In today's edition of People Behind the Brand, the series where you get to know the humans of Orbis, we’re catching up with Marketing Assistant, Demi-Lee Griffiths.
We caught up on all things marketing, social media, the importance of personal branding and becoming the next Kat Edison.
Let’s get into it.
Tell us about your journey to Marketing…
I have always been a very creative individual and when I finished high school, it was very difficult for me to decide what to do with my life. I finally decided to study a BA in Creative Branding Communications specialising in Visual Communications and absolutely fell in love with the marketing and branding side of things.
I moved from South Africa intending to have a gap year overseas but Covid cut that very short which led me to multiple jobs - including door-to-door sales - that had nothing to do with my degree or my passions. I craved the creativeness, the thought-provoking campaigns that could be put into place, and social media opportunities.
LinkedIn became my best friend and that is how I found Orbis (not an ad, I promise).
What attracted you to Marketing in recruitment?
If I’m completely honest, I was more drawn to the company culture of Orbis rather than the fact that they are a recruitment company. Everything about the job description which included puns and references to my favourite series, The Bold Type, about looking for their next Kat Edison right through to the work environment had attracted me to the current role that I am in.
I have always been an outspoken and ambitious person and in a recruitment company, I feel that I communicate with like-minded people every day. Now, I couldn’t see myself working in the field of marketing with another company that isn’t recruitment.
What’s the best part of your role?
I love that we, as a marketing team, are always advocating for important things such as mental health awareness and D&I practices through the content that we create and promote on all platforms.
I love being in an amazing team of pioneering individuals that always want to do better and help others as well as being able to communicate and develop relationships with people of all different levels within the business.
On the flip side, what’s the biggest challenge in your role?
I would have to say time management. We have a lot of day-to-day activities to do, ongoing campaigns that are running, social media channels to run plus any last-minute requests that come through.
If we are not prompt and organised with our schedules and day-to-day tasks, it would be detrimental to the rest of our workflow; however, without tooting our own horn, we tend to work well under pressure.
What is something that you wish you'd known at the start of your career?
To let your voice be heard. Even though you may not have as much working experience as others, you can have new, creative ideas and a different perspective that should be heard.
It’s OK to make mistakes. No one expects you to know everything, especially when you are new to a role or company. As long as your manager knows that you are trying, and most importantly, learning from your mistakes, you will be a success.
Repeat after me: perfectionism is unattainable.
You’re currently heading up all of our social media channels, what importance would you place on LinkedIn for a recruitment company?
LinkedIn has over 443 million users. This is a great place to share credentials with the world, but more importantly, it is the perfect place to network and interact with your audience online, especially as a recruitment company.
It is a simple way to put your company name on the professional map. Your LinkedIn business profile is another route to engage with followers, potential clients, expand your business in terms of career opportunities and generally market your company.
LinkedIn is one of the few social media platforms which focuses on the people behind the brand more than the product or service itself. This is great for making business connections and for giving potential clients an introduction to your brand’s ethos rather than just the product or service you are offering.
Coming from a background in Creative Branding Communications, how much importance would you place on personal branding?
In an era where people’s attention spans are getting shorter by the minute, the need to make an impression is more important than ever. And the best way to do this is by creating a solid and memorable brand identity.
By developing a personal brand, you’re giving yourself a competitive advantage. People will remember you and your brand when they look for someone with your particular skills and expertise.
By taking the time to define your brand, you can set yourself up for success in your career and beyond.
In another life... what do you think you would be doing?
This is going to sound weird because little girls usually dream of being princesses, doctors, lawyers etc. but I had always dreamt of walking into a big boardroom full of people and standing at the front to run the meeting. I have always wanted to be the boss. So to be ambitious, I would say a CEO.
On the flip side, I would have loved to be a social media manager and travel the world while working remotely.
