Gracie Wegrzyn

After finishing my A-Levels, I initially planned to pursue a degree apprenticeship as the traditional university experience didn’t appeal to me. However, I soon realised I was applying to any available opportunity rather than the roles I genuinely wanted, largely due to the limited number of apprenticeships and intense competition for each position. 

This led me to discover the Digital Marketing course at Birmingham City University, which turned out to be exactly what I needed. The intensive two-year programme allowed me to complete my degree much sooner, meaning I could enter the job market a year earlier than planned. Throughout my studies, I explored various aspects of marketing, though initially drawn to the creative side of marketing,  I soon discovered my strengths lie more in strategic thinking, particularly in research and data analysis. Despite this, I have worked on my creative skills, taking the initiative to learn more and practice through projects and exercises to develop a well-rounded skillset.

To better understand my career direction, I enrolled in the academy programme. This experience allows me to explore different core disciplines within the marketing industry, ensuring I have a comprehensive understanding of the field before I begin my job search to help me decide which path I would like to pursue.

I was drawn to the unique blend of imagination and analytical thinking needed in the creative marketing industry. Though I wouldn’t define myself as a “creative”, I have always had a keen eye for detail and an appreciation for great design and compelling messaging.

I was fascinated by the way marketing uses human behaviour to drive strategic decisions, while constantly evolving with new technologies and platforms. I’m particularly attracted to problem solving, by taking a challenge and developing solutions backed by research and data analysis. The variety within marketing also excites me, meaning I can explore different areas to find what suits me best.

I live around 40 minutes outside of Birmingham, with it being my local city. I think Birmingham is a great creative space and proves that marketing talent exists outside of London!

The weekly rotation structure has been one of the most valuable parts of my experience. This approach of moving between different departments has given me a deeper understanding of how an agency works as a whole, showing how the different teams connect and contribute to deliver great results for clients. The experience of working on a live brief has also been valuable as It’s given me real insight into how agencies approach a brief, all the way through to the delivery. It’s been fantastic to see how the theory I learnt at university plays out in the real world, and how I can apply my skills to achieve creative objectives.

After finishing the academy, I hope to spend the first few years of my career working at an agency. Through networking, I’ve learnt that an agency is the best place to further enhance my skills and knowledge as you are often able to collaborate across teams seamlessly. The academy has shown me the opportunities available within an agency - with Client Services, PR and Social Media departments appealing to me most.

I’m very passionate about the strategic side of marketing, especially anything involving research and data analysis. I love digging into consumer insights and using data to understand what’s actually working and why. I’m also interested in social media marketing - I love how you can use data to understand what content resonates with different audiences and how to use this as an advantage. 

I have always loved animals, and one of my biggest goals is to have a small-holding, where I will adopt farm animals and grow my own fruit and vegetables.