Alumni Success Profiles: Emily Girvan
(4 min read)
Name: Emily Girvan
Current Role: Digital Officer at Career Ready
Multiverse Apprenticeship: Digital Marketing
What are the main responsibilities of your current role?
Content Creation and professional design, Social Media, PPC, SEO, Website management, and analytics.
What does a typical day in your role look like?
It's different each day - and that's what I love about it. But quite typically, I start by scanning my emails and messages and collate my to-do list on Notion - my favourite organisational tool ever (101% recommend). I'll start doing some social media admin (scheduling posts and responding to engagement on our channels), then make a start on project work whether that's helping with campaign production or designing marketing material - I will always make sure I block off time to focus on big projects. In between, I usually have meetings with various teams across the organisation because I work in marketing which means it intertwines with everyone else's objectives. For example, I'll meet with the Business and Fundraising Team to discuss our employer marketing strategy or I'll meet with the Data team to gather data for my next analytics project. There's definitely plenty of opportunities to collaborate across the organisation.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Definitely the design - I've always been creative - it's where my strengths lie and my employer knows that so I'm really lucky to have the balance of creativity and the nitty-gritty strategy stuff that goes behind it. I also love that whatever I do, makes a difference because I work for a social mobility charity which is something I'm extremely passionate about.
What are the challenging aspects of your role?
Even though I love collaboration, it can be difficult occasionally when I find others may disagree with my view on a project or wants to change something that's out of their control (E.g: Someone who doesn't have UX or design background may demand that a font colour should be yellow but as someone who's studied design, knows this isn't practical as the yellow font is hard to see and does not meet accessibility requirements, etc).
So it's all about strengthening your communication and staying strong in what you believe in.
Why did this role/industry appeal to you?
I find working for charities extremely rewarding - especially when they align with my values.
Career Ready is a social mobility charity - and social mobility is something I deeply care about as I'm someone who is from a socio-economic background: grew up on a council estate, free school meals, etc.
Far too many young people are determined by their background, not potential - Career Ready exist to change that by providing support, experiences and insight they need to kickstart their futures - and this is something I wish was available to me when I was growing up in school.
What skills do you use and develop as part of your role?
In marketing, there's a lot of creating thinking and a lot of creative 'doing'. For me, it's all about connecting the dots between content and strategy. So strategic thinking and creativity skills are vital - and it's a skill I have to exercise every day.
What are your future career plans?
I always get asked this question and to be completely honest, who knows?! Thanks to Multiverse, I'm extremely hopeful that I'll be able to kickstart my marketing career anywhere, having aced my digital marketing apprenticeship with a distinction.
I've always been someone that is open to new possibilities wherever I may find them. I hope to mentor a young person eventually, especially someone who's from a socio-economic background and career clueless like how I was when I was 16. All I know is that I want to professionally grow in a role that fulfils me creatively which is in a sector that's unique and rewarding - and where I'm learning every day because that's what counts, right?
How did doing a Multiverse apprenticeship support your career journey?
It was definitely an opportunity that you won't be able to find anywhere else. Multiverse is ahead of the game and their ongoing support, commitment and motivation to strive for apprentices and future leaders, really stuck with me.
The fact that I was able to have a fantastic coach (shout out to Gavin) who I could always reach out to and who was ALWAYS there to support me, as well as the community!
The community played a big part in feeling included and a part of something far bigger than you could ever imagine. I could connect with hundreds of apprentices that we're going through similar experiences, professionally network and professionally develop myself through events and workshops. Whether you're an apprentice or alumni, you always feel a part of the Multiverse family!
What achievement are you most proud of since completing your apprenticeship?
The fact that I got a distinction for my apprenticeship was mind-blowing itself because it felt like I actually had a future - which was hard to see at some points when everyone always tells you 'university is the only route to success.'
Having completed my apprenticeship, I got into a really prestigious industry-led design night school with D&AD Shift 2022 - they only pick 10-20 people out of hundreds of applications - so that really means something and I can't wait to get started in designing content for big brands like Adidas, Disney, etc. (Eeeek!)
Can you provide a brief history of your career journey since completing your apprenticeship?
Since completing my apprenticeship, I was lucky enough to be offered a full-time permanent role as Career Ready's Digital Officer, with the same usual marketing duties as before but with a bigger lead.
What advice would you give to current apprentices who want to progress in a similar role?
Network. Network. Network. Multiverse makes it really easy to do so with their incredible community, full of events and opportunities to connect and build your personal brand. Get yourself out there - you never know - you might meet someone who's in a role you really admire and can help you get there.