Hayley Phillips

Name: Hayley Phillips
Club 21 Employer: Scottish Enterprise
Degree Subject: Business and Management
Year of Graduation: 2007

During my third year at university, I decided it was about time I gained some work experience which was relevant to my Business and Management degree. I had received several emails from Club 21, giving details of the many projects there were on offer. I decided to apply for a placement provided by Scottish Enterprise. Sheena McBeth, the Project Manager, was fantastic at giving me tips on how best to fill out the application form to make the most of my skills and previous experience. I accepted a placement in the Marketing Department at Scottish Enterprise, which was great as it is a part of my course in which I am extremely interested, and I was keen to gain practical marketing experience.  

During my placement at Scottish Enterprise, I became part of the Growing Business Marketing Team which is a small group within the overall Marketing Network. This team covers Business Gateway, Manufacturing, Tourism, Life Sciences, Electronics, Food and Drink, Energy and Financial Services. I have learned a lot from working within the different industries and with a variety of people.

One of the main tasks I was given was a research-based project for Business Gateway. I carried out research in several areas, including aspirational starts, intermediaries, an omnibus research which looks at the general perception people have of Business Gateway and, finally, academia. As well as doing these research projects, I was also involved in other projects. Some of these included the project management of an events calendar, a case study template, the organisation of promotional collateral and many more. I was also highly involved in the Business Gateway Autumn/Winter advertising campaign which was extremely interesting.

Throughout my placement I was given great responsibility, and from this I have learned valuable lessons and will take away new skills and confidence as well as having an excellent experience. Club 21 made me realise that it is important to make the most out of the experiences you gain and improve on the skills you have already, while constantly learning new ones.