To improve my tennis skills and join a tennis team

To start kickboxing/ a self defence sport

To read fiction or nonfiction books daily

To focus on improving my gut health and committing to a more organic diet

Professional

To get a graduate role in a Fashion PR Agency or an In-House Fashion PR team

To find a role which is above £23,000 upon graduating

To work on my skills within Generative AI and Technology

To improve my Adobe InDesign and Photoshop skills

To be leading a team within the first four years after graduating

Next year: Find a graduate role, most likely entry level, at a PR Agency or in house. Begin to save for a house deposit.

In three years: Leading a small team of my own, in a junior manager position. Saving up a house deposit, able to put aside at least £500 a month away comfortably.

In five years: In a more senior management position, where I am able to travel frequently in my role. Buying my first property in London or the outskirts. Start to plan how I will start my own business and how I will fund it: consider taking on a side hustle if my salary is not high enough.

In ten years time: With the relevant experience and knowledge, leaving my full time role and pursuing my dream to start my own PR agency based in London.

Although my interpersonal skills are already strong, I will improve them through finding a graduate role where I am able to frequently travel to an office and have face to face interactions and client meetings and build on my communication skills. I should avoid remote work as in my experience this has put a dampener on my communication skills massively.

How will I improve my managerial skills?

My previous internship work has really taught me how to better manage time and follow instructions, and having to report to a manager is really beneficial to understand how they run the team smoothly. I will make an effort to learn more about finances through regular communication with my manager at FashionVerse and at Sweaty Betty, as my financial knowledge could definitely be improved.

During my GCSEs, I was able to learn basic maths and science skills which have helped me in my roles to date and will help me in PR when working out available budgets and costs.

Although I didn't enjoy studying science subjects which I wasn’t passionate about, I can acknowledge the importance of having a basic education to help me in the corporate world.

I found English, Art, and Religious Studies easier subjects as I was able to channel my creativity into these topics and learn more about different cultures and perspectives.

My degree in Fashion Marketing

There were no negatives associated with choosing the degree which I am passionate about. I’ve loved every module at Fashion Retail Academy, the only thing I would change is my own efforts in Adobe, which I definitely could have done better and will improve in following modules.

Proactive: I am a highly proactive individual and am proud of my networking skills. Two of the fashion internships I have completed were found through networking with industry connections on Linkedin and introducing myself. I put alot of effort into networking with the right people on Li.

Organised: I have built on my organisational skills in recent months, when I have juggled two jobs and a degree, as well as my social life, exercise and my relationship with my boyfriend and family.

Driven: I am always looking for ways to better myself both personally and professionally, I do this through reading books, self care, and attending fashion talks/events.

What traits could I work on?

Self criticism. Throughout all my jobs I have received the same feedback which is that I undervalue myself once I am established in a position. I have no issue with confidence during interview processes, but when I am given a task I always convince myself it is not good enough even if it is great.

How will I work on this?

Acknowledging that this is a weakness of mine is the first step to action. I need to communicate with hiring managers what helps my confidence, which is positive reinforcement. I also need to stop the negative self-talk and look at my work and achievements from an outsider's perspective.

I am good at creative tasks such as proposing ideas for businesses and using my innovative thinking.

Why do I like it?

I always enjoyed English and Art at school, and I like carrying that into fashion and beauty, which has always fascinated me.

Why is creativity important to me?

Creativity is special to me because it has been a great way for me to express myself and my emotions in my work.

How can my creativity benefit me in the future?

My creativity will help me to excel in a PR role where I will be able to give ideas for events, launches and influencer collaborations

Using my creativity to provide suggestions for businesses or clients

Teamwork and networking with external and internal people

I really enjoyed creative modules at uni such as Globalisation and Internalisation, and Brand Management

What am I good at?

Getting jobs done quickly

Presentation skills

Confidence

Communication skills

What do I struggle with?

Being overly self-critical

Being sensitive

WORK EXPERIENCE

Likes

I have enjoyed my role at Sweaty Betty, where I am able to help women to find the right clothes for them

I have enjoyed being creative at FashionVerse, creating new garments and backgrounds for the game

I have enjoyed teamwork at ‘Capsule Comms’, working with my peer from uni to meet tight deadlines

Strengths

I have excelled in my role at FashionVerse because of my ability to meet tight deadlines and produce creative garments

I have been resilient at Sweaty Betty, and had hardly any time off sick- I always show up and get the job done

Core skills

I have learnt patience in my recent role at FashionVerse, working with a colleague who I don’t always see eye to eye with.

