Paola Ivanova
Country Of Origin: Bulgaria
Degree: BA Advertising and Marketing, 2012
Associate Project Manager, H.J. Heinz Company
Before coming to Lancaster University, I studied at a German secondary school. I was involved with multiple art and event organisation projects and by the time I graduated, I was certain that I wanted to study the creative part of business and continue my international experience. I looked at the European rankings for marketing degrees and found Lancaster University Management School top in the management and student experience reviews.
For the three years spent at Lancaster University, I had amazing social and academic experiences. The environment was extremely open and I made friends with people from all over the world, with who I will stay in touch. The degree structure and flexibility helped me to develop self-discipline and adapt quickly to new environments, which has been vital for my current position. My final-year dissertation involved working directly with Activision Blizzard (the second largest game company after Nintendo), allowing me to learn from their global business practices and from the entertainment industry.
In addition to academic knowledge, I managed to learn new skills through an involvement with academic and interest societies. For example, in the Filming Society I was responsible for filming and directing several sport broadcasts from the Roses Competitions 2010. Also, I was involved with the Marketing Society for three years, becoming a president of 250 members in my final year – a great leadership and networking experience. I did not have an international exchange as part of my degree, but I went to China for three weeks with a group of students as university ambassadors to represent our University in Beijing and study Mandarin.
After graduation, I got a position in a Google-certified digital marketing agency in Manchester. The Lancaster University experience was a solid base for my career responsibilities in terms of marketing strategies development and account management. Now I am certain I want to continue career path in the marketing and advertising industry.