How SEEN Connects levelled up their career Kickstarter
Creator and social marketing agency SEEN Connects runs a yearly Career Kickstarter programme, inviting creatives looking to break into the industry the opportunity to meet the team, get 1-1 advice and get valuable information on how to make it in an agency.
In 2023, they wanted to ensure they were reaching as many people as possible who would benefit from this opportunity, so they engaged with Creative Mentor Network as their key partner on the event to help ensure that their process was more inclusive to underrepresented groups.
“We know it’s hard to get your first step on the agency ladder when you don’t know where to start,” said Lucy Morris, Senior Brand Marketing Manager at Connects. “We also know many brilliant creatives are getting overlooked, which is why we gave away a day of our time to job seekers. Whether they have a degree or not, just left school or are pivoting careers, this annual event is open to everyone. Partnering with Creative Mentor Network meant we spread the word about Career Kickstarter to as many people as possible who would find this opportunity valuable.”
How Creative Mentor Network helped
Working with SEEN Connects, we supported the agency with best practice advice along the process. By ensuring language was inclusive, relevant sessions were offered, and staff received guidance on the best ways our community needed help, we made sure that Career Kickstarter reached a more diverse audience and the team were set up in the best way.
“We know through conversations with our mentees that the creator and influencer world is where many aspire to work, but as it’s such a new and faced paced industry it’s difficult to find out how to break in. Opportunities like this provides our mentees with access to connections in the industry and knowledge that careers services aren’t able to provide.”
What the day looked Like
On Wednesday 6th September, from 9am to 22.30pm, ten staff members from SEEN Connects opened their diaries exclusively to young creatives looking to make it in the creative industries. With over 100 30-minute slots available, the team took questions from young people looking to make their way into the industry, offering CV support, interview prep, agency job role breakdowns, and a cover letter workshop. Whether job seekers are looking to understand more about the industry or get into data, accounts, content production, or creativity, this gave them a chance to quiz the team.
THE IMPACT OF THE DAY
Exercises like this are vital for agencies to reach and understand a different generation of talent. This can have a lasting impact on hiring and skills development for staff and junior talent and shorten the knowledge gap that younger creatives from lower socioeconomic backgrounds may face.
Mentees from Creative Mentor Network took away valuable insights on the types of roles that exist inside agencies like SEEN Connects, tips on networking and connecting to help promote themselves, and helped them with their confidence.
Staff at SEEN Connects reported back with their outcomes, highlighting the breadth of talent and their thoughts on the future talent working to make it in the creative industry.
“As an HR professional the Career Kickstarter is an important opportunity to impart knowledge to help give guidance and further insight to those about to start their career path. Everyone is different, and there are numerous entry routes. I was super impressed by everyone’s keenness and their fantastic questions, and I wish them all the best on the journey they are about to embark on.”
“This next generation of creatives and marketers are seriously skilled. I was so impressed by the ambition to learn as much as possible – a quality that shouldn’t be taken lightly. A truly inspiring day for everyone in team Connects.”
“It was amazing being able to chat with so many really talented young creatives - if they’re anything to go by, the future is looking really bright!”
“It was brilliant to be part of this year’s Connects Career Kickstarter. The initiative is something I’ve admired about Connects long since before I arrived here. As a semi-recent graduate (in the last three years), I totally understand and can relate to the challenges of breaking into the industry, particularly with limited experience. This event was important to me because having been in their position in the not-so-distant past, I felt able to connect with the attendees and provide [hopefully] actionable advice on both conventional and unconventional methods to get a foot in the door in the industry.”
To find out more about the work we do and how you can partner with us on our journey to break the class ceiling in the UK creative industries, get in touch here.
