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University of Bedfordshire
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
UK, LU1 3JU
"I now work for the BBC as an Internal Communication Executive."
Zöe Houghton was a key component in the engine room that runs the BBC for three years.
As Project manager for Organisation Development, BBC People, she organised projects that supported the business needs of the organisation and she was PA to the head of her department.
She has recently gained promotion, being appointed Internal Communication Executive, which means she manages the monthly team brief across the BBC, organises events, liaises with Ariel, the BBC’s internal newspaper. and writes features for Gateway, the BBC’s Intranet.
Zöe said: “I have been here for three years. It’s been a very varied job, which is why I liked it. We are the support division to the front end, the production side of the BBC. But I was keen to move on and am delighted with my new appointment, which I am sure will make use of the communication skills I learned on my degree.”
“When I applied for university, I wanted to be away from home, but not too far from my family in South London. Luton offered the best media facilities and I thought I might want to be a journalist but I changed my mind and wanted to do a broader subject.
“It was my first time away from home. I met some great people, the tutors were excellent, I learnt a lot about life.”
Zöe got her first job straight after graduation. “Having worked in the holidays for job centres, I was very lucky to secure a position immediately I left University, as a PA to a director of an Employment Zone, helping long term unemployed people into work.
“I organised training events and was the office manager. I posted my CV on the BBC jobs site and they called me when there was a job on offer as team assistant for the BBC World Service.
“I wouldn’t have got it without my degree. You need broad knowledge of the industry to work for the BBC and that’s what my degree gave me. We did everything from film making to the theory side of communicating. It was excellent.”
Zöe is getting married next year to her University sweetheart Mark Buckthorp – she met him in her second year at Luton – the computer sciences student lived opposite her in halls and is now an IT engineer for the BBC.
Zöe added: “We made a lot of good friends at Luton. There have been marriages and babies since then and some friends have moved away but we are still in touch. University is a great experience for life, I would recommend everyone to go.”
Interview took place in 2004.
Apply» Faculties & Departments» Bedfordshire Institute for Media, Arts & Performance» Student Profiles» Zöe Houghton: BA Hons Media Practices and Television
