Shelby - Branding Breakthroughs
Shelby O’Brien
Marketing Manager at Hanson Wade
BA (Hons) Marketing
Shelby struggled at school until she discovered her passion for business and marketing. She thrived on BCU’s marketing course and made the most of placement and live brief opportunities available to her. She’s now a successful Marketing Manager, organising conferences all over the world.
“I always struggled with exams and with school in general. I started studying business in year 10 and it was the first subject at school I genuinely enjoyed. Plus, I was good at it. From that moment, I wanted to study business at university, and it motivated me to get good grades.
I visited four different university open days before going to BCU's. None of the universities I visited felt like a good fit, they were all lacking in some way. When I visited BCU, I knew there was something special. The buzz at a BCU open day is unmatched and I felt welcome. I attended course talks and met the business lecturers; they were all so helpful. I loved the fact that all the lecturers had worked in industry, so they could use their real-world knowledge in their teaching. I left the open day feeling inspired and excited to come to university.
I thrived on BCU's business course. The course has a variety of assessment modes so I could complete coursework and group projects a lot of the time instead of exams. The modules were engaging, my favourite being the Marketing Strategy module in my final year. We were able to work on a live brief with Grenade, a performance nutrition company. It was a really unique module, and I use the same skills daily in my job.
I volunteered for BCU's Link Marketing Agency, where I worked on real-life client briefs and was able to apply my degree to real-world examples - this is where I was first introduced to the world of events thanks to a client brief to create the event TEDx Birmingham City University. I really enjoyed the challenge, as we had to create an inspiring and inclusive event in a short space of time.
In addition, I completed a placement year. My lecturers and Graduate+ Team supported me in searching for placements and as a result, I secured a placement as a Marketing Assistant for a global trade exhibitions company where I was working across a range of education, retail and fashion events. After the placement, they offered me a part-time role, so I worked there alongside my final year at BCU. After graduating, I went full time and worked my way up to Marketing Manager. I was able to travel the world for different events and learn so much about the global events industry. Plus. I've been able to tick lots of travel experiences off my bucket list!
If it wasn't for the opportunities, I was able to access at BCU, I wouldn't be where I am today. Being exposed to different elements of marketing through my placement and live briefs was so helpful in understanding what areas I enjoy, and what interests me the most.
Now, I work as a Marketing Manager for Hanson Wade and play a key role in organising life science conferences. My current role involves most areas of marketing, from strategy, to lead generation and email marketing. I love being in such a fast-paced varied role where I can apply my knowledge from BCU and still learn new skills every day.
A highlight of my career so far was being named as an Exhibition News 30 Under Thirty finalist, recognising my talent and skills across the global exhibitions industry. This really helped me stop and appreciate how far I've come.
Struggling with exams during my school years knocked my confidence and is something that still makes me doubt myself. It's important to remember that good exam results don't always equal success. Despite not seeing myself as academic, I achieved a first-class degree, have a fantastic, exciting career and I've travelled the world.”
