Scott Neal

Meet Scott Neal, Business Management BA (Hons) student who completed a placement at Lucite International

What skills have you gained whilst on your placement?

I was responsible for managing the company’s social media activities and contributed to wider communications activities therefore I gained the ability to work with a wide range of people with multiple projects being active at any one time. My time management skills benefited hugely from this, as did my wider understanding of social media marketing and communications.

How has your placement helped to prepare you for a professional career in your chosen subject area?

The most notable effect has been the work ethic you gain from a placement. Having worked full-time over a whole year, the attitude you take back to university really benefits your academic performance. The experience in social media management and copywriting has made me far more employable in this field. Not only has this helped me gain internship experience during my final year, but I now feel far more able to offer the skills required in graduate job descriptions.

Northumbria University is known for its innovation. How have you learnt to think differently whilst doing a placement?

At Lucite International, I was often praised for my willingness to go above and beyond the job description rather than simply following the outline set by predecessors. I was said to have ‘made the job my own’ in terms of the innovation I brought to the role. The fact that this search for continuous improvement was so successful means the questioning attitude is one I will take into future employment.

What did you enjoy most about your placement?

I really enjoyed how much trust was placed in me and also having the opportunity to work autonomously. It was great to see ideas go from being an initial thought to becoming a fully-fledged project. Being able to spend a year integrating with a company was really enjoyable as it gave me a great idea of how social media and communications fit in with wider business activities.