Even though many of our graduates will have progressed in their careers since completing a case study, they are still of interest to students who wish to gain an understanding of the world of work.

Management and execution of marketing plans utilising the key sponsorship partnerships Barclays has, to deliver against business objectives; The Barclays Premier League, Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, The O2, Barclays Cycle Hire.

Maintaining the relationship between Barclays and its sponsorship partners.

Management and of personnel with Barclays sponsorship team.

My role is split into 3 areas;
1) Internal engagement with the various divisions of Barclays - working with them to use our sponsorship properties to create campaigns / events / initiatives that deliver against business objectives.

2) External engagement with the sponsorship rights holders (Premier League, ATP etc) to maintain the business relationship and work with them as partners in helping Barclays deliver the marketing initiatives, utilising those sponsorship properties.

3) Line management, coaching and development of team members.

I'm fortunate to work with organisations and subject-matters that are huge personal passions of mine - football through the Premier League, tennis through the ATP, and broader entertainment such as music and shows through The O2.

Also - there's a real variety in what I do which makes every day interesting, fresh and rewarding. I can go from presenting a strategy to senior management on how the business should use it's sponsorship of the Barclays Premier League to talking with a professional tennis player's agent on an appearance they're making for a Barclays community / charity event, all within the space of an hour...there's never a dull moment!

The biggest challenges I face are linked to the sheer size and scale of Barclays as a global business. The sponsorships I work on are high profile properties, and delivering marketing campaigns using them requires input from a large number of stakeholders both internal and external. It can sometimes take a while to move a project forward as lots of these stakeholders are busy, senior people across global geographies.

It's a perfect balance for me of three key things I'm passionate about; the creative process of marketing and delivering campaigns, sport & entertainment, and the management and development of people. I'm incredibly lucky to work in the field I do.

I use the fundamental business knowledge and grounding I received as part of my Business Studies degree every day. I use the line management, coaching and colleague development skills I've acquired over the years across all the businesses I work on. Chiefly though I use the experience and knowledge I've accumulated in the areas of creating marketing campaigns and knowing the world of sponsorship. And communication - that's a huge one...it's as much about getting people to buy into the ideas you want to take to market as it is having good ideas in the first place.

As a line manager within the business I receive regular exposure to online and classroom / workshop training to help me and the business get the best out of our people.

I'm also encouraged to take personal responsibility for my knowledge and expertise in my specific field of sponsorship - so I attend industry events, seminars and such from time to time to make sure I'm abreast of the latest thinking and examples of best practice.

Barclays has an extensive programme of functional training that can be accessed as and when needed...so for me that includes courses and e-learning covering all aspects of marketing.

Finally, even though my role doesn't touch the 'banking' / money-handling bit of Barclays, I have to undertake mandatory training to make sure I'm aware of all the 'do's and don'ts' in regards to handling people's money and dealing with other financial institutions .

2001 - 2002: Travelling (SE Asia, Australia, USA). Worked as a lifeguard at the Sydney Olympic pool whilst living in Australia as part of my trip.

2002 - 2003: Lifeguard. Whilst applying for a place on a graduate programme, and ultimately securing one - I had a spell of 12 months working at my local leisure centre before the 'graduate intake' start date came around.

2003 - 2011: Mars Chocolate. Started on their graduate programme and was promoted into roles in both Sales as a national account manager and marketing as a brand manager. I spent the bulk of my brand management time working on the Mars brand - specifically the sponsorship of The FA and the England football team.

2011-2012: Coca-Cola. Overall responsibility and management In the UK of the Powerade sports drink brand - delivered the UK marketing programmes for Euro 2012 and the London 2012 Olympics.

2012 - present: Barclays...current role in Sponsorship team.

I'll almost certainly stay in the fields of brand marketing and sponsorship going forward in my career - I just love it.

In terms of getting your first job - I think relevant and tangible experience is the biggest thing anyone can go and get for themselves. If you're diligent and persistent enough, work experience and internship placements are out there, and having that experience can be the thing that sets you apart from the others applying for the same jobs. Also - take the opportunity wherever you can to nurture and demonstrate the skills required out in the real world - work for student advertising companies to start learning the ropes in business, volunteer somewhere to start learning about project management. Think about the skills employers are looking for in your field and then find experience that gives you either direct exposure to those, or a transferable parallel that you can then talk about in interviews.

Also - just get passionate and focussed on what you want to do...if you know what you want, and you're willing to be persistent and work as hard as it takes to get there - you'll succeed.

Three key things I've come to understand throughout my 1st 10 years in the world of work. For anyone starting out from university, I'd suggest they're worth keeping in mind...

1. You never get a second chance to make a 1st impression.

2. People buy people 1st, and products / services 2nd.

3. People don't leave companies - they leave managers. The direct relationship between any person and their boss is by far the biggest factor in yours or anyone who works for you's performance at work. If you have (or are) a good line manager, people are almost always better at their job, and enjoy it more...