CASESTUDY
LILY BROTHWOOD
Age : 26 Birthplace : Middlesbrough Where you live now : Middlesbrough Primary school : St Edward ’ s , Linthorpe Secondary school : Kings Academy
Education & qualifications since leaving school : A-Levels : English ( B ), business ( B ) and biology ( C )
Degree : First Class Honours in Business Management with Marketing
Current employer : Intelect , Middlesbrough Years with current employer : Three years
My career path ( jobs ): Various retail jobs while completing my A-Levels ; various hospitality roles while completing my degree ; marketing and communications coordinator at PD Ports ( two years ); marketing and communications manager , Intelect ; business operations manager , Intelect .
I ’ m currently in the process of launching my own business alongside my current job to support small businesses with their social media content .
When I was in primary school , I wanted to be an actress . I really enjoyed performing arts , and was even part of a local youth theatre group . This experience definitely helped me to build confidence and communication skills , which I now use in my current career .
When I was at secondary school , I wanted to be a business owner , as I liked the idea of being my own boss – I still do !
My favourite subjects at secondary school were English , business and art .
My least favourite subjects at secondary school were maths , physics and languages .
The biggest inspiration in my school days was one of my primary school teachers , Mrs Mulligan , because she was always so full of life and so positive – she was best known for her love of karaoke , which definitely rubbed off on me !
I wish school had taught me basic life skills like the process of buying a house , how to budget your bills or even how to start a business .
If my 16-year-old self could see me now , they ’ d be most surprised about how differently my life has played out from what I would have imagined when I was at school . Things don ’ t always work out as you ’ d hoped they would , but this isn ’ t always a bad thing . I ’ m now in a career I enjoy , and have bought my first home , all while being surrounded by a great support system of family and friends , which I ’ m very grateful for and lucky to have .
My advice to anyone who doesn ’ t know what to do after leaving school is don ’ t get stuck doing something that you don ’ t enjoy . Look at the subjects that you like the most in school , and research what careers are closely linked to them .
What I did when I left school was go to university because that ’ s what everyone else was doing . Looking back now , I wish I had explored the opportunities of an apprenticeship , as they can open so many doors . But careers support was very university-biased when I was at school . I don ’ t regret going to university , as I loved my time there , but maybe if more information about apprenticeships had been available to me , I might have explored this avenue more instead .
The best thing about my job is the variety of responsibilities I have , and the people who I get to work with along the way . While sometimes it ’ s challenging , it ’ s always great to be working on something new .
My main responsibilities cover everything from overseeing our marketing and events to managing our admin team and our apprenticeship programme . We have around 43 apprentices to support at the moment , so that keeps me and our HR manager very busy .
The biggest inspiration in my career so far has been my dad because he always pushes me to be the best version of myself and is always there to support me with any help and advice if I ever need it .
The best advice I was ever given was don ’ t be afraid to say ‘ no ’. Whether it be in your career or your personal life , it ’ s always important that you set boundaries to make sure you are happy .
My career ambition is to ensure I always leave a positive impact on the people I work with and the companies I work for , while always inspiring the next generation .
Hobbies : I love to bake and also enjoy going to the gym , as I think it ’ s great for keeping a positive mindset .
Favourite TV : I love bingewatching a good series .
Favourite music : I wouldn ’ t say I have a favourite genre , but you can always tell what mood I ’ m in by the music I ’ m listening too !
Favourite social media : Instagram / TikTok
Favourite film : Bridesmaids
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