Victoria Munton-Davies

My Graduate Story

My name is Victoria Munton-Davies and I completed a BA in English Language, Literature and Drama at University of Birmingham.

I emigrated to Canada in 2020 and I currently work as Senior Manager of Sales and Marketing for The National Ballet of Canada in Toronto; one of the biggest ballet companies in North America. I was hired as Marketing Manager and promoted to Senior Manager after two years.

A Day in my Life

It always starts with reviewing the previous night’s sales! I get automated reports so I can see how much we sold the previous day, our total for each ballet and how our subscriptions are selling (subscriptions are a big part of the theatre industry in North America, where customers commit to a set amount of shows in a season). I also check our customer feedback to see if anything important has been flagged about our marketing or the customer experience, and look at each performance coming up to see not only how many tickets have been sold but where in the house the sold seats are. Do we need to add more of a certain price zone, do we need to release any tickets for sale etc.

I then meet with my team to discuss priorities for the day - marketing emails due to be sent out, marketing materials due for approval.

I might need to write sales copy for our paid digital campaigns, liaise with our suppliers on our outdoor marketing campaigns or mailers, plus meetings throughout the day to discuss initiatives with colleagues. We are constantly reviewing how we work and marketing best practice so there might also be business plans and analysis to edit.

My Journey to The National Ballet of Canada

I worked admin and clerical jobs for a year or so after graduating, before landing a marketing assistant role at my local theatre. Over the next 12 years, I progressed through the dept, becoming Head of Marketing and Sales. It was at this point I decided I definitely wanted to make the move to Canada, having visited a number of times previously. My husband and I applied for permanent residency, which is a longer route than a work visa, but offers more security and is considered a better option for those a little older. It also helped with job applications - my company did not have to worry about my status as my residency had already been confirmed before I secured the role. I went through 3 interviews on Zoom, which in late 2019 was still fairly rare.

My Birmingham Experience

Studying made me realise the importance of analysis - really diving deep into a subject and examining it from all angles. And of course the importance of independent work; even within group projects you are expected to turn in your own work which of course very much reflects the world of work!

I loved the literature aspects the best, and the analysis of film. I also really liked the teaching staff who were all excellent. My course was a bit different - I originally applied to study straight English, but this course gave me variety and it was also quite a small group, so I got to know everyone on the course.

I also really loved how low on exams my course was - I think I only had a couple of exams in the three years, the rest was project and essay work which suited me very well.

My Achievements

I think completing my dissertation and getting a strong mark back at the end of it. Completing that dissertation is no mean feat, it’s a labour of love and if you work hard and do your research, it pays off!

Advice for Students

Keep going. Recruitment is tough and you will no doubt have a few knock backs, but you just have to keep getting back up and trying again.

Be confident in your skills but be humble - everyone has to start somewhere and usually this means starting at the bottom and getting stuck in. A decent company and manager will quickly see your talents and encourage your growth.

Unless you’ve studied for a very specific job - medicine, for example, or have a very definite career path, it’s ok to not know what you want to do - and it’s ok to change your mind! Don’t turn down opportunities because they don’t fit your vision of an ‘ideal’ career path. I left Birmingham with a vague notion of working in publishing but the opportunity in arts marketing presented itself.