Entrepreneur to digital marketer - how university can shape a career
Recent graduate Will Dorrell, who achieved a degree in Business and Entrepreneurship last year, took the time to talk to us about his Falmouth University experience. Will has recently started working at Tregothnan as a Digital Strategist, which is the only business in England to grow their own tea. This involves digital marketing and customer relationship management (CRM), alongside other duties. In this interview he talks us through his time at the Falmouth School of Entrepreneurship (SOE), and what he took from it.
Will’s university journey
Will began his journey at Falmouth as a first year in 2016, having been down on multiple family holidays from Yorkshire. When asked why he chose this course at Falmouth specifically, he stated ‘definitely the course, [it] obviously had to be here for the course’. He went on to explain how he was looking for a course where he could have a go at setting up his own business, and that’s exactly what Falmouth offered. He was passionate about having the opportunity to set up his own limited company, and during his second year he took on a clothing business, because he felt that this enabled him to gain invaluable experience running a pre-existing company. He also noted that ‘the business school has changed so much since I was here. It’s really impressive!’ His comment can be explained by the new additional courses that have recently been added to SOE: Business & Digital Marketing, and Business & Management. Starting in September 2020, even newer courses will be introduced — Sustainable Festival Management, and Sustainable Tourism Management.
When asked about his time at the SOE, Will said that coming to university really put him out of his comfort zone, explaining that he specifically ‘wanted to go into an environment [he] was uncomfortable in.’ Although Will studied Business and Entrepreneurship, the uniqueness of the course meant that he was able to develop a wide range of skills within the business environment, from learning how to create a limited company to being able to begin a successful digital marketing career. During his time here he also joined the Surfing Society, and ended up going to Morocco on a surfing trip. He said that Falmouth life is almost ‘ideal’ for those who don’t want to move into a big city and prefer a smaller town, because of the variety of independent shops and quirky bars. Will said he felt it was a really good place to ‘develop [his] creativity’ in a place that is striving to become as sustainable as possible.
Life after university
Will is proud of the job he has been able to secure at Tregothnan. He explains that ‘it started off as an eight week placement, so after that I was going to go home for a bit. But then they offered me the job and everything changed’. Will expressed his gratitude to the University, and spoke about how the support from the SOE does not come to an end once you graduate; as long as you have obtained a degree from the University, they will always help you with employment. In Will’s case, this meant getting valuable references from his lecturers, and constant encouragement to strive for more.
Will thoroughly enjoyed his time at the SOE. He took away valuable skills that he has been able to apply to his new job at Tregothnan, as well as forming connections that will last a lifetime. If you’re reading this and are considering coming to the School of Entrepreneurship, follow us on Instagram @Fal_Entrepreneur to find out more about what we get up to, or send us a message.
