Three cancelled trains and a cross country journey home didn’t dull a fantastic evening for our Marketing programme academics attending.
Congratulations to our academics for being shortlisted, not once but twice, at this year’s Graduate Futures Institute Academic Employability Awards!
Given the strength and competitiveness of this year’s entries, we’re incredibly proud that they were shortlisted for two projects in the following categories:
- Engagement Marketing in Authentic Assessment for Employability
- BizSpark in the Co-created Employability Initiatives category (read more about BizSpark)
Being recognised at this level reflects their passion and commitment to our students’ success after they graduate.
So, why is our Engagement Marketing module worth shouting about?
Every single assessment replicates the tasks our students will face from day one of a marketing career.
First, the live industry brief
They receive a genuine recruitment and retention marketing brief, and work directly with real senior stakeholders, who provide them with feedback through the process.
And with guest sessions from digital agencies and other sectors, students experience lots of different professional perspectives. They then put together an assessed campaign proposal, mirroring the agency pitch process.
Second, the campaign assets for portfolios (really?)
Yes, really! Supported by practitioner masterclasses, our students learn about digital storytelling, branding strategy and video production. And the two-minute professional videos they create are not only assessed but form part of the live briefed campaign. Working as a professional creative team, our students produce broadcast-quality work they use as a real portfolio asset for job applications and interviews.
Third, the Assessment Centre experience
Designed by DMU’s award-winning Careers and Employability team, this replicates the graduate recruitment processes used by major employers. Our students attend structured prep sessions, and meet with assessors from employer partners and DMU’s professional services. This has resulted in genuine internships, making assessment another genuine career opportunity!
And, finally, the industry-standard digital tools
Throughout the module, students gain working-knowledge of LinkedIn, HubSpot and professional video editing software. In fact, LinkedIn training is an important part of the programme with sessions on profile optimisation and network-building. So by the time our students graduate, they’ve already developed their visible professional presence.
By embedding real briefs, real stakeholders, real tools and real reflection, the Engagement Marketing module is an experience so authentic that our students graduate, not just as degree-holders but, as marketing professionals ready to add value from day one.
The real winners here? Definitely our career-ready students!