Josh Parsons: BA (Hons) Media and Communication 2017-2020

“The community at the University, along with being given the right tools, mixed with the professional environment and being able to approach people in the right way, are all things about going to Winchester that have really helped me.”

Josh Parsons is a BA (Hons) Media and Communication graduate of 2020 who has just finished a three-month marketing internship with Oakleaf, a mental health trust. He has since been building his LinkedIn profile with the aim of working in marketing and shares how his experiences at Winchester have set him up for future success.

“I plan to work in marketing full time. I recently just completed a three-month marketing internship with Oakleaf. I found this internship through my Media degree and this helped me to grow my LinkedIn profile. I now have between 200-300 followers – all these connections offer and teach me something.”

“Through looking for my own opportunities and this internship, I have built on the skills I learnt on my degree. To help me get into marketing full time, I currently create marketing videos and graphics and share them with my connections on LinkedIn, I am also currently training to be a specialist in Google AdWords.”

Josh further credits his degree and the range of tasks given to him while studying Media and Communication.

“During my degree, all the projects I did were hands-on and so the course was well-balanced and enough to work on. We had teamwork but I also didn’t have to be too reliant on anyone else.”

Josh adds that studying at Winchester in particular has given him what he needs to achieve his goal of working in marketing.

“The community at the University, along with being given the right tools, mixed with the professional environment and being able to approach people in the right way, are all things about going to Winchester that have really helped me.”

“Don’t feel afraid to talk to someone; people at Winchester are friendly.  The University and the Student Union are accommodating and more than happy to help with the support you need. I have a form of hemiplegia which means I have little function on my left side but what I have I can use, and I felt supported.”

Away from his degree and the world of marketing, Josh found a passion in the form of radio presenting. He joined Sound Radio – the University’s student radio station in his second year of university and through this was able to raise money for charity and put his skills as a magician to use.

“Sound Radio gave me confidence and helped me to divide my time between work and social life. I also met a lot of people through taking part in student radio.”

“Since 2012 I have been a charity ambassador for Breathe Arts Centre and so at university, I hosted a 24-hour radio show on Sound Radio as part of Raising and Giving Week. I raised £1,500 for Breathe, using my marketing skills to get in contact with my connections who I met through Student Radio Association conventions and asking for donations. I am quite open about my personal journey with cerebral palsy and so I discussed that on air.”

“Another way I raised money was through my skills as a magician; last year, I became the first member of the magic circle with hemiplegia.I said to my listeners that once we got to £1000 I’d perform a magic trick. I used this as a way of convincing listeners to carry on donating.”

Josh continues to be very passionate about student radio, especially Sound Radio where he felt the most at home with friends who became like family over the years.

“My best memories are both Sound Radio related. I really enjoyed going to the Student Radio Association Convention in Swansea with fellow society members. The whole of the Sound Radio team are a family and we always looked out for one another. For example, I picked up shows for my friend when she was too busy to host. We were there for each other and saw each other through. I can also recall the introduction talk I had when joining Sound. Just from that I knew I had chosen the right university from this experience alone.”

As a recent graduate, Josh has some great advice for current and prospective students regarding time management skills and the benefits of taking part in extracurricular opportunities.

“I commuted from Guildford while studying. It was only one hour by train and I would start my work or reading once I got on the train – it helped me plan my time. Once you realise you have that time in your routine, it is up to you and what you want to dedicate each task to either at home or on campus, and no, I never fell asleep on the train!”

“Take opportunities that appeal to you – I wish I had done that more in my first year. If you take every opportunity, you won’t want to leave once you finish. I volunteered at Breathe as a summer role; it was a good way to balance and manage my time. I would recommend not to overload yourself with work outside of your degree but if you can manage with some extra work definitely do it.”

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