Case studies
Niamh Robinson and Gracie Maher graduated with a degree in liberal arts and they share their career paths since leaving the university.
Niamh Robinson, Publisher, The Telegraph
What is your current role and what does it involve?
I currently work across three desks at The Telegraph. I am employed as a publisher, which involves editing articles and newsletters, working across breaking news and refining headlines. However, I have recently been seconded to the Video team, where I am acting as a news editor.
This means I commission video content to accompany stories on our app and website, manage the work flow of my team, and assist with both the scripting, editing and filming of original, longer-form analysis pieces.
On weekends, I also work across the Foreign desk, where I will generally run live-blogs and write articles for both online and the paper, largely on the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.
How did your Nottingham degree support your career ambitions?
My degree taught me how to think laterally and be curious. This inquisitiveness and ability to think on your feet is vital in a workplace such as The Telegraph, where everything is constantly changing and your role varies so wildly from one day to the next.
I also learnt how to juggle multiple priorities during my time at university, and this has been crucial when working in a high-pressure, fast-paced environment such as the newsroom.
What knowledge or skills from your degree do you use in your current job?
- Lateral thinking
- Attention to detail
- Writing clean, concise copy
- Working at speed
- Video editing
- French speaking
- A strong understanding of politics
Did you complete a placement or internship or use the support of the Careers team?
I undertook the Nottingham Advantage Award as part of my degree. This essentially constituted taking three supplementary modules alongside your course.
One of the modules I took was called the Nottingham Consultancy Award. It was amazing experience (albeit time-consuming!) and involved acting as a consultant for a local business, during which time I worked as part of a team to produce a detailed report on everything they could do to improve their business strategy, to harnessing tactics used by competitors, to considering product or service diversification and encouraging customer loyalty.
As a result of this scheme, I was offered a part-time job by the company I worked with. This was an amazing experience and gave me the opportunity to learn in a professional work place. I did also seek advice from the Careers and Employability Service in my final year, as I was torn between pursuing journalism and law at the time, so I was thankful for their advice on tapping into my genuine interests and identifying my career goals.
Gracie Maher, Music Video Producer, Crew Gal
What is your current role and what does it involve?
Crew Gal is a organisation which takes local artists who are on the cusp of record deals and career breaks to give them a music video that promotes a new single.
The crew consists of local volunteers and professionals in the industry who meet for over six weeks and come up with a concept, locations, shot list and everything necessary to create an amazing video with a £300 budget.
As a junior producer, my role is to oversee that these projects are of high quality and have every detail necessary for a successful shoot day and final edit. My job role extends to whatever the volunteers on the project need support with such as storyboarding, costumes or even the logistical elements of moving large pieces of equipment on a shoot day.
Tell us about any extracurricular activities you took part in
During my third year I joined URN and co-hosted a fashion and lifestyle podcast. If anything, I wish I had joined it sooner. I made a lot of friends who were interested in media industries which has helped me stay connected as I emerge into employment in the media sector.
Running my own show massively enhanced my CV as it proved my ability to edit, record and design independently and creatively which gives me a lot of substance for interviews.
Did you complete a placement or internship or use the support of the Careers team?
In my third year I was lucky enough to be offered the Warner Bros LA internship. In the application process I used support and services of the employability team to tailor my CV to ensure I could get an interview for the position.
I worked in their Burbank office for just under three months and worked in the post and production teams.
What knowledge or skills from your degree do you use in your current job?
Producing a music video is creative, but is actually 90% logistics, organisation and communication. My degree equipped me with a multi-disciplinary way of thinking. This has enabled me to take on the broad range of logistical and creative issues that come with creating a range of entirely unique videos that present their own challenges.