Abbie Voice
Marketing manager, Guildford High School
I wasn’t sure what I wanted to be when I finished sixth form but my school was keen to push a career in medicine and law. I knew I loved studying textiles and psychology and somehow had both creative and analytical skills, so I was torn between doing something creative or what some people might consider “a serious degree”.
While touring universities a lecturer at Nottingham inspired me to study communication and promotion. It opened my eyes to the many career opportunities that existed, including marketing.
After graduating in 2012, I wanted to know more about the discipline and self-funded the CIM Professional Diploma in marketing. It was here I fell in love with the discipline, it challenged both my creative and analytical side. I’ve now been working in the industry for six years in small companies as well as large including Nespresso.
Marketing needs to be talked about more in schools and careers advisors need to be better equipped to speak about marketing as a career option and the many roles that exist within it. When children do an entrepreneurial task or project they should be told what they’re doing has an element of marketing not just business. Children’s skills should also be paired with areas of marketing. If someone is good at maths, for example, they could think about getting into CRM or data analytics. If they are a planner, how about a marketing manager or account manager role? If they like research and getting to understand people better what about market research or insights? Make marketing relevant to the area of study or skills that children enjoy at school.
