Alumni

Hannah Storey

I am from the North East and wished to study locally so I could commute from home. I wanted to do a degree I would enjoy and after thoroughly looking at courses and universities I decided that Film and TV Studies at Northumbria was the degree for me. I wanted to get involved in the film industry as a dream job and decided that I would go for it. I ended up doing a degree I enjoyed and after achieving a good grade I ended up with a good job.

What are you doing now?

I now work as a Digital Marketing Coordinator at Bellway Homes after previously working at The Pen Shop and Opus Art Gallery in Digital Marketing. It isn't a job in the film industry however I love my job and I feel very lucky to have found my niche in life.

How did studying at Northumbria help you achieve your career goals / give your career an edge?

It is quite simple: I wouldn't have a career or job I love now without Northumbria University. It sounds a bit dramatic but it is true. After leaving University I struggled to find work and it was a phone call from the University to see how I was getting on that changed my life. The lovely woman told me about the Northumbria University job placement scheme and gave me the website details to have a look. After months of not getting an interview anywhere I applied to several of these work placements on the University website and suddenly had a flurry of interviews. I was lucky enough to get a ten-week placement at Opus Art Gallery and ended up staying there for two and a half years. I learnt so much from my time at Opus and really found my perfect job as well as discovering how confident you can feel when you're good at a job and enjoy it. Without that phone call from Northumbria University I would never have had that placement and I'm not sure what would have happened. I can never say thank you enough to Northumbria. I owe the University more than I can ever express in words.

What was the best thing about your course?

I loved my degree. I found it interesting and practical as well as the lecturers been approachable, likeable and engaging. I very rarely missed a lecture or screening and even though I might not have ended up with a job in the film industry I have never regretted the degree or the university I chose. The best thing might be the fact I can tell people I did James Bond Studies in my final year!

Who inspired you the most, and why?

I can't pick out a single lecturer as the entire team was fantastic. They were helpful, engaging, funny and most of all interesting and passionate about the subjects they taught. All of my friends were jealous of me as I loved my degree and was genuinely excited to go to university every week and learn as much as I could.

Which skills/knowledge did you learn on your course that you use most now/throughout your career?

I learnt how to be confident about myself which I struggled with before university. I used to be quite shy but now I'd consider myself quite chatty and bubbly. I do a lot of writing and presentations at work so rely on the skills I learnt at Northumbria on a daily basis.

What did you enjoy most about your time at Northumbria University?

I did some work experience at BBC Look North through the University as well as working on setting up the first Northumbria student radio station. The thing I enjoyed most was the opportunities the University gave me outside of my course and that helped when applying for jobs after I left as I had extra things on my CV other than just my degree which made me stand out.

What advice would you give somebody who is thinking of studying at Northumbria?

If you are thinking of studying at Northumbria University then go for it, you won't regret it. There is something for everyone at Northumbria. I'm not one for clubbing or drinking so for me the library and book store were my habitats and I thought they were both great. I would never have found my dream job if I had never gone to Northumbria as they helped me get work experience after I left University. They cared about me and wanted to make sure I was alright after graduating which I really appreciated.