I Got Hired: Graduate Marketing Executive in the Beauty sector at The Hut Group

Posted on: 26 January 2021 in Graduate stories

Stephanie- Jane Oakes graduated with a BA Hons Marketing with a Year in Industry degree in 2020 and is now working as a Graduate Marketing Executive in the Beauty sector at The Hut Group.

1. What was your best experience while studying your course at the University of Liverpool and why?

My best experience whilst on the course at the University of Liverpool was the practical and real-life business elements. We had to create real marketing plans, rebrands and adverts which apart from being really fun has equipped me for the role I’m in at THG.

2. What aspects of your course do you think have been most beneficial to your career development?

The aspects of the course that have been beneficial to my career development are definitely the practical skills I mentioned above, as well as the time management and organisation I developed whilst studying. I also developed great teamwork and communication skills that aid me in my day to day role.

3. What did you do during your degree to prepare for the transition into the workplace and how did this help?

During my degree, I did a six-week internship in my first year, which helped me get to grips with working in a real business and gave me my first steps of experience. This enabled me to secure a Year in Industry placement at boohoo.com, where I had an insight into one department in marketing and the fashion industry. Both of these experiences taught me the industry I want to and don’t want to go into, the departments I do and don’t like and also got me ready for a graduate role with the fast-paced and pressure of the multinational business.

4. What challenges did you face as a recent graduate in a new workplace? How did you overcome these?

As a recent graduate in the workplace, you can easily get overlooked or not given a lot of responsibility. THG hired around 200 graduates when I was taken on so it’s easy to get left behind, I made sure I voiced my opinions where possible and attended meetings with senior team members (making sure my camera was on!). It’s also sometimes hard as a new graduate to convince the company you are worthy of the responsibility, however, that’s one thing I love about THG, you get given so much responsibility and all my ideas are listened to and put in practice!

5. Can you please share insight into your current role, what do you enjoy the most?

In my current role, I am on a two-year rotation scheme. I will spend 3-6 months in CRM, Influencers, Paid Media, SEO, Affiliates & Performance Marketing. My current department is CRM, in which I work on emails & app for LookFantastic. I have learnt how to plan a CRM strategy and content for different brands and also worked on projects that look into the more campaign side, as well as the reporting side to give me a good strong overview of the department. I enjoy most the creative side of my role, the content planning and copywriting which I hope to use more in my future roles. I have learnt so much in such a small time and I am excited about my next rotation!

6. Do you have any top tips to share with future and current students when preparing for the world of work?

My top tips for preparing for the world of work are two things that seem very simple but I have seen how easily without them, a job can be very difficult! The first is organisation, no matter how little time you have or how busy you are, being organised and learning how to prioritise and plan makes for success. The second is communication, always communicate! Shout if you need support, ask questions (no such thing as a stupid question!) and tell people about all the good things you do! You want to get noticed at the end of the day!