WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Beth Hamby (2019)

Bethany Hamby, who left RGS in 2019 to study history at University College, London, following A-levels in history, economics and maths, tells us about her life as a public relations executive

What has your career path taken you since leaving university?

I started a digital marketing apprenticeship after university, but this was not very challenging and the work was repetitive so I applied for a public relations executive role at Allott and Associates PR and marketing agency. I got the job less than three weeks after ending my apprenticeship and haven’t looked back since.

Describe a typical day at work

There is no typical day! Some of the tasks I do regularly are supporting our apprentice Josie to make sure her work is varied and exciting, running multiple social media accounts, writing blog posts, website search engine optimisation, client meetings, email campaigns and distributing press releases.

What is the one piece of advice you’d give students interested in following a similar path?

There are loads of free training courses for Google Analytics, Canva and Linkedin that employers are looking for that help you decide if marketing is for you as well as giving you key skills to do the job.

What’s the best bit about your job?

Getting to work with a variety of companies in the UK and abroad.

And the worst?

Chasing contacts to gather details for case studies. These contacts tend to love the products but are busy, so have little time to be interviewed.

What are the highlights of your career so far?

Attending the processing and packaging tradeshow at the National Exhibition Centre. I got to meet a few of our clients there and it was nice to see how our work had helped the company gain sales leads.

What have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced?

Having to become somewhat of an expert in your clients’ fields, in order to write great content for them.

What was the most important thing you learnt at RGS?

I learnt how to be disciplined with my work so that I could have a good work-life balance

What do you wish you’d known back then?

Exams aren’t everything!

What was your dream job when you were at school?

I had no idea, I just wanted to do something I would enjoy.

Who was your favourite teacher and why?

Mr Spiers. He sparked my passion for history and made reading all those dates and facts a bit more engaging.

Who or what inspired you when you were at school?

I was very self-motivated as I wanted to give myself as many options as possible for future careers as I was uncertain about what sector I would go into after university.

What extra-curricular activities were you involved in at RGS?

I played a lot of hockey in school and still play for Harrogate Hockey Club. I also did some waitressing work, volunteered at a local Rainbow GirlGuides group and played the piano outside school.

What has been your greatest success?

Probably competing my degree with a 2:1. It was a big jump from A-levels and the stresses of COVID and the transition to online learning was also difficult.

And biggest disaster?

Probably letting my mental health slip in my second year at university. It taught me the importance of prioritising yourself over other commitments but was a very difficult time, especially with lockdowns making it difficult to lead a normal social life.

What are your hopes for the future?

I’m in the process of buying a house in Knaresborough so the short-term goal is to get moved in there. In the long run I hope to continue expanding my responsibilities at Allotts and maybe attend a tradeshow abroad in the not-too-distant future.