Russell N.
About me
| Russell N. | |
| Economics and Related Studies | |
| Economics | |
| Undergraduate | |
| Vanbrugh | |
| 2007 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| United Kingdom | |
| Advertising, marketing and PR |
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My career goals when I graduated
To avoid the standard post-economics churn of going to work for one of the 'Big Four' and becoming just another person in a suit in London. I wanted to do something creative and with people. I wanted to avoid feeling constricted.
My career history
Retail management for c. ten years
Internal comms at retail HQ for two years
Internal communications consultancy for two years
What has helped my career to progress
Taking myself out of my comfort zone, always being the first to volunteer to help out with projects, get involved, go to conferences and get training. The more people you speak to the more you will learn and the more people will notice you for the right reasons!
How my studies have helped my career
My degree was the wrong choice for me to be honest. The Economics BSc is highly mathematical, and that is not my strongpoint. I struggled with the lack of structure and teaching support. So my degree helped my career by focusing my mind on what I wanted to do with my life to be happy!
What surprised me about my career so far
You don't know what you don't know. The only way to get to know something is to challenge yourself to learn it. Knowledge is out there if you seek it and once you have it it's invaluable. You will *always* remember the things that you are most passionate about.
Where I hope to be in 5 years
In five years time I'd like to be back in-house managing an internal communications team for a global brand.
My advice to students considering work
Try and get a foot in the door. Even half a day once a week will give you the experience and exposure you need. No job is too low, even if it's retail or bar work, it teaches you the value of hard work, service and attitude. A positive demeanor and willingness to work often goes much further than qualifications and courses.
My advice about working in my industry
It's in its infancy, but the potential for growth is huge. You can apply all manner of skills to IC, so it doesn't matter if you don't have relevant experience.
Other advice
Push yourself out of your comfort zone. Talk to people, even if just for a coffee - contacts are everything.
What I do
I'm a Senior Internal Communications Consultant at an agency in York specialising in internal comms and employee engagement.
Skills I use and how I developed them
Day in, day out, my job involves creative problem-solving for clients.
In my role I have to develop a deep understanding of my clients, their business, the challenges they face, and the tools and channels they have access to. Based on this insight, I recommend ways for them to engage their employees in order to achieve their business goals. I honed these skills working in-house as an IC executive, managing internal channels and delivering effective communications. I worked in a retail head office for two years, and during this time helped manage internal comms while the business went into administration and was merged with another brand.
Before that, I worked in retail management for almost ten years. This was all about service, service, service. I led large teams and managed significant stores, during which time I gained a deep understanding of the commercial reality of business.
What I like most
In my current role, there are two main plus-points: the variety and the team.
I'm privileged to work with a variety of UK and global brands, each of whom have their own unique challenges and require a bespoke approach. I have the opportunity to work with businesses from the very outset of projects, getting to know their senior team and key stakeholders, then applying my internal communication knowledge to provide recommendations for their organisation. Then I get to flex my creative skills, working with the designers to produce the physical collateral with which we engage employees. From written messaging, printed collateral, ambient media, video, audio and animation, and events, the range of options is just staggering.
And you can't deliver any of this without a hugely talented team around you. I work with seven other internal communications consultants, along with an expert editorial team and top-notch designers. It's a hugely supportive and family environment in which we can all thrive.
What I like least
Deadlines, budgets, details and checks are always a challenge. They can feel like they get in the way of the creative process but they are a necessary evil!
What surprised me most
How quickly you start to notice similarities between different businesses. With only a year or so of exposure to multiple organisations you really start to notice recurring themes and shared issues, and then learning and applying what worked well in their case to other brands.
Next steps...
If you like the look of Russell’s profile, the next steps are down to you! You can send Russell a message to find out more about their career journey. If you feel you would benefit from more in-depth conversations, ask Russell to be your mentor.