How did you get your job?
This is my second full-time role after graduating - my first was as a digital communications and marketing assistant at St Oswald’s Hospice, in Newcastle.
When applying, I drew on my experience writing and editing for my university's student newspaper, The Courier, as well as voluntary marketing and journalism experience I gained during my time at university with charities including Solidaritee and The Borgen Project.
What's a typical working day like?
I usually start my morning by reviewing my to-do list to identify the highest-priority, while also leaving enough time in my day to handle any urgent requests that may come in.
For example, I might start my day by working on the Institute's internal newsletter and then move on to writing and scheduling a social media post or two.
I'm often sent web articles to upload, some of which need looking at quickly - for instance, if some of our researchers have had a major paper published - so I will clear some time in my diary to ensure this is done on time.
I use the later hours of the day, when things can feel a bit quieter, to chip away at long-term project work.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Writing is my favourite thing to do, so when I was looking at jobs after leaving university, this was something that I really hoped would be a big part of my professional life.
My job requires a combination of writing skill and intellectual curiosity. I get to refine my skills as a writer while learning about cardiovascular medicine, which despite not coming from a scientific background like most of my colleagues I find fascinating.
In a similar vein, one thing I have loved about both of my jobs, at the NHLI and St Oswald's Hospice, is seeing the real-world impact that these organisations have. The research that happens at the NHLI and the care given at St Oswald's changes lives for the better, which is a special thing to be part of.
What are the challenges?
The NHLI is made up of a large network of researchers, academics, and support staff, which is part of an even bigger network, the Faculty of Medicine, which is part of Imperial College London's huge network. Keeping track of everything that's happening within the NHLI is difficult enough, let alone everything that is happening across the wider faculty and the university.
I'm not sure that anyone has eyes on absolutely all of it, but we do have weekly faculty and university communications meetings which are very helpful.
How is your degree relevant?
An English degree is useful when you're in a job that involves a good deal of writing, both in terms of the quality of your writing and how quickly you can produce it.
Most of my colleagues studied science, technology, engineering or maths (STEM) degrees, but the magic of an English degree is that provided you have all the relevant information, you can turn your hand to writing about almost any topic, for any audience, in an engaging way.
What advice can you give to others wanting to get this job?
- Experience can come in all shapes and sizes. It's easy to think that the only type of experience that will land you a graduate role is an internship or a year in industry. While these opportunities are great if you can access them, don't stress if you can't. I built up my experience by volunteering with charities, working with my student newspaper, and independent content creation and blogging.
- Know your prospective company inside out. If you've been offered an interview for a communications role, my top tip - aside from providing solid evidence of your core skills - is to do your research into the organisation you are interviewing with. This doesn’t just mean researching what they do but also looking specifically into the communications they put out, such as emails, social media, and their website. Try to get a sense of their tone of voice, as you may well be asked to do a written task as part of the interview process. Think about what they do well and what they could do better - I was asked about this in my interviews for both of my jobs so far.
- Keep going. There are plenty of communications roles out there, including junior roles, but it is a competitive market. Don't feel disheartened if it's taking a while to find a graduate role. It took me about six months to get my first full-time role, after a long slog of applications and interviews.
- Network whenever you can. I, and most communications professionals I know, would be more than happy to answer questions from someone looking to enter the field if they reached out with a few queries on LinkedIn, for example. Don't be afraid to make the first move.
Find out more
- Discover what you can do with an English degree.
- Explore what the marketing, advertising and PR sector has to offer.
- Check out 10 alternative science careers.