I have bettered my communication skills through my role in recruitment, where I was responsible for communicating with both candidates and clients

How can I apply this equation in my own career when adapting to new changes in tech, DEI, sustainability and other key industry trends?

Purpose- I need to remember my purpose and what I bring to the table- my organisational skills, my interpersonal skills and my capability to think on my feet.

Inquisitiveness- I need to remain curious about evolving areas in the industry and keep well read in these areas- I can do this through magazines, social media and press.

Resilience- I need to remember that change is often positive, and stay calm even if my skillset needs to change over time to adapt to the fast paced environment.

Threat- I need to continue recognising the threat of AI on my future roles, and always find new ways to improve my skillset.

• 1 in 2 jobs have a risk of being overtaken by machines 

• Machine learning started in the early 90s

• Machines excel at high volume tasks, and they struggle handling things that they haven’t seen frequently before 

• Machine learning runs from high volumes of data, and basically struggles with the nit-picky, new words and data 

• Humans have the ability to solve problems we have never seen before 

• Important to consider which jobs have frequent, high volume data and which roles require automating this data 

• “It will be humans who are behind brilliant marketing campaigns, and it will be humans developing our business strategies” 

My take from this talk 

My soft skills are my interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence and ability to offer empathy. These skills will help me when I am competing against machines, because machines cannot currently offer the same emotions. However I acknowledge that as machines become more advanced, I will need to learn new skills which they don’t possess.

• Our lives are being taken over by AI

• Affects the way we travel, the food we eat and how we spend our money

• Most jobs will be heavily affected by AI

• The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions per year

• Secondhand, vintage and rental websites are an increasingly popular trend in the industry

• Make sure that any brand you work for in the future is taking steps towards being sustainable, or it could end up in their downfall.

1) Gossip

2) Judging

3) Negativity

4) Complaining

5) Excuses

6) Exaggeration

7) Dogmatism (the confusion between opinions and facts)

• HAIL- how to speak positively:

• H- Honesty

• A- Authenticity

• I- Integrity

• L- Love

• Do not UM and AHH- just pause and think before you speak

How can I apply this in my own career when interviewing or networking?

I already have confidence in most elements of HAIL, but I think my integrity could be improved. I often claim to be a confident individual and don't follow through with that promise, which is something I am determined to work on.

• I want to be in a career that fulfils me and makes me happy, which I genuinely enjoy

• I want to provide a life for my own family one day which is happy and comfortable- good salary and career progression is important to me

What does success really mean to me?

• Success is being truly happy and excited by my job, and being able to excel in what I do

• Money is also important to me, and my long term goal is to hit a six figure salary.

What are my core career goals?

• Within the next five years, I would like to be in the position to lead a team in a managerial role.

• I would eventually like to have the skillset to have the option to start my own PR agency

What are my core personal skills?

• My empathy and communication skills

• Control- my level of work is not really determined on what position I have in the business, but I don't like being micromanaged. I will have to put up with this in the early stages of my career in entry level roles, and put my annoyance aside

• Failure aversion- this result shows that my level of success isn't dictated by the prospect of failure. I should consider this more in future roles at failure could have a knock on effect or cause me to lose a job.

Insights: what do Ann Summers recruiters look for? 

300 average number of applications for an early career role. 8-10 candidates are invited to assessment day. Usually one offer is made. 

Ann Summers look for: 

• Engaged with the opportunity. Send the correct CV, tailored to the role. Act super keen. 

• Transferable skills.

• Alignment to company values. 

• Impact of assessment. Don’t always try to be the loudest in the room- add value in what you say, be clear and concise, engage with people well. Don’t make it all about you. 

Top tips for early careers roles

• Be deliberate with your applications. Don’t just apply for anything

• Stand out from the crowd. Be proactive, reach out to the hiring manager on Li, etc 

• Sweat the small stuff. Consider things such as the brands social media, influencers, do your research on the brand and their campaigns and strategy. 

• Own the value you add. Own your superpowers, be confident in what you have to offer

I loved this task, and I learnt how to think on the spot. I wrote the email how I would want to receive it if my business had messed up- full of apologies and offering a clear, structured plan of how things will be fixed. Hopefully I did okay!

• M&A (Mergers and Acquisitions)- many dealmakers are preparing for a surge in 2024 due to the rise in AI, the growing importance of sustainability and more demanding, tech-enabled consumers

• The rise of generative AI and how it will affect businesses

2) 'AI excitement rising, but so is concern'- Interest in AI has grown 36% year on year, but the worry is doubling that. I will adapt to this in the workplace by ensuring any AI I am using is explained to me fully and safe, and reassuring potential clients of that.

