Like a lot of students at a young age I was unsure what I wanted to do in college. The Business (Common Entry) course allowed me to get a taster of management, marketing and accounting for two years before having to make the decision of choosing a specialism. Two years in I knew the marketing aspect of the course was for me. I enjoyed the creativity side of having to think in different ways to promote businesses. I even then came back a few years later to do the add-on Level 8 honours degree, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I enjoyed many of the modules the course had to offer however the Strategic Market Planning module was my favourite. We had case studies on a range of companies which we would later have to present on how we would market them to consumers. These case studies showed me how I had the ability to adapt the knowledge gained throughout the years depending on the requirements of the business or its products. It really showcased how being a marketer is being a ‘mixer of ingredients’ and how important it is to know when to go all in or pull back on marketing strategies. After graduating, I took up the opportunity of creating social media content for a small local business selling products I didn’t have an in-depth knowledge of, something I know I wouldn’t have had the confidence to agree to if I didn’t have the experience ATU Donegal gave me.

Shannon Duggan