What was it like graduating?

Graduating from university in 2020 just before a global pandemic was an unforeseen challenge that I never could have imagined. In my final year, my friends and I made a pact to knuckle down and focus on our work. And then we were suddenly plunged into a pandemic which saw us returning home to complete our studies. As someone who had previously worked best under the hushed environment of the library floor, it was a definite adjustment to shift my workspace back to the reverberation within my childhood home. A struggle that many students are still facing to this day.

All I can say is persevere. 

During my primary and secondary school days, I never was an A student but I was determined to achieve my best in university. And now having finally graduated with a first-class honours I can finally say that I am an A student and I couldn’t be prouder of the work I put in.

How does it feel to be a graduate?

It just doesn’t feel real. It’s fantastic to be a graduate, no one can take that away from me. Hitting this milestone that I had been working towards for 4 years of my life feels surreal.

I feel optimistic about my future. I know graduating can be a daunting time for so many, but I feel like we are at a unique point in our lives where the world is our oyster. We can shape and mould our future as we see fit.

What role does your degree play?

My degree comes in the most when looking at buyer behaviour. The title of my dissertation was ‘To what extent does social media drive planned purchase behaviour in the context of the cosmetics industry’. 

So I have always had a keen interest in understanding why we consume what we do. This consumer-orientated approach is incredibly useful in my work at AudioMob. We are working with brands who are trying to reach their consumers so understanding the best ways to tap into people is invaluable. 

University also really helped with building up my confidence. I was fortunate enough to have a lecturer named Peter Mount and my placement year manager Daren Beven who helped me grow my self-belief and confidence with putting my ideas forward. Having confidence in my own argument and ideas has been an invaluable skill when entering the working world. And what's great about AudioMob is whenever self-doubt creeps in there is always a member of the team who helps build you up again. We have a wonderful women empowerment group in AudioMob made up of our female employees which has been a wonderful safe space.

Why AudioMob?

I chose AudioMob as it captures everything I want in a company. 

At AudioMob I have the opportunity to create my own connections within the industry and mould my role to where I want to take it. I’ve always wanted to learn more about strategy and utilise consumer insights and here I can do all of that. The positive and uplifting environment of AudioMob’s culture means that my ideas have never received a no - instead the team have always worked with me to help me build upon my ideas to see how they could be realised.

The company is growing at lightning speed, but so are the employees. Having the opening of our Abu Dhabi branch and seeing our team continue to grow is incredibly inspiring.

How do you see your role progressing?

I see myself building and deepening the relationships we have with brands to help them create a strong audio identity in games. I’ve got a list of companies I want to work with and the great thing is here I am able to pursue that. Currently at the top of my list is the beauty and fashion industry and I’m excited to see what the future holds.

I also see my role becoming more involved with understanding buyer behaviour. At AudioMob we are very consumer-orientated so I love that I am encouraged to continually learn about buyer behaviour. 

Currently, I’m learning more about audio's effect on the subconscious every day and I see this research being a key area of interest for me in the future.

Why did you choose to enter sales?

I see myself as a relationship builder and not just a salesperson. I chose this role because we’re not simply pitching audio ads, we’re pitching a collaboration to enable brands to have strong audio identities in the untapped gaming environment. The non-interrupting in-game audio ad format presents a wonderful opportunity for so many brands to reach larger and engaged audiences. 

So this role allows me to take part in the mutual exchange of value - we work with each advertiser in partnership.

What would you say to pre-AudioMob and working Lucy?

Surround yourself with supportive people. I have been lucky enough to have an extremely supportive mum who I can always turn to for advice. 

I was optimistic throughout the months leading up to joining AudioMob. When I graduated I had full faith and trust that the right company would find me at the right moment, despite a struggling economy and receiving rejection after rejection. I jumped around between jobs that really tested my inner strength and perseverance. I remember when I was leaving my previous job for AudioMob everyone at work thought it was a crazy decision. I was working in the fashion industry, an industry that I have always admired and always wanted to enter, in a household name store, but I knew I could do more and wanted to do more. I trusted my gut even when everyone else was doubting my decision and now I’m here and couldn’t be happier. 

I have finally landed in a company where I feel like a valued and appreciated member of the team. And I’m in a position where I can pursue all of my interests and work alongside the fashion industry, directly with brands that I have always dreamed of working with. 

So if I could say any words to myself it would be don’t worry so much, trust your gut and always leave yourself open to new opportunities. When you leave yourself open to the unexpected, great things can happen. 

You’ve got this!