Welcome to our Activate Allstars series, in which we explore the careers and day-to-day lives of Activate Group’s team members – across every area of the business!
Here we chat to Ellie Thornton, Content Marketing Executive, who recently completed her apprenticeship role as a Marketing Assistant here at Activate Group – as part of our award-winning apprenticeship schemes…
When did you start at Activate Group and what role were you in?
I started as a Marketing Assistant in September 2022. This was an apprenticeship role, which I have recently now completed.
What first attracted you to your initial role within Activate Group?
Before working here, I was a student midwife in my second year at university. I realised that I no longer wanted to pursue this career, and I always loved being creative, so I started looking into jobs that would bring out this side of me.
I found the job advert for a Marketing Apprentice at Activate Group and was initially drawn to it as the office was close by to where I lived, and I would be part of a small close-knit team which I was keen on. I was also keen on the roles and responsibilities I’d be taking on. Being an apprentice, I also knew it would be a great opportunity to get started in this career and industry as I’d learn all the skills I needed on the job.
Why did you want to progress within the business?
As I neared the end of my apprenticeship, I knew that I really wanted to stay in the business as part of the marketing team. I loved my team, the business’ direction aligned with my aspirations, and I was enjoying developing my skills and meeting people through my role, so progressing into a permanent role seemed the natural next step for me.
What steps did you take to move forward into the role you wanted?
My apprenticeship course taught me the skills I needed to progress. The lessons I had made more of an impact because I could support them with real experience that I gained from the work I did. I knew that if I wanted to stay in the company in a permanent role after my apprenticeship was finished, I needed to prove that I was a real asset, so I took every opportunity given to me as a chance to learn something new or improve upon my skills and put into practice what I’d learned.
What support was offered to you in order to help you progress?
I had lots of support from my manager, Pete Thompson, all throughout my apprenticeship. He gave me lots of varied opportunities, so I had the chance to learn many new skills, as well as decide which aspects of marketing I enjoyed the most.
I also had support from Gemma Tooby regarding my apprenticeship – I had assignments to do, and she consistently checked up on me to make sure I was doing OK and had everything I needed.
My team were also really understanding when I needed time to work on my assignments alongside the work I was doing, they helped me to manage my time effectively and were always supportive of my learning.
What does your role now entail?
During my apprenticeship, I took on a lot of different projects within marketing. I helped with internal and external communications, social media posting and lots of design work including various posters and decks as needed by people in the business.
My favourite part of my job is the design aspect, I’ve found this is my biggest strength and what I enjoy doing the most, so I’m becoming the go-to person for this area of marketing. Recently I’ve also been involved in some digital UI and UX design, which I’m really interested in pursuing more.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to progress into a different role within Activate Group?
I’d say your manager is really important here to help you with this, so just speak to them about what you’re interested in doing to progress! They’ll be able to get in touch with the right department or person who can help you on your journey. If there’s a way for people to feed in work that you’re interested in pursuing, take every opportunity you can get to do this as you’ll learn the skills you need.
What is your proudest moment as part of the business?
Definitely when I completed my apprenticeship! I achieved a Distinction and received a permanent job offer within a week which I happily accepted. I would also say that I felt really proud when I won the Employee of the Year Runner-up award, it made me feel appreciated and a valued member of the team, and that I wasn’t just an apprentice. It also made me realise how many people I’ve worked with across the business, and that I must be leaving a positive impression which is always nice to know!
What is the greatest challenge you’ve faced within your journey so far?
I think my confidence in my ability has been my biggest challenge, as I started this role with no prior experience and felt a bit of imposter syndrome. Everyone in my team was knowledgeable already and sometimes I felt like a nuisance asking so many questions! But my team are lovely, and I realised that I needed to ask these questions so I could become as knowledgeable as they are, and the more I learned the more confident I became.
What do you see for your future at Activate Group?
I definitely see myself staying within the business as I feel like I can really flourish here. The business is growing, so the opportunities in my role will become more varied and increase as a result, so I’d be really happy to continue my journey here and adapt to the needs of the business.
I’d love to eventually undertake more of a brand managerial role; I really love the design aspect of my job, so being the one responsible for this and the go-to person for design within the company is my ultimate goal.
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