My six year journey with Bright Network
Vivian joined the Bright Network team in 2017 as the first member of our Events Team as a Senior Events Manager. Fast forward six years, Vivian is now an Events Director and has built out a team of 7, all of whom are responsible for the success of the events we run for our members - to connect them with the best opportunities, insights and advice to succeed as the workforce of tomorrow.
Vivian has seen the business scale rapidly during these six years, from having over 800,000 members on our platform to growing our team internationally!
Today, we speak to Vivian to find out more about her six year journey at Bright Network.
Congratulations on your six year anniversary, Vivian! How has Bright Network changed since you joined us?
It has changed so much! When I started, the business was about 20 people and now we are over 100! It’s really incredible how quickly we’ve grown; yet, we’ve never lost our core values that make us who we are. My early days with Bright Network saw us just in one office on Regent Street. Now, we are split across two (Edinburgh and London), not the mention all the team members across different parts of the world (Germany, Abu Dhabi, Hungary). It has been so amazing to see the business grow.
What are some of your key highlights from the past six years?
There are honestly so many! My first flagship I ran was DEIB, which was also the inaugural year of the event. When I started, the event didn’t even have a name! Social mobility is something I am really passionate about. That event really cemented what a special place Bright Network was. The whole team came together to ensure all 200+ students and 20+ employers had an inspirational day. I remember so many students being grateful and in shock that they were given the opportunity to meet these world-class companies. For many of them, it seemed impossible. The sheer passion that was evident from all of my colleagues to ensure our members had the best start to their career was really refreshing to see.
This past year’s FESTIVAL was a huge full circle moment. After the pandemic, and having done virtual events for two years, it was great to be back in person with 85+ employers and 3,000+ students. The energy in the room was palatable and it was so nice to have the whole Bright Network team there to support both clients and students.
Lastly, since I’ve been here awhile, every year I meet Bright Network members that have attended events in the past that are now at our events as clients. It’s great to see such a tangible result of our members achieving their career goals based on all the hard work my team puts into our events. It’s a great reminder of the impact of the work that we do every day.
"The sheer passion that was evident from all of my colleagues to ensure our members had the best start to their career was really refreshing to see."
I’m sure it’s not all been plain sailing, though?
Nothing in life ever is! My first couple months in the job, I realised that the venue booked for our largest event was going to be 50% over the agreed budget. I remember being really uneasy to let my boss, our CEO, know that we would either need to cancel the venue or find a large chunk of budget to pay for the venue. The great thing about working for such a small business was that decisions were made quickly and we were able to move the event to another venue within budget. As a planner, it was definitely a moment to be as adaptable as possible which was very much outside of my preferred nature. The business has been through some huge changes over the past 6 years and I’ve been able to work on being more adaptable and flexible, which can be challenging when the skillset needed to be successful in events is all about forward planning.
What drives you every day at work?
The mission and the people. I am so lucky to work with incredibly passionate, collaborative, smart and fun people to achieve that mission. I am consistently in awe everyday by what my colleagues are achieving within their divisions. Whether it is Sales, Marketing, Delivery or People, everyone is working toward our mission to connect every student with the best career opportunities, regardless of their background.
Bright Network is such a special place due to how aligned everyone is to the mission and how hard everyone works to achieve that mission. Not to mention everyone is so supportive of one another and always willing to help out. I don’t think I ever hear no!
As cheesy as it is, we do work hard and play hard. I love the fun I’ve had with my colleagues over the years. So many laughs and memories that make coming into work much more enjoyable. Whether it is someone posting a #sassymoment in the Slack channel, capturing a twinning moment in the office or celebrating Diwali as a team; we’ve gotten to experience a lot together.
"I am consistently in awe everyday by what my colleagues are achieving within their divisions."
We’re continually growing the team at Bright Network. Do you have any tips for anyone looking to join us in the near future?
Ensure you really understand our mission and that it resonates with you. Everyone is very bought into it here and it is what drives our work, day in and day out.
If you’re thinking about joining the Events team, a love of karaoke and food is a plus.