November 13, 2022

Our partnership with Beats Academy!

At Girls Talk London, we’re committed to helping women all over the world excel in their careers, which includes the future generation of talent! 

So, last month we partnered with Beats to give four women aged 16-19 an opportunity to participate in their academy programme. They spent two days in their London offices and Platoon studios learning about the marketing opportunities, meeting colleagues, creating their own campaigns, and more! 

It was a pleasure to visit the studios alongside our lucky applicants, Joan, Isabella, Jenny, and Sharnay. After the programme, we caught up with them for a quick Q&A to learn more about them and their experience.  

Get to know our community 

Joan is currently studying Psychology, Geography and Business. Career-wise, Joan has always wanted to be involved in the marketing industry – especially in PR and Brand management.

Isabella is a student at Tiffin Girls School in Year 12 studying Chemistry, Economics, Geography and Maths. In the future, Isabelle would like to go into consultancy and explore music and fashion.

Jenny is a Year 13 student currently studying A-Levels: mathematics, further mathematics, chemistry and biology. While she’s still exploring her career options, Jenny is keen to enter a role that allows her to make a tangible difference. 

Sharnay is a student from South London currently studying A Levels in Media Studies, French, and English Literature. In the future, Sharnay would love to work in the creative industry, specifically doing video editing for advertisements, music videos and more.

Motivation for applying 

What made you apply for the Beats academy programme?

Joan: I applied for the Beats academy programme because it seemed like an excellent opportunity to learn more about the marketing industry. I also really admired the campaigns Beats produces, so I wanted to get an insight into creating such campaigns.

Isabella: I’ve always loved music, and the sound of working with Beats academy was a no-brainer! I’ve listened to Dr Dre’s music since I was young and have always looked at Beats by Dre as such an inspiring company.

Jenny: I have always been interested in what Beats do as a company, and this programme definitely taught me that and a lot more! 

Sharnay: I’ve always been passionate about video editing and social media. I knew that this would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn about how marketing and technology contribute to the world around us and develop my understanding of where my skills can be helpful in these areas.

The programme: highlights and lessons 

What was the highlight of the programme for you?

Joan: The programme’s highlight was the second day we were able to create our own campaigns. This was my favourite part of the programme because we could collaborate with other people and see how creative everyone was with their campaigns which all turned out really well. 

Isabella: Attending the masterclasses and meeting the team was the program’s highlight as I’ve never known what it’s like to work in marketing, especially in such a vast, creative and collaborative space. I also found the team so down to earth and inspiring, considering all their remarkable achievements. 

Jenny: It’s honestly quite hard to pick just one because the entire thing was fantastic from start to finish. I enjoyed hearing from industry professionals about how each of them eventually found their way into their current roles. The marketing campaign we did on the second day was great fun; we were thrown right into the deep end and tasked with designing a campaign to sell water. I found this challenging, but it was a fantastic learning experience, and I was able to bond well with my team!

Sharnay: Learning about the different job roles available at Beats by Dre was the programme’s highlight for me. Learning about each team member’s journey into working in the field they are in now was inspiring.

What was the biggest lesson you learnt from the programme?

Joan: The biggest lesson I learnt was to put myself out there and grab opportunities rather than wait for them to come. I also learnt that making connections and showing people that you work hard and produce good work is very important in the marketing industry. 

Isabella: I learnt that resilience is the key to success, even through the most challenging times, which is what the team demonstrated. 

Jenny: The biggest and most important lesson I learnt from the programme was never to give up, especially when things are difficult, because it only means greater satisfaction and reward in the end. And if things feel awkward or hard, then that probably means you’re doing the right thing. 

Sharnay: To achieve what you want, you need to be fearless. One of the people who works at Beats by Dre said, ““if you’re in an environment where you’re scared of doing something, then you’re in the right place” and that really stuck with me’

Looking to the future 

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Joan: I see myself having a marketing management or marketing and psychology joint honours degree. I also see myself in a job related to brand management within a large company like Google. If not, I see myself working in PR and advertisements. 

Isabella: I see myself potentially working at Beats and using my influence to inspire younger and older people. 

Jenny: Most likely, freshly out of university and hopefully starting a job that I enjoy, whatever and wherever that may be.

Sharnay: In five years, I see myself finishing university with a degree in Creative Media and moving on to finding a job in the video editing industry! 

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