Jamie Thomas
The skills I nurtured helped me to make a career out of my passion.
Jamie Thomas
Media (MA), 2016
Self employed Media Officer and Content Creator at:
British Basketball Federation
The British Basketball League (BBL)
Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games
I'm helping to lead an exciting period of growth for the country's leading basketball league, as new investment looks to take the BBL forward and develop a reputation as one of the best basketball leagues in Europe.
Why did you decide to study at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ?
I live 20 minutes away from the city so cynics might say that convenience was a huge factor, however, I think above all else, it was the great reputation Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ has in the local area for nurturing students and giving them the confidence they need to go on and do whatever they want to do post-study. I knew a number of people who had graduated from Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ across a number of disciplines, and they all had great things to say about the educational side of life, as well as the social side. Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ's Media School had a great reputation, so as somebody who was desperate to find their way into that part of the working world, Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ seemed the perfect choice.
Why did you choose your specific course?
To cut a long story short, I've always been desperate to pursue a career in sport as it is my biggest passion. I knew quite early on in my life that a playing career in - frankly - any sport at a professional level wasn't going to be an option, but I'd always been told I was good at telling stories, so I turned my passion towards writing about sports. I was running my own blogs covering major sporting events and having my friends critique my work, as we were all crazy about football as teenagers. There were a lot of factors that convinced me that Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ would be the right place to learn and nurture the skills and competencies I'd need to make a career out of my passion, and I've done my best to take those learnings forward since graduating.
What did you enjoy most about your time at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ?
The main factor for me was how much the lecturers and my tutors helped to build my confidence. I came into the course - initially studying a three-year Journalism and Media Undergraduate course, before transferring to a four-year Masters course in my third year - with no academic experience of journalism or media, as my secondary school didn't teach it. Many of my peers were the complete opposite, having studied either journalism or media extensively in college. I felt like I needed to catch up quite quickly and the staff were fantastic in helping me do that and building my confidence, until, before long, I felt like I was well on my way to being able to achieve what I wanted from the course.
How did Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ help you on the road to the job/career you're doing now?
Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ gave me the confidence to try things, be willing and unafraid to fail, learn and grow, then dust yourself off and go again. I was probably a bit of a nuisance to my lecturers and tutors because I always had questions and was very rarely satisfied with myself or what I'd done, but they were just awesome in enabling me to find my feet, showing me what my strengths and limitations were and allowing me to grow massively as a result.
What does your current role involve?
Since graduating, I've been in a mix of self-employed roles and permanent paid roles. I'm currently working permanently as a self-employed contractor, and in the last six months I've worked for:
•   The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games as a Social Media Manager and Content Creator.
•   The British Basketball Federation as a Media Officer for the British National Teams, recently travelling to Milan with the Men's team for EuroBasket (European Championships), creating a wide range of photo, video, written and social content to promote the team's participation in the Championships.
•   The British Basketball League (BBL) as a Social Media Manager (a role I'm still currently fulfilling), helping lead an exciting period of growth for the country's leading basketball league, as new investment looks to take the BBL forward and develop a reputation as one of the best basketball leagues in Europe.
Whilst many of these roles are rooted in social media, the skills I've developed at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ, and since, have been vital in allowing me to tick a lot of different boxes and make myself an asset for my employers. I'm able to plan, produce, edit and publish content in a variety of formats and mediums and the confidence, skillset and work ethic I developed at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ have been fundamental to these opportunities.
What would you say to somebody considering studying at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ?
I have nothing but good things to say about my time at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ. From the friends I made, to the skills I learned, to the people who helped me develop and grow into the professional I've become today - it was a faultless experience in the round. My most important piece of advice would be to do your research and find the right fit for you. For me, I chose a university with a leading reputation in the subject I wanted to study, that just happened to be right on my doorstep; had I needed to move to the other side of the country to make the right choice, then I would have done that. Thankfully, Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ offered me and many others on my course - who came here from all over the UK and beyond - exactly what we needed, and I'm sure it'll continue to do the same for many more in the future.