Social Sessions: online events for students and graduates

We were super proud to kick off the first in our series of ‘Social Sessions’ online industry events with a refreshingly honest (or so we’ve been told in some lovely feedback!) discussion on ‘How do I get my foot in the door?’ in the Digital Industry.

The panel? Rebecca Hollis, Toby Hart and Rea Averill

The audience? Recent grads and aspiring students looking to dive into the world of digital marketing/kickstart their careers in the Creative Industry

Our jovial Jono Robson (Senior Account Manager) hosted the session and a Q&A at the end.

Our top takeaways summarised below:

People work with people - so showcase your personality

Use the opportunity to stand out with an online CV to showcase your creative skills. Include passion projects in addition to industry experience.

‘A website, for example, is much more interactive than a CV where sometimes personality can get lost’ - Toby

Build your community

Toby highlighted the importance of proactivity - social is social, after all.

Your personal network is full of like minded people - so why would your professional network be any different? Search for these like minded individuals on LinkedIn. When you find them, make it personal. Drop them a message and just be honest - why do you want to connect with them?

‘I was consistent - and now opportunities come to me’ - Rebecca

Document your journey

Keep it real, authenticity is important. Talk about what you care about - not just what’s going on in industry. If you’re kickstarting an internship, placement or new role - think about other areas of the business you can contribute to; be them commercial or cultural. Document this online to add to your experience and skill set.

‘Land and expand - land a role, expand your knowledge - and document this’ - Rea

In addition, Rebecca highlighted the importance of looking ahead and envisioning how today's activities can contribute to your career tomorrow and ongoing. She encouraged us to keep investing in our social media and in our relationships. For those apprehensive about what to share online - it’s good to remember that there’s no right or wrong way to share your own perspective or personal experiences on social - only you can decide this.

‘Don’t let perfection kill your ideas - just test and try’ - Toby

Remove ‘daunting’ from your (job search) dictionary! We get it, we’ve been there. Students tell us it’s daunting to reach out to CEOs, CMO’s and a database of Directors however we don’t think this is a sufficient reason not to.

‘Everybody starts somewhere - in most cases, a CEO didn’t kickstart their career as a CEO - they’ve likely been in the same position as you’ - Rea

There’s value in reaching out; be it for today or tomorrow.

‘Just because a company isn’t actively hiring, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t contact them - you can be creative in creating your own opportunities’ - Rebecca

Stick with it - it’s a mindset game.

Keep going, you’ll get there.

‘Accept that rejection is part of the process’ - Toby

Just because you don’t get a role doesn’t mean you’re not good enough, it might just mean you’re not suited to that particular role.

And in the meantime..

‘Lean into what makes you feel good. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself online. Use a medium that works for you’ - Rebecca

Didn’t get the job? Create your own

Create your own opportunities

We recommend considering small businesses, companies with an active Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative (who might benefit from a helping hand) or charities and offering to contribute skills and time - even if it’s just one afternoon a month. Here, you take control of building your own portfolio, your own experience.

But ultimately, we hope that our session inspired you to trust your gut and to always take things at your own pace.

Thank you to all who joined us - and special thanks to Rebecca and Toby for sharing their experience and advice for our audience. We are looking forward to hosting our next #SocialSession on Thursday 22nd April where our panelists will be addressing 'How to ace your Agency interview' More details to be released soon. To sign up for updates - register below!