I am the new digital marketing and communications apprentice at City-REDI. I am hoping my degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Salford can help me to create new and inspiring content for our audience as I embark on a new career.
An apprenticeship was not something I wanted to do when I finished my degree but when I realised the support and brilliant training you can receive at the University of Birmingham, it was a no-brainer. I hope working within City-REDI will teach me skills that I would not learn elsewhere whilst learning and advancing my knowledge from the academics along the way.
To the role, I bring my enthusiasm, my experience in video making, tv production, and radio production as well as my experience in graphic creation. Whilst gaining my degree, I learned how to put out a TV news program from a mobile phone, this is something I am most proud of. For my dissertation, I created a two-part radio piece about domestic violence, sourcing, editing, interviewing, and scripting it from scratch by myself. I hope these skills will come in handy when creating brilliant content for social media and the website. My goals whilst at City-REDI are to grow the engagement on social media further and to be able to create a successful marketing campaign.
Before joining City-REDI, I was a cleaner and receptionist at a local hospital in their Accident and Emergency department. I also helped out in the Critical Care department, which was very eye-opening to what the horrible virus could do. Working full time throughout the pandemic and completing a University degree was hard and stressful but very rewarding. I never got the opportunity to work from home like I am now as it wasn’t an option. Adjusting to working from home has been difficult but I have enjoyed being able to spend more time with my two cocker spaniels and at least they get a run at lunchtimes.
In my spare time, I run create social media content for small scale clients in Birmingham. I create simple logos, business flyers, business cards, Instagram content and Facebook banners. I also raise money for the British Heart Foundation by helping to run local events like a Charity Football match and a Charity Bike Ride each year. I create promotion videos, posters and social media content for the events.
I love travelling with my most recent trip last year to Prague and later this year to Norway. I love to take photos of different countries and capture the beautiful scenery.
I hope my apprenticeship at the University advances my experience in marketing and communications and creates some amazing work with the academics and professional services team.
This blog was written by Ellie Macdonald, Digital Marketing Apprentice, City-REDI / WMREDI, University of Birmingham.
Disclaimer:
The views expressed in this analysis post are those of the authors and not necessarily those of City-REDI / WMREDI or the University of Birmingham.