How long have you been with MRM and what is your role?

I’ve been here for 7 months, and I’m an Email Marketing Manager

Tell us about your typical workday as an Email Marketing Manager?

My day varies a lot and I like that. Typically, I start the day with a few quick calls with the account teams to discuss projects, clients, and any other important tasks. This shapes the email team’s workload. When I’m in the office I’ll always find time to get my free breakfast too!

Jobs vary and as a team we flex around what’s needed for a variety of clients. We could be building and deploying email campaigns one minute, then developing automations and project scoping the next. It keeps me on my toes! Since I’m still fairly new, I’ll have a couple of sessions picking up processes and handovers from my line manager too. Between that I’m usually working towards technical certifications or chatting away on Teams helping the social committee organise all the fun stuff.

What do you enjoy most about working at MRM and in the advertising industry?

At MRM I truly feel like I’m surrounded by experts and people I can really learn from. I actually stepped away from agency-side projects for a while and worked my way up to a pretty high-level tech role within a global company, but I felt like my career had stagnated. Joining MRM and returning to an agency was definitely the right choice – in less than a year I’ve worked with several big clients, earned my Salesforce Email Specialist certification, and have started working towards getting Contentstack developer certified.

Like I said, I enjoy variety, and the advertising industry has it in abundance. There are so many different opportunities and experiences – I’ve connected with some amazing people and worked on projects that have had real impact on the world. I wouldn’t get that in other industries. People ask how I got to where I am in my career and honestly, it was all by accident from being in advertising roles.

Did you know you always wanted to do a role like this?

No. I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I was starting out, I just went with what interested me. At the time it was computers and comics. I started as an unpaid comic book editor and video game modder when I was 15, got my first paid design role at 17, then through various jobs picked up website builds, email marketing, copywriting, ecommerce, tech management, and now I’m here!

What’s one of your biggest failures and what did you learn from it?

A few years ago, I took a career break to pursue my passion for dressmaking, but decided I’d continue to do freelance marketing in the evenings to maintain my connections. I ended up so overworked I couldn’t give my best to either role and got completely burned out. After that I decided to never over-commit or over-promise on what I can deliver. It’s better to be realistic and honest.

What’s your top tip for hybrid working?

Make the most of both work environments. I love working from home in my slippers and find that I’m more productive but being in the office encourages more natural conversations that you don’t get on a call. Take advantage and adapt your day to both environments to make them work for you.

Would you recommend a career in advertising to a young person considering their career options?

Yes 100%. Think about your favourite stores, apps, restaurants, celebrities – would you like to be able to connect and work with them? Then get into the advertising industry! There are so many opportunities that most people just don’t know about. Whether you’re a designer, project manager, good at building relationships, love IT, or like me, you’re a tech nerd – there’s something for everyone.