Toby first joined the Select First team to decide whether he wanted to pursue a career within the PR and marketing industry. Lucky for us, he decided to grab the opportunity to be part of the team and is currently undertaking an apprenticeship in partnership with Creative Process Digital.

How did you start working at Select First?

I originally started by just coming in for a couple of days to see how the company worked and what kind of things you all got up to, as I was at a bit of a crossroad in my life, not really knowing what I wanted to do. I really enjoyed my initial days in the office, so reached out to Tom asking if I could start to come in on a more regular basis. Thankfully, he kindly said yes and from then on, I was in the office once a week, shadowing him and giving a hand with tasks whenever I could. Gradually, I started to hate leaving and going back to my job in the café, and I realised I could really see myself working in the industry. I didn’t expect anything permanent to come of my first few days at Select First, but now I’m very grateful for the opportunity presented to me!

How did the opportunity to start an apprenticeship scheme come about?

When first starting my work experience, I mentioned how an apprenticeship really appealed to me as university was never something I had intended to do, and ideally, I wanted to show more of a creative side of myself. I think an apprenticeship is the right way to do it with what I am interested in, as learning alongside working full time seems to be a great way of exposing yourself to how an actual marketing agency will work. It's the best way to gain experience and throw yourself into the industry headfirst. Tom knew of my ambitions of finding an apprenticeship, and he offered me the chance to do one through Select First. I happily took him up on that offer and now, a few months later, it’s well underway and I’m enjoying my studies.

You’ve only recently started with your studies, but what has been the most interesting part so far?

For me, the most interesting part has been being in a classroom with people who are all in a very similar place to me. It’s fun to learn more about the way their companies work, who they work for and in which industry. These can be important relationships down the line as you never know who may end up where, so creating those connections and having the potential for opportunities to come up in the future is exciting. I guess you never know who you may end up reconnecting with later in life, and for me that’s one of the most interesting parts.  

What does a typical day involve?

It’s hard to describe a typical day, as a lot of my work varies from day to day. Some days I may be working with Tom on more of a creative task, writing copy and designing graphics or visuals. I could be working with Myles on more of an analytical task, involving more of a dive into the driving forces of the clients’ businesses. Or I could be working with Nicola to create content through taking and editing photographs, scheduling posts and designing stories for all social media channels. So, I sort of float around tasks, with each day offering me different projects to work on. I’m definitely kept on my toes!

When I’m not studying, I’m‍

...usually playing or watching football, or meeting up with my friends for a drink or just to chat and wind down after a long week! I also enjoy my clothes, so I spend a lot of my free time buying and selling clothes, or just searching online for any good bargains to be had. I think this allows me to show more of my style and express a more creative side that sometimes doesn’t come through in daily life.

Talk to me about Japan

Earlier this year, I spent a month travelling around Japan with three of my best friends, and it was the best thing I’ve done in recent times. It was sort of a spontaneous decision, but those are often the best ones. We experienced so many different things that you never see here, such as the day-to-day culture and behaviours of the Japanese people that made me see things through a different perspective. It challenged me to go more out of my comfort zone, and that’s now something I want to do more of. We also spent a lot of time outdoors, going on hikes up mountains, mountain biking, and lots and lots of walking. Think we averaged around 25,000 steps a day! But it was an incredible experience, and one that I’m so grateful to of had the opportunity to do. It’s a beautiful country that I would highly recommend!

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