Meet Nikky and find out about her life as a senior content executive. Part of our Bitesize world of work series.
Nikky Day - Senior content executive
I'll do everything from campaign planning, sort of digital marketing, copyrighting, social media, community management, all sorts.So it wasn't until I went to college that I started to specialise in media so I took media studies and film studies and I really got an idea of the fact I wanted to be in the media industry. One of my teaching assistants, he took the same uni course that I did and he said, you know, 'it's a really great way to get a feel of what you enjoy doing so you can specialise in anything from radio to graphic design' and as I knew I wanted to be in the industry but I didn't know where, it was a really good option for me. It wasn't until I did a bit of ad-hoc social media for one of the bars that I worked for, that I realised that's what I wanted to do, and so I started applying for social media marketing roles and that's where I got where I am today.
So I was quite good at maths at school, I ended up getting an A at GCSE but I never really thought that would play into my career and it turns out that it does, you know, I work in spreadsheets a lot, I do budgeting and things like that, so it definitely does help. I studied dance in high school and college and that did, you know, indirectly give a lot of the confidence that I do need for my role today. I'm in a position now where I have to talk in front of clients quite confidently and have confidence in myself that I do have that knowledge.Every day you can learn something new about the industry that you work in and you don't just have to stick to your job role, you know, if you are interested in learning more about something, then there are ways to do that and get more experience. For example when it came to copyrighting, I said to my boss, you know, 'is there any way I can do this for clients or for Brass?' and there was and I did and now it's kind of more of a part of my role.
I studied dance and that, indirectly, give me a lot of the confidence that I need for my role today.
Nikky's job has many aspects to it, including managing social media posts, copywriting, campaign planning, digital marketing and community management
Whilst at college, she realised she wanted to work in media. After taking Media Studies at university, she was still unsure which part of media she wanted to work in. She realised social media was what she wanted to focus on after she managed the social media account for a bar she was working for
What Nikky studied in school has had a big impact on her current job. Maths, a subject she was very good at, comes into play when she's working with spreadsheets and Dance gave her a confidence that she's taken with her into the workplace
Top tips from Nikky is to be curious in your job role. If there's an aspect of the job you're not doing and want to try, ask if it'd be possible to get some experience in it. It worked for Nikky and now copywriting is part of her job role!
Nikky is a senior content executive. A similar role to a senior content executive is an editorial assistant. Editorial assistants provide support at all stages of the publication process for books, journals, magazines and online content.
What to expect if you want to be an editorial assistant
- Editorial assistant average salary: £18,000 to £28,000 per year.
- Editorial assistant typical working hours: 37 to 39 hours per week. You could work evenings occasionally.
What qualifications do you need to be an editorial assistant?
You could get into this role via a university course, an apprenticeship, working towards the role and specialist training courses with professional bodies.
Sources: LMI for All, National Careers Service
This information is a guide and is constantly changing. Please check the National Careers Service website for the latest information and all the qualifications needed.
For careers advice in all parts of the UK visit: National Careers Service (England), nidirect (Northern Ireland), My World of Work (Scotland) and Careers Wales (Wales).
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