In our April 2024 Alumni Careers Newsletter, we heard from Emma on her experiences at university and advice on working for yourself.

What career advice do you wish you’d received when you were still a student?

One thing I wish I had known sooner is the amazing possibilities that are out there in the social impact space. If you are a creative who wants to make a difference in the world, whether that is in climate justice, social inequalities, or community challenges there are lots of funding opportunities that you can get involved in.

If you are like me and the traditional corporate route of getting a 9-5 job doesn't naturally appeal, there are lots of other routes to employment. I discovered a lot of opportunities on LinkedIn, which is an undervalued platform when it comes to making connections in your chosen industry.

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learnt since graduating?

Back in 2019, I decided to take the leap instead and start my own business called The Calming Club during my placement year at Hallam. While everyone else on my course was moving to London or Manchester to start their internships, I was figuring out how to design a brand, create a product, and market my work. I’m so glad I just started, making messy progress, and being willing to make mistakes even though I was scared and uncertain about the future. 

What one thing would you tell your undergraduate self if you could go back in time?

I wish I had learnt about the power of personal branding when I was a student. In a competitive job market, standing out is key. A personal brand is a combination of your skills and interests which you can share online and offline. I started doing this during my final year at university and have been able to unlock lots of exciting opportunities and work with brands I never would have thought I would within two years of graduating.

How do you feel you have grown as a person by working for yourself?

Starting a business or going freelance is an exciting experience but can be incredibly lonely and challenging at times. It has pushed me to make my mental health a priority because if I am not there to run my business I won't be able to make the most of any opportunities that come my way. Finding the ways to recharge and building them into your schedule is key.

The biggest transformation I have experienced is when I identified my 'why' when it comes to my career. For me, it revolves around challenging the disparities within the creative industries, fostering pathways for aspiring artists from marginalised backgrounds to thrive financially, especially from local communities. My ‘why’ is so much bigger than me and the work I do. It serves as a powerful motivator, propelling me forward with a clear sense of purpose and acting as a North Star to follow.

What has been the best part of working for yourself?

The freedom and flexibility of working from anywhere and everywhere. Meeting incredible founders and creatives working on exciting projects reminds me that there are so many more opportunities out there than just taking any old 9-5. Being able to shape my career, work on projects I am passionate about, and have the time and space to learn new things.

How has the Careers & Employability Service, and the Enterprise team in particular, supported you since graduating?

I started my first business The Calming Club during my Work for Yourself placement year at Hallam University in 2019. I decided to turn down a traditional unpaid industry internship as it would have created a lot of financial anxiety by having to relocate to a different city. With the support of the Enterprise Team, I set out to explore freelancing and entrepreneurship, designing a product range of self-care stationery products inspired by my own experience with anxiety.

At the Start of 2020 I had launched my first product range and had been sharing my journey of building The Calming Club on social media. Due to the pandemic, I completed my final year fully online. However, when I graduated, I was able to secure a freelance contract straight away which helped me go self-employed. 

After working in the role for a year alongside growing The Calming Club, I realised how many skills I had learnt from growing my enterprise and working freelance that could help other people. This is what inspired me to start my second enterprise, Studio Self-Made, a purpose-driven online platform that helps early-career creatives launch their careers without sacrificing their mental health. Over the last twelve months, I have been developing the enterprise with support from the Virgin Money Foundation, Big Change, Ingenuity Impact, and Santander Universities. We’ve supported over 500 students and graduates so far, helping them unlock new opportunities.

I wouldn't have been able to do any of this without the support I have had from the SHU Enterprise team, from one-to-one guidance to accessing the i-Lab coworking space, Hallam's Enterprise support offer has been vital to my success. They have provided me with connections to businesses such as Santander Universities and helped me access funding opportunities to grow my business. I now run my business from one of their graduate offices which allows me to remain a part of the growing community of Hallam entrepreneurs and freelancers.