Jessica Compton

• Year of graduation: 2020
• Current job title: Marketing Manager
• Organisation / Company: Pragmatiq
• Industry Sector: Technology and production

Your Current Role

What are your key responsibilities within your current position?

I oversee all areas within the marketing department for the company. That ranges from content production, strategy, search engine optimisation, social media, website management, relationships with have with external agencies and more. I also directly manage our marketing executive.

Describe the aspects of your role you find most enjoyable and rewarding, and those you find particularly challenging

I enjoy the planning element of the job and coming up with the plans to move the marketing and business forward. Understanding the areas, you can make the biggest difference in, executing those changes and then seeing the results is rewarding.

For me, managing a team and learning to deal with all the things that come with that a new challenge. Putting your trust in others to get the job done is something that I am always working on.

Your University to Career Journey

How did you gain the qualifications or experience necessary?

At the end of my first year of uni, I began to look for internships in marketing so I could better identify the areas I enjoyed the most and those I maybe didn’t find a passion for. The idea was that in each summer I would gain an internship, so that when I graduated, I could show some experience to a potential employer. I actually got offered a permanent position with the initial company and have worked my way up there alongside my degree.

How do you think that your study has helped your career or personal development? Describe your career progression so far, and any plans you have for the future; are there any particular hurdles you may face?

My career so far:

• Intern – social media and digital marketing co-ordinator Part time – digital marketing co-ordinator
• Full time – marketing co-ordinator Full time – marketing manager

I think my study helped more from a skills perspective, than knowledge of marketing. It sets a good foundation however I found that a lot of my learning was done on the job.

I don’t have any big career plans laid out necessarily. The business I am a part of is growing rapidly so to be part of that have a direct impact on the growth is an exciting time, so hopefully continuing my role there and working up.

Which if any skills and knowledge/understanding gained on your degree are useful in your work role?

As mentioned previously, I think uni teaches you a good foundation for work. You learn time management, teamwork, deadlines, structure, research skills, presentation tactics, etc. I also think there are probably areas that apply but not directly, such as my consumer behaviour module – that is useful for my job as I understand the psychology behind buying behaviour, something that is necessary for marketing to people.

What extra-curricular activities did you participate while at University, i.e. sports, volunteering, placements?

At first, I was working two part-time jobs (one in retail and one in marketing) alongside my degree, so that didn’t leave much time for extra activities. Once I got offered my permanent marketing role, I spent a lot of hours outside of university doing my assignments or understand the technology that was needed for my job.

Are you currently involved in any community or volunteering projects?

I currently volunteer once a month at a local charity shop. With a background in retail, I enjoy speaking to customers and providing help where I can.

Your advice

In one sentence, what advice would you give to undergraduates interested in this work eg tips on gaining entry, accessing opportunities, anything you wish you had known earlier?

Seek relevant experience where you can; whether it’s an internship, voluntary, part-time, etc. Demonstrating something relevant on a CV to a potential employer really makes you stand out and shows you are proactive.

In ten works or less how would you promote the University of Northampton to prospective students?

A supportive learning environment which provides a strong foundation for the world of work.

In ten words or less how would you summarise your University experience?

Hard work at times, positive and an overall good experience.