“No one can take charge of your career better than you!” with Mercy Abel
Getting a job isn't what it used to be. Gone are the days of needing only your CV. Entry-level jobs now require experience.
So, what is the solution?
At the risk of sounding cliche, we need to think outside the traditional-shaped-box.
That's why we spoke to our very own Mercy Abel (OK Mentor’s Senior Strategy Manager) about putting yourself out there in unique ways.
Mercy is the queen of all things putting yourself out there. She has a podcast, audacity of we, was featured in Campaign’s Media Week 30 under 30 and is the Impact & Marketing Lead at John Doe - just to name a few accolades.
According to Mercy, “No one can take charge of your career better than you!”
We know, we know, that can be easier said than done. That’s why Mercy breaks it down for us into doable digestible tips, enjoy!
“LinkedIn is your bestie…
It’s basically the only acceptable place to shout about your career wins without coming off as arrogant”
Mercy Abel, OK Mentor’s Senior Strategy Manager, shared her 2023 successes - both personal and professional.
Gina Deen, OK Mentor MarComms Director, shared her and her OK Mentor team’s success.
Liz Stone, OK Mentors, Founder & CMO, shares a reflection on 2023 and her action steps for the upcoming year.
Katie Hunter, OK Mentors Head of Mentee Relations, shared a short but effective comment on a repost of an article that featured her.
“Don’t be afraid to be seen trying…
It’s all about trial and error so if there’s a content series (or several) you’ve thought about just do it, one or more will land”
I’ve always loved the idea of becoming a creator, I grew up in the Zoella and Tanya Burr era and became obsessed with wanting to become a YouTuber. I never took the step to start creating because I feared what people would say about me at school and I wish that I had gotten over that.
Fast forward to 2020, it’s the first lockdown and I have nothing to do. I downloaded TikTok and just started making videos; makeup, hauls, styling, hopping on trends - anything I fancied tbh. One random day my videos started to pick up and before I knew it I had jumped from 2k followers to 8k, to 16k and now over 40k.
So many opportunities have come from just filming fun videos in my bedroom, it’s opened so many doors for me and is now my career. I worked for the UK’s No.1 Beauty Brand for over 2 years, I get invited to TikTok events and I’ve built a small community on TikTok.
If you have a passion for something but you’re worried about what people will say about you, block it out and start doing more of what you love. I stopped worrying about what the people around me were saying and now they come to me asking for advice!
- Abby Weatherley, OK Mentor’s TikTok Content Creator
I started my TikTok on the first day of lockdown, and the content styles have changed a lot in those 4 years as it's kinda evolved with me as I navigated my 20s. It's obviously super embarrassing to put yourself out there, but I always tell myself that people will think you're cringe no matter what you do, so you may as well do what you want.'
-Bita’s OK Mentor’s Creator and Content Lead
As a freelancer who feels deeply uncomfortable with marketing myself and appearing on camera, I was thinking of ways to stand out.
I decided to launch 'a portal between' - a bi-weekly newsletter. A newsletter means I show off my skillset of copywriting, content writing and curating, whilst highlighting knowledge of my niches (tech, pop culture and fashion). A newsletter also serves as a good jumping-off point to repurpose the content for social media.
Being consistent with it is something I’ve found difficult however I've sent one issue out so far, and already it has landed me a freelance gig, given me invaluable experience and most importantly - it’s actually fun.
- Georgia Smith-Marr, OK Mentor’s Digital Content Coordinator
“Only the right people need to find you…
Maybe whatever you’re putting out isn’t gaining traction but that’s not always a problem. Only the right person needs to see it and they can end up approaching you.”
Mercy Abel shares a video she made two years ago and talks about the snowball effect of the video.
Mercy shares reposts an article which features her, and talks about the importance of sharing your work.
Grief isn’t a sexy topic. Neither is it for everyone. When I launched a project close to my heart “Welcoming Grief” - a safe space for people to open up and connect over grief, it didn’t blow up right away. But as I continued organising regular space holding online, more and more of my friends and peers slowly started reaching out with relevant introductions, resources or suggestions. And after only 6 months, I’m now hosting our first paid, in-person grief circle for a community in Mexico City, with an intention to run the first grief-themed retreat by the end of the year.
- Inga Driksne, OK Mentor’s Head of Product
“A ‘no’ changes nothing, a ‘yes’ changes everything…
If you have a question, make sure to ask it! If someone says no or doesn’t reply, your position does not change, but if they say yes then you are making progress.”
OK Mentor bestie, Lauren Spearman shares how she came across a job with a very low salary, but after sending a message to the hiring manager, the manager confirmed that the salary could go higher.
“Curate your feed & become ever present…
If you have a dream company then follow everything and everyone to do with them! Put yourself in their space and engage with their work, it’s likely they’ll eventually find you!
For example, of Spotify is a dream brand for you, follow everyone and everything to do with the brand! Become obsessed, be engaged with music, write about the latest drops and talk to the people that matter. Your passion is likely to inspire them that they just have to have you join the team."
Do you have questions, thoughts or feedback on OK Mentor? Drop us a line - info@okmentor.me - we'd love to hear from you <3
Want to stay up-to-date with our events and get the latest advice from our experts? Head to and follow OK Mentor’s channels to stay up-to-date with all of our online and offline events.