out because I had a direct line of contact with my tutors.

“This was definitely the case when it came to applying to graduate jobs too. During my final year, my tutors provided different insights into roles in the industry, particularly Associate Professor David Gordon who was incredibly helpful and supportive.”

Eleanor made the most of placement opportunities while at ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ. She secured a placement at Triumph Motorcycles with the help of the placement team, who assisted her with job applications and interview techniques.

She said: “My experience with Triumph allowed me to develop the skills and theory taught on my course, as well as improve my confidence and skills needed in the workplace.

“Through the placement I also got a better understanding of the specific areas of marketing I wanted to pursue in my career and gain experience in different areas.”

Reflecting on her university experience, Eleanor mentioned the travel opportunities she had with ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Global as particular highlights.

“I was able to visit Berlin, New York and Hong Kong. I got the opportunity to explore new places that I wouldn’t have been able to experience at this stage of my life.

“Thanks to ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ’s connections, we also got exclusive opportunities on these trips, like the NBC studio tour and a visit to the Nike Store of Innovation in New York. These cultural experiences let me see how the industry operates in different countries, so they definitely enhanced my knowledge and global awareness.

“I wish I could relive these experiences all over again,” she said.