Harry Thomas

Country of origin: United Kingdom

Placement: Mabox

I knew a placement year would be a great chance to add practical skills to the theoretical learning I had experienced at University. In applying for future jobs it is always great to be able to talk about real work situations as well as work within modules and employers are always looking for those that have applied themselves effectively in working environments.

I also thought that a placement year would be an enjoyable experience, with friends around where I would be working, and a chance to have enjoyable experiences in the weekends, with time and money you don’t have at uni.

My placement role entailed managing the business-facing side of Mabox (which stands for Marketing box). A primary part of this was creating marketing content for the company, including playbooks and infographics, to show the companies expertise in the maritime industry. I was also responsible for online parts of the business, including the website, social media pages, blogs etc. My role also included acquiring new business for the company, involving attending maritime events, inbound and outbound marketing campaigns, and meeting with prospects.

The experience of working everyday, achieving high productivity, then at the weekends seeing friends and being free to do what ever takes your fancy was great. The overall experience at my workplace was fantastic in that there is always something meaningful to do, you are given great responsibility and really pushed – but also that the team are very understanding if help is needed and you’re never made to work too strenuous hours. Being in an SME gives you a very hands-on experience in that you do all sorts of work for the company, and really see the results of this.

My favourite aspect of my placement would have to be the level of responsibility I was given, from the very early stages. Within 6 weeks of starting my placement I attended London International Shipping Week on my own on behalf of the company, which was a great experience, and being able to post your own content on the company site and talk about this with prospects made it an enjoyable experience for me.

My placement will definitely stand me in good stead for the future, I have not decided what I will be doing after University as of yet, but these skills (and many others) that have been developed are transferable across a vast number of areas and will benefit me greatly in the future.