My Career: Each opportunity I said yes to brought me to where I am...

Name: Nicole Murphy

Age: 27

Lives: Dunmanway

Job title: Social Media & Events Manager at ETC - Events, Tourism & Communications Agency

Salary bracket: Salaries in the industry can vary widely depending on experience and responsibility, and there’s always room to grow. I’m progressing steadily - with enough to allow for the odd bit of retail therapy along the way!

Education background: My education background definitely wasn’t a clear run into my career. I completed a BA at UCC, studying a joint honours degree in Psychology and Economics. I’ve always been fascinated by psychology, while having a strong interest in business, so it gave me the opportunity to really immerse myself in both before deciding which avenue to pursue at master’s level.

Looking back, the synergy between the two subjects turned out to be the perfect foundation for an industry I didn’t yet know I belonged in, giving me a strong understanding of consumer behaviour, business psychology, strategic thinking and what makes people connect with brands and experiences.

As timing would have it, a certain pandemic that shall not be named broke out, and with all the uncertainty at the time, I put plans for a master’s on pause. Long story short, I landed a role that gave me my first foothold in this industry - and the rest is history.

Hobbies: Pilates, yoga, reading, baking, cooking, crafting, DIY, fashion, beauty, films, gym training.

I always preach the idea of having three ‘baskets’ when it comes to hobbies: something that challenges you, something that helps you unwind, and something that fills your heart. So it’s safe to say my ‘baskets’ are definitely full!

Describe your job in five words: Dynamic, creative, fast-paced, strategic, impactful.

Describe yourself in five words: Reliable, driven, kind, creative, detail-oriented.

Personality needed for this kind of work? You need to be highly organised and detail-oriented, proactive, adaptable and creative. Just as importantly, you need to be a people person - outgoing and naturally able to build and maintain strong relationships with clients or colleagues.

Reliability is another key trait, as is confidence in your ability to communicate clearly and deliver on expectations.

In this line of work, things can change quickly, so being able to think on your feet, stay focused under pressure, and pivot quickly is essential. Curiosity is hugely important too as trends move fast, audiences evolve. A good sense of humour never goes amiss either.

How long are you doing this job? I’ve been working at ETC for over two years now.

How did you get this job? I entered the corporate workforce at a particularly difficult time - at the height of the pandemic, when there was huge uncertainty for businesses and very little hiring. I came across a remote role with the Dublin agency Real Nation, ‘the behaviour change agency’, who specialise in event production, experiential campaigns, and education programmes. I remember researching the company and getting excited at the idea of working in events and experiential, but I didn’t have relevant experience at the time. Still, I knew it was an agency I wanted to be part of, so I applied for the role available.

I started as Education Liaison Officer, supporting the education department by recruiting and onboarding schools across the country to national education programmes and events for a range of clients. After five months, I became Education Project Coordinator, where I spent a year co-ordinating the full life span of education projects for clients including AIB, Bord Bia and An Post.

Alongside this, I was eager to support the events and experiential department if opportunities arose. I think that willingness to say yes, build relationships and get involved beyond my own role is what eventually led to me being offered the position of Events and Experiential Coordinator.

I loved my year in that role and got to work alongside great people. I worked on large scale events and the national roll-out of experiential campaigns and activations, particularly for Heineken Ireland.

When my contract ended, I felt it was time to find a job in Cork - and for the first time in a job search, I knew exactly what I wanted.

When I came across the role at ETC, it really felt meant to be. The only issue was that the application window had closed. I couldn’t let it go, so I reached out to the managing director on LinkedIn. After all, the answer is always no unless you ask. Thankfully, my gut instinct was right, and I joined ETC as PR, Social Media and Events Executive. After a busy year, I progressed into a senior position, and after a second year, I was recently promoted to Social Media and Events Manager, now leading the social media department at ETC.

I’ve had the opportunity to work across a broad, exciting portfolio of projects - from festivals and events to brand campaigns and content strategies. These include The Guinness Cork Jazz Festival, Analog Devices Cork City Marathon, The Nightmare Realm, and Cork on a Fork Fest.

In my current role, I manage our social team with a focus on developing strong, creative strategies and delivering impactful digital campaigns, while staying close to my roots in event management and brand storytelling.

Do you need particular qualifications or experience? There isn’t necessarily one fixed route into this industry, my own career probably being an example of that. To get into marketing and events, most companies do tend to expect a degree relevant to the industry, such as business, marketing, communications, etc. But relevant experience, transferable skills and a passion for the role are often just as important.

Describe a day at work: No two days are the same, nor is any day focused on just one project. A typical desk day might begin with checking emails, reviewing priorities and mapping out the various projects and deadlines I’m juggling across clients. From there, I could be developing social media plans and campaign strategies, designing graphics, shooting and creating video content, building email campaigns, running digital ads, meeting with clients, or reporting on campaign performance and analytics.

When I’m on-site at an event, I could be wearing my social media manager hat or event manager hat! Either shooting content and capturing brand stories or managing event logistics and working behind the scenes to make sure everything runs seamlessly.

A big part of the role is also idea generation - brainstorming creative concepts, solving problems quickly and finding new ways to help our clients connect with their audiences.

Essentially, I spend my days switching between planner, creator, strategist, storyteller and project manager - and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

How many hours do you work a week? 40, Mon-Fri. It can be 50-60 in major event weeks! But I get my overtime back elsewhere, so it balances out.

Is your industry male or female dominated? I would consider it fairly evenly balanced. Our own team just so happens to be a female powerhouse!

Is your job stressful? How? Rate it on a scale of 1-10: If I presented the stress levels on a line graph, it would probably look like an ECG reading - constantly fluctuating and occasionally spiking quite dramatically. It’s hectic at times, but I like to think of it as controlled chaos. I’d rate it at different stages from a 5 to a 9.

Do you work with others or on your own? I’m very lucky to work with a fantastic team.

When do you plan to retire or give up working? I can thankfully say this is still just the beginning for me, and the word ‘retire’ is not yet in my vocabulary - that day is a long way off!

Best bits: I love the variety of work and the broad portfolio of projects I get to work across. The creativity involved is of course a highlight. I’m lucky to have a job where my natural skills and passions come into play.

At times, I feel a fleeting moment of imposter syndrome when I find myself in a room of people I likely never would have crossed paths with if not for the broad scope of the job I’m in. However, I’m still waiting for that pinch-me moment where I find myself in the same room as Niall Horan!

Worst bits: There are days where everything seems to happen at once and I’d gladly pay to duplicate myself. Last minute changes, urgent actions popping out of the woodwork, and creeping deadlines, can make it feel a bit overwhelming at times.

Advice to those who want your job? Don’t overlook the stepping stones when trying to cross the pond. Not every step will look exactly how you imagined, but each moves you closer to where you want to be.

I didn’t have a ‘five-year plan’ mapped out, yet each opportunity I said yes to helped bring me to where I am. So I’d encourage anyone interested in this kind of work to put yourself forward, say yes to opportunities, be proactive, and trust every experience is giving you a tool you’ll use later, even if the bigger picture hasn’t revealed itself just yet.