ABOUT

Tell us who you are!

Hi, my name is Sibia. I am a graduate intern in communications and marketing at Digital Futures & Sustainable Futures, University of Manchester. Also, I am a freelance researcher & writer and have worked in many areas within the heritage sector.

So what do you actually do?

For my day job, I carry out a wide array of tasks which range form updating our social media, creating newsletters and now building websites. All of these tasks encompass making information more accessible and visually appealing for the public.

What has your career path been?

Having recently completed my master's in History in 2020, I have since been volunteering at a range of institutions like Manchester Museum and MEND as well as freelancing at the Manchester Bangladeshi Women's Organisation. Some of these roles included creating public events on identity or working more closely with young people of colour to engage them with their cultural heritage. I really enjoyed volunteering here and I still continue to do so alongside my work.

I have thankfully had so much support from my university tutors and mentors who have helped me get into these heritage spaces where I can make a difference to people of colour who are also interested in pursuing projects similar to mine. My volunteering experience has helped me gain a better insight into the line of work which I hope to specialise in, such as accessibility and inclusivity.

My internship at the university has helped me build on key skills which I can later use to manage the events I put on. I have learnt through my internship the importance of marketing events on social media to help with its engagement.

What is the best part of your job?

I absolutely love learning in a space where there is so much flexibility in the work that I am tasked with!

There have been so many things that I have learnt in my internship, like building a website, which I had no previous experience with. Also, the people I work with make my job so enjoyable.

At the moment because of Covid-19, we are working from home, but 1 day a week we work in the office, and I really value these interactions with my colleagues.

Why do you do your job?

Coming from a humanities background, I have worked in areas which focus on engaging the public on the stories of those who are racially minoritized. The work which I have done in grassroot communities has shown me that it is necessary to ensure that community led work is made digitally accessible.

Social media is an essential tool to present and share information more accessibly for the public and is key to ensure how people engage with your content. Therefore, social media is important in how people understand and value the work you're doing.

From my internship in communications and marketing, I have learnt how encourage more engagement though digital means, and this will be essential for any upcoming events and projects that I may work on.

One piece of advice for someone starting in your role?

It is so important to seek work which you find both value and enjoyment in.

Any parting words?

Maintaining a work-life balance is so important, especially for those working a 9-5 and are also freelancing. Be sure to use your days off as a time to recharge and reflect.

Network!! Be confident to drop a message to someone you've across on social media and let them know that you find their work interesting and if you can schedule a quick chat with them. What's the worst that could happen, right?

Check out Sibia’s socials below!

DAY IN THE LIFE

I always begin the day with a hot chocolate :)

I start work at 9am whereby I begin with checking my emails and my to-do list for the day. This usually includes scheduling team meetings as well as creating agendas. However, every day is different and many times my work schedule may be restructured as I could be asked to take minutes for a meeting. Therefore, it is important to keep note of the tasks which have not been completed that day.

By 10am, I will be working on a task such as checking over the minutes I have written for the previous meeting. After getting this checked through, I will have this sent out to the intended recipients.

Around 11am, I will arrange a time to speak with my team buddy about the tasks I am working on for that week and will feedback to them about if I need any additional support.

By 12pm, I may be tasked to build a newsletter for one of the departments in the university. This may take me a couple of hours to build and format before sending this back to be approved. I usually listen to music whilst working as it helps me keep focused - currently listening to Taylor Swift's complete collection.

I will then grab a hot drink (most likely another hot chocolate) before resuming to work.

At 2.45, I make a note to pick up my sibling from school, depending on if I have any meetings scheduled during that hour. If I do or if I’m working in the office that day, I will arrange an alternative pick up. During this time, I try to grab a quick lunch which will often be snacks.

From half 3, I will continue with my individual work tasks. Right now, I’m working on transferring content from an old website into the new one. I will check the links and make sure there is no out dated content in place.

I will end the day by creating a new list of work tasks for the next day before logging off work at around 5pm.

After 5pm, I will spend an hour working on my freelance project. At the moment, I am doing some research into the legacies of the British slave trade and its impact on Manchester's cotton industry. I will then make sure that I have some proper food.