Amy Cooper

Amy, you were at Claremont Fan Court from 2008 – 2016. What are your stand-out memories of your time here?

The geography trip to Iceland in 2015 was an incredible opportunity and a surreal experience. The scenery was stunning and I just remember laughing a lot!

I also have very fond memories of sports day. I’ll admit that even today, I’m not a very sporty person, but I for some reason sports days hit different. The atmosphere and house spirit is joyful. Even the cool older kids who pretend not to care which house wins are invested and cheer when the results are read out. Face paint was always a must and if we were lucky, sometimes there would be ice lollies. Most sports days, I would sit on the grass in front of the beautiful mansion and just gossip and mess around with mates in between each of our events (and probably get told off for not being in time for them over the loud speakers, eek!).

Whilst you were a pupil here, did you know what you wanted to do as a future career?

The short answer is no! I kept chopping and changing what I wanted to be when I grew up. One minute it was a fashion designer… the next a nurse. I remember in Year 9 we had to do a career quiz, which was supposed to give us some insight into our professional futures. My results were Hotel Manager, Makeup Artist and Journalist. During my time at university, I part time wrote articles for The Linc online newspaper. Tick! After university, I worked at a Clarins beauty counter as a makeup artist for a bit. Tick!… and well Hotel Manager, I guess that is left to come!

What have been your career highlights to date? Are there any campaigns you are particularly proud of?

My biggest marketing achievement to date is winning a D&AD New Blood Pencil for my university marketing project ‘Burgers Without Secrets’ which was a campaign for Burger King. The pencil shaped trophy is sat on my desk and makes me feel really proud whenever I look at it.

During my previous role at KFC UK and Ireland, I was part of a brand transformation process which resulted in the Believe in Chicken campaign. When all of the billboards, posters and ads came out I realised how much coverage the campaign got. I was visiting a friend in Leeds and even saw a bus wrapped in KFC chicken with the line “Come under our wings”. That was when I was like, “It’s everywhere!”.

When I worked at Claremont, my career highlight was working on the centenary marketing. The collateral, merch, printed material, signage and digital presence needed for to pull of this milestone was colossal, but team work and careful planning made it possible. To this day I’m very proud of the work that was done on this campaign to celebrate the centenary.

What’s next? Are there any career milestones you would love to hit?

I would love to travel more for work. I recently got to go on a trip to Barcelona with the agency I work for and it was a fantastic team building experience.

In such an ever-changing world, what advice would you give soon-to-be Claremont Fan Court alumni who are considering a career in marketing?

Your GCSE, A Level and even degree choices are not the be all and end all and don’t define a set career path. As cringy as it sounds, do what you love in the moment and see where your path takes you. I didn’t study Media or Business GCSE or A Level and I have still managed to have a marketing career. Similarly, my own mum studied at Art History at university but went into PR.

I wouldn’t limit media, photography or business studies to the perfect trio of marketing subjects as marketing is so broad. If you’re into art, then take a look into being an advertising creative, a graphic designer or an art director. If maths is your forte, then data analysis roles are crucial to the marketing industry. In our digital world, coding, science and IT skills are a vital part of AI, app and website development. Marketing and technology are more intertwined more than ever, so don’t let the fact you aren’t creative or a people person put you off looking into marketing as a career path. There is honestly something for everyone.

What advice would you give your sixteen year old self? 

I would say believe in yourself more. Stop comparing yourself to others – be it grades, looks or achievements, everyone is on their own path, you just focus on yours and always try your best.