Aidan Blackett, marketing and PR assistant at Lakes College, Lillyhall.

Age: 21.

Where are you from and where do you live now? Carlisle.

Where do you work? I work at Lakes College in Lillyhall, Workington.

I had initially seen the job advertised online while studying at university in Newcastle (Northumbria University), and felt that the job description really resonated with my ideal workplace.

I’m extremely thankful that I’ve been given the opportunity to work in such an incredible environment as my first job!

How long have you done this job? I’ve been working at the college since I finished my degree five months ago. The days seem to fly by and I sometimes wonder where those months have gone!

Take us through a typical day: This job is extremely varied, and no day ever looks the same.

Some examples of daily tasks include co-ordinating the college’s social media channels, designing collateral materials and assisting with the organisation of events.

What do you like most about the job? I love how the job consists of lots of different things, and that no day is ever the same!

I really like the sense of community felt amongst staff members and students, and can tell that the college’s values of “ready, respectful, potential” apply to everyone here.

What do you like least? The marketing department is always extremely busy, so prioritising tasks is an essential part of my job.

Being busy doesn’t mean that we can slack on quality though! Everything we do is very visible, so checking spelling and grammar is extremely important.

Why did you want to do this job? Whilst studying animation, I came to the realisation that I really enjoyed making videos but would prefer more variety in a full-time career.

Marketing gives me the perfect opportunity to do this! I also wanted to move back to my home county after studying in such a big city for three years.

What jobs have you done previously? I’ve had small part-time positions in the past, but this is my first proper job since completing my animation degree at Northumbria University.

What qualifications or experience do you need? An eye for design is definitely important for this role! Also, computer skills are needed for most tasks.

Any advice for people wanting to get into your profession? I have a completely different idea of what marketing is now compared to what I thought it was when I first applied for the job.

Lots of people (including myself at first) assume marketing is just posting tweets and making posters, but there’s a lot more to it. I would definitely suggest researching the role so you know what to expect!

I would also suggest working on your general digital skills, and learning how to use software like InDesign and Photoshop, as they’re used in a lot of tasks!