A year after finishing uni, QUT Creative Industries graduate Tyra Gunnis is still pinching herself over landing her dream job with a Brisbane fashion phenomenon.
Tyra, 21, is a social media coordinator for Black Milk Clothing - a web-based leggings label that has become a global force over the past five years, thanks to its skin-tight nylon clothes inspired by pop culture ranging from Halloween and Hogwarts to Star Wars and Game of Thrones
Tyra walked straight into the job last January after completing a documentary on the company during her Bachelor of Fine Arts (Film, TV & New Media Production) course and impressing Black Milk with her creativity and hard work.
Social media and web presence have been a key to the multi-million dollar business's success, with its online customer community dubbed 'Sharkies' because of how quickly and ferociously they devour the clothes.
"It's a long story how I got the job but basically I did a documentary in my final year about Black Milk and its awesome community," Tyra said.
"Black Milk has built its whole marketing on social media and so we have 16 social media channels to manage (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest etc). I'm on a team of three and we rotate between 7.30am and 10.30pm, 7 days a week to monitor them and build them up.
"I'm a people person and creative so this means I get to combine the two.
"The hardest part would be catering to the masses on a release day for a new collection! It's madness when the collection goes live - so it's difficult at times but super exciting! We love it!"
Tyra's first year in the job has already seen her travel interstate and overseas, including the Supanova pop culture expo in Sydney and a Sharkies convention in Europe where fans gather to show off their threads.
She said networking and managing teams, budgets and events, were among the skills she had gained at university that had transferred to the workplace.
Tyra was the first member of her family to go to university and studied with the help of scholarships from the Commonwealth Government and The Smith Family, and Abstudy.
She had her first taste of campus life when she attended an inspirational Explore Uni camp at QUT while in Year 11 at Maroochydore State High School.
Once at QUT, it was her turn to inspire other high schoolers by working as an Explore Uni Student Ambassador.
"When your journey has been tough it makes you appreciate your achievements so much more," she said.
"I tell students to put their pride aside and ask for and accept help, and then use it and don't take it for granted! I'm so lucky to have the help that I have had and I will do all those who helped me proud!"
Media contacts:
- Mechelle McMahon, QUT media officer, media@qut.edu.au
- Rose Trapnell, QUT media team leader, 0407 585 901
