Take Your Career Fowards with a Graduate Business Partnership

Take Your Career Fowards with a Graduate Business Partnership Richard Evans graduated from the University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, with a BA in English. He’s currently the Careers Magazine Publisher for the Career Zone. He talked to us about life after Uni, and how getting a Graduate Business Partnership role  is taking his career forwards.   Richard Evans, in a field of his own The hallmark of a Gemini is inconsistency. Staying true to my horoscope I started university determined to find a foothold in the production industry and now I’m working as a magazine publisher. In-between I’ve tried my hand in campaigning, film, retail, journalism and Public Relations so it hasn’t exactly been a straight road. When they told me an English degree would be sought after by a range of different professions I thought that was just another way of saying “you’re not really doing anything specific enough but here’s a sprinkling of hope”. Yet despite my inherent generation Y scepticism, here I am! My degree has taken me on a journey of professional self-discovery which eventually landed me in a role at the university that gave it to me. I think there’s something wonderfully cyclical about that. My GBP role has been a blessing. Not only have I fortified skills specific to the industries I hope to find a career in, but I’ve developed a whole new awareness of my capacity to work on professional solo projects. To be completely honest the application for my GPB internship was one out of many grabs at a graduate title. I had just completed four months of consecutive PR and journalism placements and after finally acknowledging the dilapidated state of my bank account, I started working twelve hour shifts in retail. I have a lot of respect for people who can maintain that type of job… But when I was apologising to a customer whilst they dangled a returned pair of ripped leggings in front of my nose due to the “shoddiness” of the garment I came to realise perhaps customer service isn’t my bag. Needless to say that when I received my offer to organise an entire publication singlehandedly, I had a drive and a determination to catch the opportunity firmly between my jaws. It’s really interesting to work behind the scenes of the Career Zone. When I was a student I definitely didn’t make full and efficient use of them but now that I’m part of their team it’s pretty crazy to see how many different schemes I missed out on. It’s really important for me that this magazine effectively communicates the support Exeter provides its students so that I might deter at least a few of them from maintaining a lacklustre attitude. It was therefore imperative that I take a slightly different approach to the editorial process. In past editions of the “In the Zone magazine” the content has been predominantly advertorial. They were good at reaching out to employers in order to show off university students and services but I felt it didn’t quite address the student body effectively enough. This idea has driven the entire project and I’ve used my own experience of the terrifying world beyond academia to fuel the content. So far my GBP has seen me conduct interviews with University department reps, alumni and students. I’ve organised issue design, contributed to department marketing meetings, taken on copywriting duties as well as produced my own original content. In many respects this job has combined my experience in PR with my experience in journalism perfectly although I mostly have free reign over the magazine content the tonality needs to meet University standards as well as give each career sector and scheme appropriate coverage. I can’t exactly go off on tangents about Brexit’s effect on the graduate job market â€" it has to stick to its function. My GBP role has been a blessing. Not only have I fortified skills specific to the industries I hope to find a career in, but I’ve developed a whole new awareness of my capacity to work on professional solo projects. Had somebody asked me to create an entire publication speaking on behalf of a professional service a year ago I would have laughed in their face. Now I feel just a few ranks beneath pro status. Find out more about GBPs here.