Securing a career after graduation

Kelsey Robb graduated from Lancaster in 2018 with a degree in Marketing. She is now an Associate Account Strategist at Google

First impressions of Lancaster

I came to Lancaster from London, and the moment I stepped onto the campus at an open day I knew that Lancaster was the place I wanted to be. There were so many activities, societies and initiatives that I could join or even start. Everyone was really welcoming and lecturers seemed passionate about the fundamentals and the future of the subjects they taught. I also loved the collegiate atmosphere – it really made the campus seem like it could be a home away from home.

Making the most of internships

During my degree, I made sure the internships I took every summer complemented the subjects I was studying. So, in the first summer, I worked in a digital marketing agency for several months to understand the world of advertising, social media and branding. The next year I worked in a fintech banking start-up, immersing myself in an entrepreneurial environment.

These internships taught me that the theory I was studying had real-world applications as well as how to operate and hold myself in workplace environments. It wasn't just a case of the internships adding experience to my CV, but also helping me grow and evaluate my strengths as an individual.

Building skills in student societies

At Lancaster, I was also involved in quite a few societies, either as a member or in a committee role. In particular, my work with the Advertising Society really helped my development: I organised campaigns across campus, competitions, talks and workshops, sometimes even two in the same week.

This was where I truly learnt about leadership - how to set deadlines and targets for myself and others, how to stay motivated and solve problems when things didn't work and how to help others so you all succeed. All this serves me well now and will continue to in the future.

Life after Lancaster

After graduating I secured a role as an Associate Account Strategist at Google. Every day I help businesses develop and implement their marketing strategies, as well as their overall business goals. This means talking to a variety of businesses about what defines their success and how to build their online presence.

I enjoy how no two days are the same because no two businesses are, so you have to be alert for different trends, seasonality peaks, products etc. My role incorporates the entrepreneurial environment with digital marketing and I am always learning new things.

I use skills that I learned at Lancaster in my work, such as setting my own deadlines, staying motivated in difficult situations and seeing the different avenues to explore. I also find that my time talking to so many society members really helped with my conversational skills – helping people understand points in a simple way. I also do find the occasional piece of marketing theory pops up which makes me smile!