Phill Postill is our Head of Creative at the John Good Group. As part of the marketing tea, his role involves working on a variety of projects and being able to express his own creative ideas into the work whilst keeping aligned to the branding of John Good Group’s operational companies; Good Travel Management, TEPS and The Maritime Division consisting of DAN Shipping, Bay Shipping and Arthur Smith.
In this career deep-dive, Phill shares all from his introduction to the business, to how he faces challenges such as AI and how it has made him adaptable to anything that comes in his way.
Keep reading to find out more…
How did you first get into the marketing industry?
My first job was a graphic designer, I interviewed for an apprenticeship position whilst at college. Despite recognising that I was completely unprepared for my interview, they employed me. They must have seen something in me as they told me to return later that day with my portfolio and try again. 24 years later, we are still friends and I’m ever so grateful for that start in my career.
I then became my own business owner. I liked the idea of being able to be my own boss. After years of building these businesses, I wanted something fresh and as soon as I got the opportunity to join the John Good Group, I took it. I’ve never worked in this area before, so it all has been new and exciting.
What has inspired your career?
I believe that graphic design always brings you something to learn. As technology constantly evolves and changes, you must follow in its steps, or you’ll fall behind. You can spend years trying to master a skill, but when there becomes an easier or faster way, you need to be able to constantly adapt and stay relevant.
Even before graphic design was really a thing, I always knew it was what I wanted to do. I’m naturally very creatively minded, but I never understood the appeal of mainstream art. This led me into doing a GNVQ at school, which has brought me to the point where I’m at now.
What are the biggest challenges in your role?
The biggest challenge I face day to day is the struggle to keep relevancy with the rest of the world, and this has been massively emphasised with the instant rise of AI. With just one prompt, you can imitate an intense labour which could take hours. It’s also in this sense that I see it as a tool.
Instead of doing research which could take a couple of days, using AI can help you avoid that repetitive side and get it done in a few minutes. This lets me do so much more with my time, and truly feel like I’m making a difference.
You’ve got to keep that balance, but I think I’m more open to this technological leap than others.
What skills have been most crucial to your success in the marketing industry so far?
The skill you need in this area is adaptability. From the printing presses to the computer, and then the meteoric rise of AI, nothing stays the same for more than a few years, and, if you can’t keep up, this isn’t the field for you.
Another thing I’d say is necessary is communication. Especially on smaller teams, being able to split up work efficiently is key to my job. That’s why I decided to join work with someone I had lots of experience with, as it allowed me and him to quickly adjust to the drastic shift from business owner to employee.
What education or training would be most useful for someone looking to follow your career path?
When I was starting out, I was told a degree was everything. I did graphic design at university, but it really wasn’t for me. I had previously worked in the field, and the more independent nature of university than past schooling was a struggle. I did complete my degree, but I feel I walked away unfulfilled by the experience.
My advice would be an apprenticeship. There are so many services online to learn from, and being able to get the firsthand experience from an apprenticeship would really help you. When I owned a business, all I looked at was your portfolio, and that’s all you really need to thrive in this industry.
What advice would you give to someone looking to follow your career path?
My advice would be to decide early on whether you want to really feel fulfilled in your job, or if you’re more commercially minded. I didn’t, and it left me feeling lost for a lot of my life. If you leave it too long, the job offers will dry up, and you’ll be stuck without much you can do, so if you can get in early, that’s when you can really get the best of both worlds.
The biggest thing in my mind though, is to just learn. If you can be ahead of your competition, you’ll be able to make yourself look that much better to any company, which will let you advance your career that much faster.