Name – Michael O’Regan
Company – Fenix Solutions Ltd
Role – Marketing Executive
Degree – BSC (Hons) Marketing
A typical day in placement is…
A typical day at Fenix consists of a morning discussion about the day’s tasks and how it relates to our long term objectives. From there, my day largely consists of creating SEO friendly content, managing the businesses company website and generating sales leads using PPC advertising and email marketing.
What has surprised you the most about your placement?
What has surprised me about placement is Fenix’s flexible approach to ideas and responsibility. Whereby, I was given the scope to make decisions for myself and directly contribute to important strategic marketing decisions.
What has been your biggest challenge and achievement?
The biggest, but most rewarding challenge of my Ulster University placement was the complete redesign of the company’s website.
Prior to my placement I had no web design experience. However, thanks to the support of the Fenix Solutions team I was able to create a brand new website from scratch.
This has resulted in our online traffic almost more than tripling as well a 30% reduction in our website bounce rate.
What skills and qualities have you developed through your role?
I believe as a direct result of placement I feel more confident in my abilities and in communicating my ideas to other.
I have also had the opportunity to develop digital marketing skills I would never had the opportunity to develop otherwise. For example, a high level of competency in Google analytics, PPC advertising, UX design and SEO content creation.
What are the benefits of doing a placement?
I believe one of the major benefits of placement is that you gain practical experience in the field you want to work in. I believe this gives you the opportunity to grow and develop your skills and become a specialist in what you do.
Additionally, employers are looking for people with practical experience as well as academic achievements. Therefore, placement is a great opportunity to differentiate you from the crowd when applying for jobs in the future.
Skills you’ve developed so far…
• Graphic Design
• Commercial Awareness
• Communications skill
• SEO copywriting
• UX Design
• PPC Advertising- Google Adwords
• Google Analytics
• Email Marketing
How do you think this will help your future career?
My Ulster University placement has allowed me to develop specific skills that will help me for the rest of my life.
In particular, I believe the development of my digital marketing skills with be of great value to me in the future, because online is becoming more and more integrated with how consumers make their buying decisions.
Top Tips for second year students applying for a placement:
1. Avail of the resources Ulster University has to offer and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
2. Research the business you are applying for placement with to help you gain a greater understanding of what that specific organisation will want from you.
3. Be yourself, don’t pretend to be what you “think” employers are looking for. Be yourself and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.