Aaron chose marketing to express his creative ability while building a foundation of business skills but urges there is more to college than just work
Aaron Keogh from Waterford is a past pupil of St Declan's Community School Kilmacthomas, Co Waterford and a BA (Hons) in Marketing & Digital Media graduate
About me:
My name is Aaron Keogh and I attended WIT from 2015- 2019. During my time at WIT, I studied Marketing & Digital Media. I had an amazing four years at WIT where I made stories that will live with me forever. In my final year at WIT, I was honored to receive an award from the college commending years of academic achievement.
What attracted you to study at Waterford Institute of Technology?
Numerous factors led me to choose WIT. One is that I knew numerous people who attended the college and spoke highly about the institute. Secondly choosing to study at WIT also enabled me to continue working flexible hours in the jobs I had at the time which meant I could continue earning while studying which was a big thing for me.
The last and most important reason was that I am from Waterford, with a university level institute on my doorstep, I did not see the need to leave my county to pay a huge amount of money for accommodation and the higher cost of living in another city.
Did you always know this was the course you wanted to do?
I always wanted to study business but deciding on what area to specialise in always alluded me. It wasn't until I found marketing that I was dead sure on what I wanted to focus upon. I was attracted to the course because I wanted to build a solid foundation of business skills as well as the added bonus of having an outlet to express my creative ability.
What words of advice do you have for new students?
My words of advice for new students would be to focus on your studies but not to the point where it ruins your college experience, And no I'm not telling you to go out and drink to your heart's content… do that moderately. Personally, I took college very seriously and some nights I spent in the library I probably should have spent with friends.
What have been the highlights of your college experience?
My work placement was a major highlight. I moved to Dublin for 8 months to do my placement in an advertising agency. It was one of the most eye-opening experiences of my entire life. Going from working winters in a coal yard and the summers in a waste centre, to the luxurious office lifestyle of Dublin was a massive shift. I got to learn so many skills and was fortunate enough to work with some amazingly talented people.
The only downside was the 5:30 am commutes and the extortionate price of artisan coffee in Dublin City.
How did work placement add to your college experience?
It is all good learning theory but nothing can compare to first-hand experience. Learning from people who have been operating in the industry for years and working on projects with big clients taught me so much that a book could never.
Work placement set the bar for the standard of work that was required to make it in the industry and motivated me to become better at my craft. I believe it gave me the extra push I needed to perform well in my final year of college.
After completing my course I...
I moved to Limerick to work in a young tech company called Tracworx. I took the role of marketing manager. The challenges of helping to build a startup were tough but over the last year, the company has grown tremendously, built numerous new products, quadrupled its workforce, and collaborated on projects with major players such as Apple. To play a central role in this success story has been amazing. The road thus far has been extremely exciting and I am looking forward to what the future holds.
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SETU Waterford, Cork Road, Waterford City, 
