I decided to take a placement year when I realised the power of hands-on experience in the job market. Nowadays, there is a huge amount of people who have a degree, which is why I thought that having a year of working experience would help me with standing out from other graduates when I leave university. This kind of experience would not only support a stronger CV but also teach me skills and concepts that you can only learn by carrying out a real job.

At Ve Interactive I worked as part of the Data, Analytics and Publisher Department looking after Inventory Deals and Publisher Relationships. I was responsible for identifying, negotiating and optimising all deals through which our advertisers ran; ensuring that our clients advertise on the best performing and most relevant sites at the best price.

My role had a strong emphasis on Data and Relationship Management in order to more efficiently reach campaign KPI’s by optimising spend through Private Market Place (PMP) deals and using publisher data to cover internal audience gaps in live campaigns. Some of my responsibilities included set up, troubleshoot, analysis and optimisation of PMPs as well the drafting and execution of a data-driven strategy in this field.

My experience at Ve Interactive has been excellent overall. I have  worked in the area I’d like to specialise in the future and I have done this at a lovely company where everyone has always made me feel welcome and valued.

Operating in a professional environment while still being a student is something that I really valued about my placement year. In this circumstance, I received the opportunity to evaluate from closer what I want to do when I finish my degree based on real life experiences; which is something most students don’t have the chance to do. I have also very much enjoyed living in the big city and getting to know the heart of the industry I want to build a career in. However, to me, the best part of taking a placement year is something intangible: The number of opportunities that come with it and the experiences that you live in the process.

The support given by the careers team was great at all times, especially for CV building and interview preparation, which was very much needed at the time. I also found my placement role through their placement newsletter and for that I am incredibly grateful!