Among the lineup of industry professionals was Leicestershire social media expert Estelle Keeber, who delivered multiple presentations to Year 9 students, offering insights into the skills, challenges, and opportunities of working in social media.
Having built a successful career in the industry, Estelle shared her own inspiring journey, proving to students that no matter their background, they can carve their own path to success. The sessions explored the skills needed for a career in social media, the various pathways into the industry, and an honest discussion about the positives and negatives of working in the field.
For many students, the most powerful part of the session was hearing Estelle’s personal story, which struck a chord with the audience. Phoebe, one of the students who attended, shared:
"I liked how you told us how it doesn't matter. Like what your background is. You can still achieve your dreams and stuff."
Sophia echoed this sentiment, saying:
"My favourite part was figuring out that it doesn't really matter where you come from. You can still achieve really good things and get a really good job in life."
Beyond the career insights, the session also empowered female students to see women thriving in a typically male-dominated world. Maya noted:
"Most of the time you only see men in jobs like this. And so I think it's really nice that there's a woman who can, you know, show how she's done things on her own."
After the smaller group sessions, Estelle took to the stage in front of an assembly of 180 students, setting them an exciting marketing challenge. Inspired by a Dragons' Den-style task, students were encouraged to put their creativity and problem-solving skills to the test in an optional task.
Reflecting on the event, Toni Edwards-Beighton, Associate Assistant Headteacher and organiser of Meet the Sector, highlighted the importance of introducing students to emerging career opportunities:
"I think it's really important that our young people see social media as a potential career path. Obviously, it's a changing world, and that’s something we haven’t really used in education at the moment. We don’t teach how to be a social media influencer, but knowing that the skills they learn in English, the skills they learn in drama, are transferable to that sector is really, really important."
She also emphasised the impact of industry speakers like Estelle in engaging and inspiring students:
"They don’t always listen to us as teachers. They don’t always listen to their parents. But somebody different—somebody who’s been there, who can talk the talk and tell them all about their journey—that’s really, really important because they will listen to that. They’ll latch onto that because you’ve actually got the life experience to be able to talk to them about your own pathway and switch into careers."
For many students, the event was an eye-opener, helping them explore career paths they may not have previously considered. Evelyn, another student, summed it up:
"I would say definitely like a career day is very useful because a lot of people at this age have no idea what they want to do."
With social media playing such a dominant role in young people’s lives, ensuring they understand both its career potential and its risks is vital. As Estelle continues to educate and inspire young people, her impact at events like Meet the Sector proves just how valuable real-world industry insights can be in shaping the aspirations of the next generation.