From uncertainty to purpose: my journey after RGU

When I first started at Robert Gordon University, I was nervous.

I had chosen to study Digital Marketing, but at that time I still was not completely sure if I had chosen the right path. I was also a little bit sceptical about how I was going to learn and perform in English, because English is my third language.

At that point, I had already been living in Aberdeen for around three years, but I was still unsure about my career and what my future was going to look like. I think many students can relate to that feeling. You are studying, working hard, trying to make the right decisions, but deep inside you are still asking yourself whether you are moving in the right direction.

Looking back now, I think RGU played a big part in helping me become more independent.

That independence did not only come from the university itself, but from the whole experience around it. I was in Aberdeen on my own, while my friends and relatives were living in another country. I had to work, study, manage my time, and find a way to keep going even when things were not easy.

One of the hardest parts of my time at RGU was balancing work and study. I was working five days a week, so I had to find small gaps of time where I could study, build campaigns, prepare presentations, and write reports. It was not always easy, but it showed me what I was really capable of.

In my fourth year, I also had a health condition that meant I could not attend lectures in person for a period of time. I had to do everything from home, stay disciplined, and keep pushing myself. Despite that, I managed to graduate on 4 July 2024 with a 2:1 BA degree in Digital Marketing, and that is something I am genuinely proud of.

There are a few projects from my time at RGU that I still remember clearly.

One of them was a social media marketing campaign to promote the CCB School of Creative and Cultural Business. I had to create a full social media marketing campaign myself, including thinking about the target audience, business goals, marketing goals, and how everything should connect together.

I remember thinking I had completed everything, until I spoke with another student who helped me realise that I was missing almost half of what needed to be in the presentation. The deadline was the next day, so I spent around 12 hours non-stop researching, writing, and creating the outputs for the presentation.

It was stressful, but it taught me a lot. It taught me that being organised and managing time properly really matters. It also gave me practical insight into what it means to build a social media campaign, not just in theory, but in a way that has to make sense for a real audience and real objectives.

Another experience that shaped me was a group project in my fourth year, where we worked with students from both third and fourth year. I have a background as a swimmer, so I was used to relying mostly on myself. At first, working in a team was not easy for me. But once I started to understand the value of different people bringing different strengths, it changed my perspective completely.

Now I would say I am one of the biggest believers in teamwork. I understand that when people communicate properly, support each other, and take responsibility, the outcome can be much stronger than anything one person could do alone.
RGU helped me understand not only marketing, but also myself.

It taught me that I can work under pressure. It taught me that I can adapt. It taught me that even when circumstances are difficult, I still have the responsibility to keep going and respond in the best way I can.

At the moment, I am fully focused on building Marketing Career Ladder, a project I founded and now host.

Marketing Career Ladder exists to help students and recent graduates who want to land their first marketing job but feel confused about where to start. I know that feeling very well, because after university I experienced how difficult it can be to understand what employers actually want.

Many students finish their course and are left to guess. They are not always sure what counts as experience, what a good CV should look like, which tools they should learn first, what skills matter most, or what hiring managers are really looking for.
I believe this confusion is one of the biggest problems for aspiring marketers.

This is why I started Marketing Career Ladder. The goal is to remove confusion and self-doubt by giving students practical, simple, and useful ways to build proof of their skills. Through interviews with marketing professionals and business owners, I create 7-day proof missions that students can complete in small steps, even in less than 15 minutes per day. Each mission is designed to help them create something valuable they can add to their portfolio and speak about with more confidence.

For me, this project is about fair opportunity.

I believe that every person who is willing to learn, practise, and put effort into their future deserves to be seen and given a chance. Companies are right to expect practical experience from students and graduates, but I also believe students need clearer guidance on what practical experience actually means and how they can build it.

That is what I am trying to do now. I want to help aspiring marketers stop guessing and start building proof.
If I could give one piece of advice to a current RGU student, it would be this: sit down and really think about what you want to achieve in life. Once you have that goal, write it down as a question. Then come up with at least 20 possible answers to that question.

After that, pick one answer and start working on it immediately.

It does not have to be perfect. You do not need to have everything figured out. But once you start taking action, even small action, you will be surprised by how much life can open up and help you move closer to where you want to be.

I am grateful for my time at RGU because it helped me grow, not only as a marketer, but as a person. It gave me challenges, practical learning, and the confidence to keep going. Now I hope to use what I have learned to support other students and graduates who are trying to find their own path into marketing.

Romans Svjatkins 
Digital Marketing 2024