Behind the Camera: Master's student in Digital Marketing with a passion for photography
It has been nearly 4 years since I last put my Canon DSLR camera to good use, as these past few months I have documented my life using either my iPhone or my digital Canon Powershot camera. So, upon hearing of this work experience opportunity from my course director, I saw it as a sign to once again reawaken my passion and love for photography. I have always loved photography since I was 16 years old.
From spending most of my Sixth Form days in the photography studio to completing an undergraduate degree rooted in studio practice. If I could tell that younger version of me that I’m now pursuing our shared ambition of a Master’s degree in Central London, studying Digital Marketing while gaining experience across photography, media and marketing, she would hardly believe it. Even more so, I’m doing this with a company that supports businesses to achieve long-term goals and champions students from universities across the UK by building meaningful industry relationships and raising the bar for how education and industry work together. She would be shocked, and proud of how far we’ve come.
Moving forward, I would like to share my perspective and experience of attending The Purpose Coalition event on Thursday, 20th November at The Vincent Rooms in Westminster, London. Throughout the event, the atmosphere was welcoming, uplifting and beamed with words of inspiration, determination and wisdom that touched the hearts of many. In a competitive world where young adults strive for long-term success, I was able to hear from the Purpose Lab student ambassadors, the CEO of Sodexo, Universities & Students UK, and the Chair of the Purpose Coalition whose speeches spoke words of forward thinking, empathy, confidence, and enthusiasm.
From my perspective of the room, while capturing the smiles and laughs of student ambassadors and industry professionals, I noticed that each attendee I engaged with was very encouraging and friendly, and spoke words of kindness towards my potential and professionalism. It was amazing to see that throughout the event, every attendee would be speaking with different people, and many conversations were around influential advice for the Student Ambassadors, or words of enlightenment and interests with other business professionals.
The venue itself was a beautiful space that offered a warm welcome to all members in attendance, as well as catering to small bites and drinks, which made everyone feel very relaxed, and it definitely showed in the photos I took throughout the evening. As a Master’s student in Digital Marketing, I never thought I would be in a room full of like-minded individuals and have the exposure to put my own foot forward to not only be seen as a photographer, but also a student aspiring to enter the workforce with a strong network, relevant experience, and skills where my own contributions can help create a long-lasting impact.
By the end of the evening, I got to walk away with many new connections built, new friends made, and a smiling face. The Purpose Coalition is a company that I now look up to, as every member of the team was very uplifting and humbling, and offered constant reminders on my friendliness, approachability and my perseverance to do well in my studies, as words of gratefulness, and I look forward to working more with the company and contributing to their work with dedication and purpose.
I will respect and honour the teachings and legacy that Purpose Lab has created, and look forward with the intention of paying my own learnings and experiences forward and resolve to educate and uplift like-minded individuals to grow and become the best versions of themselves that their younger self would be proud of.
What have I learnt from attending The Purpose Lab event:
Every voice is heard, and every opinion matters
It was inspiring to hear from the Student Ambassadors from other universities, such as the University of Greenwich, the University of Chester, and fellow students from Royal Holloway, University of London. It was lovely engaging in conversations with them during small moments when I was not taking photos, and each fellow student was so friendly, and I got to learn about their university experiences, support their future career goals and gain helpful advice around what being a Student Ambassador is like and what they have learnt so far.
Every challenge will always have a solution with a clear step-by-step process
I was able to engage in many conversations with business professionals who were invited to the event, and I was also able to build my own network through casual conversations and also made some new friends with a few of the Student Ambassadors. It was interesting to hear their own university journeys and career aspirations as to where they see themselves in their careers. Each conversation spoke about their goals and ambitions, and how everyone was working towards their goals through small but meaningful steps each day.
Moving forward with an open mind is one of the best assets to have
For many businesses and individuals, change can be scary, but with a clear long-term goal and key mission values, it can be a beneficial asset when it comes to adapting to the constant change of the external environment and overcoming challenges. The exposure was very eye-opening, as I got to hear from many professionals, and I got to learn so much, and at the end of the day, I left with not only new connections but the impact story of The Purpose Lab and the important of breaking the barriers of current society to enable schools to focus on creating better education standards, and growing business improve on their missions to contribute to a better working environment for its current and future employees.
This is a guest blog by Patrice Victoria Insua, MSc Digital Marketing Student at Royal Holloway University of London.