Ryan and family

When finishing my degree at Lincoln University last year so many things were going through my head. Do I go back home and look for a job? Do I take the huge risk and go to London? Or do I stay in Lincoln?

Well as it turns out I went with the latter. 

After I finished my degree I spent time working on my CV and building a credible portfolio. Alongside this I had a kind of bridge job to keep me going. After a few months I had not got any further in the hunt for a career based job and found myself heading into a slight rut of working for money and not thinking about my long term goals.

Just after January I received some good news that a local company, Software Europe, were looking for an intern on a six month contract to work in the Corporate Communications department.  Without a second thought I applied. A few months down the line, when I was on a break at my current job at the time, I received a call asking if I would attend an interview regarding the placement. I think you know where this is going and yes, I did get the job.

At this point I did not really know what to expect. I have previously worked in call centres before but not in a cooperate environment like this.  Although the Corporate Communications team at Software Europe is relatively small the demands and the capability were far greater and this appealed to me.

When I started I had a fixed job role and my goal was clear but with the growth in the company different projects and jobs started to come my way. As I graduated with a BA (Hons) in Media Production I started to produce media based work for the company, including corporate videos and brand design for the products that Software Europe build and develop. Working in a fast paced team has helped me to understand how employees pull together to achieve results, with different teams within the organisation working on different areas of a project.

With no real background in marketing I think the last six months have taught me more than any course or diploma could have in five years! Sometimes learning while your working is the best way to understand fully how a business operates. With my degree in media and the skills I am acquiring daily in marketing, I am starting to find myself in my own specific role within the Corporate Communications team here at Software Europe.  Six months have passed, and they really have shot passed, and I have been offered a full time position within the company. For me this is ideal as I have gained so much from the last six months and I am continuing to learn as every day passes.  With so many young people struggling to find jobs after graduation I feel privileged to work for a company that is not only successful but growing, and I hope that I can grow as an employee alongside this.

This might sound like a bit of a cliché but I heard this a few months back and it’s stuck with me. ‘Good things take time but great things happen all at once.’  Since finishing university my life has gone from strength to strength, I have become a father and the opportunity that Software Europe has given me has also given me the security of a permanent role with real prospects in the future.

If questioned about my internships I would highly recommend my placement as it has given me vital experience and a chance to get my foot in the door with an exciting and innovative company.