Tom Ragg made a start at a “sensible” career in journalism, but his addiction to comics and his madhouse nature lead him to the advertising course at Macleay College, where he was able to focus his whacky sense of humour towards a successful career as a Social Media Strategist at SOAP CREATIVE. In the meantime he has been back to lecture new students in Social Media Advertising. So what does the future hold?

Where are you currently working and what do they specialise in?

I’m working at SOAP CREATIVE, a digital creative agency in Sydney. Our motto is Play.Make.Do. and we work on anything that goes on a screen, from games to websites to online films.

Can you describe your role at your current job?

I’m the Head of Social, so I develop long-term social strategies, tone of voice for different platforms, campaign and ongoing creative executions and all sorts of other fun stuff for multiple big name brands.

What have been some of the highlights at your current job?

I love working on content for TIC TAC, where we’ve created miniature worlds to bring to life their Tiny Tasty World positioning which ended up a finalist for some awards. My personal geek highlight was being heavily involved in a large campaign for the first Avengers film, as I’m a big comic book nerd.

What are your future career goals, where else would you like to work (cities and/or agencies)?

I’m continually developing both my strategic and creative skills, and I’d like to continue to work in roles that allow me to exercise both sides of my brain this way. Working in London would be sweet because of the culture, or L.A. because of the breadth of entertainment industry work that comes up. 

Why did you decide to study at Macleay and how has it helped you get to where you are now?

I’d already worked in social media for some years before I made the decision to get some formal education, in order to further my career prospects and place me in a position to head up a team. The course was very helpful in educating me on several different aspects of the industry and teaching me best practices so I could re-enter the workforce with confidence and landed the job I am still in straight away.

What are some of your best memories of your time at Macleay?

I enjoyed my time at Macleay so much that, less than two years later, I was back as a guest lecturer! This then evolved into teaching Social Media Advertising, sharing what I’d learnt in the workforce about the ever evolving world of digital media, a hugely rewarding task, and offered me the opportunity to give work experience to my best students and help them get started in the industry. 

Click here to find out more about the advertising course at Macleay College.