How Working at Matrix Helped Me Launch My Own Business | Tammy’s Marketing Journey

How Working at Matrix Helped Me Achieve Launch My Own Business

In this article, Tammy Dang, one of Matrix’s Content Writers and Digital Marketing Assistants, shares her experiences working at Matrix. She discusses the culture and how working at Matrix helped me achieve launch my own business.

About me

Hello curious readers! If you’ve been reading the Matrix Blog for a while now, you may have noticed my name at the end of some of the articles. That’s right! I’m Tammy and I am one of the content writers for the Matrix Blog.

I’ve been working for Matrix as a casual content writer for a good 3 years now but sadly, my journey here is coming to an end. So, I thought why not end it with a bittersweet article reflecting on my amazing time here.

I was originally a Matrix student and graduated from Sefton High School in 2018. If you want to read more about my High School Hacks, you can check out the very first Matrix article I wrote in the good old days: ‘Tammy’s Hacks: How I Went From Average to Acing English with a 97.25 ATAR’.

As I write, I’ve just finished my 3rd year of my Bachelor of Law and Bachelor of Media (Screen and Sound Production) at UNSW. I’m a super creative person and have interests in art, film, photography and literature. I also run my own art and stationery business too: Little Paper Blossom!

Matrix has taught me so much about marketing and branding which really helped me build my business (but I will delve into this later in the article!).

How did I get my job at Matrix?

I will always cherish how I got my job at Matrix. It honestly is the best story.

Remember when I mentioned I was a Matrix student? Well, in Term 4 of Year 12, I received a phone call from Allie (the Matrix HR Manager) asking me if I wanted to write a Success Secret article to help future HSC students. She mentioned that my Matrix English teacher (and the Content Editor of the Matrix blog which I didn’t know at the time, oops), Pat Condliffe, suggested me.

At the time, I’d read all of the Success Secret articles and always thought it was super cool to be a part of the Matrix blog. So, I quickly jumped on it and spent a few days crafting this article, now known as Tammy’s Hacks: How I Went From Average to Acing English with a 97.25 ATAR’.

When I was writing this article, I not only wanted to share my advice with future HSC students but I wanted to make my article easy and engaging to read! I’m a very lazy person when it comes to reading online blogs, so I always hated big chunky paragraphs. Instead, I love short and clear writing and lots of fun images and diagrams. So, that’s what I did for my article!

It turns out that Pat really liked the way I wrote the article (this is true, Ed.)… So, right after the HSC exams finished, I received another phone call from Allie.

This time, she asked me if I was interested in applying for a job in the Matrix Marketing Team. I was so shocked because I just finished my HSC exams and was being rejected from all the retail jobs left, right and centre. I also had no idea that Matrix hired High School graduates into non-tutoring jobs. So, I accepted it and went for an interview.

A few days after the interview, I was in the car with my friends going to our Year 12 formal. I received another phone call. When I picked it up, Allie announced that I got the job! I remember bouncing up and down in the car seat, squealing after the call ended.

And, now here I am, three years into my Content Writing job. It has been an amazing run from the first second I wrote my first Success Secret article.

What is working at Matrix like?

Working at Matrix is a one-of-a-kind situation! So, here are some points that will give you a little insight into what working here feels like:

1. Learning different things on the job

I think one of the best parts about Matrix is learning on the job! When I came onto the team, I had no experience in marketing, I didn’t know what SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) means and I didn’t really know how to write copy (writing for online marketing). However, Pat (who is now my reporting manager and not just a teacher to me anymore), has been super patient and helpful!

I spent the first few days just getting to know the job. I read articles about what copywriting is, how to write for an online audience, proper grammar and punctuation usage, and what marketing is all about. This was really helpful as it allowed me to understand what the job really entails because I didn’t even know what copywriting meant back then!

During my tenure here, I learned so much more than just writing online blog articles. Pat taught me about Google Analytics, how to optimise photos and add alt-text amongst other important copywrite-y things. I also got a chance to edit videos for Matrix+ Online Theory Videos, and create social media posts on Instagram using Canva and IG Reels.

Pat was always willing to teach me new things that interest me. All I needed to do was to let him know, and he’ll find a free day to teach me something new! This was an amazing aspect of the job because I got to learn about new and interesting things.

