Interview with Adrian Crighton —
BA (Hons) Public Relations, Marketing and Events*
About you
“I really enjoy the community learning
aspect of the University. I have always
thought that I would rather go to a
friendlier and more supportive university
and make a bigger impact than go to a
larger university and just be another face
in the crowd.
“For nearly a decade before coming to
QMU, I was a classical ballet dancer and
was heavily involved with a lot of theatre
work. My current favourite pastime is
mountain biking and I have a golden
labrador named Holly.”
What’s been the highlight of the
course so far?
“What has stood out for me on the BA
(Hons) PR, Marketing and Events
programme at QMU so far was
volunteering at the Chartered Institute of
Public Relations (CIPR) Scotland PRide
Awards, which is a black tie event
celebrating the top PR campaigns of the
year. My favourite assessment (never
thought I would say that) was the crisis
news conference, where you need to sit
on a panel representing a hypothetical
organisation undergoing a crisis while
your lecturers role play as journalists. I
thought this was great because it gives
you real experience in dealing with
situations and is not just a sit-down
exam.”
“Probably the biggest highlight of my
time at QMU so far has been my
involvement with the STARS Programme,
which I’m now co-ordinating. STARS
stands for Student Tourism Ambassador
Role Scotland.
“In this role I’m getting valuable work
experience over and above the academic
knowledge I’m learning on my degree,
including looking after nearly 40 students
across four work experience locations in
Edinburgh over the summer. This
available experience is improving my
confidence and developing my
leadership skills, so it’s a real boost for
my CV.”
What are your plans after graduating
from QMU?
“After I graduate I hope to pursue a
career in corporate communications.”
*Adrian is a student on our BA (Hons)
Public Relations, Marketing and Events.
For entry in 2019 onwards, the course
has been adapted to become BA (Hons)
Public Relations and Marketing
Communications.
What’s your advice for making the
most of being a student at QMU?
“Be prepared to throw yourself into
absolutely every opportunity. It’s really
important that you take advantage of the
many personal development schemes
that QMU has to offer. Your whole
experience here will be so much richer
as a result.
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