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Emily's work experience at YPO

Blog
Ashley Wilkins
29 Jul 2025

As part of her BSc in Marketing Communications with Advertising at Sheffield Hallam University, Emily Goodwin recently completed a week of work experience with the Marketing and Communications team at YPO. The placement offered a valuable opportunity to explore how academic learning translates into real-world practice. Here, Emily shares a day-by-day account of her experience:

Day One – A Warm Welcome and First Impressions

Emily’s week began with a guided tour of YPO’s building and warehouse, providing a clear sense of the organisation’s scale and operations. Later, she attended a meeting to observe discussions around a potential partnership. Having studied similar scenarios in her “Development for the Professional Marketer” module, she found it fascinating to see professional dynamics and negotiation strategies.

Day Two – Exploring Digital and Social Media

On Tuesday, Emily joined the digital marketing team’s weekly stand-up meeting, gaining first-hand experience of agile working methods. She then spent time with the senior communications manager, learning about the importance of internal communications in keeping a company connected. The afternoon included a content creation session with marketing apprentices and the social media manager, where Emily picked up practical tips for crafting engaging posts. She also shadowed the digital marketing officer, exploring paid advertising, campaign management, and website operations. A blog research task allowed her to apply her university skills in a professional setting.

Day Three – Event Day at the Brownlee Foundation

Wednesday was Emily’s favourite day as she supported the PR and social media team at the Brownlee Foundation flagship event at Silcoates School in Wakefield. With over 1,200 children attending and more than 40 YPO employees volunteering, Emily helped capture the event through photography, videography, and live updates. She also shadowed the team interview GB gold medallist Alistair Brownlee for a vox pop segment, offering insight into professional interviewing techniques and rapport-building.

Day Four – Events and Editing

Thursday began with a session on event logistics and planning with YPO’s marketing events manager. In the afternoon, Emily worked alongside the organisation’s photographer and videographer, reviewing content from the Brownlee event and learning to use Adobe Lightroom for editing. Emily found this particularly rewarding, especially considering her passion for creative learning.

Day Five – Reflection and Future Focus

On her final day, Emily revisited areas of interest and asked follow-up questions, using the time to reflect on her experience and consider future specialisms within marketing and communications.

Final Thoughts

Emily’s week at YPO provided a rich and rewarding experience, bridging the gap between academic theory and professional practice. She gained new skills, met inspiring professionals, and felt genuinely welcomed by the team.
“A huge thank you to everyone at YPO who made this week so enjoyable and insightful. I’ve come away feeling more confident in my career path and I’d love to return in the future!”

Ashley Wilkins YPO

Author

Ashley Wilkins

PR and Communications Officer for Public Sector

YPO

Ashley is a PR and Communications officer for the public sector side of the organisation. This involves supporting communications to local authorities, emergency services, housing, NHS and the wider public sector. Ashley is responsible for assisting with PR and media relations, stakeholder communications and public affairs, content strategy and creation, research, as well as corporate comms such as strategic partnerships, sponsorship, events, awards and delivering the annual report.