Curtin Alumni and successful entrepreneur, Alecia Hancock was one of our presenters at our recent Independent by Choice event.
Alecia’s career has seen her fill many varied roles, as is the case for many professional writers, but she’s never lost her drive or her passion for story-telling and sharing her knowledge to help others grow.
Here are some career insights this Perth-based director of Hancock Creative shared with us that will bring you closer to finding your dream job, developing your business idea or both:
- Get Experience
“Every position I’ve held has taught me something different; it’s got me where I am today.”
In her last year at Curtin University, Alecia was selected for a part-time role on the editorial floor at The West Australian newspaper.
“It wasn’t writing. It was basically running around and doing odd jobs. But, I got a chance to sit in the middle of the sub-editors who had 30 years’ experience; listen to them talk; pick their brains, and just see how a newspaper worked. That experience was really, really valuable.”
You need to be able to show you’re going out there and doing things; trying to get published, even if it’s for free, or writing a blog. To me, that’s the number one sign that you’re driven and motivated.”
- Don’t Be Afraid to Make Mistakes
“If you always play it safe and stay in your comfort zone, you never learn how to improve.”
Alecia believes people should not be afraid to make mistakes as this is an important part of learning. “I learnt a lot in a very short time by making a lot of mistakes. I did things wrong, and I learnt not to do that again and how to do it better next time.”
She believes the mistakes you make help identify weaknesses in your skill set. “We all have them. It’s important to know what they are so you can do training, or get someone else who’s strong in that area to help you.
- Showcase Your Talent
“Be active on social media, but also, be professional.”
Alecia acknowledges that competition is tough for new graduates seeking work as professional writers. Her advice is to show employers what you’re capable of doing. “I look for things like, have they got a blog? Have they got hobbies and passions they’re pursuing”?
Students should be aware of their ‘personal brand’, and the online image they project. Alecia has encountered people who want to work in social media but who are not careful about their own content.
Creating a website or a blog that showcases your talents or interests is an excellent way to attract attention, and demonstrate passion. “Certainly, when I’m hiring, somebody who does something different stands out, without a doubt.”
- Remember that Little Things Matter
“Everything you do can generate a new opportunity down the track.”
Alecia asserts that all the seemingly small choices you make can lead to significant opportunities, particularly if you have made solid connections with people along the way.
“When I was at Uni I got a part-time job working at Sanity, which was a music store. That’s what helped me leverage the editing job with Tribe, which helped me get the record label job, which helped me start editing for a music magazine, which then got me to a fitness magazine.”
Alecia talked to us at Independent by Choice about her career journey and setting up her agency.
If you’d like to know more about Alecia or Hancock Creative, check out the links below.
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/aleciahancock
Twitter: https://twitter.com/aleciahancock
