Since completing her MA in Medieval and Early Modern Studies, Bryony now works as a Deputy Social Media Manager where she is responsible for planning and creating content for social media channels, such as YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.

Why did you originally choose to study your course at Manchester?

“I had studied my undergraduate degree at Manchester and many of my course tutors had told me I would be well-suited to Master’s study when I graduated.  It seemed the natural choice to return to Manchester again for my MA and I was particularly keen to work with Dr Paul Oldfield on my Master’s dissertation.”

Did you always know you wanted to do the career you’re in? 

“I had no idea what career I wanted to pursue before starting university.  During my Bachelor’s study I undertook some internships that pointed me in the direction of marketing and advertising, after which I became aware of the University of Manchester Careers Service.  Through meetings with a careers adviser, I decided I’d like to go into a marketing role in the sports or motorsports sector, and my adviser helped me work out some potential ways to get started in that career.”

How did your course set you up for your career path?

“Studying a History degree involves a lot of independent working and self-motivation, which has also been the case in my career as well.  Working to multiple deadlines across the academic year helped me refine my organisational skills and my ability to prioritise tasks, both of which are invaluable in the workplace.”

What was the most surprising takeaway from your course that’s helped you in later life? 

“I met some wonderful, like-minded people on my course and I really value the friendships that I made during my studies. The most surprising element of my course, though, was being able to produce a dissertation I am really proud of during a global pandemic!  With universities and libraries closed while I was writing my Master’s thesis, it seemed like it would be impossible to really immerse myself in an area of interest and produce a coherent, 15,000-word dissertation.  But I am immensely proud of the thesis I wrote during this time – and the experience has affirmed for me that I can do anything I set my mind to!”

What advice would you give to a student looking to start your course and/or join the University?

“In my opinion, the first thing to consider is finances.  How are you going to fund your Master’s study – both tuition fees and living costs?  I took out the Master’s Loan from Student Finance and was also fortunate enough to receive a scholarship towards tuition fees from the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures.  During my studies I also undertook part-time work around my studies to help me with living costs.

It is also important to consider why you want to study a Master’s degree.  For some students this is to advance their career.  However, for me, it was about wanting to come back to the University environment and spend a year pursuing my passion for Medieval history.  Along with giving me the opportunity to study subjects I’m really interested in, this ‘gap year’ of sorts also gave me time to re-evaluate what I wanted from my career, too.” 

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