I like media and similar avenues to that
I thought, why not look down that route. I went to a couple of open days for media degrees, more so radio. But I found it was missing my love for writing. This was when I found MJP and quickly realised that it was the only degree of its kind. I didn't know of another option beyond a standard Publishing degree, or standard Journalism degree. Somebody mentioned it to me and I thought, that sounds great. I went to the open day and it was the perfect mix between writing, media and pop culture, everything I wanted to do was consolidated into one.
I love having a variety of opportunities. I get bored very easily
The idea of having three different degrees in one was a very exciting concept to me. They are so similar, but on the other hand so very different - the perfect mix for someone with a short concentration span. Me and my friend went down very different paths within the course, despite starting at the same point. We're now doing something completely different to one another, which makes me admire the course even more. When you leave school, it is overwhelming to know exactly what you want to do - I was interested in journalism when I joined the course. But, after getting my results back, I realised I was doing much better in my publishing modules. I remember along the way, the lecturers kept asking, well, have you ever thought about publishing?
It's crazy because I had no idea
When talking about publishing, I thought, well I wouldn't want to sell books to people. But I soon realised how many different roles were involved in the industry. The publishing industry is full of, not just sales, but production, design, social-media, finance - these are just a few! I was very fortunate to get such a broad understanding of the publishing industry. That was invaluable for me when I left. I was looking at all sorts of roles within the industry, I didn’t want to limit my opportunities. The lecturers provide insight and open all avenues up to you, so you learn the structure of how things are beyond the classroom. We also had guest lecturers from every avenue of the business, they brought you through the whole process, whether it was the journalism process or the publishing process. Understanding how life would be post-university prepared me for the role I am in today.
I'm now a production coordinator for a children's publisher
This is pretty much the opposite of what I wanted to do when I started my degree. I thought I wanted to do Journalism, but, after some of my publishing modules - I swiftly realised where I belonged... Publishing is so much more than reading and liking books, it is a world of entertainment filled with education at the same time - I just loved it. After doing a children’s publishing module, I realised children’s books encompassed my love for all things visual but also my new found love for the world of publishing. I've struck gold with this job and I couldn’t be happier. I can’t thank my course enough for bringing me the clarity I needed.