In this edition of the Fitwise blog, we hear from Marketing Executive Sophie, who joined the team in December 2023 after completing her Master of Arts in International Business Management and Marketing at Heriot-Watt University. She shares what to expect when starting your marketing career, and the things she wishes she’d known ahead of entering the world of work full-time!
If you’re a recent graduate or career starter looking to join the world of events and association management, make keep an eye on the Fitwise careers page! With in-house training available and the opportunity to partake in a wide array of external training, we’re committed to helping you grow your career and thrive in your role.
Going from student life into the world of work can be exciting, nerve wracking, overwhelming and tremendously fun all at once. There are a lot of places where things will just slot into place and your work will feel like second nature, but there are also a lot of places where no matter your work experience or education background, you’ll feel out of your depth and a bit confused. As someone who studied marketing at university and decided to go into it as a career, I (naïvely) thought that I’d
know exactly what I was doing, I mean I’d studied for this for four years straight, right? WRONG! Turns out, theory and books can only take you so far, and what matters more than anything is being able to use that theoretical knowledge and apply it in a way that produces tangible results. If I could go back and give myself any advice about entering the world of work, particularly within the marketing sector, it would have to be the following:
1. People are not always going to like everything you do.
Up until the point of entering the workplace, everyone who had ever looked at my work had to do so objectively. When lecturers marked your work at university, it was either right or wrong based on theory, however when clients look at graphics or copy, they may not look at it objectively, as personal taste and preference has a lot to do with their opinion. Somewhere along the line, someone won’t like your work, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good or of a high standard, it’s just creative differences. What matters the most is how you bounce back from this and work with the client to help realise their creative vision. At Fitwise, we’re always ready to adapt, revise our styles and work in partnership with our clients to make their visions a reality.
2. The learning doesn’t stop when you leave education.
I really felt that when I left university, I had all the tools and knowledge I would ever need to do my job. Theory? Got it down. CPD? Never thought of it. Well, if only I had known how wrong I’d be! Theory is great, but real-life experience is completely different than what’s in the textbooks. As Fitwise have a strong commitment to continued learning and development, I’ve been encouraged to take advantage of every learning opportunity available to me and have been supported when taking specialist courses to develop my knowledge in previously untapped areas. Make sure that you never turn down the opportunity to learn more, as even if it’s not relevant to what you’re doing right now, I can guarantee it will come in handy at some point in the future.
3. Don’t be easily discouraged.
Even with the utmost planning, not everything will go exactly as expected. Whether it’s a social media platform that doesn’t gain traction right away, an event that doesn’t sell out as quickly as you hoped, or a post that doesn’t get the engagement. These things are all part of the process, and it doesn’t mean you should give up! Instead, you should regroup, analyse the data you have available, and adjust where needed. At Fitwise, we develop comprehensive marketing plans which cover the full marketing mix, built on proven strategies. Sometimes a case of trusting the process and sticking to your plan (with maybe the odd extra email or social media push mixed in).
4. Never underestimate the power of asking for help
This was a huge one for me. I always prefaced any request for help with a “sorry I’m asking so many questions” … but why should you apologise for asking for clarity when you need it? At Fitwise, we always encourage a supportive environment where being inquisitive is seen as a strength and not a weakness. I can assure you, your team would much rather you ask for help or guidance if you’re unsure of something rather than just wing it. Yes, having confidence in your abilities and your work is important, but I have learned so much from asking my team questions, and have reaped the benefit of it time and time again!
5. If you can’t think of a 5th point, leave it at four!
When I started writing this, I planned to write five top tips, however, I’ve stumped myself after point four. The takeaway from that is simply that don’t waffle for waffle’s sake, and don’t try and pretend you know the answers if you don’t – there is no shame in admitting that!
