My First Three Months at ilk – Elliot Joyce.

When I graduated three years ago (….yikes!) I genuinely thought I would stumble my way into a job role fairly soon – not because I believed I was the best or because I thought there were loads of opportunities, but because I was taught that things happen for people who want things so badly.

Throughout my studies, there was so much emphasis on the idea of being proactive following your graduation. Things like expanding your portfolio with personal projects, reaching out to employers who aren’t publicly hiring, working for free to gain experience – actions that I’m sure a lot of young professionals, particularly those from creative courses, will know so well. There’s a learned understanding that if you do these things, you’d find much more success in landing a job compared to those that don’t. However, this isn’t always the case. After working in retail for years before, during and after my masters, I was very aware of how far behind I had fallen. There were cohorts of smarter, more skilled and overall better candidates to compete with, and I remember feeling that no matter how bad I wanted something, it wouldn’t be enough.

Eventually, things just have a weird way of sorting themselves out. It’s sort of (very) unhelpful to say that everything happens for a reason, but it definitely rings true in this instance. You just have to trust that one day, the right role will appear in the right place, at the right time – for me, it was ilk Agency.

Joining an Integrated Marketing Agency.

I applied for a social and paid media position, as I luckily had some experience at my previous job drafting content and copy for their channels and really enjoyed it (I’ve since learnt not to be so critical of working in retail, as I’m pretty sure it’s what got me the job). Based on the interview process, and after briefly meeting some members of the team when I came in for my presentation, I knew I would be in safe hands. My first week as an ilkster was better than I could have imagined, and the initial fears quickly left my body the minute I walked in on my first day.

There was such a warm and friendly vibe from everyone in the team; I distinctively remember there being bursts of lively chatter coming from each table as we settled into the morning, and I felt really encouraged and comfortable to join in (which knowing me, wouldn’t take much). Things like that make such a difference when starting somewhere new, so I appreciate everyone making the effort to treat me like one of the family so early on.

Learning the Agency Ropes.

The first few weeks were a lot of onboarding – internal admin, introductions to different departments, getting to grips with the clients I’d be working with and learning about the way an integrated marketing agency operates. One of the things I loved when getting used to agency life is the fact there’s synergy between the different teams. Although my role technically sits within social and paid media marketing, I’ve learnt a lot about other branches of marketing, such as PR services. This kind of experience has been super helpful as it’s not only helped expand my skillset, but also helped me understand how the wider business works. And speaking of skillset, I’ve been up to all sorts! From writing copy and scheduling the content on client’s social channels, pitching ideas in brainstorms, briefing the design studio on client assets, writing blog posts, running ads through Meta to even answering the phone (still scary), each day is so different, and that’s why I love it!

Taking on More Responsibility.

After about three months in, I’ve been given a bit more responsibility. I’ve started talking directly with clients and began finding my own rhythm when it comes to working on tasks. That’s another great thing about working at ilk – there is a great deal of trust between everyone. Mistakes happen, and even if it means they slow the process down a little bit, we’re all certain that the job will get done. When everyone has that attitude, it really gives you confidence – you know that if it comes to it, you have permission to fall absolutely flat on your face and no one is going to judge you. They’ll just help you back up, and support you as best as they can.

And that’s how it’s been for the past few months – working hard, making mistakes, getting great advice from people who genuinely care and reminding yourself that this is equal parts fun as it is important. My advice for anyone who’s about to start their first career job after university is to never be afraid to be the stupidest person in the room. There’s no consequences in saying you’re confused, or that you need help, and absolutely no one is expecting you to get it right the first time – even if it seems super obvious. You just have to be honest and willing to be the student all over again.

Advice for New Graduates.

If you’re still waiting for your big break, try your best to keep fighting the good fight – it’s tough, and sometimes it can be frustrating, but it does work out in the end. Wanting something badly doesn’t always guarantee that it will come quickly or easily, but if you’re patient and trust the process, it will come together in ways you least expect.

Who knows? Maybe it will be at ilk Agency! Discover more about our team, our work and our integrated marketing services.