The Apprentice Star Rebecca Jeffery offers marketing wisdom to students

This month MBA International Marketing students welcomed 2016 Apprentice contestant, Rebecca Jeffery to Coventry University London, where she discussed her successful career in Marketing and Copywriting. Students enjoyed an enigmatic and engaging guest lecture from Rebecca who offered real world insights and examples of the exciting and fast changing copywriting and content marketing industry.

With today’s consumers growing tired and distrusting of traditional forms of marketing, marketers worldwide are realising the value and importance of content marketing. With a combined experience of the Apprentice and running a successful copywriting, design and marketing business, Rebecca makes the perfect person to go to for advice for our students. Coventry University London met with Rebecca after the guest lecture for a short interview.

Q. What advice would you give to Coventry University London marketing students about paving their way in the industry?

A. The biggest piece of advice I could give is, in order to standout when they’re writing a cover letter or CV or in an interview, they should be creating their content now. They should be writing a blog, or maybe doing a YouTube channel or building a following on Twitter or Instagram. Maybe even Snapchat because many businesses are starting to use Snapchat! If you can show an employer that you have consistently created content over the course of two years, whether that’s about baking or walking or any of your interests. It will make you stand out from other applicants.

Q. What was your biggest learning from your experience on The Apprentice?

A. Stay authentic! In a competition like the Apprentice it’s really easy to be swept along by the process and you start behaving a bit like you think you should behave because you’ve seen the show before.

The way I run my business is to be approachable, friendly and chatty, so in the Apprentice I remember thinking ‘am I going to change who I am a little bit to get further in this process?’ Staying myself got me to week six, which I was quite chuffed about. The best thing is when you watch it on TV, you aren’t completely mortified by your behaviour because you were being exactly who you are in real life.

When I was fired Karen Brady said I was sincere which for me is the best thing I could have heard, because I am sincere as a person. When I work with clients I’m really honest and so is my sister (Fi) so our whole business is based around that. So I’m glad I managed to stay myself in that crazy, high-pressured situation.

Q. As this is your first visit to the campus, What are your initial thoughts of Coventry University London

A. Walking here this morning I felt very excited because I could see the Gherkin and there were beautiful blue skies, and it made me think that if I was a student coming here it would feel really cool to be in the middle of everything. It feels very exciting; you can feel that it is in the hub of everything.