Placement Student Bradley Marr shares their experience following a 12-week Marketing & Communications work experience professional student placement at Charlie House.
Student life
Hi! I’m Bradley, a full-time third year Digital Marketing student at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. I began my further education a few years ago, firstly with a 1-year course in Creative Media and then a 2-year course in PR & Advertising, both taught at North-east Scotland College.
I then directly-entered 3rd year in the Digital Marketing course at Robert Gordon University in 2022. Eager to gain practical work experience, I decided to search for an industrial placement in preparation for my final year of university.
Applying for a student placement
A student placement is an excellent opportunity for many reasons, such as to gain professional work experience, grow your network of connections, and more importantly, enhance your CV. I quickly began searching for those offering placements through the InPlace Student Portal, and various job websites.
As an Aberdeen local, I was already aware of Charlie House and the great work they do for children and families in the North-east of Scotland. Seeing Charlie House was searching for a Digital Marketing placement student immediately caught my interest, as the idea of working for a worthy charity while gaining work experience sounded extremely rewarding. I was thrilled following my interview to be offered the position to join the team for 12 weeks, starting late January 2023.
Settling in to my placement
I was nervous starting my new role, but from entering reception and being shown to my desk, I was immediately put at ease by how incredibly welcoming the team at Charlie House were.
I was given time to become familiar with my workspace, complete my induction, and organise my diary to meet with the different departments within Charlie House. Not only did these meetings give me a warm welcome to everyone in the team, but I gained valuable insight into the hard work each department puts in to make the dreams of Charlie House a reality.
I was pleasantly surprised how keen the team were for me to get involved straight away in various projects, events, and activities, one being a ‘Five and under group’ family activity. I witnessed first-hand the amazing work that takes place to give the families of Charlie House a bit of rest and a chance to meet with other families, while providing a much-needed safe area for their children to explore, play, and socialise with other children their own age.
Current projects and work experience
One of my first projects was to work on the social media marketing for Curated, a marketplace for small local businesses located in Bon Accord. I thoroughly enjoyed researching and brainstorming ideas and the opportunity to bring my own creative vision to life. Visiting the marketplace each week I got to capture content, create a content plan, brand guide, and media strategy, all while discovering and getting to know some of the fantastic small local businesses that Aberdeen has to offer.
Soon after, I met and worked with Mission10, an Aberdeen-based digital marketing agency who support our marketing activities to ensure Charlie House reaches more families and supporters across the North-east. I visited their offices at the ONE Tech Hub, where I participated in a brainstorming session for an upcoming campaign and saw ideas come to life. The session gave me valuable insight into how an agency can support in-house marketing teams and allowed me to expand my network of connections.
I then supported the fundraising team in producing marketing materials for their annual Fizz & Fashion event, such as writing content to update the website, creating digital screen graphics, and designing printed material for guests. Held at the beautiful venue of Union Kirk, we attended the event alongside Mission10 to capture live content and ensure smooth running of media throughout the day. It was incredibly exciting to be part of an event with over 250 attendees, and to see the hard work of all those involved pay off for an unforgettable afternoon.
Final thoughts
My professional work placement at Charlie House is an experience I will never forget, giving me greater appreciation for my Digital Marketing degree, all while contributing towards making the mission of Charlie House a reality.
Thrilled to have been offered a Marketing & Communications Coordinator role with Charlie House following my student placement, I am looking forward to working with the passionate Charlie House team while I work to obtain my BA (Hons) in Digital Marketing in 2024.
Want to help contribute towards making the mission of Charlie House a reality? See all the ways you can support us here, including current job vacancies and volunteering opportunities!
