From RMIT Student to Account Manager

The truth about "overnight success"? It doesn't exist.

Scroll through LinkedIn for five minutes and you’ll see polished success stories everywhere. Fresh graduates landing their dream jobs, peers winning industry awards, and former classmates getting promoted to senior positions. Naturally, it’s easy to fall into a  comparison loop, seeing everyone succeed while you’re still trying to figure out where to even start. 

But what about the parts we don’t often see? The sending out of 100 job applications only to get one reply, and the failed interviews that can eat away at anyone’s confidence.

I understand what that feels like, because my journey into marketing wasn’t straightforward either, and that’s exactly what made it valuable.

Hi, I’m Sabari, an Account Manager at Social Star. 

A year ago, I joined as a Marketing Coordinator after completing my Masters degree at RMIT. Recently, I’ve been promoted to Account Manager and work alongside some of the CampusLife interns, seeing firsthand how they bridge the gap between university theory and real-world marketing.

The Beginning: Learning by Doing (and Failing)

At 18, while studying my Bachelor of Commerce in India, I realised that what I was studying lacked real-world value. Meanwhile, digital marketing was exploding around me. 

My best friend and I looked at each other and thought: why not just try it ourselves?

That’s how SeventyThree Marketing was born, our first social media marketing agency. He handled graphic design, while I focused on copywriting. We were young, ambitious, and had no idea what we were doing, which meant we learned fast. We learned everything the hard way: cold calling, pitching, managing difficult clients, and creating content strategies. 

After a year and a half, we hit a wall. We couldn’t scale. Two 18-year-olds, no matter how motivated, have limits. So we made the tough call and closed shop. 

Most people would call that failure. I call it the most valuable education I never paid for. Because through that experience, I discovered I loved the account manager role, thrived in agency environments, and knew exactly what skills I needed to develop next.

Building Proof: Why I Wrote Every Single Day for 18 Months

While completing my master degree, I realised something crucial about breaking into marketing. Talking about your skills isn’t enough. You need to show them. 

So, I started a personal blog. Not for an audience. Not for money. Just to write, to upskill myself and get closer to my dream role, every single day for a year and a half straight. It improved my writing, sure. But more importantly, it built something I could show agencies. When I applied for the roles, I didn’t just say “I’m a content writer”. I said, “Here’s my blog. Here are 500+ days of proof that I can write and that I can get stuff done.”

That repository of work became my biggest asset. It showed I was proactive, consistent, and could deliver, not just talking about delivering. 

The Turning Point: One Conversation Changed Everything

During my final semester at RMIT, I was job hunting like everyone else, sending resumes, building portfolios, hoping for interviews. 

Then on day one of a new class, my professor Andrew Ford casually mentioned: “Oh, I run a digital marketing agency.” Most students probably just nodded. I didn’t. 

I researched Social Star, loved their approach to client partnerships, and did something simple but crucial: I asked. I approached Andrew, showed him my work, and expressed interest in any openings. 

He invited me to apply for their November intake. But even then, it wasn’t instant. I went through a four-week trial, working on real projects and proving I could contribute before getting the offer. 

Lesson? Opportunities don’t fall into your lap. You create them by being curious, proactive, and willing to ask.

The Struggle 

No one is good at what they do at the start, and so do I. Early on, I learned a humbling lesson about professional work.

Social Star uses Notion for project management, but I wasn’t really used to it, it was an external software I’d never played with before. So, I was tracking my tasks in a physical diary instead of updating our team’s Notion board. When I had to take sick leave unexpectedly, my team couldn’t easily step in because they didn’t know what was happening with my clients.

It wasn't a disaster, but it was a wake-up call. In a professional environment, it’s not just about doing good work, it’s about doing work that’s visible, trackable, and supports the whole team. 

Now I keep Notion religiously updated. Not because someone’s watching, but because that’s how great teams function. 

The Wins

Two months after joining, I won Employee of the Month for November and December back-to-back. That felt amazing, like I’d hit the ground running and the team recognised it. 

But my most rewarding moment? Coming back from annual leave recently. 

I jumped on a client call and they immediately said, “Why are you even here? You trained the team so well, we didn’t even need you.” Better yet, the month I was away became their record sales month ever. That’s when I knew I’d grown beyond just “doing tasks” to building systems and empowering others. 

That growth led to my recent promotion to Account Manager, a full-circle moment, since it’s the exact role I fell in love with back when I was running SeventyThree Marketing at 18.

What University Can’t Teach You

My RMIT degree was hands-on and practical. But there’s one skill no lecture can truly teach, thinking on your feet during live client situations. 

When a client’s frustrated, pushing back on ideas, or just having a bad week, you need to read the room, adapt instantly, and steer things positively. That’s something you only learn by doing it weekly, messing up sometimes, and figuring it out in real time. 

Why CampusLife Changes the Game

I didn’t have access to something like CampusLife during my studies, but I see its value every day now that I get to meet some of the CampusLife interns at Social Star. 

They’re not just doing admin tasks or fetching coffee. They’re working on real projects, sitting in actual client meetings, proposing ideas, and seeing what happens behind the scenes. That’s the experience employers value. 

When they walk into their next interview, they won’t just say “I studied marketing theory.” They’ll say, “During my Campuslife internship, I solved X problem, contributed to Y campaign, and learned Z skill in a real business environment.”

That’s the difference between a resume and proof.

Something I Wish Someone Told Me Earlier

Just don’t be shy.

I used to look at job postings and think, “I’m probably not qualified” and not even apply. But everything you want is on the other side of that fear. I asked Andrew if Social Star had openings. I led my first client meeting despite being nervous. I ran a business not knowing much about how it works.

What’s the worst that happens? You don’t get it, but you’re already there, so what’s really lost?

Success Isn’t Linear (And That’s Okay)

My path was messy. I started a business at 18 and closed it. Moved countries. Made mistakes with team systems. I felt nervous in meetings. But every single step, the failures, the pivots, the uncomfortable moments, built who I am today.

Your journey doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to start. 

And if you’re looking for that bridge between university theory and real-world experience? CampusLife might be exactly what I wish I’d had.

Ready to start your own journey? Connect with me on LinkedIn or explore marketing opportunities with CampusLife, because the best time to start is always now.