meet the team: jack downey, digital marketing assistant!
after completing his apprenticeship at the beginning of 2023, jack has since taken the role of digital marketing assistant. let’s find out more about his story!
So Jack, what does your job role entail?
As the Digital Marketing Assistant here at Skyhook, this basically means I get involved in all our marketing activity – both online and offline.
I assist with the management of Skyhook’s Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn pages mostly. It’s my job to plan out content for all the platforms and coordinate with various other departments to create social media content as well as material for the website in the form of case studies or blog posts.
I’ve also had the opportunity to get hands on with the Skyhook website, we’ve been making an effort in recent times to make a series of improvements in the form of new webpages while refining our current content so hope you like what you see so far. Keep your eyes peeled for more new content soon!
As part of my role, I get involved in a lot of internal marketing and event organisation, so I distribute internal staff newsletters each month to keep everyone posted! This includes sections such as our monthly photo contest and company social events.
This year, I’m getting involved in planning our marketing campaigns for new releases. Unfortunately, I can’t say too much about these yet, but it’s been very exciting to see what is happening across all our projects. I can’t wait to share these with you all!
Sounds great! Now, how did you find your way to Skyhook?
I never felt like the University route was for me, personally I wanted to find a job or an apprenticeship. I spent the next year in a couple of roles to build up my CV while I developed a clearer image of what I wanted to target long term.
I’m fortunate that a member of my family had a vast amount of experience in marketing so I was offered the chance to get a taste of what a Digital Marketer does by completing a task for her. I found myself very interested in this area, after looking further into the role, I felt I had found my path! I then set to work on developing my knowledge of the role in my spare time! I completed a few courses on Google Skillshop, received my certificates, added them to my CV and then I began my search.
I decided to go down the apprenticeship route as I thought it would provide the best platform for me to grow within the role. The very first opening I found sounded like the perfect opportunity. A Digital Marketing Apprenticeship for a video game development studio, based in Liverpool. The rest is history!
What do you enjoy most about your job?
It’s difficult for me to pin it down to be honest. However, if I had to choose, it’s that no two days feel the same. One thing I love about the role are the chances I get to take part in multiple tasks. Some days are social media focussed, some require me to focus on the website etc. It’s a wonderful dynamic which keeps me on my toes and provides so many opportunities for me to enhance my skillset.
What other departments of Skyhook do you interact with?
I interact with quite a few departments. If I’m creating content for a new release, I’ll chat with members of Production, QA, Art, Game Design and sometimes programming. The Head of Studio is also my Line Manager, so I work with her to develop content.
When it comes to web development, this is where I interact more with senior management such as Directors, Head of Studio, IT Manager etc.
What project/piece of work are you most proud of so far?
I would say my biggest achievement thus far is completing my apprenticeship. Towards the end, it was quite busy, it took a lot of time and energy to get all my work into a position I was proud of, while fulfilling my Skyhook duties.
I’ve learned a lot since then, particularly with one campaign earlier in the year. I’m very much looking forward to taking those teachings into the upcoming campaigns…. Stay tuned!
What games did you enjoy playing while growing up?
The Arkham series and LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga. I spent a very large amount of time on them. Batman: Arkham City remains my favourite game of all time!
In the last few months, I’ve become more interested in retro gaming. I didn’t get a whole lot of exposure to that when I was young, so I’m hoping to make up for that soon!
Lastly, how would you advise those leaving school and looking to get their career started?
For those who aren’t looking to go down the University route, I’d highly recommend going for an Apprenticeship (if you can find one available). Dedicating 80% of your time to a job and 20% to developing yourself through training proved to be optimal for me, and I think this will be the same for a lot of people.
I would also say its worth dedicating your own time to completing free or paid courses for the area you want to break into. As most online courses give you a certificate, you can add this to your CV which shows the recruiter that you are using your own time to better yourself.
