Adam Cunnington BSc Management, 2013
Data Solutions Director, MEC
The course allowed me to learn what it was that I particularly enjoyed and then provided the scope for me to pursue and specialise in that area. I learnt a great deal about different facets of management.
I work for MEC, a London-based, global, full-service Media Agency that manage the advertising for their clients, mediating between the client's business and the media owners to partner with the client and drive value towards satisfying their business objectives. I initially worked within the performance (digital marketing) media department in a paid search role, in a team that manages the online search presence for Lloyds Banking Group. I am currently responsible for MEC's Data Solutions in the UK. My ambition was to embark on a successful career in digital marketing where I could apply my theoretical understanding and become an expert practitioner. I'm certainly by no means an expert but am making good progress and constantly learning in a fast paced industry full of exciting challenges and opportunities. I'm on the right path to achieving it!
In the few years prior to University, I setup and ran a small business as well as studying at both GCSE and A level. When it came to choosing a University, my priorities were to study at an institution with good links to industry and up-to-date, relevant course content that would help me to be employable, but all contextualised in solid research-based academia. For me, I felt my options were Birmingham and Southampton and Birmingham was all too close to home!
Information was easily accessible on arrival, halls were well managed and SUSU (Students' Union) did a great job at tempting us to join every society within a five mile radius - I felt like I knew about 2,000 people just three minutes in. It is a fantastic place to study, Southampton is a city full of things to do and opportunities to pursue and the social life is brilliant. I played badminton throughout my three years and always got involved with things taking place on campus.
The academic side was of a relentlessly high standard with a consistent emphasis on relevant skills for preparing yourself for industry. The course was interesting, with up-to-date content, a huge variation of skills developed which matched the breadth of the role of a management practitioner. There was lots of opportunity to work alone, to work in groups, to analyse, to practice and to present. Ultimately, it lead to my current job working for a media agency which I obtained following an internship program which I applied for after one of the many campus-based guest business-speaker events.
My advice to anyone coming to Southampton would be to use your time wisely. Seek out internship opportunities early on, fight for them and impress. Teach yourself some skills that will set you apart too. I learnt to program from a young age and furthered my skill in this area in some of my own time at University, in an analytical role, it comes in useful.