Hey, I’m Tamara, and I’m the PeopleOps and Marketing Manager for a recruitment agency here in Bristol.

Over the past year I’ve had many people ask how I got into this position, whether it’s been in passing conversation, at job interviews or whilst networking.

As someone who’s completely self-taught, I guess my route in hasn’t been the most straight forward.

So today I thought I’d share some of the things I did to land in a marketing career, so you can chip away and try some yourself.

Upskilling

I never studied marketing in education, to be honest it had never even crossed my mind until one day… the pandemic happened. During lockdown, my course which I was already studying came to a near stand-still, so I had plenty of time on my hands.

Around this time, I was freelancing in photography, so I found some great marketing webinars on The Dots to help me succeed. This started out weekly, before turning daily and slowly by surely, I became so engrossed and grew to love marketing itself.

There are so many great resources out there, and so many platforms now offering e-learning services, it’s worth doing some digging. Marketing is quite varied so it’s best to have a think of what areas you’d like to explore. For me, as I was already freelancing, I wanted to focus on SEO and the general running of a social media page. That being said, more recently I have utilised other e-learning platforms such as Girls In Marketing (which I’d strongly recommend), to learn about copywriting.

Volunteering

After learning the initial basics, I struggled to find any experience in the marketing industry as of course, we were STILL in a lockdown. I started volunteering for an environmental group I was already part of and offered to undertake their Instagram and Facebook account. This was great experience not only working in an online team, but also creating branded graphics which represented what the group stood for.

Once covid finally lifted, I started helping a few local businesses I was already working with and recommended content ideas for those around me. I’d definitely recommend volunteering or working alongside various different individuals as I took something away from each experience.

Always look for opportunities

I honestly took every opportunity I could and ran with it! My advice would be get involved with as much as you can around you (without becoming overwhelmed). Whilst you’re a teenager get as much experience as you can, even if you have to job hop a few times to better your skills. Whether it’s through family and friends, online ads or in printed media, there’s always opportunities to get involved with both locally and nationally.

I found many of my opportunities through Instagram and Facebook. By keywording my Instagram I’ve become a lot more searchable, and clients mainly reach out through here. I also found sharing posts on Facebook community groups to be helpful. If you want to work more in the corporate world, you could utilise LinkedIn as this is becoming a more popular platform.

Networking

My number one point to remember is you never know who you’re talking to and the opportunities they may have access to. Don’t be afraid to talk about what you do and what you’re seeking - without giving a sales pitch of course. I constantly told people around me what my dreams and aspirations were which led me to gain invaluable experiences. 

I’ve done this at nearly every company I have worked with and each time it’s led to further paid creative work.

At Bristol Girl we have quarterly panel events which makes it easy to network, but it’s also been great attending the other monthly events to meet like-minded people. As for other events, a quick google in the specialism or area you’re most interested in could help. 

It’s safe to say I’m still learning and carving my own career path, however every skill I’ve picked up so far has been invaluable.

Want something to take away?

• Never underestimate the connections of those around you

• Be confident in what you do

• Don’t be afraid to stand out and up-skill.

Written by Tamara Lawrence