Ella Cusack
Marketing Intern
Your degree subject matters because you are likely to be spending a minimum of 3 years on this subject and in some cases maybe more, therefore it is very important that you enjoy it!
You are expected to dedicate a lot of time to independent study outside of lectures, so if it’s not something you enjoy or see a purpose in, you’ll find it really difficult to motivate yourself.
Whilst I am not currently pursuing the subject from my undergraduate degree as a career, it has definitely been relevant. My degree taught me lots of really important skills, such as teamwork for group projects and presentation skills, which are both skills I am likely to rely on in marketing.
Also, it introduced me to a lot of different career options I had never considered. Although I knew some were not the right choices for me, I found an interest in a small element of my course, which has led me into the job I am in.
All my course mates now work in completely different areas- some stayed in Psychology and others have gone down completely different routes.
Post 16 Education: AS level Biology; A Level Psychology, Geography and Sport Studies
Higher Education: BSc Psychology; MSc Marketing
Why did you choose Psychology?
I really enjoyed Psychology at A-level and that was the main reason for choosing that subject at the time. I didn’t know exactly what career I wanted to have and what I wanted to do when I graduated so I chose my favourite subject.
In studying this, it opened up a new area of interest in business psychology, which was an area I had never considered before.
This led to me choosing a completely different degree for my Masters. Even though Psychology is not the career I have decided to pursue, I enjoyed the 3 years of my degree.
Ella’s experience as a student
One of the main reasons I chose º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ was because of my love of all things sport. Being the best University for Sport in the world was a major selling point to me and the moment I visited the campus, I knew it would become my home away from home.
Being part of the Athletic Union Hockey Club has been a huge part of my º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ experience, but whether it is sport, music, arts or any other interest you have, I would highly recommend getting involved with clubs and societies. It is such a great opportunity to meet new people with similar interests to you and try out new things you have never considered.
Ella’s Career
I'm currently working as a Marketing Intern for º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ. My role includes working on student recruitment and developing marketing materials for undergraduate and postgraduate students. Had I been told at school this was the job I would have, I would not have believed you! I am really enjoying my job and learning a lot, and this has confirmed to me that this is the career path I would like to pursue.
I didn’t do a placement year as part of my degree; at that stage I was still unsure of what I wanted to do when I graduated. So when I discovered my interest in marketing, I made sure to try and get some work experience during the final year of my degree. This was useful 1) to bulk out my CV but 2) to confirm that I really wanted to work in this area, which it most definitely did.
Ella's advice
Make the right decision for you and what you enjoy.
But remember this decision doesn’t always have to be final and if you change your mind, there are opportunities to change what you are doing so you can go into a career area that interests you. Don’t worry that you will get stuck going down one path for the rest of your life.
My undergraduate degree is totally different to my Master’s degree and my graduate job is completely different to my A Levels!
º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ offer undergraduate BSc (Hons) degrees in:
Psychology, Psychology with Criminology, Psychology in Education, Sport and Exercise Psychology
Please note: Degrees and their titles change over time. Some of these graduates may have studied degrees that have evolved and changed in response to changes in demand from employers.