Late-Night Scroll to First Role

By Sophie Markovits, Junior Creative

I’m not normally an advocate for doomscrolling, but when it lands you your first job, it’s hard to call it unproductive. During one late-night scroll, deep in the trenches of post-uni job hunting, I finally found a role that fit. 

When I graduated from Norwich University of the Arts with a Graphic Communication degree, I assumed the path ahead would be obvious. Instead, it felt narrow. Every creative job seemed boxed-in and clearly defined: Junior Designer, Artworker, Copywriter. Great roles, just not quite me. I’ve always been drawn to the full creative process, from initial ideas to execution, and choosing one part felt limiting. 

Then I came across a Junior Creative role at Launch PR on TikTok. It clicked instantly, so I applied on the spot, despite the late hour. As it turns out, I’d scraped in just before the deadline the following day. 

Before Launch, I did a short stint in hospitality. At the time it felt like a detour, but in hindsight, it was training. You learn to think on your feet, read the room and communicate with all kinds of people. Those skills translate perfectly into PR. 

Funny enough, I still scroll constantly. Only now I’m hunting for news, content and trends that spark the next insight or campaign hook. 

The Unexpected Fit 

PR was never on the syllabus at uni. I knew Samantha Jones (hands up, Sex & The City fans) worked in PR, and that it vaguely involved dramatic phone calls and saving reputations, but that was about it. Once I started looking into it properly, I was surprised by how much it overlapped with what I already loved: advertising, creative campaigns, insight and strategy. 

I quickly understood that great PR is built on research and insight, which made it feel familiar. At university we were always told to design with purpose and have a reason behind every decision. As my tutors loved to remind us, “because I like the font” didn’t count. 

Stepping into PR, it was the same principle, just with higher stakes. I was still making things with intention, only now the goal wasn’t just to look good, it was to get people talking. After years of creating campaigns that lived only in my portfolio, seeing work I’d helped shape out in the real world felt surreal in the best way. 

From Decks to Doncaster 

A year in, I’ve learned PR is fast, reactive and a team sport. Ideas can come from anywhere. A sharp insight, a good line or a rogue late-night note. When it clicks, you feel it. 

The variety in my role still surprises me. One week I’m designing merch, the next I’m teaming up with illustrators, refreshing Launch’s brand including this very website, or creating visuals for pitch decks. I’ve grown strangely fond of Canva over Adobe, survived an overnight client shoot in Doncaster, and wrap up each week by sharing creative highlights with the team. 

A standout for me was our Menabrea Birra window in Shoreditch. What started as a quick bit of wordplay, Gross Domestic Pleasure, became a full real-world activation. Seeing people engage with something that began as your idea is a total pinch-me moment, and bringing a little piece of Italy to London felt like a mini holiday without the need for annual leave. 

Now I start each day with the morning papers, learning to speak fluent PR. A year on, I thrive on the pace and feel fully at home in the role. 

If you’re a creative who thinks advertising is the only route, try PR. It pushes you to think wider, react faster and trust your instincts. There’s nothing quite like the buzz of seeing your ideas out in the world and in the paper. 

The moral of the story? You are only one scroll away from your dream role.