A high-flying graduate has told how his placement has given him valuable employability skills and experience thanks to an innovative De Montfort University (DMU) scheme.
Michal Golda, who received first-class honours in Digital Marketing and Social Media, has been working as an artwork Frontrunner in the university’s corporate marketing department for the past six months.
Frontrunners sees current DMU students gain vital work experience. Placements are either three, six or nine months in length and up to ten hours a week during term-time to fit around lectures and studies. Frontrunners are paid the Living Wage by DMU.
The scheme is just one element of the wide range of employability opportunities for students which have helped see DMU ranked in the top 25 universities in the UK for graduate employment.
Michal, who also received an award for best Digital Marketing and Social Media student, said: “I have been working as an art worker creating brochures, leaflets and posters and other promotional material for DMU.
“When I started with the corporate marketing team six months ago, I didn’t have any experience in Adobe InDesign. This placement has helped me develop a new set of skills in different design software as well as gain experience of a real working environment.
“It is a busy department and we often have to deal with very tight deadlines. Everyone in the team made me feel welcome and Jo Bramhall, the graphic designer, was very helpful.”
Michal, who is originally from Poland, continued: “It was quite a spontaneous decision to study at DMU. My friends suggested we should all apply to a university abroad and we just went for it. I am really pleased I took that decision and I can’t believe I’ve just graduated!”
He is now applying for graphic design jobs in and around the Midlands, and is grateful for the CV boost his placement has given him. The scheme really is great. I’d advise students to just go for it. It is really good experience to put into practice what you have learnt.”
Corinne Lea, Senior Corporate Marketing Officer and Michal’s Frontrunner supervisor, said: “Michal has been a very valuable and creative team member and got stuck in straight away.
“He was so dedicated to his work that he even came and worked the day before he was due to hand in his dissertation. It has been a great experience for us to have a Frontrunner and we thoroughly enjoyed having Michal with us. The benefits are mutual.
"We give them work experience, and in turn they bring a different perspective and ideas because they are very close to the students themselves and our audience.
“I have no doubt Michal will be a great asset to any team and I know the skills he has gained here will give him a head start in the race for graduate jobs.”
Posted on Wednesday 29 July 2015