Former University of Sunderland fashion journalism student Caitlyn McAdam returned to campus to give a guest lecture on her career since graduating back in 2021
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Caitlyn now works in London as a Social Media Executive for Matalan, where she has worked for for the past two years creating and producing content for their social media platforms. She has just returned from Cape Town where she has been producing social media content for a fashion shoot/brand campaign for the brand. In her talk, Caitlyn gave us an insight into her life working for Matalan where she advised us no two days are the same, and gave us her top tips for getting into the fashion industry.
Caitlyn with students
These are the top things we learned from Caitlyn:
Say YES to every opportunity that comes your way
Caitlyn emphasised how important it is to take on every opportunity that comes your way. Whether that’s taking on freelance writing projects or completing multiple placements, saying yes to any and all opportunities really helps to build on your skills and build confidence.
Build your experience and portfolio by taking on projects beyond your academic studies.
Caitlyn launched a fashion and lifestyle blog, posting weekly articles and gaining valuable industry exposure. Through this, she was given many exciting opportunities, including invitations to PR events. To even further expand her portfolio, she took on freelance writing projects for a website, gaining additional hands-on experience in content creation that she’s been able to use in her career.
Make your application and CV stand out.
whether through a strong portfolio or a unique, well-crafted CV, having an interactive CV really makes your application stand out. Thinking outside the box and showing why you’re the perfect candidate is key she told us. Remember, no idea is a bad idea!
The three key skills for a career in social media marketing.
Caitlyn emphasised that the three key skills for a career in the industry are confidence, adaptability, and organisation.
Most importantly, be creative!
To close off, Caitlyn informed us that the most important factor when pursuing a career beyond university is to be creative!
