Case studies : Head of Marketing and Communication for the Association of Business Schools: Vicky Robinson

Vicky Robinson’s first job was as an office assistant but hard work and a Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) qualification have helped her to climb the career ladder.

After leaving school before sitting my A-levels I started work as an office assistant in the Chartered Insurance Institute. Before long I was attracted to the marketing department thanks to the excitement of planning campaigns, being creative and learning new technologies.

With no marketing background I took my first CIM qualifications, working full-time to balance work and study. I completed my preliminary qualifications part-time, studying in the evening at classes and in the library. Working at the same time as studying helped me to see on a day-to-day basis how the theory worked in a real and practical application.

Eventually I landed my first marketing role at the Financial Services Skills council. I have also worked through the CIMs portfolio of qualifications to reach Chartered Marketer status, the highest qualification awarded to studying members by the CIM.

It is such a rewarding profession because a modern marketer can never afford to stop learning. I recently had my Masters dissertation published on ‘How do UK business schools maintain loyalty amongst undergraduates; a relationship-based approach’.