Name: Emily Salter
Age: 24
Job title: Marketing manager
Company & location: For Aisha, Manchester
Education: University of Central Lancashire - Acting
Why did you decide to go for a career in food? A career in food came to me completely by accident. For Aisha is a family business and I began working there straight after university in an administrator role, as one of only two employees. Since I joined the company in 2018, it’s been great to watch it grow and I’ve enjoyed taking on more responsibilities, as I now cover the social media and PR side of the business. A career in food wasn’t necessarily planned, but I’m so pleased life has brought me to it.
Explain your job to us in a sentence (or two): My job ranges from social media, influencer, and all consumer communications to budget control, asset design, digital and print advertising and organising exhibitions both in the UK and Internationally – and much more in-between! It’s also important to work alongside the sales team, supporting various promotions both in retailers and on our online store.
What does a typical day look like for you? I don’t think there is one – every day is different in this role, which is what I love so much about it. I like to start my Monday mornings with a to-do list for the week and prioritise any urgent tasks. I host weekly meetings with our commercial director to ensure all marketing activities are on track, as well as sales and operations and PR meetings throughout the week.
“There’s nothing quite like seeing your designs and ideas come to life in a physical product”
Tell us about how you went about applying for your job. The company is a family business and at the time there was only one other employee. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to go into, so I decided to help out with the company once I finished university in 2018 – the rest is history!
What’s the best part about working for a food company? I love the fluidity of working for a food company – every day is different and it’s impossible to be bored. From new product development to conducting product photoshoots, there’s such a rich variety of tasks involved.
And what’s the biggest misconception people have about working in food & drink? That it’s easy. It’s hard work, but also a lot of fun.
What advice would you give to other young people looking to get into the food & drink industry? It’s really good fun (especially attending various exhibitions and seeing other product innovation), but you really have to work hard – there are no easy wins. If you’re prepared to do that then it’s a very rewarding experience. There’s nothing quite like seeing your designs and ideas come to life in a physical product.
What’s your ultimate career dream? I love my job now, and simply hope that my career remains as exciting and varied. I enjoy the stimulation that comes from always learning and hope to continue working alongside extremely talented colleagues who dedicate time to teach me the skills needed to navigate the world of food. I am excited to see where For Aisha will be in years to come.
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