Matthew Robinson

Current Employer/Organisation Name

Definition

What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?

After I graduated I went travelling in Japan for a few months. When I came back to the UK, I went straight into an entry-level role at a small PR agency based in London. I learned a lot on the job, working with lots of companies across industries, and developing lots of skills in communications, media relations, content creation and digital marketing. I was able to progress quickly, going from an Assistant to a Consultant in just a few years. I decided to leave to see what it was like working directly within a bigger company instead of an agency; I did that for a couple of years but ultimately realised the busier agency lifestyle offered me better chances to learn and progress in my career. I have been at my current agency, which has about 100 people and has offices across the UK, for about four years and now specialise in search engine optimisation (SEO) and digital content strategy.

Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?

I studied History at Exeter, and my mindset was very firmly that I wanted to do a degree in a field I’m really passionate about. I’m still a big History nerd today. That meant I didn’t really have a specific career path in mind upon graduating – and I can’t really say I “chose” a particular career. I sensed that a lot of the key skills I’d honed during my studies would be transferable to the world of marketing. When I looked further into marketing roles, I discovered PR. I felt PR really matched what I’m good at – communicating often complex narratives in a clear and informative way. I chose to work at an agency because of the variety in the work and the opportunity to learn about lots of different disciplines and industries. One day I could be contacting journalists at national newspapers to sell in a client announcement, and another I could be attending a huge industry trade show, or pitching strategy ideas to a room of senior marketing people to try to win new business.

Working in this environment also gave me the opportunity to specialise even more – and this is why I became really interested in SEO. I have always done some SEO work for clients, but in the last few years I have been able to really become the agency’s lead strategist in this area. SEO is different from PR because while PR is about helping to raise a company’s public profile, SEO is about converting that awareness into leads, and ultimately, sales. That’s very tangible and rewarding. It’s also very data-driven, and I get a lot of satisfaction out of working with various tools and technologies that help me do my job on a daily basis. My agency is also very focused on developing its own AI-powered solutions for marketing teams, which means I get to stay at the forefront of this rapidly developing field.

Another thing I have benefited strongly from in my career is the ability to work flexibly and remotely for a lot of it. I usually work from our London office once or twice a week, with the rest of the time at home. This has been invaluable as I’ve been raising three young children with my wife and has helped me find a healthy work-life balance.

Please tell us if you were a member of any societies, groups or sports clubs?

 I was part of the Jiu-Jitsu Society.

What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?

I loved the variety of the work and being challenged to take myself to a higher level. And then being able to specialise a bit more during my last year. My biggest highlight, outside of graduating with a first-class degree, was probably doing an evening beginner’s course in Japanese through the university, as this then led me to go travelling in Japan after graduating.

What did you most enjoy about studying here?

The campus and facilities. The Forum was opened by the Queen during my degree and I spent so much time there and in the library. When I got to third year I really kicked into gear – I knew I really wanted to strive for a first-class degree and so developed quite a strict routine of going to the Forum most days – and sometimes nights! – to get through all my reading and work. It really felt like a bit of a second home to me at times.

Why did you choose to study at Exeter?

I was mainly looking at Russell Group universities with a strong reputation for History. I really knew nothing about Exeter or Devon as places, and so having the chance to live and study somewhere fairly away from where I lived in Surrey was also appealing to me!

What skills and experiences have been most useful for your career?

Above all, I’d have to say curiosity. I feel like people who study History tend to be naturally curious. I think employers value curiosity – especially when you’re just starting out. It’s often your enthusiasm and attitude that help you stand out, perhaps more so than specific skills. This, combined with being able to take in, analyse and ultimately present back information in an engaging way, has helped me succeed in the world of PR and marketing.

What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?

Be open-minded, enthusiastic, and willing-to-learn. Pay attention to detail and become practiced in communicating – often in challenging scenarios. Read a lot, especially the news. Keep up to date with major trends in business and media. Do lots of different things so that you’re well-rounded but can then identify the thing you’re really passionate about.

What are your plans for the future?

In the near future, I want to solidify my position as my company’s lead SEO expert, to try and raise my profile within the industry, and ultimately to help grow the company. In the long term, I’d like to take a bigger step into senior leadership, but staying within marketing.