Tell us a bit about yourself…
Hi, I'm Maja. I'm a junior social media executive at Pentland Brands, where I work for the brand Kickers.

Could you tell us a bit about Pentland Brands?
Pentland Brands is home to some of the most loved sport and fashion brands, such as Speedo, Canterbury, Berghaus and the brand I work for, Kickers. It’s a footwear brand mostly known for school shoes, and also its deep roots in UK youth culture and music.

How would you describe your role?
Overall, I’m the person overseeing Kickers’ online presence and making sure that our brand’s message resonates with followers [on our socials].

As a social media executive, I’m like the life of the party! I set the tone, keep up the energy and make sure everybody’s engaged and having a great time. I also curate the content and engage with followers. My day-to-day tasks include editing content, responding to comments, but also liaising with our brand team and working on collaborations.

What do you like about working as a social media executive?
What I really like is the creative freedom – it’s great [and allows me] to explore ideas. My team is also very supportive. They listen to me and consider my additional skill set, having studied graphic design. I make sure I can learn beyond my role as a social media executive.

What fictional character do you think would be good at your job?
Elle Woods from Legally Blonde. She’s very creative and determined, knows what she wants and goes for it. She turns challenges into opportunities, which is a great skill to have. I think she has such a positive aura about her as well. I think she would do well on social media.

What skills do you think are needed for a social media executive?
Time management is a big one, as well as adaptability and resilience. I feel like as a social media executive, you do need to be very on-trend. There’s a really short timeline with trends on social media, so it’s very important that you’re able to work at a fast pace, but also keep calm in very stressful situations, especially if things aren’t working out.

Additionally, it’s great to be flexible and to find solutions effectively.

What are some challenges you’ve faced in your career so far?
I’d say actually getting the job. As a creative it’s very hard to actually get into the industry with zero experience. What helped me a lot was to go back to my tutors at university, or even my friends, and get all the help I possibly could. I was asking for portfolio reviews and overall feedback on my designs. I think that really helped me to overcome the challenge of landing a job.

Would you recommend any resource(s) to emerging creatives?
I would say UAL creative opportunities. It’s a great website if you're looking for an internship or mentorship. It’s a great platform to help young creatives find their path and get additional help.

Do you do any creative work outside of your job?
I’m very passionate about fashion and content creation. It gives me a different way of showing my personality and expressing myself, and I also think it’s a great way to explore new ideas and just find inspiration.

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Pentland Brands is a Creative Lives in Progress brand partner. Every year, we partner with like-minded brands and agencies to support our initiative and keep Creative Lives a free resource for emerging creatives. To find out more about how you can work with us, email [email protected].