My first year at Start: what I've learnt on my T Level placement

By Lilly Roberts, Marketing Assistant (T Level), Start Communication

When I started studying for my T Level at The Manchester College, I wasn't entirely sure where it would take me. I knew I enjoyed creative work, particularly content creation, social media and writing, but I wanted to understand what working in marketing was actually like.

That's one of the reasons I chose a T Level. It combines classroom learning with real industry experience, giving students the opportunity to develop practical skills and explore potential career paths while working towards a qualification.

With support from my tutors at The Manchester College, I was introduced to Start, a marketing and communications consultancy in Manchester. After meeting Rachel, Start's Founder and Managing Director, I felt it would be a great place to learn, develop my skills and gain experience in the industry.

One year on, I've learnt far more than I expected!

There's more to marketing than social media

Before joining Start, I already had some experience with content creation, but one of the biggest things I've learnt is that marketing involves much more than simply creating posts for social media.

Behind every successful campaign, there's planning, research and strategy. I've learnt how important it is to understand your audience, think about what you're trying to achieve and make sure the content you create has a clear purpose.

Having a creative background, I've always enjoyed coming up with ideas. But working at Start has helped me understand that creativity and strategy go hand in hand. A great idea is even more effective when it's backed by research, a clear plan and an understanding of what you want it to achieve.

Learning beyond the classroom

One of my favourite things about my placement has been the opportunity to get involved in different projects and attend events across Greater Manchester.

A highlight was attending the Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity annual bus pull with the Start team. I helped create content for our social media channels throughout the event and had the chance to meet and network with people from different businesses and organisations.

It was a great opportunity to put my content creation skills into practice in a live environment, while also building my confidence speaking to new people.

I also attended the pro-manchester Creative Conference, where I heard from successful people working across different areas of the creative industries.

As a student, it was really valuable to hear about their achievements, experiences and different ways of working. It opened my eyes to the variety of career opportunities available and helped me think about which areas of the industry I'd like to explore further.

These are the kinds of experiences that are difficult to replicate in a classroom. Being able to meet people, see how businesses operate and learn from professionals working in the industry has been one of the most valuable parts of my T Level so far.

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Finding my feet at Start

Working at a consultancy that covers all areas of marketing has given me the opportunity to get involved in activities right across the marketing mix. I've been able to build on the content creation skills I already had, while developing my understanding of planning, communication, research and the work that goes into delivering marketing for different businesses. I've also learnt a lot from working alongside the Start team and meeting the different people they collaborate with.

When I first started, I wasn't always confident about where my skills would fit within the marketing industry. But over the past year, I've become much more comfortable sharing ideas, taking on new tasks and putting what I've learnt at college into practice.

It's helped me see how the things I'm studying connect to real work, and given me a much clearer idea of what a career in marketing could look like.

What's next?

I'm now looking forward to my second year at The Manchester College and continuing my placement at Start.

I'd like to keep developing my creative and technical skills, gaining more experience and learning about the different opportunities available within marketing.

Looking further ahead, I'm interested in studying digital marketing at university or pursuing a degree apprenticeship, where I could continue working in the industry while gaining a degree.

I'm still exploring exactly which direction I'd like my career to take, but that's one of the best things about this experience. It's given me the chance to discover what I enjoy, learn from people already working in marketing and start thinking seriously about my future. My placement has opened up doors for me - I've connected with lots of new, interesting people in the marketing world that I wouldn't have otherwise met.

My first year at Start has given me a great foundation, and I'm excited to see what the next one brings!