Megan graduated from our BSocSc Politics and International Relations course in 2020 and is now working as a Client Services Executive at Embryo – an SEO and digital marketing agency. 

After studying at Manchester and realising she had an interest in digital marketing, she set up as a freelancer whilst looking for full-time work. After a couple of months, she got a role at PrettyLittleThing as a Copywriter. Soon after, she realised that she wanted a greater challenge and a role that was more varied – which brought her to Embryo. She joined as a Content Executive and was responsible for creating predominantly webpage and blog content for a variety of B2B and B2C businesses, whilst liaising with other colleagues to ensure that campaigns were running smoothly and successfully in line with the clients’ KPIs. She realised that she enjoyed the project management aspect of the role, and her interest in Client Services grew.

Therefore, she moved into her current team and is now a Client Services Executive, where she oversees the accounts of several clients and liaise with the associated delivery teams. She works closely with the clients to understand their KPIs and to ensure that these, and their objectives, are met through the company’s work.  

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

“I studied Government & Politics at college and loved it, so studying a similar degree seemed like the natural next step for me. The Politics & International Relations course at Manchester stood out to me instantly because of the variety of modules that you could study. My interest was in security, war, and terrorism, and there were several modules on the course that allowed me to study these areas in depth. 

Straight away, I also got a feel for the University and the department at the Open Days and instantly felt settled, comfortable, and excited about the course and the department.”

Did you always know you wanted to do the career you’re in? Did your course or time at the University help influence this?

“Before starting at Manchester, I had no idea that a career in digital marketing was going to be something that took my interest. I knew that writing was a strength of mine and something that I enjoyed, so I began to write for The Mancunion, and I also applied to be a part of the Content Ambassador Scheme, where students write for the official student news site.

This then led to a summer internship in the University’s marketing department, and this is where I really took a strong interest in the digital marketing landscape. So, it’s fair to say that my time at Manchester had a massive impact on my career pathway, but perhaps not in the way that most people would presume given that my degree isn’t directly related to the industry that I work in now!”

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

“Whilst my degree in Politics & International Relations isn’t necessarily directly linked to the marketing industry, the skills that I picked up were extremely valuable, and transferable to many settings and industries I believe. Throughout my degree, I strengthened my skills when it came to working independently and collaboratively, and time-management. Perhaps most valuable though were the research skills that I acquired – this has been a vital skill in the roles I’ve been in since leaving university.”

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

“I think the skills that I developed during my degree were one of the biggest takeaways, but I suppose you do expect that. The most surprising takeaway was probably the growth in confidence and resilience – there’s nothing like completing a degree during a pandemic! Even despite the pandemic though, there’s no denying that studying for a degree has its challenges from time to time, so learning to deal with these certainly helps you to grow in confidence and resilience.”

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

“To any students looking to join the University, I’d simply say go for it! I loved my time at Manchester and it helped me to grow so much as a person, not to mention that Manchester itself as a city is amazing! As for the course, if you’re considering studying Politics & International Relations,  I’d highly recommend it! It completely changes the way that you view the world, and the variety of modules really ensures that you can pursue your interests within that area and study the things that you’re most interested in.”

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