BA (Hons) Marketing Management (2026 entry)

Meet Ashley Joseph who has combined his social media skills and his passion for football to forge a successful career.

Ashley is currently the Digital and Social Media Manager at the Football Foundation. He manages the Foundation's social media output and digital projects.

Time at Herts

Ashley knew in his final year that he wanted to work in social media and he has combined this with his passion for football. His first opportunity arose with the Middlesex FA back and he hasn't looked back since.

When reflecting on his time at the University Ashley feels it played a huge part in his development. ‘My course was great. It covered a wide range of marketing principles which helped make me a more rounded and employable person than many of the other people in my industry.

Some of my final year projects where we had the ability to be as creative as possible really helped set me up for some of the things I have encountered in the working world. The fact that the course also offered an optional placement year (which I took up) helped me to secure a job very soon after graduating.’

Words of advice

Ashley is very forthcoming when giving advice for anyone hoping to get into the industry, ‘Use your spare time and summer holidays to get as much practical experience as possible. Internships and placements are invaluable even if it's just a few weeks here and there.’.

And when talking about the social aspect of University life he says, 'Get involved in as much as possible. Societies, clubs, events; just do as much as possible as you'll meet some great people and it will help you become a better more rounded person. '.

What the future holds

Ashley has set his sights high and adds, ‘I want to continue in the football industry and hopefully work my way up to a marketing manager/social media manager role at a big football club. I'd love to work abroad too’.

Meet Wai Shan Cheng (Shanice) who has gained a wide portfolio of skills since graduating. She is currently a freelance copywriter and entrepreneur.

Path to success

Shanice feels that her degree from the University of Hertfordshire provided her with the key principles of marketing to put her on the path to success in her career. She feels the most useful element of the course was the experience of working with others to complete group projects, a skill she uses daily in her current business.

After graduating, Shanice gained experience as a Marketing Executive in the Neon Light Manufacturing Company. This role enabled her to build on her current skills as well as exposing her to other key skills like customer handling, product management and trade show knowledge. Shanice feels that gaining this direct marketing experience after graduation has been key to both her inspiration as an entrepreneur, and her career achievements. Following this role, she worked for a pay TV channel for eight years assisting with channel promotion and marketing services.

Entrepreneur

Shanice founded her company, Kiana Handcraft, in early 2015. She had originally started making handmade hair bows and bow ties during her spare time. However, she soon decided to roll out her products to a wider audience by launching an online shop on Shopify through which she markets and sells her products. Shanice is involved in all aspects of running the company – including monitoring the website, sourcing fabric and materials, accounting, order enquiries and distribution.

In addition to running Kiana Handcraft in her spare time, Shanice joined Panda Group at the start of 2015 as a freelance copywriter. The company offers a full service Brand Design & Marketing Agency. Current clients include Citibank, Disneyland, HSBC, Nielsen, Morgan Stanley and Cathay Pacific. Having proved herself indispensable, Shanice is now their permanent Marketing Director. The role includes seizing new business opportunities, producing cost-effective marketing strategies to clients, and providing detailed costings.

Future goals

In the future Shanice would like to focus on her focus business and work on collaborations: 'I have just started an exciting new collaboration with Kiana Handcraft and the Hong Kong Jockey Club for a crossover promotion with their Swarovski Brooch for Silver Purse Day. My long term goal is to get 5000 likes on Facebook and roll out Kiana Handcraft world-wide'.

A Week in the Life of a Marketing Student

Hello everyone! My name is Raghav Vijay, and I am a second-year marketing student at the University of Hertfordshire. In this blog, I will be exploring my experiences as a home student, while providing insights on what you can do to make the most of your time at Herts.

Monday

The Monday struggle is real, so starting midday gives me a head start, since my day commences with arguably the greatest meal of the day – breakfast. This usually includes some delicious fruits or milk and toast, enjoyed with my family. Afterwards, I organise my assignments, read preparation material, and write questions to guide myself in the right direction for the day.

By noon, I feel prepared and confident for my first lecture: Marketing Insights, Analysis, and Planning. This is enjoyable, as I am taught about marketing models, utilising data, and forming actionable insights. Through these, I have developed industry skills such as metric tracking and presenting insights, which has enhanced my critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. These are crucial for evaluating major marketing decisions when considering our target audience for the industry.  Around one pm, I revise over lecture content, before attending the tutorial, where I spend another hour receiving feedback from our module leader - a secret hack to securing the top grades.

At three pm, I head to the final lessons of the day: Digital Marketing. In class, I learn to develop several pieces of content for our assignments, creating a portfolio of social media ads using Canva while gaining skills for internships and future roles. Although the portfolio was not part of the assignment requirements, it’s a small course-worthy hack to develop an extra talking point in interviews and internships. Finally, I begin my commute around five, arriving home at seven o’clock, where I play with my dog, eat dinner and get ready. At ten I’m ready for bed, so I complete my assignments until I fall asleep.

Tuesday

After an intense Monday, Tuesday shifts to an early start, with my first lecture, Working with the Industry starting at nine. This module centres around developing professional skills, enhancing our online presence and producing class presentations, which I obviously excel at (JK). After my first lecture, I spend some time eating lunch and socialising, gifting me reprieve from my lectures with a five-hour break. At two, I head to my tutorial, where I receive feedback on my work portfolio, happily heading home around three. At home, I research my assignments, before walking my dog and eating dinner to end the day. I then work on my assignments and sleep at eleven pm.

Wednesday and Thursday

What’s better than one day off? Two consecutive days of pure bliss. I wake up at ten am, where I eat breakfast and play with my dog. Next, I clean the house and relax before my favourite part of the day at noon: the gym. At the gym, I box and lift weights, which helps me to de-stress from all the assignments and lectures. Eventually, I head home and eat lunch while I relax with some music and news on my personal passion, technology. I also play online chess, my favourite mind- stimulating game, followed by a stroll with my dog at five pm. Afterwards, I finish my assignments until eight, eat my dinner and continue studying before sleeping by two.

Friday

After two free days, I return to an action-packed Friday. My lessons commence at eleven, allowing me time to have breakfast and prepare for the day. The first lecture,” Working with the Industry”, features guest speakers who give insightful presentations on internships, while providing guidance on developing professional skills. Truly enriching! Next is programme time, where we can ask questions about our assignments with all module leaders in one room. After twelve, my lecture ends, giving me an hour to edit my assignments. Then the best part of the week, from one to three, is my “Social media and Social Influence”, module, where we focus on creating content calendars, crafting content and completing in class challenges. This can range from copywriting, worksheets and sometimes drawing.

Finally, the day ends at three, when I spend time indulging in campus activities such as making Christmas cards or seeing live animals during the festive season. It’s always a blast. Around five, I arrive home to take my dog on a walk before a small snack at six. By seven, my family and I go out for dinner, which is, of course, lots of fun. Subsequently, at eight I spend some time on social media and gaming, before falling asleep.

So that’s it, the end of my week as a marketing student! I hope this gives you a comprehensive look into my experience. Feel free to message me on Unibuddy with any queries you may have. Happy reading!