Introducing… Tom Southgate

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Hi, my name’s Tom Southgate. I graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in Political Studies in 2008. I chose Politics because I  didn’t know what I wanted to do when I  graduated, but hoped I’d find something I liked while I was there. The thought of studying a subject where there are no right or wrong answers, only opinions to be supported and ideas to be debated also appealed.

This plan worked well, and following the suggestion of a friend, I decided that PR was for me. Over the course of my second year, I convinced said friend that turning him into ‘Community Man,’ making him wear yellow tights and brown underpants would be an extremely vital part of his campaign to be elected The Leeds University Union’s Community Secretary.

After a fruitless year of applying for graduate PR jobs, I realised that to get onto the ladder, work experience is sorely needed.  While I was applying for work experience and waiting nervously for my degree result, I filled my summer with cricket, cider and camping. I was eventually lucky enough to find some work experience two award winning PR Agencies in London; Parker, Wayne and Kent and Tonic Life Communications. In my time there, I attended events that ranged from the Global-Mix Streaming Media Conference, to the launch of 1001 Inventions at the Houses of Parliament. After a month in London, I came back to Manchester and found a placement at Wolfstar.

When I’m not looking for work or work experience, I can be found doing everything from listening to the latest Fabric podcast when I’m out for a run, beating my friends on Pro Evolution Soccer as my beloved Manchester City, trying in vain to win my local pub quiz or curled up in front of the fire with a good book, pipe and slippers not included.