When the charity first launched we collaborated with a student based marketing agency, Bright Young Things. The idea was that the students could implement their studies on real life marketing projects. One of those students was Pip. We thought we would catch up with him having completed his placement year. Pip returns back to university for his final year after his year long placement at The Perfume Shop.
Hello! My name is Phillip James, but known as Pip to all who know me. I am in my third year at the University of Brighton studying Marketing Management. Currently, I am on my 12-month placement at The Perfume Shop.
Early on in my second year at University, I was chosen by Bright Young Things to work in a small team of students for a startup charity, Jim Jackson Foundation. For just over a year, our team worked closely alongside the team at the foundation to create a marketing plan for the charity. At the beginning, we were tasked with assisting in the look and feel for the charity, which included designing logos, colour palettes, and much more. Later on in the year we were able to support the charity with managing the social pages, plus setting up events – which sparked my journey to beginning my placement at The Perfume Shop.
Can you tell us how your placement year with The Perfume Shop came about?
At my University the ownership is on us, as the students, to find ourselves a placement. So on my search I reached out to the Managing Director of The Perfume Shop, Gill Smith, enquiringly about any opportunities there. This message was the start of my journey at The Perfume Shop and after a couple of messages and interviews, I had secured myself a place at the company and started in late July.
What have you learned/gained since being on your placement and working with The Perfume Shop?
I’ve gained a plethora of new skills and knowledge whilst working with The Perfume Shop. One of the main skills I’ve developed is marketing. It’s been fantastic to be involved in projects that have required me to apply my theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios. Throughout these projects I have also learnt how to use a number of different marketing tools including Hootsuite and numerous social ads managers like Meta, TikTok and Snapchat.
Another skill I have gained during my placement is working in an office environment. Having been a student for two years, it’s no wonder office life came as a bit of a shock! Despite this I’ve been able to adapt quickly to the culture and norms of a workplace. I’ve also learnt how to collaborate and communicate efficiently with colleagues, managers and other departments, as well as how I manage my time and tasks effectively.
It's also been a brilliant opportunity for me to learn about a whole new market. The beauty industry isn’t something I had previously explored but I have found it very interesting to learn so much about perfume and I must say I’m somewhat of an expert now!
How did your experience working with the foundation assist you when looking for a placement and then when starting your placement?
Working with the Jim Jackson Foundation really helped to get me into the professional headspace. It made me think about things differently and it was a great experience to really prove to myself what I was capable of and how much I had already learned at University. This really helped when I first began my placement, as it had given me insight into what to expect when starting at The Perfume Shop. It was still a steep learning curve but it was made easier with my experience gained working with the Jim Jackson Foundation.
What events/projects did you work on during your time working with the foundation?
The team and I worked on a number of different projects with JJF. These started with things like social media growth plans and the charities brand guidelines (copy, colour palettes, logo, etc.). Then, later in the year, we worked on PR events, as well as growing the charity’s media outreach to increase awareness of the charity. There was also multiple charity events throughout the year to help grow funds for the charity.
How did JJF help you grow your network and secure a placement?
As previously mentioned, when looking for a placement I reached out to the Managing Director of The Perfume Shop, Gill Smith. I only felt confident enough to do this after having first met her at the JJF’s launch lunch, in which another member of our team and I attended as representatives of Bright Young Things. I was privileged enough to spend time with several well established individuals, even the MP of Lewes! Without the charity I wouldn’t have been given the opportunity to meet and network with such incredible people, and without it would probably not have secured the placement with The Perfume Shop.
How has your placement with The Perfume Shop influenced your future career aspirations?
Working with The Perfume Shop has taught me many things, and I will definitely come away with some very valuable knowledge and skills. I’ve been lucky enough to explore a variety of areas of marketing which has given me insight into what my strengths are and what I enjoy. However, I’ve enjoyed it all! This year I head back to University to finish my degree in Marketing Management, I’m really looking forward to learning more and having the “real-life experience” to assist me in this final year. My placement with The Perfume Shop has cemented in my mind that marketing is for me. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my year with the company and look forward to whatever is next!
