Let's talk about career journeys

Happy Wednesday everyone, I hope you’ve had a lovely week so far!

How have you been? I have been so busy in June as it was my first month as a full time freelancer. I have some very exciting things coming up and can’t wait for you all to see ??

Today we’re talking about a big recent campaign, starting your marketing journey and celebrating your connections!

Let’s get started!!??

Today I HAD to speak about the most iconic collaboration this year so far ??

In case you missed it, Sabrina Carpenter recently paid Blank Street a visit

After the success of her song Espresso this was a genius partnership ??

Perfectly timed too!!

What did you think about this?

I’m excited to welcome todays guest, meet ? Chelsea Marie Abery . She is sharing her marketing journey and the advice she has for those of you who are just starting out??

'Hello, Diary of a Young Marketer readers, and?thanks?Imogen?for?asking me to feature!?

I'm Chelsea, a 23-year-old marketer with a decade of marketing experience?under her belt!?

I'm excited about this opportunity because I have personally had?5?full-time positions and freelanced for a year and a half within the last?4?years, so if anyone can give you some career?advice,?(without sounding too cocky)?it's me ???

I'll walk you through my story for some context?but?I want to start by?saying,?that if you're currently looking to break into the marketing industry and are worried about or are getting rejected, keep going and don't stop.??

And please gain your experience. What I mean by this is that many people get rejected from a marketing position due to lack of?experience, but the?wonderful thing with marketing (social media, digital marketing, etc) is you're able to create your own experience?and?there's no better time than right now to start that.??

Whether?that be?on LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, Youtube, etc,?just?start posting and growing a community. Show employers you CAN do it and?that you?have the resilience and ability to keep going.??

Now, we'll jump head-first into my rocky, bumpy, and overly jumpy CV, shall we...?

So, I started studying Media Studies and Journalism at GCSE level?and?it?was my highest awarded?grade, an?A.??

Naturally, I chose Media to study at?college?where I was awarded a D*D*D*, and then again at University?which?is where?this bumpy ride began.??

The first year was all about settling in, I?chose to go to Portsmouth?University?where I've lived all my life as?I'm?a home girl at heart.??

Getting?used to assignments and essay deadlines, meeting new people, and attending lectures.??

Then?in?January 2020?which?was?4?months into my second year, we started hearing the news around COVID-19, and not too long after?we?were sent?into the first lockdown.?

Lockdown sent me into a rut where I wanted to speed my progress?up?massively. After talking to my?lecturers?I decided I?wasn't going to?return to full-time uni and instead work full-time and complete my third year remotely.??

So?in?August 2021, I started working in recruitment?whilst?completing my second and third-year university degrees.?

Recruitment, however, wasn't the dream - the dream was marketing?and?I was eager to get my foot in the door.??

After experiencing a massively toxic culture in?recruitment?I handed in my notice in December and prayed I'd land a job for January.?

It?was meant?to be, I?received a call on Christmas Eve where I?was offered?my first-ever marketing role!?

This role was within the construction industry, ironically the same industry I'd been recruiting for.???

I adored this role?but?sadly, after just?3?months?I was made redundant due to?a loss of?projects...?

It felt like the end of the world, but only?2?weeks?later?I landed a much?larger?role!??

I had a blast?here,?I learned so so so much as I was working in a team of 4?but?sadly, things took a turn for the worse?and?after I made a few complaints to management about harassment?which?weren't taken?seriously, I decided I'd leave.???

This?was when my freelancing career?first?began, I?freelanced for?4?months before finding my third marketing position for an estate agency.??

Unfortunately, the company culture again wasn't great?and?I'm not one to settle for a bad situation, just?as I was about to hand in my notice?I?gained another freelance client?which?made the decision much?easier!?

I freelanced again for?7?months before finding my fourth marketing role.??

This role was in construction again?and?I adored this role, the?company was great, and the position was great - I loved it.??

But what I've now learned about construction companies is?sadly, marketing is a luxury for them?and?when money is lost or is at a low, marketing is the first thing to go!??

You guessed it, in January?2024?I was made redundant and started freelancing again, this time only for?4?months.??

This time?I?had more confidence, a better backbone?and?I?knew how to run the show.??

It was going well?but?then my current position reached out to me?offering?me a position where I'd be doing?exactly?what I was doing as a freelancer but with the security of a full-time wage and a company to back my reputation - a no-brainer if I've ever seen one!??

So?as?of May 2024, I've been an Account Manager at rollo and?it's been a blast so far!??

Rollo is the first agency role I've had as?previously?I've worked as an in-house one-woman-band marketing manager?although?because of my freelancing sprints, I'm more than used to running with multiple clients.??

So we're onwards and upwards once again!??

And I do apologize if I've bored you through this journey?I?do need to explain it?properly?for you?to truly see that the road can be bumpy.?

Not for everyone, some?people freelance forever or land a marketing role and stay there for decades!??

But what?isn't spoken?about enough are journeys like mine?which?are?a?bumpy, rocky mess?at times.?

And believe me when I say that in between all of these positions and?whilst?freelancing?I've had my fair share of rejection. No, it never gets easier to hear?but?you do hit a point where you no longer take it personally?and?you?truly believe (as you should) that it's a 'their loss' situation!??

So my advice for you??

• If you haven't already, start building your online reputation today!??
• Apply, apply, apply, and don't be too sad when/if?you're rejected?everything?is a lesson?and?everything happens for a?reason?
• Ask for feedback where you can, and see if there are areas you can improve on?
• Don't settle for a shitty company or?bad?role, there is better out there?and?honestly, no job is worth your mental health!?

And if you'd like any advice, feel free to shoot me a LinkedIn DM!'

I love this advice!! The journey can be bumpy but the right opportunity will come along. Working in any industry can be tough at times so it's important to believe in yourself and keep going ??

Today’s advice is to show yourself some love??

Social media makes it so easy to compare yourself to others which makes self doubt worse

So today I want you to write down three things that you love about yourself. This could be how kind you are, how driven you are or even how far you have come.

Let me know yours in the comments!! I’d love to hear ??

Today my post prompt is to celebrate someone in your network ??

LinkedIn is such an amazing platform for connection and I feel thankful to have met so many incredible people and made such lovely marketing friends??

It’s time to celebrate someone who has made your journey what it is and genuinely made a difference for you!!

You don’t have to stop at one, if there are a few incredible people who have helped you along the way then why not give them all some credit.

I look forward to reading these, please use #DiaryOfAYoungMarketer so I can come and show your post some support.

Have a lovely rest of the day??

Speak soon!

Imogen xx