Experience and Learning Whilst Studying - Rebecca Birch

Rebecca Birch joined The Candidate as a part-time Marketing Assistant whilst she does her degree in Marketing Management at Manchester Metropolitan University. Read how she is gaining experience and learning whilst studying. 

I’m currently finishing my second year at Manchester Metropolitan University studying Marketing Management. The same as a lot of students, I have always had that daunting fear of how to turn my degree into a successful career and knew that EXPERIENCE was the staple ingredient!

Therefore, when I was introduced to the Agency Life module offered to me during my second year, I jumped at the opportunity! Sifting through the agencies on offer, The Candidate’s posting particularly stood out to me. This was due to the role being digital marketing orientated, sounding extremely interesting and quite unique compared to the others. After a friendly interview and a little tour of the office, I knew I had good vibes about the company and was very excited to start my new venture.

Since then I have never looked back! Not only have I gained hands-on experience with some very useful marketing techniques such as SEO, Social Media, CRM systems, and writing content, I had a fun doing it! The team is like a big family and made me feel very welcome from the start. Colin and Brian have injected an amazing ethos into the company which is very inspiring and Isabelle has also been a magnificent tutor, showing me the Digital Marketing ropes, always very supportive and helpful. As for the recruiters, they are incredible at what they do and they fill the office with so much energy and life!

After having an amazing time over the duration of my internship and feeling quite disheartened it was coming to an end, I began the hunt for a placement and became quite fixated on a sandwich year being my next step until I received the news that The Candidate had a Marketing Assistant role available and offered it to me! I felt genuinely honoured that they had recognised my work and was extremely grateful for the opportunity. It was a no-brainer! This seemed like a great way to combine experience with my third-year studies.

With the doors of The Candidates Spinningfields hub closing for good and the move to Northern Quarter complete, it couldn’t have felt like more of a fresh start! I am currently in the first month of my new role and the transition has been seamless. The team have been extremely supportive and are always happy to answer all my questions, no matter how simple the solution may be! I couldn’t wish to be part of a better company with such a bright future ahead, which I am so delighted to now be a part of!

The Candidate is amazing with supporting students and graduates that want to prosper in the marketing industry by providing valuable work experience. I’d encourage anybody who wants to develop their skills and knowledge to get in touch and express your interest, you won’t regret it!

Here are five reasons why I would encourage anybody to do an internship and how it has helped me…

1. Learning- It is an amazing opportunity to put theory into practice and get hands-on experience in a real-life agency environment.
2. Commercial awareness- Being a marketing recruitment agency I have picked up a lot of industry knowledge and got a feel for what jobs and companies are out there and what they look for in a candidate.
3. Built confidence- Never having an office job before, I was very nervous to start, however over the course of my internship I have grown so much confidence which has shaped me as a person.
4. Experience- I now have creditable work experience to put on my CV which will be looked on positively by future employees.
5. You’ll have fun- They are a very sociable bunch who know how to have a laugh!

We are always looking to add new talent to the team, so if you'd like to join us here in our new office, send your CV to [email protected] or call us on 0161 833 1044. 

Read about why you should #workforus here. 

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