Things that shaped me

I am beyond excited to be working at Nielsen McAllister as its new digital marketing apprentice, completing my studies with training provider Althaus. I feel extremely fortunate that I have been offered such a fantastic opportunity and I cannot wait to learn more about digital marketing, both on my course and through working alongside NM’s digital team. So far, in my first few weeks I have learnt a lot, and I am starting to feel settled in.

One of the things I’ve spent a lot of time doing so far is introducing myself to new colleagues and customers. So, for my first blog, I thought it would be appropriate to introduce myself to our readership, and for you all to get to know me.

Written here is my background, my hobbies, my education – a snapshot of me. I hope you enjoy it.

My passion for Irish Dancing

The huge amount of energy I had as a child had to be burnt off on something. So, in keeping with family tradition, at the age of three, my parents decided to take me to Irish dancing lessons. After a while, I found a passion for it – and ended up being quite good at it.

Competing at a major competition in 2014, I came third in Great Britain. Following this result, I competed all around the UK and Ireland on the world stage for the next five years, with my best year becoming thirteenth in the world and second in Britain.

The lessons in life that Irish dancing has taught me are vital to the person I am today. The hard work, confidence, communication, and resilience have stuck with me. Long, gruelling weeks of preparation for competitions made me learn that without arduous work you will not achieve your full potential.

I think that this has been a key lesson in my life as I continue to apply this to everything I do. The sense of achievement when you win a competition is like no other as you know that your hard work has paid off. This will be key in helping me throughout the course of my apprenticeship, as I can apply this determination and passion to my day-to-day work.

From dancing to treading the boards at Derby Theatre

After stopping Irish dancing in 2019 due to recurring injury, I wanted to find a new hobby. So, I descended on Derby Theatre for my next challenge. Through the theatre’s Youth Theatre Programme, I helped devise two entirely new productions, which I performed in Derby Theatre’s main house. It was such a fantastic opportunity to meet new people, develop a new skill and have fun!

I learnt a lot throughout my time at Derby Theatre. I was able to develop my creative skills, handle being under pressure, and express myself through acting. The confidence that this instilled in me has made working life so much more enjoyable, as I am comfortable in speaking to clients and presenting.

Building my future at Derby College

Studying Digital Multimedia for over a year at Derby College helped me develop a passion for all things Digital. It inspired a love for marketing and the way social media works. I also learnt how to use different software, develop different types of marketing techniques and successful content creation, all of which have proven useful at my new job.

Derby College really helped develop me as a person and shaped my future career in marketing, as I was able to develop my digital understanding and meet a lot of brilliant people. The skills I learnt during my time there have really prepared me for my first step into the digital world and armed me with the knowledge I needed to get started.

All these have helped shape me into who I am today. They have all been vital in developing my abilities, teaching me important lessons, and bettering me as a person.

Moving into this next stage of my life, I hope this digital marketing apprenticeship will provide me with even more knowledge and experience. I am so excited to be starting my career of at such a fantastic company and I cannot wait to learn more and help Nielsen McAllister grow alongside me.

If you want to find out more about Rory or the team visit our About Us page or contact us to have a coffee and a chat on all things PR, communications and digital marketing.