Why Marketing and Management?
Hi, my name is Amy Kearney and I have just finished my masters in Management and Marketing at Cork University Business School (CUBS) at University College Cork. I decided to enroll in this masters after completing my undergraduate in Social Science (also in UCC.) I have always been drawn to the field of business and after exploring different master programs, I decided that this one aligned perfectly with my career goals. The variety of modules that would be covered over the 12 months and the option to complete a six-month placement was a huge draw to this course. Marketing permeates every aspect of modern life, while I was intrigued by marketing, I preferred to maintain a broader range of career options. This course with its focus on management and marketing offered that flexibility.
My Placement Highlights
At the beginning of my masters I applied for a scholarship that FDC were offering for students in Marketing and Management. I was fortunate to have received the scholarship from FDC and therefore I completed my placement with them. I thoroughly enjoyed my time on placement with FDC in their HQ office in Cork City. I had the opportunity to work in a variety of areas including FDC’s internal training department, recruitment and various marketing activities.
One highlight from my placement was attending the ‘Sustainability Pathways: Networking, Workshops and Opportunities’ event organized by Mallow chamber, Port of Cork Company and IKC3. This event was very informative and offered me an insight into various strategies companies could embrace to further their sustainability initiatives.
I attended the FDC Charity Fund sponsored walk around Doneraile Park followed by a Barbeque at Springfort Hall. This was a very enjoyable day, and it offered me the opportunity to meet with other members of the FDC staff from other offices. The FDC Charity Fund annually aims to assist various charitable organizations, and its donations are made possible by the generous contributions of FDC employees. They have helped numerous charities since the development of this fund such as Concern, Marymount Hospice and Hospital, the Simon Community and Crumlin Children’s hospital.
I had the opportunity to be involved in FDC’s recording of their new four-part podcast series in partnership with the Irish Farmer’s Journal. These podcasts will offer listeners an insight into FDC’s services based on the theme of Advising with Integrity. I was able to watch the live recording of these podcasts, providing me with a valuable understanding of the behind-the-scenes aspects of podcast production.
At the end of my placement, I was asked to present my findings from my applied research project I completed while on placement. My project title was ‘The Irish Rural employee: Utilising marketing communications to efficiently recruit in rural Ireland’. This project had a focus on how FDC can leverage the power of marketing communications to reach a wider pool of skilled candidates and increase their hiring success in rural locations. I was grateful to have been given the opportunity to discuss my findings further with FDC staff and to answer any questions they had.
How my Masters prepared me for these opportunities?
All the modules during my studies helped me to develop my marketing and management skills. A few modules that had an influence over my time on placement are discussed below.
During my time on placement my supervisor and placement coordinator were extremely helpful with any questions or concerns I had regarding my project and placement. The Professional and Personal Development module gave me the opportunity to develop my presentation and public speaking skills further which was a great help for presenting my research findings. This module also provided me with the essential knowledge on how to prepare my CV and key interview skills for my future careers.
Due to my project being based on marketing communications the material covered during the marketing communication module gave me a great basis for my research. As I mentioned, as a part of my placement I worked with the internal training team, this involved writing and posting their weekly news to be sent out to all employees. I also wrote blog posts which were posted on the main FDC website. This module gave me an insight into the impact these posts can have on attracting clientele and future employees. The introduction to marketing module in semester one also provided me with essential knowledge on the key marketing concepts and theories that guided both my work on placement and my future work in the marketing sphere.
I was offered to stay on with FDC on a full-time basis on completion of my placement as junior recruitment executive. The opportunities made available to me as a Management and Marketing student have played a significant role in leading me to my current position. I would strongly encourage anyone who is considering a course with CUBS to explore the wide range of courses they offer.
You can learn more about the MSc Management and Marketing at Cork University Business School (CUBS) at University College Cork (UCC) here.