Sophie Mahoney

What are your top 3 favourite things about Swansea?
- The beaches, I have no doubt that anyone wouldn’t say Swansea beaches are one of the best parts of the city!
- The community – especially on campus, I can guarantee that walking from lecture to lecture you will see someone you know, and they’ll stop and chat. Everyone just seems so chatty at the uni!
- Food! There are so many awesome independent businesses that have the best food. Thai, Japanese, Italian. Turkish. You name it Swansea most likely has it!

Why did you choose to study your degree at Swansea?
I studied my undergraduate here in Business Management. I knew that the lecturers would be able to teach me the necessary information and skills that I would ultimately take with me into the working world. Even though the lecturers teaching the masters may not be the same as the ones who taught me at undergraduate, I knew the quality of teaching was consistent throughout the School of Management. Also, the employability/careers teams within the university are the best people to go to when applying for placements or graduate schemes; they go above and beyond!

What is your favourite thing about your course?
The variety of the modules. Most people have tunnel vision when it comes to Marketing, they think it’s just advertising but it’s so much more than that and the Strategic Marketing course has highlighted that; we cover everything such as marketing research, research methods, segmentation, marketing communications and digital marketing.

What are you planning/hoping to do after you graduate?
I would love to work for a non-profit organisation, increasing awareness and ultimately helping those in need.

Would you recommend Swansea University to other students?
Definitely! Swansea University has helped create so many amazing relationships and lifelong friendships. Not only that but academically and professionally I have improved in so many ways, I am more confident than I was in 2018 before coming to the university and definitely more certain of the career path I chose.

Are you/have you been part of a society?
Yes! The Women in Business Society and the Business Society – both have helped create and strengthen networking connections. The committee of both societies hold such great events that you can add to your LinkedIn or CV!

Have you worked part-time during your degree?
I’ve had a few part-time work opportunities; I worked in a local pub for two years on bar and as a waitress. It was a completely flexible job opportunity and I could easily complete shifts alongside my studies. I have also had two summer internships over the last 2 years, working for different departments in the uni – The Enterprise Team and the Employability Team in CoE. Both helped me improve my marketing skills and ultimately network with likeminded people. I’d definitely recommend looking at part-time work or summer internships.