June 6, 2019, by Postgraduate Placements Nottingham

Transitioning to the realities of the world after university

This week Eriko, a postgraduate Business student, talks about her experience doing a University of Nottingham Graduate School PPN placement with Active Fitness.  


Through the Postgraduate Placements programme at the University of Nottingham, I took on the role of Marketing Campaign Designer for a local fitness company called Active Fitness, and this position gave me the opportunity to gain valuable experience to augment my degree.

My role challenged the boundaries of my comfort zone, and under the tutelage of my employers Steve and Debbie, I learned web design and broadened my knowledge about social media campaigns. I initially thought that I would be expected to craft a social media strategy and monitor the success of the campaigns, but we determined that one of the issues that was limiting the reach and success of the fitness program was the existing website, which was very difficult to navigate. We spent some time understanding the merits of the different web platforms, and finally chose the one that we felt would be the best fit for the company. I had very little experience with it before, so this was a fantastic opportunity for me to learn something new, as well as see the new website come to life. I faced numerous challenges in the process, but with the assistance of Steve and Debbie, we were able to design a website that is user-friendly, aesthetically pleasing, and filled with relevant content for the consumers.

“Working with small businesses also allow you to establish a more personal relationship with your employers, which is great in terms of networking!”

This placement also enabled me to work with the company to design a social media campaign that resulted in a 61% increase in the number of members on the new Facebook page that we designed for the brand. An interactive campaign that gave users a chance to win a 6-week food plan for free if they followed certain rules was widely successful, and the company gained some potential clients as well. Additionally, working with Steve and Debbie was an amazing experience, as it allowed me to gain new skills that I can utilize in the future, and learn a lot about the fitness industry. Working with small businesses also allow you to establish a more personal relationship with your employers, which is great in terms of networking!

Looking back, I am thrilled to be able to see the impact of the decisions we took as a team play out over the course of 4 months, and the experience helps a person transition to the realities of the world after university. I would encourage any student who is looking into getting a postgraduate placement to go in with an open mind, as the key outcomes are susceptible to change, depending on market conditions—as it the situation in any real business. The placements allow you to gain some much-needed experience while making above minimum wage, and this is definitely an opportunity that postgraduate students should strive to achieve. There are a number of placements available in many sectors, so there is something for everyone!


If you’re a student interested in doing a postgraduate placement visit our webpage for more information, or check out current opportunities at the Placements Portal.

Posted in Placements