2. Flexible working days

Matrix’s working days will always accommodate your University schedules! It is quite flexible but also quite certain. You can choose the days you want to work for the University term or the holidays and keep it for the whole duration.

Whenever I received my University timetables, I let Matrix know and specify which days I was free to come in and work.

These became my workdays for the whole uni term. For uni breaks, I took on extra days and come in every week on the same days to work! This provided flexibility and a consistent schedule.

3. Friendly and welcoming people

The people at Matrix HQ are super friendly and welcoming! We always share our stories about the weekends and what’s going on in our lives. We also normally eat lunch together so it’s a great time to hang out and bond with each other.

One lunch, in particular, a coworker brought in Codenames (the board game) to play. It was competitive but so fun!

4. New experiences

I got to experience so many new things that weren’t just about content writing.

For example, I was given a chance to talk on a panel at the Hurstville Matrix campus to young High School students! Here, I gave them advice about studying and finding the right work experience. It was a one-of-a-kind experience! I got to meet new people on the panels and I got to share my experience with so many bright students. If you want to read about the panel check out this article I wrote about it: Subject Selection for Work Experience | Open Day Panel.

I also had the chance to model for Matrix+ merch! It felt super professional with the lights and the camera and was definitely a fun and unique experience.

5. Birthday celebrations and Christmas parties

Matrix HQ will never forget your birthday! Every year, the whole office gets together to sing you a birthday song and cut your birthday cake. Your team might also take you out for a nice birthday lunch. This is something I’m always looking forward to when my birthday is around the corner, especially guessing what cake they got for me!

Also, every year, Matrix holds its Christmas party event! Everyone who works at Matrix, including the tutors and the teachers are invited, not just the HQ. So, it is a great chance to meet people you don’t normally see at work!

How Working at Matrix Helped Me Launch My Own Business!

Working at Matrix has taught me so much! When I first started here, I never really thought about running my own art and stationery business. However, 2 years later I launched my business – Little Paper Blossom (another shameless plug!)! In all honesty, I would have never been able to do everything without the knowledge I gained working at Matrix.

Even if you aren’t opening a business, these skills can still be useful to you, especially #2 and #3 for everyday life!

1. All about marketing

In High School, I thought marketing was all about advertisements! However, after working at Matrix, I realised that marketing is so much more than just ads. I learned about making a recognisable brand and online presence, different ways of marketing like social media, emails, and blog articles, and how to use SEO and Google Analytics.

Without Matrix Education, I would have never learned about all the little but essential aspects of marketing.

It’s amazing how much you learn when you are working hands-on instead of reading an online blog or a textbook. You can see how people respond to your efforts through the data! You learn about what works and what doesn’t work as well as you thought.

And, it is always so rewarding to see a particular article pop-off. It makes the job very fulfilling!

2. Time management

Having breaks is a super important part of managing your time. I found that sometimes juggling University, work, extra-curricular activities, and a business can get a little difficult, especially during exam periods. This is when your time management skills come in handy!

You learn to prioritise urgent and important activities and how to manage your time properly. You also learn how to give yourself breaks and a chance to socialise with friends and family to reset yourself!

This is a really important skill for real-life as time management will always be relevant.

3. Improved my writing

This is something that I never really noticed until I took a read of my previous work. I believe my writing skills have improved so much after working at Matrix. This has really helped me with my Uni assessments and even writing emails or just communicating with people in general!

When you are writing consistently, you will improve! After writing at least an article a week (and sometimes up to 3 articles), you really get a chance to hone your writing skills. This includes using the right spelling of particular words (eg. affect vs effect, and practice vs practise) and writing concisely and clearly. This is especially useful for everyday life situations and University.

I also found that after researching and writing articles about grammar or punctuation, I started to really pay attention to my grammar and punctuation. When I’m writing an article, I normally spend a good amount of time researching. So, I actually learned so much about grammar and punctuation that totally went over my head in school.

So, I truly believe that working at Matrix has really improved my writing.

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What will I miss most about Matrix?

Honestly, I will miss the people, especially my Matrix English Teacher/Matrix Content Editor/Boss, Pat! Working with Pat is the best and I am actually so grateful that he invited me to the Matrix Marketing Team because I have experienced and learned so much here.

He has been my mentor and a friend throughout this whole journey, and he has always looked out for my best interest.