Student leader roles consistently make up around 30% of the intensive skills submissions on the Bristol PLUS Award and the impact this leadership experience has on students can be extremely far-reaching, both personally and professionally. The 2015-16 Outstanding Award projects reflected this benefit, showcasing the significant contributions from students in their SU roles as senior residents, society presidents, volunteers and fundraisers.
Faye Leneghan used her role as 2015-16 Station Manager of Burst Radio to achieve the Award in her final year at the University of Bristol. When asked before graduating ‘what are your career goals?’ she responded:
“I’m looking to gain a career in broadcast journalism, production or PR/Communications. With the help of the Outstanding Award I have upcoming interviews for an internship with Global Radio and the Houses of Parliament!”
We recently caught up with Faye after several years in industry to see how the experience and skills gained through taking part in the Outstanding Award have helped her career take off.
“Throughout my time studying at Bristol, I really threw myself into all things media alongside my degree! During my final year I was the Station Manager of Burst Radio, and over the three years of studying I gained experience with BBC Bristol, BBC Introducing, CB Films and Mentorn Media.
The Outstanding Award has been incredibly beneficial for my career as the award reflects the time I invested into developing employment skills through extra-curricular activities. Having this award/evidence from Bristol showcasing my employability skills made me feel so much more confident when interviewing for creative roles.
Over the past couple of years I have worked as a Creative Writer and Account Manager for the UKs largest Commercial Radio and digital advertising company – Global Radio. The role has not only used my creative writing skills that I’d crafted throughout my degree, but also utilised the commercial skills I’d developed running one of the biggest student media groups.
A huge part of my role was to pitch creative concepts to various businesses (from mattress companies, to burger chains!) – and the practice I gained articulating my activity with Burst to University Staff and employers from various sectors really unlocked my confidence in being able to deliver big and creative pitches.
I have recently progressed into a new role as a Brand and Partnerships Executive in the Global Radio Marketing Team, which means pitching and developing creative marketing solutions on an even bigger scale!”
To find out more about the Awards visit our Bristol PLUS and Outstanding Award webpages. Introductory talks are running now – challenge accepted?