Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Standing out from the crowd: Gaining industry insight on a digital marketing placement
When considering his career aspirations, MSc Sports Business Management student, Luke Brunt, sourced key industry contacts and enquired about any open placement opportunities.
Dom Randle, Director of media agency Running Total Media, invited Luke to interview and following their successful meeting, Luke was offered two days’ paid work experience a week to carry out alongside his studies.
The team at Running Total Media work with well-known clients such as Manchester City Football Club, Victorian Plumbing and Beauty Bay, offering Luke valuable insight into the planning and strategizing of deploying different advertising campaigns.
Since starting his placement within the Digital Team, Luke has gained numerous practical and transferable skills useful to his studies and beyond, from communication and time management to problem solving and knowledge of digital marketing platforms.
“Gaining real world experience is vital in order to stand out from the crowd,” Luke explains. “I’m sure there will be many students in the same position as me leaving university and wanting to go into the digital marketing sector, so networking early and gaining hands on experience will hopefully provide me with better opportunities in the future.
“Trying to balance this with my study deadlines has been a challenge. I've had to be more organised and disciplined to find the time to complete my assignments.”
Although the transition into industry was daunting at first, the friendly and sociable office environment has provided a pleasant atmosphere to both work and learn in for Luke. Running Total Media provided online courses to take Luke through different aspects of his role and granted him flexibility around assessment times.
“Everyone in the office has been so helpful and open to any question I have asked, making me more comfortable and confident in what I’m doing,” Luke said.
Dom Randle, Director of Running Total Media, understands the value of industry work experience: “I remember finishing my own degree while we were in a recession, jobs were scarce and everyone wanted experience. I hope that Luke’s experience here will give him a good feel for the industry and some foundational skills for his future career.
“Luke has a strong interest in digital media so we’ve placed him in that team, learning about the practices of planning and building advertising campaigns in social platforms primarily, understanding how we report and track digital media campaigns.” Luke has been appointed a mentor for support and guidance throughout his placement.
“The media landscape changes all the time,” Dom explains. “The industry always needs fresh perspectives and different habits of their own to give us a well-rounded view of the marketplace. I hope Luke considers Running Total Media a place to develop his career when he’s finished his degree.”
To find more information on undertaking a placement during your studies at Leeds Beckett, visit our information pages on Beckett Careers.
To learn more about offering placement opportunities as an employer, please visit our information pages on Beckett Services.
