Young marketers on plugging knowledge gaps and the power of resilience
Filmed at the first meeting of the School of Marketing’s Founding 50 last month, five young ambassadors discuss their plans to take the message nationwide and what they have learnt from their personal journeys about finding a career which fits their skills.
In December, 50 young marketers aged under 30 were selected to become ambassadors for the School of Marketing, a cross-industry initiative launched in September 2018 to inspire young people to explore a career in marketing.
Known as the Founding 50, these marketers came together for their first meeting last month to discuss how they intend to reach out to schools and spread the message that marketing is a fulfilling and exciting career for people with a diverse range of skills.
Here five of the 50 marketers discuss their plans the School of Marketing informed by their personal experience and explain how they intend to plug the marketing knowledge gap in schools and colleges across the UK.
Annabel Arrowsmith
Annabel Arrowsmith was looking for a role that combined creativity with a solid understanding of commerce and business when she hit upon marketing and is now a senior marketing manager at investment company Foresight Group. She hopes the School of Marketing will help educate young people about the diverse elements of marketing and show them where their skills could make a difference.
Chris Malby-Tynan
Chris Malby-Tynan landed a job at a B2B technology agency straight out of university, working for the likes of Microsoft, Dell and Canon. Despite initially struggling with the culture and approach, Malby-Tynan chose to slow down and switch up his career in order to find a better match for his skills. He is now digital marketing manager at Cambridge-based Automaton Games and hopes the School of Marketing will help show young people the value of being resilient and help them find a great career fit.
Shainaz Stewart
Marketing communications coordinator at property consultancy Pellings LLP, Shainaz Stewart is passionate about increasing the awareness of marketing careers among young people. Speaking from a personal perspective, Stewart believes this education needs to start at an early age as she was not exposed to any information about marketing until she attended a university open day, which she argues is far too late to inspire the next generation.
Luke Besant
Luke Besant took an unusual route into marketing after producing radio shows and podcasts, as well as promoting music. He is now digital marketing manager at Canterbury-based brand and digital marketing agency Think Studio and hopes the School of Marketing will act as a catalyst for change after exclusive Marketing Week and Unidays research revealed last year that just 3% of young people aged 18 to 24 believe marketing offers the best career opportunities.
Rebecca Nassiri
It was only after she finished her law degree and embarked on an internship at a PR agency that Rebecca Nassiri considered a career in marketing and communications. Now senior account manager at PR agency Eulogy, Nassiri explains that at school she would not have known where to start pursuing a career in marketing or even how to define it, which she believes is an issue for lots of young people. She believes the Founding 50 will be able to fill the knowledge gap between school children and the marketing industry.
