It is safe to say the ‘office’ view is somewhat different nowadays..
Having worked as a show jumping rider from a very young age, starting as an agency intern was certainly a culture shock. Such as only working 7.5 hours a day with weekends off and being inside sitting down all day. Although something I can definitely get used to, particularly in these winter months!
Why marketing?
Swapping horses for computers was no easy decision. Apart from the competitiveness of sport, another aspect I loved was selling horses, dealing with owners and clients. I enjoy the challenge of working out how people behave, think, act and interact to ensure the clients are happy, the core of which is the same for a marketing agency. The great thing about working agency-side rather than client-side is that you work with a diverse range of companies/industries making it far more interesting.
So far…
Having never worked in an office, my first week was spent absorbing everything that goes on in an agency; meeting all the head of departments so I could understand what they do, how Pull works and their values on a deeper level. And learning names. So many names! After spending some time familiarising myself with Pull clients and the previous work they have done, I’m helping to manage some of the smaller clients as well as working on the Pull rebrand. Did I forget to mention I joined Pull just as they were about to rebrand?! The rebrand is huge, absolutely everything needs to be updated, from the website to the building inside and out, to the stationary. As well as a great project for me to sink my teeth into, this has also proved to be the best way to get to know the company and everyone who works here. Speaking of which…
I have learnt so much already, just by being surrounded by a more corporate world than I was used to. One of my favourite things I have learnt so far is from Darren, Pulls’ Creative Director, about the process he and his team go through when creating a logo, I didn’t appreciate the research and science that goes in. I’m also learning more and more about the digital marketing side of Pull; with smart phones and technology advancing all the time, there is an ever growing need for it.
So, how did I score a job with Pull?
The day before my favourite show of the year I was sitting in A&E for the third time that month, knowing I definitely couldn’t ride for a long time now. I was so mad with life, that I decided to get a ‘normal’ job, something that had been playing on my mind a while. As you may know waiting in A&E can take all day, determined to not waste time and change my life completely, I started to research companies local to me, I wanted to get an idea of what each agency was about. Between various x-rays I rang many agencies (the first one actually being Pull.) I explained my situation (not admitting that I was actually in hospital at the time!) I asked for advice of how to get into the industry. Ringing people meant I could get across my personality, they were less likely to forget me and I could get instant advice. These companies I rang were not currently looking for an intern, my theory was, if they like me they would have my contact details if they needed an intern at some point, and if not they would give me some advice, so there was nothing to lose. I strongly recommend doing this, people were so kind, they gave me plenty invaluable advice about what to read up on and how to improve my CV and so on.
I set up as many meetings as I could and in those I explained who I am and what I wanted to do. Pull subsequently asked me if I would be interested in an internship, which of course I was delighted with.
I chose Pull over other agencies, as they conducted themselves in a professional, friendly and honest manner. They were also really friendly, took the time to give me plenty of advice and took an interest in the background I was coming from, which meant a lot to me as I had spent most my life working in the equine industry. I also really liked that they work with a lot of high-end brands, particularly in lifestyle, hair and beauty, something I was already interested in.
I highly recommend having a ‘go getters’ attitude. Be totally honest and have a willingness to learn, opportunities will then find you. I feel the best way to learn a job, is on the job, because you experience how everything works in a real life situation, which I believe is essential.
To follow my journey as I adjust to life as an agency intern, please keep an eye out for my next blog. And in case any of you were wondering about my view before, here you go:
Posted 16 November 2016 by