December 2012′s Graduate Profile of the Month is Colette Stirling. Colette graduated, in 2011, with a BA in English. She is now studying an MA in Newspaper Journalism at Nottingham Trent University
How did you get there?
Whilst at university, I attended a couple of sessions with careers advisers where we discussed further study or attempting to work my way up in Journalism. I decided the best choice for me was to continue studying and chose the MA in Newspaper Journalism. My ambition is still to become a film journalist, but on the knowledge the careers adviser gave me, I decided to do something that would give a good grounding on which to build a career.
Where are you going?
My ambition is to become a film journalist or to work as part of a magazine or newspaper that specialises in the Arts. Though, before reaching my goal, it is most likely that I’ll work on a newspaper as a general reporter. However, jobs are not easy to come by for anyone in any field at the moment, but with hard work and determination, I believe you can get your dream job.
What if anything would you have done differently during your time at Loughborough University to help you prepare better for your career/life upon graduation?
I honestly don’t believe I would have done anything differently. I was a member of the media centre for three years and in my final year was the editor of the culture section for Label magazine. I built up a great set of contacts and have done lots of work experience at papers during the summer to help further my career.
What advice would you give to a student studying your subject at university now?
Just enjoy it while you can because three years just isn’t long enough to do everything Loughborough has to offer. Read as many books as you can before the start of the course/semester, get to know the Martin Hall café staff (as you’ll be spending most of your time there) and be as organised as you can. Although there are no exams, essays take a lot of hard work and time so make sure you start on them early.
Get involved with as many things as possible and meet as many people as you can. Loughborough isn’t just a university, it’s an experience.
