Lorelei graduated in 2001 with a BA (Hons) in English and Philosophy and is now a Senior Copywriter/Advertising Creative at Beattie McGuinness Bungay Ad Agency in London. She has written two novels, Step on it, Cupid and Lost for Words.
How did you work towards your current career after university, and how did your degree help?
“My first job was as an in-house copywriter at Random House Publishers. Often the new books meetings were just like going to tutorials and talking about books we'd just read! My English degree plays a big part in my career, in that both my jobs are about using your imagination, writing, and analysis, so three years of training in that was a big help. But also, when it comes to the craft aspect of my job - writing succinctly and expressing yourself - three years of writing essays and being able to argue a point is also very relevant. It was also very useful on paper, as it's a great solid base for any arts or media job. And getting a First meant that employers could see I had some kind of proven writing ability.
My degree was a stepping stone for my writing career too. My English dissertation was all about women's romantic fiction, from Mills & Boon to the birth of chick lit. It was an interest of mine ever since studying Deb Parson's course in this subject.”