My Journey at Purpol Marketing by Taylor Carey

On the 6th of July 2026, I started my journey as a Marketing Assistant at Purpol Marketing with very little knowledge of marketing and only basic IT skills. I knew I was interested in the creative and persuasive aspects of businesses, particularly how products and services are presented and promoted. I had no experience in the marketing industry professionally.
When I started, I was lacking confidence as I was a complete beginner being introduced to a whole industry. I was unsure how different programmes, platforms and processes worked such as: Canva, Zoom, LinkedIn and WeTransfer. I had very little understanding of bid writing, SEO, awards, grants or websites. I had never written a whitepaper, a CV, an application letter or even a blog. I knew I wanted to learn and experience all that I could to build my knowledge and skillset.
My experience at Purpol Marketing has shown me that marketing is far broader than I originally thought. It combines creativity, strategy, communication, research, psychology, technology, business development and continuous learning. Every week has introduced me to another part of the industry, and each new challenge has helped me develop skills that I can carry forward into my future career.
My first week began with a Zoom meeting. This may sound like a small achievement, but for me it was completely new. I learned how to use the different tools, share my screen and contribute to online meetings. At the time, even these simple tasks helped me feel more confident about working within a professional environment.
I then completed the Kickstart My Career course, which was one of my first major learning experiences. The course explained the recruitment process, professional profiles, CVs, applications, interviews and what happens after applying for a role. Before completing it, I had very little confidence in writing a CV or application letter because I had not experienced the process properly before. As part of the course, I created a two-page CV and a mock application letter for the Marketing Assistant position. Receiving feedback and improving my work helped me understand what employers
are looking for and how important it is to communicate your strengths clearly.
I also created my LinkedIn profile, which has become an important part of documenting my journey. Before starting, I didn’t fully understand the value of LinkedIn as a professional networking platform. Since then, I have explored the profiles of successful people across different industries, gaining inspiration from their career journeys and learning more about personal branding.
The Magnificent Marketing course was another turning point in developing my understanding of marketing. Before this experience, I thought marketing was mainly about promoting products and services. I quickly discovered that there is much more to it. I learnt about attracting and retaining customers, understanding target audiences, identifying opportunities and using tools such as SWOT analysis to assess a business. One thing that surprised me was the importance of retaining existing customers. I had previously assumed gaining new customers would always be the priority, but I began to understand how valuable loyal customers can be to a business. This course opened my eyes to how marketing contributes to the wider success of an organisation, rather than simply being about advertising.
I also began using AI to help strengthen my application letter. This introduced me to another area that has become increasingly important in the workplace: using technology to improve efficiency while still maintaining your own ideas, personality and judgement.
One of my biggest learning curves has been graphic design. When I first started using Canva, I had never used the platform before. I underestimated how much thought goes into creating a professional graphic. It isn’t simply about placing text and images onto a page. You must consider spacing, colours, fonts, accessibility, consistency, branding and how the final design will be viewed by an audience. Initially, I found this challenging. However, through practice, feedback and experimentation, my confidence gradually grew. I created personalised testimonial graphics,
promotional graphics for the upcoming launch of WINNER – How to WIN Business Awards, book testimonial graphics and other branded content.
One of my projects involved creating personalised graphics for approximately 110 individuals using two different templates. This taught me the importance of consistency, organisation and attention to detail when producing a large amount of content. I later created testimonial templates and had to decide which design was the most aesthetically pleasing while also being accessible and easy to read. This made me think beyond whether something simply “looked good” and consider how different audiences would interact with the content.
Feedback also became an important part of my development. After receiving feedback on my designs, I changed elements such as spacing, fonts and colour combinations. I introduced gold accents alongside the original purple to make the graphics feel more aligned with the brand.
Upgrading from Canva Free to Canva Premium also allowed me to explore more advanced tools. I experimented with AI-generated design suggestions, Magic Expand, image editing, cropping, layout tools and the eyedropper colour feature. Using AI to expand photographs and sampling colours from images helped me create more cohesive designs.
I even created a collage and began producing videos and presentations to showcase my graphics, allowing me to see how the same creative work can be adapted into different formats.
While I have thoroughly enjoyed the creative side of the role, some of the most valuable learning has come from areas I initially knew absolutely nothing about. One of these was bid writing and tendering. The Better Way to Bid course introduced me to procurement, compliance, regulations and the standards organisations must follow when preparing bids. I learnt that successful bidding is much more than persuasive writing. It requires planning, evidence, understanding the client and following specific requirements.
I was surprised by how regulations can change because of wider events such as COVID-19 and Brexit. This showed me how businesses must continuously adapt to changes outside their immediate control. I later completed the Triumphant Tender Documents Live Seminar and Winning Bid Live Seminar, which built upon this knowledge. I learnt that businesses should research their clients and understand their needs before beginning a tender. Instead of focusing entirely on what the business wants to say about itself, the response should be considered from the client’s perspective. I also learnt that word and page counts are important because they indicate the level of detail expected. Another important lesson was to assess whether a business has enough time and resources to produce a high-quality bid before committing to it. One of the most interesting lessons was the value of client testimonials and evidence over self-praise. Saying that your business is excellent is far less powerful than allowing your customers to demonstrate that through their experiences.
