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Andrew is the National Marketing Lead at Anytime Fitness, Australia.
1. Why did you choose marketing as a career path?
It definitely wasn’t a clear path. I always wanted to be an airline pilot growing up, however was told I had to do maths and physics at school (still not sure if that’s true!). Given I am not good at either of those subjects, nor did I enjoy them, that career path didn’t quite work out. I always had an interest in business and marketing, and was lucky enough to be given direct entry into a Bachelor of Business out of school. At Uni my passion for marketing developed further, and here I am!
2. What's the best advice you'd give to your younger self who's just started their career?
Keep learning and be curious. The industry evolves so quickly and it can be hard to keep up – so keep asking questions (there is no such thing as a dumb one!) and keep learning.
3. What do you look for when hiring young people?
It depends on the role, however at its core I think you look for someone who is eager, curious, has a passion for the industry and , most importantly, a good human being.
Hard skills can usually be taught quite easily on the job, so it's important that the person fits with the wider team culture and will be easy to work with.
I think the most important thing we can do as an industry is give people a go.
4. How do I make my resume stand out?
If applying directly. I think its good to be able to customise elements of the CV to the role – especially relevant items of experience. It is also important to ensure its not war and peace, make it succinct and to the point.
5. What skills have been most beneficial for you?
Building strong relationships. It makes tough or challenging times much easier when you have good relationships with your team. It is also beneficial to build them with people across the business – especially in larger businesses. It is very handy to have someone to bounce ideas off or call on when you need help.
6. Do you need a degree?
I think having a degree helps for a few reasons:
1) It shows that you have the discipline to stick to something and see it out.
2) It gives you a level of knowledge and critical thinking that can be very beneficial.
3) It often sets you apart from other candidates.
7. What was a key lesson you learnt in your career to date?
One of the great pieces of advice I was given was ‘don’t be wallpaper’. If you are in a meeting, you are there for a reason. Have an opinion and don’t be afraid to speak it.
8. Have your reasons for joining the industry changed over time?
I don't think so. It's still cool developing great campaigns and it is still as exciting today seeing your work in market as it was the first time!
9. Have you ever failed? How did you react?
More times than I can count! Being ok with failure is key - just understand what went wrong, learn from it and move on. It is important to remember we aren’t saving lives – so have fun and don’t take yourself too seriously.
10. If you had the chance to re-do your career knowing what you know now, what would you do differently?
I would have more confidence in my own ability and judgement. It is easy to second guess yourself when you should be backing yourself.