Our newest series, Creative Industry Trailblazers, highlights some of the best and brightest working across the creative industries – in TV, film, music, marketing, theatre, journalism, design and beyond. At Creative Access we support individuals at all stages of their career cycle. And we’re excited for you to read about the experiences and lessons from our impressive mid-senior CA community.
Who better to start with than a former CA intern and current member of our Steering Group, Arshdeep Kaur? Arshdeep kicked off her career via Creative Access as a talent assistant intern at TV production company Arrow International Media and CPL Productions in 2016 and now works as a product lead at Sky.
Can you briefly tell us how you got into the role you’re currently in?
I project managed the creation of an internal employee website from scratch for a campaign I was working on and loved it! I realised there was a whole career path within product and technology doing these kinds of roles. I started to book in chats with product owners, heads of departments and directors at Sky to get advice and slowly transitioned over to product and tech.
What skill would you say is essential to possess in your role?
Stakeholder management – being a people person is so crucial in a role where you rely on relationships to help get things done.
What’s the best/most helpful career advice you have ever received?
I constantly had imposter syndrome. Sometimes women feel the need to fulfil 100% of a job description prior to applying, but the best advice I received was: “When entering a new role, you should actually feel incompetent. Once you feel competent it’s time to move on to your next role or challenge!”
What project are you most proud of working on?
Building an automated, international volunteering portal for our employees from scratch. There are so many moving parts to a project like this, it’s a challenge of many competencies, namely project management.
Why should people consider a career in product / technology?
It’s constantly challenging, but just as equally rewarding. You also get to work with super smart people who you learn something new from every day.
What can people do to move up the ladder in your industry?
Get networking and book in a coffee with a colleague or friend who works in product or technology!
Which creative industry trailblazer inspires you and why?
All the female leaders I’ve worked with or have been kind enough to mentor me. Many didn’t actually come from science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) backgrounds, so they gave me confidence that I could succeed in this area without a technical background or qualification.
If you’re interested in switching career industries like Arshdeep did, check out our top tips on how to do so here.