3) 'Boomers are doing more scrolling and shopping'- There's been a 57% increase in baby boomers using TikTok since 2021. This will be really useful knowledge for me to take into the workplace, because I can ensure baby boomers are being targeted by online PR aswell as offline, increasing sales.

• There has not been much progress on brands being transparent. I will apply this in the industry by selecting a brand who is transparent about their values and morals, because they are more likely to have success in a competitive industry.

• The fashion industry is still failing factory workers with poor wages. I will ensure I read up and ask about a brands factories before deciding whether or not they are a brand which aligns with my morals of equality.

• Gender and racial equality- still only 4% of brands enclose their ethnicity pay gap data. Equality is super important to me in my first role, so I want to make sure they are fair and not discriminating against anybody.

My main takeaway from this report is that there is alot which needs to be fixed in the fashion industry, however taking the positives from it- as young people we have the voices and potential to make change in the workplace. I'm excited to offer my passion in helping people and diversity in my first role and see what impact I can have.

2) Identify your career goals and the skills you need to achieve them

3) Decide on a strategy and timeline for these goals and objectives

4) Execute those plans- block out time

5) Evaluate your progress

M- measurable

A- Achievable

R- Realistic

T- Timely

I need to remember to use smart when identifying my goals in my career plan

2) CREATIVE WRITING. My English A Level showed me my love for creative writing, and it's important for me to be in a role where I am given the creative license to produce my own email marketing or E-Shots.

3) BUSINESS STRATEGY. Our FRLE module (proposed business strategy) and Internalisation and Globalisation (proposed business strategy) at Fashion Retail Academy taught me that I really enjoy providing recommendations for brands and giving creative and logical reasoning behind that. Therefore I would love to work for an agency where I am able to make suggestions to brands on how they can grow and improve their existing PR strategies

4) TEAMWORK. I have thoroughly enjoyed modules at uni where I am able to lead a team and work with my peers on a project. Therefore, teamwork is really important to me in future roles. I love working in intimate teams and not being isolated at work.

5) PRESENTATIONS. Uni has taught me even more that I love presenting. I am a confident public speaker, and it is important to me in future roles that I am given a voice and heard within the business. I will make sure to communicate this to my manager in any future roles

2) ORGANISATIONAL SKILLS. This skill will help me in my leadership and teamwork responsibilities in the workplace

3) COMMUNICATION SKILLS. I am great at relationship building, and have great written and verbal communication. I will apply my communication skills in the creative writing elements of PR- email marketing etc. I will also use my communication skills in teams and when presenting.

4) NETWORKING AND PROACTIVITY. I am highly proactive, which will be really useful when organising PR events or trips. I am great at reaching out to people and building networks, and in a new role I would love to put that into practice.

5) EAGER TO LEARN. I have a real willingness to expand my knowledge, and look forward to being in a role where I can learn from my peers- that is why company culture is so important to me.

2) Press and journalism

3) Marketing Events

4) Luxury fashion, lifestyle and beauty

5) Brand Identity

2) Loyal

3) Creative

4) Reflective / Self aware

5) Diverse

These are traits I feel I possess myself, and which I value in other people. I really hope to work for an organisation who's company values align with mine.

2) Professionalism (learnt in my full time sales roles)

3) Industry insight (from industry panels and mentors at uni)

4) Influencer marketing (through internships)

5) Negotiation (through recruitment and estate agency)

• Adaptability is crucial in the fast paced fashion environment.

• Communication is essential in PR and Marketing, both written and verbal

• Organisational skills are important

I am confident I have all the key skills required to work in the industry I am heading towards (PR and Marketing).

INDUSTRY TRENDS

• AI- I am already familiar with upcoming technology and my adaptability will help me accept any new AI developments

• DIVERSITY- my interest in DEI will really help me in this industry trend, its something I feel very strongly about

• SUSTAINABILITY- I am open to learning, so I am willing to learn more about how brands can be more sustainable

I want a role which offers great career progression, which aligns with my values and beliefs, and with amazing work culture.

• Writing skills

• Research skills

• Interpersonal skills

• Social media skills

• Creative skills

But, of course there's skills I need to work on such as:

• Media relations skills

It was really useful to practise my interview skills and confidence, and next time I would do more research into competitors before my interview.