Building a Beautiful Career

Building a Beautiful Career Kat Crapper, Fourth Year  Year BA Management with Marketing (With Industrial Experience), talks to us about her 12 month  International Brand Communications Internship with The Body Shop, getting photographed for Elle, and networking with vloggers. Kat (third from left) and Body Shop colleagues What motivated you to take a year in industry? Having taken 2 years out before coming to Exeter, Id experience working already so knew I enjoyed working in a business environment, and understood the importance of building a strong CV to enhance my employability. One of the reasons I chose Exeter was because of the opportunity to do a placement year as part of my course and the support that the Business School and Career Zone offered in securing one. How did you get your placement organised, and what was the application process like? I remember finding the job through the Career Zone vacancies page, then around a week later I met the recruiters at the Careers Fair, which was really useful as they gave me advice on what they were looking for in a CV and cover letter. I was then invited to have a telephone interview, assessment centre, then a final Skype interview with my future line manager before being offered the job just before Christmas. The stages were challenging, and there was tough competition with over 500 other applicants for just the one position. I had to do a lot of background research into the company, industry and role, but it proved worth it in the end. The interview stages were challenging and there was tough competition with over 500 other applicants for just the one position. I had to do a lot of background research into the company, industry and role, but it proved worth it in the end. What kind of work did you do  at The Body Shop? My team was really supportive and trusted me with a lot more of responsibility than I was expecting. The nature of the role meant I was able to work with teams across lots of areas of the business, both in the London office and with those in Asia, America, Canada and Europe. My role was to assist the International Brand Communications team in the creation and delivery of all PR assets for new product launches. This ranged from assisting the production of international press releases, brainstorming creative ideas for press events, collating top magazine coverage from around the world, going to photo shoots, to helping organise international PR events for journalists. I also was lucky enough to be involved in building relationships and creative content with influential bloggers and YouTube vloggers â€" I identified a  vlogger called  Amena  who was taken on board to promote The Body Shop’s Eid gifts and new skincare range on her channel, which was an exciting project to have been a p art of. Kat (centre left) in Elle Mexico Was working there like you thought it would be? Any surprises? One day quite early on in the year, I was unexpectedly asked to model for a PR photo shoot with the brand’s skincare expert. Not wanting to turn down an opportunity to do something different, I agreed and a few months later my photo ended up in Elle magazine in Mexico and an online magazine in France. What was it like coming back to academic study after being away? Throughout the year, we had to complete a number of academic assessments, so I didn’t feel too out of practice getting back into studying. While a lot of my friends had graduated, I did have other friends returning from their year abroad/in industry, and it’s easy enough to meet new people through my course in group projects and seminars. What impact did your year in business have on your studies? Did it help with any modules? My year out has definitely helped with my studies this year â€" particularly for modules such as Integrated Marketing Communications and Digital Marketing, as Ive been able to apply a lot of what I learnt to my assessments which has improved my marks. It’s also given me more confidence in presenting and pitching ideas. Has your year in industry changed the way you think about your career plans? I really enjoyed working in Brand Communications so I would like to pursue a career in this field. I realised that living in London wasnt for me, so next year Im planning to take some time out to travel, then work abroad in Canada to gain some more international experience and see where that takes me. Would you recommend taking a year in industry, and if so why? 100% not only has it helped me work out what I do and don’t want to do, it was a great opportunity to network with some really ambitious and inspiring people, and make some really good friends.