After graduating from Creativity Works, I landed a role at Edelman as an Assistant Account Executive

I applied for Creativity Works in April 2021 after some advice from another charity on breaking into the creative industries. I was hoping to learn more about creativity in a business context because other avenues I had aspired towards felt impossible to break into. Worst-case scenario, I thought I would get some information about the direction in which to take my future and, best-case, I would find a graduate job that I could see myself building a career from.

The standout moment for me on the course had to be Communications Week and our session with Edelman. At first, the week was admittedly going slowly for me, and I felt almost disheartened that the excitement of learning was starting to wane. But when we had the talk from the Edelman team about communications, the culture and values of Edelman within the landscape of comms, and new frontiers of PR and marketing, I felt newly invigorated.

As part of the course, I was assigned a mentor, Lou Cooper. Lou works for Edelman as a Principal Writer / Associate Director. I felt so lucky to have such relevant and tailored advice that supported me throughout and beyond the course. Lou and I have now built a really exciting and helpful professional relationship.

After graduating from Creativity Works, I landed a role at Edelman as an Assistant Account Executive. It’s my first graduate job in a corporate setting and I’m so thankful for Creativity Works for not only equipping me with the opportunity, but for giving me the confidence to step into this new role assured of my ability and my value.

Unlike lots of new joiners, I didn’t begin this new role frightened of what I would have to do or what I wouldn’t be able to do. I am so thankful to Edelman for creating such a welcoming environment for young people to start their career. This is a fantastic stepping stone onto bigger things and I never would have thought when setting new goals for myself that Creativity Works would give me direct access to achieving some of them. I’ve learnt about how the industry really works and the things to expect in terms of possible glass ceilings and barriers but also importantly, how to navigate them.

If you’re thinking of applying to Creativity Works or any other Media Trust youth programme, I would say go for it! Be willing to learn something new about yourself to discover new interests and capabilities. Be open to meeting new fascinating people, bursting with talent and vibrance. You won’t regret the time and effort, and you’ll remember it for a very long time. Work hard, and with that and a little luck, you’ll get back everything you put in and more.