Hi everyone, my name is Alex Slaine and this is my first blog post for the PR Student Blog and I thought I would take this opportunity to explain how I came about deciding to study Communication, Advertising and Marketing at UUJ.

During my GCSE’s I was set on becoming a journalist, ether working for a news broadcaster such as the BBC or simply writing articles for a magazine or newspaper.

However, till this day I will remember the experience I gained from my placement at UTV. Learning that being a journalist is no usual ‘9-5’ job and that the ‘digital age’ is having a dramatic impact in the industry. We as readers/viewers of the news now want to consume the facts in clear and concise snippets, with social media platforms dominating the way in which we access the news. Through my placement at UTV, I learnt that the Journalism and Public Relations industry is under a much broader scope than just newspapers and TV news bulletins.

This enhanced understanding of journalism and the world of public relations, hugely impacted my A-Level choice. I chose subjects that I enjoyed, but more importantly ones that provided me with useful everyday skills which I could utilise in my future career.

My subject choice consisted of Applied Business, Journalism and Performing Arts. Each varied in content but all allowed me to gain and develop my interpersonal communication skills, overall confidence and time keeping. I felt my subject choice for A-Levels not only allowed me to obtain an education, but shaped me as a person.

For my Year 13 work experience I had the opportunity to shadow the Senior Press Officer for our then Secretary of State, Theresa Villiers. This placement confirmed that I wanted to pursue a career in public relations, offering me an insight into what working in this industry would involve.

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During my work placement I had the opportunity to meet Theresa Villiers.

I enjoyed the buzz of the office, working in a time pressured environment, always having to be one step ahead of the media and providing just the right amount of information that was beneficial for the person of focus, but not so much that the facts could be misconstrued by the media. The placement lasted four days and is the main influence as to why I am studying Communication, Advertising and Marketing.

Although I have only been a student of Ulster University for a short period of time, I can confidently say I will enjoy the next four years of my studies- with the CAM course teaching me so much on topics I have a keen interest in.

It is a well known and respected degree, offering students to pursue placements and careers which they have a genuine interest in. From the communication and language module I have learnt that there are a range of different layers between our interactions than just speech. In contrast, modules such as Marketing and Consumer Behaviour have already provided me with an understanding of the process we go through when purchasing products and the strategies marketers will carry out to persuade us to purchase a product.

 

Alex Slaine is a first year CAM student at Ulster University. He can be contacted on Twitter @alexslainee