Hello fellow blog readers,

My name is Jillian and I am YOURGB’s friendly neighbourhood Digital and Events Administrator. Before starting my new career adventure at YOURGB EVENTS, I worked predominantly in the third sector and this blog is a little insight into how I made the switch!

But first, let’s roll it back… I am originally from Sydney, Australia and graduated from the University of New South Wales with a double degree in Media (PR and Advertising) and Design (Graphics and Spatial).

My first job out of the gates was at CHOICE Australia which is comparable to WHICH in the UK, an organisation that focuses on consumer rights. Next, I worked for a charity in Glasgow, Scotland called Street League, where they help young people between the ages of 16-25 find employment, traineeship, or education through sport.

It was super fulfilling working for these charities, as I helped many individuals become more educated in their rights as a consumer and it allowed me to connect young people with the opportunity and access to a positive future.

So… what ultimately instigated my decision to move into the private sector?

I felt I was beginning to be too comfortable in the environment I was in and with it being so early on in my career, I knew I wanted a bigger challenge in a new environment. There was so much more to learn and a different perspective to consider. I wanted to continue to broaden my skills as a digital marketer in an industry that is ever-evolving. And what’s more ever-evolving than events?

And oh boy did YOURgb really deliver when it came to changing up my perspective about my career and industry! I am still very much involved in the digital landscape, balancing the social media platforms and website, but I am also involved in supporting the events that come through the pipeline, working on everything from conferences to activations to online events!

What’s even greater about working for YOURGB is that for every event we run, we will always give back. This is our B1G1 initiative which really did make my inner charity sector heart sing, knowing that I was still contributing somehow to the non-profit world.

It has now been five months since I jumped over to agency life and here are just a few key differences between the private and charity sector that I found profound:

Key differences:

• Scope: Project scope at YOURgb varies greatly with each and every project, whereas the charity sector often sits within tight parameters. It was equal parts exciting and nerve-wracking in my first week seeing the size and scale of some of the events we do here!
• Audience: When working for a charity, you have a strong and passionate audience base because they support the cause. In comparison to private where you have different demographics of audiences tuning in for a multitude of reasons. There is a wider pool of audiences listening in, so it is important that as a digital marketer, I am able to relate to them all.
• End to end: In the private sector we work very closely with our clients and suppliers and I am able to see the event come to fruition from beginning to end. Whereas, in the non-profit industry I don’t typically get to see the results. In agency life, I feel like I am on a journey with the client, which is something I really love. Who wouldn’t love to see the end project of something you’ve poured your time and energy into?
• Responsibilities: Working in-house for non-profit charities you are solely focused on the one mission of the company and your titled role. Whereas working with different clients and events has allowed me to try on various work hats in the company. Opportunities that I never thought I would ever have the chance to dabble into have already presented themselves, which is amazing.

All in all, I can truly say I am still learning new things every single day. No day is the same and no event is the same.

And if you’re reading this because you are looking into shifting from the third sector into the private or vice versa, my greatest tip to you is that your skills are applicable in either industry so take the leap, both are fulfilling to the soul!

So good luck on whatever route you take, I wish you all the best and thanks for reading 🙂