Rimi Pankhania

Media and Communication BA (Hons), Public Relations MA

Rimi never saw herself going to university, let alone earning two degrees. That changed the day she stepped into a BCU Open Day. Through BCU’s supportive environment, Rimi discovered her passion for PR, built a thriving career in digital marketing, and even launched her own food review page.

“Being the eldest child and grandchild in my family meant I had a lot of pressure to attend university and be successful. However, I struggled with some of my subjects in college, so naturally the thought of going to university was daunting to me. But after watching all my peers apply for university, I felt a bit envious and truly had FOMO, so I applied to a university that stuck out to me - BCU!

My first exposure to BCU was at an Open Day I attended, with no thoughts of going to university, but my mind was completely changed after that one encounter, and it became top of mind for me to get into BCU. I wanted to start my course there as soon as possible. I loved BCU, everything about it was genuinely so inviting and has held so many positive memories for me. From the freedom of choosing which modules I wanted to study each semester, to finding lifetime friends, I wouldn't have changed it for anything.

I studied Media and Communications for my undergrad, and being a broad course, I enjoyed how it helped me find what I wanted to focus on. This was how I discovered my interest in and passion for PR, and I loved it so much that I chose to continue to study the Master's course.

I finished my undergrad during the pandemic, and that left me very anxious. Scared to enter the job market, I wanted to make sure I used the time wisely and decided to complete a postgraduate degree in PR. Without this, I currently wouldn't be able to say that I have two degrees. Also, the extra knowledge that I gained from taking part in the postgraduate course helped me to find confidence in PR and understand it more deeply.

During the last three months of my MA, I took part in a PR Internship for a Media Communications company that dealt with celebrity PR, which helped me get my first job after graduation.

Currently, I work as a Digital Marketing and PR Executive for a distribution company in Leicester. We look after 25+ brands, and I look after all things digital, which includes websites, Social Media, Digital Magazines, Advertisements, Articles, Newsletters, Email Marketing. A typical workday starts by checking through emails and catching up with the team of PR Exec and Brand Managers, then looking through Social Media to see if there were any urgent events or activities we need to pay attention to. I check our PR Tracker to check our deadlines and make sure we're on track for anything that we need to send off, like Advertisements, Press Releases, Samples, or Prizes. During the day, I will check over background tasks like Newsletters, Websites, and Stock of Samples. Each day is different, but the ever-changing job and tasks make it fun and keep it interesting.

All the theory and knowledge that we learnt in the classroom have helped me in my day-to-day tasks, as the MA course prepared me for the real-life side of PR. When looking at PR initially, a lot of people think that it's all glitz and glam, but it's not always like that.

In the long term, I dream of working at a High-End Magazine firm or a luxury brand like LVMH or Vogue. I hope to be a manager or director someday. But one of the most challenging things in PR is growth. Fighting to prove your growth can be hard, but you just have to keep going. Show that you are worthy of your position and really let your creativity flow.

One of my proudest moments from BCU was when one of my postgraduate projects turned into an actual side-hobby and now has given me the "influencer" title. I have a food review page on Instagram, Rimi Reviews, which I started in my Social Media class and kept it going. My advice to incoming students is to make the most of your professors and lecturers; they have so much valuable knowledge. Make the most of what your course gives you and take every opportunity to help yourself in your future career.

To those starting in their careers, I would say keep going. Applying to jobs can be such a long process and can feel really disheartening when you keep getting rejections, but the only way you'll get there is by continuously applying to a variety of jobs. Don't let it put you off, I promise it's all worth it.

To me I AM BCU means being a part of a community that is creative, resourceful and have gone off in so many different directions.”