I Got Hired: Marketing Executive at Future Yard CIC

Posted on: 6 March 2023 by Samantha Riella in Graduate stories

Charlie Lyons is a BA Communications & Media with a Year in Industry and a Year in China graduate now working as a Marketing Executive at Future Yard CIC.

How did you get to where you are now?

I did a placement there under Sota300. The placement obviously got my foot in the door at Future Yard, but I think my willingness to learn and try my hand at everything Future Yard could offer me during those few months went a long way in convincing my employers to keep me on in a paid role after uni finished.

What has been your best experience as part of your role?

The fact I get to work in a new, forward-facing and ethically driven music venue is really the thing that get me out of bed in the morning. It's because of this I know everything piece of work I do in promoting the venue, it's gigs and the people behind I know I am supporting live music (which I, of course, love) and a positive social enterprise.

What has been the most challenging part of your graduate journey?   

I am aware I have was very lucky at the end of my university career, in that I had a job confirmed that I actually liked and had experience in, which made the transition for student life to 'adult' life quite simple. Still, this was a fairly large change in my life, so I think the most challenging part was getting into the routine of daily work where - especially after a year of 'going to' uni over zoom due to the pandemic.

What are your top tips for other students and graduates?   

1) A degree is great, but please make sure you try and do more than just that. My job came directly from a placement and I would strongly advice doing one of these, whether it's sota, or a year in industry or just a part-time role throughout your studies. Make the most out of the opportunities university can offer you and try and do more than just you studies (I'd also add studying abroad into that mix).

2) Make use of Careers - especially helped me in writing CVs.

3) If you're unsure what you want to do after uni, just try you hand at a lot of things. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my media degree, so I chose a vast array of very different modules to see what part of the industry I liked, and from that I found out I like creative writing and the visual arts, both of which I use in my job today.