Looking Back
After landing a full time position at Relative, achieving my City & Guilds Level 3 Diploma in Digital Marketing and working in the digital marketing industry for the past year and a half, I thought it would be a good exercise to take a step back and ponder on the time I’ve had in full time employment.
Just to put things into perspective a year and half from now I was in a position where I had my finished my A-levels and had little or no direction in what career path I was willing to venture down. I definitely didn’t want to go to University and landing a good job without having any experience is quite a hard thing to accomplish. However, just a year and half down the line and I’m in an incredible position, working on things I’m extremely passionate about and surrounded by professionals who only want the best for me! It’s safe to say I landed firmly on my feet for someone who was completely clueless on what they wanted to do with their career.
For anyone who is thinking of pursuing a career in Digital Marketing or Marketing of the sort through the means of an apprenticeship then these are the philosophies I worked with to ensure I was making the most out of my experience and they have helped me get into the position that I am in today. Hopefully these can be beneficial for someone looking to pursue a career of the same sort!
It’s OK To Make Mistakes
Within the first month of employment the number of hiccups you will make could potentially turn your hair grey. It can be a really stressful period of time settling in to a new position, but as the saying goes you always learn the most from your mistakes. And it’s true, you make the best efforts to avoid making mistakes and that’s how you develop as an employee. I was continuously trying to improve on the tasks I was set and as weeks went by I could feel myself growing more confident in the jobs I was doing and continue to do today. I wouldn’t have gotten there without making a few mistakes along the way.
Conclusively, don’t let mistakes stump your progression, understand that there are areas you can improve on. Mistakes are proof that you’re trying.
Try To Be Versatile
Don’t get too transfixed within your own job role. If there is something I have learned this past year and a half, it’s that flexibility is valued so much within a working environment. To develop my skills, I am always taking an interest in what my colleagues are doing and try to help them the best I can, as they do the same for me. There is so many different skills you can pick up on working within a team.
I don’t think I would’ve developed the skill sets I have done over the past year if I had tunnel vision on one particular job.
‘When You Enjoy What You Do, Work Becomes Less Of A Job And More Of A Hobby’
Previous to working at a creative agency I have had jobs in fields I haven’t particularly enjoyed and nobody likes getting up in a morning doing something they aren’t passionate about.
It’s quite satisfying looking forward to your day knowing that you’re working on something really interesting and that’s how I feel working within the Digital Marketing industry. I have always had a keen interest in design content writing and web development and I am very thankful that I have found a job through my hobbies. I consider myself to be in a good position coming into work every day and furthering my knowledge on things I’m genuinely really interested in.
No matter what your hobby is, if you’re good at doing something and are passionate enough about it there will be a place of work that will benefit from your skills. I kept doing what I enjoyed and I now do it every day as a job.
Organise Well
This goes without saying really, but organising time in the workplace is imperative in getting things done. Coming from a retail background the only time awareness I had was when I started and finished, but now I’m constantly keeping track of my time and trying to comply with deadlines on a daily basis. When you’re doing work for clients that want things completed before a certain date you must be good at keeping track of time and that’s definitely something I’m getting better at and something people should prepare for when working within this industry.
Have Confidence
Starting a new job is quite a daunting experience and going from full time education/ part time job into a full time position was a big step into the unknown for me. However as much as a challenge it maybe I have always stayed confident in myself and the work that I do and it really pays off.
Starting a job in the wrong frame of mind can restrict yourself developing as an employee. I wouldn’t be working on the projects I am on today if I didn’t include my opinions on things and show enthusiasm to the work the agency is doing.
Looking Forward
I have really enjoyed working in the Digital Marketing industry for the past year and half and continue to look forward working with Relative for the future. If I didn’t work with the steps I mentioned above I wouldn’t be in the position I am today and hopefully they will be beneficial for anyone looking to pursue a career in Digital Marketing, or something similar. Also, don’t let the stigma attached to apprenticeships stop you from getting started in a career you’re interested in… I didn’t and I’m very proud of where it has taken. If you put the hard work in, you’ll get it back and that’s exactly what has happened at Relative!
