The month of October has seen a new addition to the Purple team, with Jess joining at the end of the month as part of the digital marketing side of things. Undertaking an apprenticeship role, Jess will be learning the ropes on the job, so while she gets to know her new role, it’s time for you to get to know her!
I’m in my first week here at Purple, and already feel so welcomed by the whole team. As I’m madly learning all there is to know about digital marketing, everyone else is learning all there is to know about me – most importantly how I like my cuppa! I’ve been given my own company notebook and have already experienced the Monday morning meeting. I can’t wait to get stuck in to some work for our clients!
Before joining Purple, I’d been mostly focused on my education. I attended Wensleydale School in Leyburn to achieve my GCSEs, heading further afield to Darlington to do my A Levels at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, before heading off to The University of York to complete my degree in English in Education.
I never really knew what I wanted to do in life career-wise, but I knew it had to be creative and English related. To get myself started I began writing articles for different magazines, including the uni newspaper and a luxury travel magazine, House of Coco. I was writing about a huge variety of things, from Dahl’s Matilda and her 30th year in publication, to a hedonist hotel in Madrid that I was invited to visit. I loved the range of what I was doing.
As the time came around to applying for graduate jobs, it became increasingly obvious that to get a paid position in journalism, I would have to move away to a bigger city, which also meant away from my home comforts of North Yorkshire. With the stress of my dissertation, assignment deadlines and graduation looming, I knew I couldn’t face the additional stress of moving further away from my family and friends, for a job I was yet to find. I decided the best idea was to move back in with my Mum and Dad following graduation, and look for a job closer to home – how hard could that be?
I researched creative companies in the local area, and potential businesses that would be commutable from home, but it turns out creative roles around Leyburn are thin on the ground. What did grab my attention though, was a company called Purple Creative Studio. A small, family-like business based just outside of Richmond, a place that seemed ideal. At the time, Purple had no positions advertised, but I told my Mum how much I would love to work there and kept religiously checking for a vacancy with the team.
In the meantime, I had to keep applying for roles that slightly piqued my interest, in the hope of finally getting a job. The frustrating part about being a recent graduate though, is that the few jobs and interviews that did pop up required someone with ‘experience’, something very few graduates have much of, so I was often turned away at the final stage. During a lull in the job search, I saw the advertisement of a job opportunity at Purple and jumped at the chance to apply. After a couple of weeks, an interview, and trial morning, I was offered the job with the team - both a relief and a joy!
After receiving my job offer, I was invited to attend the Digital Advantage workshop run by the girls at Purple, a really useful way to learn the basics of social media and online marketing before starting my role with the team. It gave me an insight into what the job would entail, but I was also able to get to know Emma, Sarah and Scarlett a little better and see how they work in their professional environment. It definitely made my first day a little easier!
I’m so excited to get working with the whole team and learn all there is to know about digital marketing. After 21 years of learning, it seems silly to stop now! I also can’t wait to start meeting our clients, to get to know them all a bit better and meet the faces behind the businesses. But most of all, I’m looking forward to becoming a valued member of the team during my future with Purple!