September 19, 2018, by Carla

Starting a Graduate Job: My First Weeks in Digital Marketing

By Laura Sage, BA Hons English (2017)

After months of job applications, and rejection after rejection, I stumbled upon an interesting and exciting role at an HR software company called Cezanne HR. The position was for a Digital Marketing Executive, and as I have experience in digital marketing, I thought it would be a good fit.

So, I started what I hoped would be my last application…

I got the job! Digital Marketing Executive at an HR software company. Sounds quite the mouthful. And, I thought as the reality dawned on me, I don’t know anything about HR. Or software.

Doing some research

As I am working in digital marketing, my role is to create online content, such as blogs and social media posts aimed at HR professionals. With this in mind, one of my tasks has been to learn about the HR role and try to understand what makes HR people tick.

I spent the first few days at my job researching the HR industry and what it is like to work in HR. I browsed online publications such as HR Grapevine, a source of HR news and contacts in the UK; and used question and answer platforms, such as Quora, looking at previous answers to questions such as “what is the role of HR?” Another useful resource was Prospects, which outlines the HR role and advises on the skills and work experience that are beneficial to someone aiming to work in this field.

What I discovered

My research told me that HR is a dynamic career path with many opportunities for graduates. An HR assistant is responsible for making key decisions that can affect a company’s trajectory. They are also charged with ensuring employees are treated fairly, making sure they receive their due sick pay, holidays and career development opportunities. An HR professional may get involved in the hiring of new staff. Conversely, they are also often the people doing the firing.

One summary of the role of HR that I particularly liked is:

Human Resources protect the employee from the company, and protect the company from the employee. They are the facilitators of efficient, honest and mutually beneficial work.

Early days

I’ve been working at my company for just over two weeks now, and so far, I’m having a really good time. One of my main tasks has been to create blogs related to HR issues, such as mental health in the workplace, absence management, and hiring new staff. I’ve also taken over the Twitter feed, where I look out for HR news and post links to blogs I feel might be useful. As this is my first real job after graduating, I was quite nervous about starting. However, I have been lucky to have incredibly supportive and welcoming colleagues.

Since graduating, a lot of my friends have discussed their fears about finding a graduate job and starting on their career path. However, there is no reason to rush into anything. Take some time to research career options. I didn’t know what HR was when I was at university, however now that I have some insight I can definitely see myself considering an HR role in the future.

If digital marketing sounds like your thing, you can also check out a blog I wrote last year about my internship, obtained through the Nottingham Internship Scheme.

Did you graduate in 2018? We would love to hear what you’re up to now. Maybe you fancy writing for our blog? Email us now.

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