sean smith is smiling toward the camera. He is wearing a grey jumper, he has short brown hair and blue eyes.
sean smith is smiling toward the camera. He is wearing a grey jumper, he has short brown hair and blue eyes.

Future You: Sean Smith

Intro

Two smartly dressed colleagues looking at their tablets
Anywhere you look at UWL, there are great people achieving great things, and one day this could be you!

Below we introduce you to Sean Smith, who studied BA Event Management at UWL and now he’s enjoying a successful career as a ‘consumer marketing coordinator' with IMG, handling major events like the ‘Big Feastival’ and the Natural History Museum’s Ice Rink. 

Main body

What encouraged you to study at UWL? 

I reviewed The Guardian’s list of best universities for Event Management in 2018 and UWL continually came up. I attended an open day and knew immediately that UWL was the right fit for me. It offered smaller cohorts meaning lectures were more personal and, as I was doing an Event Management degree, the fact I was in London was a massive pull. 

What did you enjoy the most about UWL? 

My experience at UWL was made enjoyable by the amount of opportunities the university offered me which helped add great experience to my CV and helped me get to where I am today. Through my role as a student ambassador, I was trusted by senior management to lead on several events both in-person and online. 

festival event management music stage outdoors

Tell us about your career since graduating?

I started my role as ‘Consumer Marketing Coordinator’ at IMG 4 weeks before my final assignments were due, which definitely assisted in me learning to prioritise tasks! Since starting in this role, I worked across the marketing campaigns for Big Feastival (a summer music festival in the Cotswolds, taking place over August Bank Holiday weekend) which our headliners included Rag ‘n’ Bone man in 2021.

I then lead the digital marketing campaign for the Natural History Museum Ice Rink’s final year which saw over 100k people attend over the festive period in 21/22. More recently I am working across the campaign for Big Feastival again and covered the Marketing Manager role for 4 weeks in July and I received great feedback from the wider team about how it was a seamless transition and the role was covered extremely well. 

Professionals walking down the stairs

What do you enjoy most about your career?

I love the creative aspect, getting to lead on out of home advertising campaigns and seeing artwork I have worked on used on billboards, trains and digital screens throughout the UK. No two days are the same! Additionally, I am fortunate to be supported by a manager and director, who have created a plan which will assist me in my pathway to becoming a marketing manager. 

What advice do you have to offer?  

Be open to all possibilities and do not be afraid to apply for roles that may seem out of your depth when reading a job description. Many companies are interested in hiring an individual who shows a willingness to learn and a hard-working mentality. Additionally, do not get disheartened if you do not get a job straight away, it can take time but your degree and determination will be acknowledged by the right employer at the right time. 

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