Journalism graduates went from course to career at Teesside University
Two journalism students went from completing their studies at Teesside University to starting their careers on campus.
Amy Askham and Lauren Heslop, who both completed the BA (Hons) Journalism, are now members of the University’s Communications and Development team.
Amy, 24, of Middlesbrough, who completed her degree in 2020, had originally applied to study early childhood studies. But she decided to make the switch back to the media after approaching the University for advice and being invited to see the journalism department for herself.
She said: “I was shown around the department and felt so welcomed and excited about the course that I knew it was the right one.
“During my course I had the opportunity to travel to India, which was definitely a highlight. I was able to gain experience of real-life reporting in a completely different country.”
Amy added: “The University helped to put me on my chosen career path by giving me the opportunity to explore different modules during my course. After running a campaign for my public relations module in the second year of my degree, I knew I wanted to go down the communications and social media route.
“I am currently a Communications Assistant at Teesside University. I create content and write news releases and every day is different.”
Lauren, 22, from Guisborough, who completed her degree in 2021, also chose to study at Teesside after visiting the journalism department and touring the facilities.
She started her role as Communications Assistant not long after completing her course, which she attributes to the experience gained and opportunities she took up throughout her degree.
Lauren said: “I loved every minute of my time studying at Teesside University, so I was over the moon to be offered a job here soon after finishing my course.
I loved every minute of my time studying at Teesside University
“I’ve always found that one of the best aspects of journalism is the community reporting – telling the positive stories which celebrate people’s successes and bring some joy to the world.
“I’m so happy that I get to do this every day in my work, helping to celebrate the accomplishments of the Teesside University community.”
Lauren added: “The thing that stood out about Teesside for me was the course itself. I didn’t know exactly which area of the media industry I wanted to go into when I was applying, so the fact that the curriculum is so well-rounded was a huge benefit. It gave me the opportunity to try everything and find my place.
“If I had to choose one highlight from my course, it would be building a website and social media campaign in my final year project. It was a such a big task, and I loved the freedom of creating professional content around a subject I was interested in, using the skills I’d been honing throughout my degree.
“Working on this project is what encouraged me to work in communications; I enjoyed so many aspects of my course and I wanted to find a role where I could incorporate everything I learned and loved into one incredible job.
“I’m extremely grateful to my tutors – they taught me to grab every opportunity and get the most out of my university experience, which is exactly what I did. Their passion inspired me to pursue a career in media, and that journey led me to a first-class honours degree and a job that I adore.”
