By Kitty Norris, Head of Account Management at LBB (BA English and Film 2017, MA Shakespeare 2018)
As Head of Account Management at LBB, I’m looking to share how I got into the advertising and creative industries, how my role at the company has grown, and give some advice for those looking to take a similar path!
Getting into the Industry
Having studied English and Film (BA) and Shakespeare (MA) at Royal Holloway, I’ve always had an interest in the creative industries, whether that’s film, theatre, or literature!
So, when I graduated, my focus was very much on finding a job in this sector. The advertising / marketing industry wasn’t initially on my radar, especially as it wasn’t something I’d touched on during university, but when I saw the job ad for a Content and Community Assistant at LBB, it actually made a lot of sense.
LBB is a global platform that covers the latest news, campaigns, and talent in the industry, and this role would see me on the newsdesk, publishing stories that came in from our 2000+ members. I could put my writing and proofing skills to great use, work in an exciting journalistic setting, and learn about an industry that was largely brand new to me. Having done a placement at Sainsbury’s Magazine during my time at Royal Holloway (thanks to their amazing programme!) and some previous journalism and marketing experience, I was offered the role.
When I first stepped into the world of advertising, I didn’t realise the level of craft and insane creativity that goes into every piece of work. From creatives to directors, VFX artists to sound designers, it pulls together so many talented people - and it was great to spotlight these campaigns and companies - and celebrate the industry as a whole.
Growing at LBB
I loved working on the LBB newsdesk, and soon became familiar with our member companies and the type of news they’d send in. When a job opening came up in our sister PR team - where we work with companies on their written content and strategy - I felt like it was a natural step! Whilst it was initially quite daunting to work directly with all these clients, I knew it would be a really exciting opportunity and I’d have a chance to develop so many more skills around PR, strategy, and account management.
For the next three years, I worked closely with a mix of companies across the industry (including agencies, production companies, and VFX houses) to write press releases, pitch stories, and help raise their profiles. During this time, I began to focus my remit specifically on our clients in Europe and, after handling over one hundred different clients, expanded my role to encompass all LBB members in this region - regardless of whether we were working on written content with them.
This was a big step up but, like when I first moved into the PR team, I knew it was a great opportunity both for me and for how LBB can work with our members. For the past year, I’ve worked with our EMEA team (spanning editors, reporters, and sales) to ensure our members are using the platform to the best of their ability. At the start of this year, I was promoted to Head of Account Management, working on the broader approach to our members across the globe.
My Advice
Job hunting is never fun and it can be a long, demoralising process. The main thing for me was keeping motivated and not being too disappointed when I wasn’t successful! Easier said than done of course, but I made sure to keep on it and put 100% into every application.
One trick I learnt was that a lot of job applications had a question like ‘where did you find out about this role?’. If that question had a drop-down list to select an answer, I’d go through every one that was mentioned and add it to my list of places to search for jobs. One of the websites I noted down is actually how I found the LBB advert!
If you’re interested in a career in the advertising, creative, or marketing industries, I’m going to do a bit of self-promotion. LBB is a paywall-free platform that allows you to not only read about everything happening in the industry, but find out about specific companies too. So if you see a job come up and you’re not too familiar with the company, LBB is a great resource to do some research! Take BBH for example - you can look at their page and see the latest campaigns they’ve worked on, their company news, and even profiles on their team. It’s such a handy way of educating yourself on a potential employer - and that extra knowledge and effort could make all the difference!
On top of this, I’d say always be open-minded and up for any opportunities that come your way. As I said, the advertising industry was never on my radar, but I’ve spent the last five years growing an amazing career and meeting wonderful people. And this doesn’t just apply to looking for jobs - but during your working life too. Things might feel like big steps or could head in a direction you didn’t expect, but you never know what you might be able to achieve or discover about yourself!
And something I wish I’d known? We’re a really friendly industry and are always keen to support the next generation of talent. There are loads of mentorship schemes out there (a special shout-out to the amazing lollipop mentoring!) and people are always open to giving advice and pointers to those who ask. LBB even runs an interview series about how to get into producing, so that’s worth checking out if that role is of interest! Also, our industry events are second-to-none – whether you’re heading to the almighty Cannes Lions, or all the amazing film screenings and events that take place throughout the year.