3 of the best tips for the budding Enterprise Adviser

A few weeks ago, we interviewed Enterprise Adviser Mark Lloyd about his career in the games industry and his drive to support the younger generation and the digital economy of Leeds City Region. We asked Mark what advice he would have for someone thinking of becoming an Enterprise Adviser and here’s what he said:

Make use of your networks

Research from Education and Employers has shown that young people who have multiple encounters with business were five times less likely to become NEET (not in employment, education or training) and earned, on average, 16% more than those who did not so it’s important for your strategic work with the school to facilitate as many encounters, be them big or small, with business as possible.

When I’m not working onsite with clients, my office is based at my home in East Leeds so I call on my business network to help deliver student workshops, host tours, offer work experience opportunities in studios and larger offices and provide a direct connection with the industry.

You don’t have to be CEO

To be an Enterprise Adviser you should have a broad understanding of, and proven success in, operating in business. You should be able to work with senior leaders and decision makers in schools. And most importantly you absolutely must be able to talk about and advise on business strategy. It’s about your skills and experience in business, not your job title, and you don’t have to be CEO to right for the role.

Be inspired by what you do

Being enthused and inspired by your work and/or industry is an essential requirement for any Enterprise Adviser. I’ll be 50 this year and, where video games are concerned, I still get as excited now about some of the newest releases as I did in my early teens at the birth of the industry. In fact, earlier today you would have found me playing on my PS4 during my lunch break!

The role of the Enterprise Adviser is to engage students and expand their understanding of business and career opportunities, giving them a clearer idea of routes to better, or different, jobs. Your enthusiasm should be such that you can immerse students in your interest, either through direct encounters or via other strategies planned with the school.

One of my goals, both personally and professionally, is to support the growth of the gaming industry in the North. The role is voluntary but I love gaming and I love my northern heritage and it’s clear to me that one of the main ways to support this is by introducing our City Region’s young people (and often their parents and teachers too) to think of game development (coding, art and design, testing) as a viable, fulfilling and cutting edge career option.

- as told to the LEP.

Want more Enterprise Adviser Network? Find out more here, read Mark's full interview or contact enterpriseadviser@the-lep.com.

Image: David Hatton, Meet the Hattons