Why I chose Spark (again)

At the end of last year, I returned to Spark, almost three years after leaving. In between, I had a number of interesting and varying roles, from large consumer agencies, to working in-house, and even running my own consultancy. Each of these roles had their pros and cons.

The large agency was fun, working on big creative campaigns with huge companies that are real household names, but these campaigns happened less frequently than I’d have liked. Running my own consultancy alongside another colleague offered flexibility and working with some really interesting startups, but with a global pandemic and Brexit to contend with, it was less stable than I’d hoped. Working in-house was an opportunity to build a PR function from scratch in a startup environment, but again it’s a tough market for startups at the moment.

There were elements of all three roles that I loved, and others that were taxing (sometimes quite literally – tax returns still haunt me!). I was considering another change, but having explored a few unknowns, I was keen for something more familiar. Spark was an agency I’d always loved working at, and even recommended it to people looking for new roles in the industry after I left.

I spoke to a few of the senior team at Spark over the course of a few weeks and thought long and hard about what I wanted to do. Ultimately, it felt like a good time to come home.

Just over six months in, it’s been brilliant. Here are a few of the best things I’ve found about returning to Spark:

• A warm welcome (back): Even having worked here before, there were still some first day nerves, but they quickly subsided as the Spark team are all lovely. It’s no coincidence that many of the staff that worked here before I left – particularly in the senior team – still work at the company. People tend to stay here for a long time, which is a ringing endorsement.

• B2B tech is interesting: I’m not the biggest tech head but working in B2B tech is interesting and varied. I feel like I learn something new every day and am constantly expanding my knowledge of industry topics in a way that working for, say a clothes brand, doesn’t offer. I doubt there are many people that envisage themselves working in B2B tech PR when they start their career in the industry, but once you’re in, it has an appeal that other sectors don’t.

• Spark is a good agency, that does good work: It’s nice to work somewhere where the standards are to a level that you’re proud of the work you do. Spark delivers great results for clients, whether that be writing content, delivering a campaign, or pitching a news hijack to media. The work speaks for itself!

• Opportunities to progress: Going back to my earlier point about people sticking around, many employees have worked here for over a decade. Spark supports employees through their career, offering training and progression that many other agencies simply don’t. They are champions of promoting from within, which is great because everyone is given the opportunity to thrive.

• Stability: Having worked in a few jobs that felt a little unstable, Spark is such a welcome change. There’s a real family atmosphere about the agency, with lots of fun activities, after work drinks on the fly, or even just grabbing lunch out. But more than that, the agency is so supportive of not only your career, but your wellbeing. There are perks to help with physical and mental health, and people above you that are approachable if you have a problem, whether it’s work related or personal.

Overall, my return to Spark has exceeded my expectations. It’s so great to be back and I’m excited for what the future holds.

If you’re interested in experiencing what it’s like to be part of the Spark team, get in touch!