Amanda White is our Hercules Marketing Specialist. We sat down with her to find out more about her and how she decided to choose Marketing as a career path.
Tell us about your background?
Amanda: I’m a British immigrant to Canada, and have been living in Nova Scotia for 8 years now. People often ask me “What made you move to Canada?” The answer is a pretty simple one. I first visited family friends in Toronto in 1992, and I was hooked from that moment on. In between various travels to other countries I kept returning and exploring other parts of Canada. In 2005 I visited Nova Scotia and fell in love with the scenery and the people. After returning from a second trip in 2006, my husband and I submitted our papers and waited patiently to have our application reviewed. We were accepted in 2009 and moved over in May 2010. It was, and still is, hard leaving family and friends behind, the process was stressful and leaving our jobs for the unknown was scary—but we knew it was something we just had to do. I am happy to say, we love our life here.
What made you decide to enter this industry?
Amanda: From leaving school I held various roles in many different industries. I guess you might call me somewhat of a floater. I really didn’t decide what I wanted to do career-wise until around 2000. It was at this time I was working in an admin role for a Mail Order firm that sold Movie Memorabilia. I decided I wanted to explore my creative side more and took an evening course in Graphic Design at Yeovil College. A year later I passed with distinction, and was head hunted by Thales Naval Division in the UK where I became their Principal Design Editor. I continued in this role for 7 years until I emigrated to Canada.
What made you want to transition into Marketing?
Amanda: After moving to Nova Scotia, it was difficult at first to get established in the job market, but I found a home in a local printing company. I was once again back in an admin/customer service role, but due to changes within the company I was able to incorporate my design skills alongside my other duties. I stayed in that role for around 5 years, until cut-backs meant I was out of work and looking for something new. I then moved into a communications role for a Real Estate firm, it was a short contract which enabled me to design and expand my skills more into the marketing side of things. It was as that contract was coming to an end that I applied for the role of Marketing Coordinator at Hercules SLR. Because of my corporate background in a largely industrial/defense sector, I thought Hercules would be a good fit for me. Since working for the company I have learned so much more about marketing and after a year, my title changed to Marketing Specialist. My role is challenging and varied, from copy writing and graphic design, to managing website content and social media—there is never a dull moment. I love the people I work with. The firm is extremely diverse, and you get to meet people from all over the world.
Where have you traveled during your time as a Marketing Specialist for Hercules SLR?
Amanda: Being a ‘behind the scenes’ kind-of-girl (which is where I am happiest), I haven’t really traveled with the company. I have however, attended open days in at branches within the Province. If the opportunity arose I would most like to visit our locations out West.
Is there anything that you hope to accomplish during your career in the industry?
Amanda: In marketing you never stop learning. I intend to expand my knowledge, and plan on expanding my InDesign education next year.
Lastly, is there anything else you would like people to know about you?
Outside of work I am a keen photographer. There is nothing I love more than trawling the back roads and looking for interesting scenes and subjects. My passion is landscapes, but I also have a love of abandoned places. I have been published several times in the UK and been awarded for some of my work. I am also an accredited member of the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain.
My other love in life is traveling. I am lucky enough to have traveled extensively over the years, from India, Egypt and Thailand, to most of Europe, Dubai and Kenya. I am a cat lover and I once parachuted solo from 3,000 ft…Badly!
