There’s room for growth at Macs 

Holly, our social media and Email Marketing Executive, tells us about their journey. From finding their feet after Uni, transitioning from student to professional and how, when job hunting, a Marketing Coordinator role at Macs Adventure popped up on LinkedIn, and the rest was history...  

The move from graduate to marketing professional 

As the end of university drew closer, my first question was ‘What next?’.  I knew I wanted to pursue marketing – it’s what I studied - but I was unsure which industry or area of marketing was the path I wanted to follow, and I didn’t know where to start. 

 What I did know was that I didn’t want to join a big company grad scheme. I wasn’t going to take a job for the sake of getting one - no law, oil or banking firms for me! Some may call it being picky, I call it being determined, driven and ambitious.  

Towards the end of the academic year, I refreshed my CV and began the job search for graduate marketing and graduate social media roles. I soon secured a job in a marketing agency, but I wasn’t sold on them. I’d been passed around different people and didn’t feel a great connection with them in the interviews. It seemed a very high turnover place where you weren’t building team relationships, you were just focused on the client. Yet from the first interview with Macs, I knew it was a good culture fit. We had meaningful conversations, we talked about development and the team I’d be working with. They were open to questions, and I wasn’t shipped around different people. I didn’t have a lot of interview experience but what I had experienced up until that point were impersonal online tests that didn’t allow me to explain my answers or display my personality. But the Macs interviews were face-to-face conversations that were structured in a way that gave me the scope to showcase my potential. I felt more comfortable about what I was walking into and that they’d set me up with the best possible chance to succeed.  

Beginning my journey with Macs Adventure 

When Macs offered me the job, they were keen for me to start immediately. However, as I was still finishing my exams, and then had a month of travelling planned, I was unable to. But they were completely accommodating and kept in touch right up to my start date.  

I joined Macs as a Marketing Coordinator where I was able to work across all the Marketing functions and be involved in a variety of projects while having the freedom to explore the things that interested me. It helped me figure out which areas appealed to me most as a career option and even discovered interests in fields I hadn’t previously considered! Macs allowed me to get stuck into project planning and implementation instead of shadowing or watching from the sidelines, but always with a supportive hand nearby. I felt this approach was far more progressive and beneficial than a big graduate scheme – I didn’t feel like a small fish in a big pond. What I contributed mattered, and I was an important piece of the puzzle. I was encouraged to build in weekly time for online learning and was trusted to develop the role to benefit both the company and me.  

The coordinator role is a great starting point for those new to marketing. It gives you an appreciation of the whole marketing field and how everything crosses over and works together. I soon moved from shadowing and assisting, to owning projects and tasks and managing the agency we used for our social media.  

Identifying an opportunity for internal growth 

As time progressed, it became clear that our external social agency wasn’t meeting our needs. Our Head of Brand decided to shift Organic Social in-house, recognising a chance for internal advancement. In response, Macs reorganised the department to accommodate this change, a move that acknowledged my dedication, growth, and enthusiasm for the brand.  

Turns out I was the ideal candidate and after just 9 months in the business, I was promoted to Social Media and Email Marketing Executive. I’d earned my stripes, had proven myself time and time again and was owning many of the responsibilities already.  So, it made sense!  

Opportunities to develop and grow 

Having complete ownership of social media was a big jump, so I began by organising training and enrolling in courses. I attended an ABTA training day in London which was an incredible networking opportunity. Alongside these, I enrolled in tutorials and courses to build my knowledge, including working towards Meta Certifications. Accreditations like these not only aid me to do my job better but also support me in my future career goals, showing Macs’ commitment to individuals as well as the company. 

Development objectives and 6-monthly self-reflections have created opportunities for me to review my goals and plans. This hybrid working plan sets me, as well as the rest of the business up to succeed. The goalposts are constantly changing, so it allows our personal goals to adapt too.  

Recognising and rewarding success 

This opportunity has been a huge confidence boost. I’ve already grown so much, but there’s always room to improve, evolve and learn. And it’s actively encouraged to do so and recognised and rewarded. In 2023, I was voted by my peers to receive the ‘Climbing Higher Award’ which recognises those wanting to improve themselves and progress in their careers at Macs.  

Embracing change 

Macs is always open to innovation and changing direction – for the benefit of the company and its colleagues. I’ve now discovered a passion for email strategy and email analysis, and I’m working with my manager to put together a plan of how this can be achieved.  

And now that I’ve found my feet, I’m sharing my journey and learnings beyond the walls of Macs. I’ve been invited to give a lecture at West College Scotland about careers in marketing and graduate growth. I’ll be providing guidance that could have been useful for me when I first set out after Uni.  I aim to reassure, build confidence and inspire others to take the leap.  I also visited our US office in Denver to onboard and train our new marketing team there whilst developing my knowledge and understanding of the US market. 

Within this role, I’ve been able to flourish. With the trust of my team, I lead on high-priority projects, like securing, coordinating and reporting on a successful Irish Tourist Board partnership. It’s allowed me space to learn for myself but also learn from my experienced team. I can’t wait to find out what’s next for my career at Macs! 

If you’re interested in what we’re doing, check out our full Impact Report to see more about what where we’ve been and where our business is heading.