Alumni - David Bailey, BA Publishing
If someone had told me whilst studying for my degree in publishing that I would end up working for a bathroom company, it is fair to say that I wouldn’t have believed them! The fact that I am demonstrates just how well the degree equips you with skills that can be transferred to a job in what might seem an unlikely sector.
Whilst I don’t directly work in publishing, I feel that my experience of following an alternative career path would benefit others considering or undertaking the degree as I know that I would not be where I am today without it.
It was during my degree that I developed a real interest in marketing. As well as specific publishing modules, the course encompassed broader aspects which included business and marketing. It was the marketing that I really enjoyed and the Marketing Principles and Practices module in particular gave me a thorough understanding of the core theories which I was able to focus on and demonstrate in job interviews. My current role is quite analytical and the experience of producing essays and reports for various modules, alongside my dissertation and marketing-related articles, has been invaluable. Also, being involved in group assignments is very similar to how we work as a team at BathEmpire.com as we are each responsible for different aspects of a project.
I joined BathEmpire.com in 2011 as a marketing executive and for me it was a fantastic opportunity to be at the heart of the promotion of a young and dynamic company that was being propelled to the forefront of an online transformation in the retail bathroom industry by its founding entrepreneurs. The company was named as one of the fastest-growing private companies in Britain in The Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100. Since starting out with taps and showers being sold on eBay in a spare bedroom in 2006, the company has become the fastest-growing online bathroom retailer in the UK with revenues on course to reach £20 million. And the good news for graduates like me is that it is set to create around 200 jobs in the next few years as part of a major investment programme.
Before embarking on my career with BathEmpire.com, I completed a two-month work experience placement with Berg Publishers which is definitely something I would recommend. However, above all, it is my experience of being able to transfer the skills I gained during the degree at Oxford Brookes from the classroom to the workplace which I believe most can learn from.
Posted on 02 Sep 2013 around 12pm