What I’ve learnt in a month at Keep Left

Thoughts-

It’s after about a month in a new job that things start to click – you get your feet under the desk and (finally) remember everyone’s name. And for three of our newest Lefties, Tess Buckley (Senior Account Manager), Nick Taylor (Client Services Coordinator) and Giselle Lansell (Planning Coordinator), there’s been some big learnings – from using Slack to trusting their gut, here’s what they’ve learnt in a month or so at Keep Left! 

What made you want to work at Keep Left? 

Tess: The integrated nature of the agency! I was eager to challenge myself (and clients) in broadening the scope of what PR is and how we can integrate it with other elements of the industry, such as social, content, creative and marketing. I had heard about the work Keep Left did in pushing the boundaries and I wanted to be involved. 

Nick: I was keen to start a career in this industry and felt that the agency produced really interesting work. After meeting some of the team in my first interviews, I knew that I’d love working here. 

Giselle: Last year I was lucky enough to intern at Keep Left as a part of my university degree – I fell in love with the culture, the people and the work we do so when the offer came there was no question, other than when can I start? 

Where were you before joining Keep Left? 

Nick: I was working as a marketing coordinator in an accounting firm. 

Tess: Before starting at Keep Left I was working as a sales account manager for the footwear brand, Vans. Prior to this I was at a talent, marketing and events agency working in the communications team. 

Tell me about your role 

Giselle: I work between social media strategy and content planning for different clients. Helping plan out their monthly content for their different media platforms as well as assisting the strategy team on researching content for new clients. 

Nick: At the moment, I’m working across PR and integrated accounts in client service. I get to liaise with the client and our internal team and help manage and coordinate the client’s needs. It’s a bit of a balancing act but something that’s really rewarding when everyone is happy and good results are being achieved for the client. 

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learnt in your first month on the job? 

Tess: We are one big team! If you need to bounce an idea off someone or ask a colleague to cover you whilst you’re in a meeting or caught up on another task, there is always someone who has your back. 

Giselle: Get out of your comfort zone, jump in the deep end, and give it a go! 

What’s your favourite part of the job? 

Nick: My favourite part of the job is being able to work in such a collaborative environment, where everyone gets a say and there are no stupid questions (I’ve tested the boundaries of stupid questions so am speaking from personal experience here!). 

Tess: Working across both the PR and Creative & Content side of the agency. I have loved having oversight of the activity happening across the agency and working on a variety of tasks, such as managing the creation of OOH advertising assets for one client, to writing a press release on a TikTok challenge for another.  

What’s been the most challenging part of the job? 

Giselle: Learning to trust my gut and my ideas. 

Nick: Probably just adjusting to the fast-paced environment. New work can pop up quickly and you can find yourself wrangling tasks that you had never planned on doing. It definitely makes things interesting though! 

What’s been the most unexpected thing about working at Keep Left? 

Tess: The vast amount and variety of work that is pumped out of every team each week – it’s incredible! 

Giselle: How fast-paced everything moves and how quickly things you’re working on change. 

Is there anything you wish you knew before starting? 

Nick: I wish I knew not to wear a suit on my first day. 

Tess: How much you would learn outside of your “job”. Every Leftie has so much knowledge to share, and there is no gatekeeping.  

What would you tell someone considering a career in agency land? 

Giselle: The only way to learn is by getting involved – put your hand up, ask questions, make mistakes and have fun! 

Tess: Be open to the fast-paced nature – there is no such thing as a boring day as each day is so different! 

Nick: There is no better way to learn about this industry than to go into an agency and get your hands dirty, make some stupid mistakes and learn from the best. 

 

Want to know more about life at Keep Left? Check out this article on how our healthy debate-style series ‘Good Chats’ is helping our team think outside the box.