We interviewed a Management with Marketing alumna about her experience studying at RGU and what made her up-skill and study for an MSc in Digital Marketing. Here is what she said:

Tell us a bit about yourself!

My name is Rosie Hislop. I currently live in Aberdeen and have done all of my life. I began my higher education journey at RGU in 2014 through Degree Link, jumping straight into year 2 of BSc Management with Marketing after completing an HNC. I graduated from my undergraduate course in 2017 with a 2:1.

On completion of my undergraduate degree, to celebrate, one of my fellow classmates and I decided to interrail around Europe during summer. It was amazing to see more of Europe and it turned out to be an unforgettable trip. On my return, it was time to start looking into potential jobs, the job market wasn’t looking so great at the time and I realised I was not ready to finish my higher education journey. I weighed up my options and as I really enjoyed the digital aspects of my undergraduate degree, I thought it would be a good idea to expand my knowledge and skills in digital marketing. I did some research on the marketing related postgraduate programmes available at RGU and decided I would study the MSc Digital Marketing course which would take 1 year to complete. I graduated in December 2018 with a Distinction!

Why did you choose to study at RGU?

When leaving secondary school / college I knew RGU had a high reputation in the field of business studies.

The university holds a gold TEF which highlights its excellence in teaching, learning and outcomes. RGU has a 97.6% employability rating (HESA 2018), offering great career advice from experienced individuals. These factors further convinced me to study at the university.

When looking into postgraduate courses I also chose RGU as I knew how amazing my experience had been during my undergraduate studies. There was always a great support system at the university whether it was from fellow students or lecturers – I made some amazing friends throughout the years.

I had no doubt that this was where I wanted to study. As I had previously studied at the university, I was eligible for the alumni discount which was another incentive to continue my studies at RGU.

Tell us more about MSc Digital Marketing!

My postgraduate degree was very much focused on the digital side of marketing. Both of our lecturers at the time, Jack and Simone were very passionate about digital marketing and this really showed in their teaching. They were always there to offer us support during our studies.

An aspect of the course which was really great was the guest lecturers, including local marketing agencies and live clients – this really gave us an insight into what working in the industry would be like and it really helped me when graduating and transitioning from university to a full-time job in marketing.

We also had multiple opportunities throughout the course to carry out projects for live clients. This included giving recommendations to the client, explaining in detail how they could improve their social channels, overall digital marketing strategy and the analytical tools that could be used to track the success of these recommendations. This really gave us an insight into what a full-time marketing role would entail and allowed us to put the theory we had learned into practice.

Throughout the course there was an even amount of group and individual project work. I think the balance of the two increased my confidence and also reflected what a full-time job is like in the industry.

I also really enjoyed doing the research and writing my dissertation during my Master’s degree, I believe this was because I chose a topic I was really interested in.

What was your dissertation on?

My Master’s dissertation aimed to explore the impact of influencer marketing through Instagram on the UK fashion industry from the perspective of fashion influencers and female consumers aged 18-25. I loved carrying out focus groups and interviewing local influencers in Aberdeen.

I can genuinely say I enjoyed writing my Master’s dissertation as I chose a topic I was, and still am very interested in. In my spare time, reading blogs, scrolling through social media and watching vlogs is one of my favourite things to do. I have always found it very interesting how individuals are influenced to make purchases based on what they have seen online – including myself! I was overjoyed when opening my Master’s results to find out I had achieved an A in my dissertation and therefore an overall distinction in my degree – all the hard work had truly paid off!

How was your experience studying at RGU?

I loved every minute of studying at RGU throughout my undergraduate and postgraduate studies. Everyone is very friendly from the receptionists to the lecturers, they are always willing to help and there is a real community spirit at the university.

I ended up making some really good lifelong friends at university and it is amazing to see where their degrees have taken them. It is great to see how successful they have become in their careers from starting their own companies to becoming marketing managers.

RGU has some great facilities, including the RGU library with its amazing panoramic views. I spent a lot of my time (sometimes all-night nearing deadlines!) in the library and there was always somewhere nearby to take a break or to meet fellow classmates for a coffee and a chat in between studying.

The university also had great access to study areas/rooms that could be booked online if you needed a quieter area for a specific project, making group work or focus groups/interviews a lot easier.

Where was your favourite spot to go for lunch on the RGU campus?

It would have to be down by the river or on the grass behind the Sir Ian Wood Building for me! On a rainy day, my friends and I would gather in the health building canteen or in the Sir Ian Wood building, on the couches beside Costa – you would always find us near the food places! RGU has an amazing and vast range of food options which suit everybody’s dietary requirements – there is something for everyone.

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What are you doing now?

I am now working full-time in a marketing and social media role based in Aberdeenshire. I can’t wait to see what the future brings in the marketing industry and where my career path takes me.

What piece of advice would you give to any prospective students wanting to come to Aberdeen to study?

I would say keep your head down and study hard as the final outcome will be worth it in the end. Although the course may seem very challenging at times, it is highly rewarding.

Make sure you pick a good dissertation topic and one you are interested in, it will make the experience of researching and writing it so much more enjoyable!

If you are moving to Aberdeen, during your downtime, make sure to visit some of Aberdeen and its outskirts as there are some beautiful places from the coast to the countryside right on your doorstep!

Lastly, take full advantage of RGU’s facilities and societies during your time at the university.

Rosie Hislop

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