My learning then expanded into awards and grant applications. Through How to WIN Grants, I learnt about the three main types of grants and the importance of understanding the specific rules, eligibility criteria and expectations attached to each opportunity. Through How to WIN Awards, I learnt that businesses should build a library of facts, achievements and stories so information is readily available when completing award applications. I also learnt that businesses should choose awards strategically rather than simply entering as many as possible. An award should be relevant, achievable and capable of creating valuable opportunities for the organisation. Another lesson that stood out was the importance of making noise when you are successful. Winning an award is an achievement, but promoting that achievement can help increase visibility, credibility and future opportunities. These courses helped me understand the importance of identifying opportunities and communicating success effectively.
I also explored several areas of digital marketing that were completely new to me. The Marketing Your Startup or Small Business course introduced me to different business structures and different types of brand awareness. I learnt how important recognition is and why businesses need to
understand their target audience. One message I took away was to invest in yourself and your health as well as your business. A successful organisation needs dedication and commitment, but the people behind it are equally important.
I completed Website Hosting and Creation and Website Creation and Editing webinars. These gave me insight into what a professional website should contain, including clear branding, high-quality photographs and content that works across different devices.
I was then introduced to SEO – Search Engine Optimisation. Before this role, I had no understanding of SEO. I learnt how keywords can help improve online visibility and how elements such as website content and URLs can contribute to search rankings.
I also discovered WeTransfer, which I had never used before. As I started working with large numbers of graphics and files, learning how to transfer them efficiently became extremely useful.
The Business Psychology Webinar was particularly interesting to me because psychology is an area I find fascinating. I learnt how people’s personalities can develop and change through experiences and ageing and how this can influence workplace morale. One message that stayed with me was to follow your heart and enjoy the process of reaching your goals rather than focusing only on the final destination.
I completed Digitally Marketing Yourself to Recovery course, which explored how businesses can respond during periods of uncertainty. I learnt that smaller businesses can sometimes adapt more quickly than larger organisations and that setting realistic, achievable goals within a fixed timeframe can help maintain momentum. The course also highlighted the importance of encouraging employees and customers to remain positive and keep moving forward.
The Build Your Online Course course showed me how businesses and individuals can use their expertise to create valuable educational content. I
learnt that a successful course should provide a genuine solution to a specific problem while also creating value for the business.
I learnt about four key steps:
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Presell your course.
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Build an audience before launch.
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Create a waitlist.
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Offer a launch promotion.
This demonstrated to me that successful marketing begins long before a product is officially launched.
Writing has also become a major part of my development. One of my first major challenges was creating my first whitepaper. I initially struggled because I wasn’t familiar with the structure or terminology. I wasn’t sure how to present the information professionally or how to subtly promote a product while educating the reader. I discussed the work with Denise, received feedback and improved it. That experience taught me that asking questions is not a weakness. In fact, it is one of the most effective ways to learn.
Since then, I have written weekly LinkedIn blogs documenting my journey. Before starting this role, I had never written professional blogs for LinkedIn. Now, I have created a series of posts reflecting on my experiences, courses and projects. These blogs have become more than just content. They are a record of my development and a portfolio demonstrating what I have learnt.
One of the biggest ongoing projects I have contributed to has been the upcoming launch of WINNER – How to WIN Business Awards. I have created personalised testimonial graphics, promotional designs, book testimonial graphics, advanced signed-copy graphics and content supporting the launch. I worked with my sister to create inspirational quotes that could be used at the launch as positive messages for guests to take away with them. I really enjoyed contributing to something designed to encourage confidence, resilience and positivity.
I have created promotional graphics for a silent auction featuring items including a custom-designed scarf and twilly, champagne gold and ivory scrunchies, purple bow ties and ties, and purple trinket boxes. Being involved in a real marketing campaign has allowed me to understand how different pieces of content work together to support a larger launch.
Another unexpected area of learning was Net Zero. The course introduced me to what net zero means, the legislation surrounding it and why sustainability is increasingly important to businesses, particularly within sectors such as construction. I learnt that achieving net zero is a journey and requires businesses to commit to reducing their environmental impact. I was particularly interested to learn how demonstrating a genuine commitment to sustainability can strengthen a business’s reputation and influence how employees and customers perceive an organisation.
When I compare myself now to the person who started on 6 July, the difference is significant.
On my first day, I had:
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Basic IT skills.
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Very little understanding of marketing.
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No experience using Canva.
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No experience writing whitepapers.
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No experience creating professional LinkedIn blogs.
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Very little knowledge of bid writing or procurement.
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No knowledge of SEO.
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No experience editing websites.
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No experience creating online courses.
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No understanding of grant applications.
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No understanding of award strategy.
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No experience creating professional marketing campaigns.
Now, I have developed experience across all of these areas. More importantly, I have developed confidence. I have learnt how to research, communicate, design, write, organise, adapt and respond to feedback. I
have become more comfortable asking questions when I don’t understand something and more willing to experiment with unfamiliar tools. I have learnt that marketing isn’t about knowing everything from the beginning. It is about being willing to learn, adapt and improve.
My first weeks at Purpol Marketing have shown me just how much can change when you are given the opportunity to learn in a professional environment. I started this journey unsure of what marketing really involved. Now, I have a much clearer understanding of the industry and the many different skills it requires.
There have been challenges. Some tasks felt overwhelming because they were completely new to me. But each challenge became an opportunity to develop another skill. If there is one thing I have taken away from this experience, it is that you don’t need to know everything before you start. You just need the willingness to learn.
I am incredibly grateful to Purpol Marketing, and especially Denise, for giving me this opportunity, providing guidance and feedback, and allowing me to experience such a wide variety of marketing activities.
Thank you so much, I have gained varied skills and knowledge.