Maven Nzeutem
Product Designer
Walking away from my job interview with OAK THEORY’s co-founders, Hannah Ryu and Veronica Shelton, I couldn’t escape the echo of one insightful statement that left me both insulted and blushing; “We don’t want you for your skills, we want you for your brain.”
The beginning
I began my position as OAK THEORY’s social content intern feeling confident that the co-founders wanted me, yet insecure about what I had to offer OAK THEORY. I figured that the company would select a candidate whose skills far outranked my own. I earned the position with minimal creative writing experience, a classroom education on advertising and marketing communications, no portfolio, and the mock-up posts I had shown the team were designed on… Microsoft Word. My skills and experience did not satisfy the position listing in the least bit. Surprisingly, OAK THEORY chose to invest in me.
The echo of the powerfully insightful duo continues as I proceed with my internship. I submit drafts of content that I feel represents the studio’s mission and anxiously await their comments. 90% of the time, the two direct me to chop-down my lengthy and passionate captions; annihilating 70% of what I believe I have to offer the brand. The co-founders never discourage my ideas, and despite my lacking execution skills, I’m assured that the concepts are there. The concepts are there, and they come from my brain, and that’s the fact that I hold on to.
My ultimate ambition is to create powerful and innovative branding content. OAK THEORY wants to invest in me getting there, and they want me on their team when I ultimately have the skills. My monstrous captions aren’t as monstrous, my ideas are better translated, my direction is more clear, and my work remains exemplary of my character. I’m not a polished product, but the potential is there. I now have clarity as to what OAK THEORY prioritizes when hiring a contributor to their team.
A visionary with drive
Without thought, I give up paid shifts at Sweetgreen in order to stay home and grind on improving my content. I’m not looking to boost my resume with any ole internship. I spend my time investing in experiences that I believe make me a better and happier person. As much as OAK THEORY is investing its time in me, I’m investing my time in them. An eager creative that is malleable to OAK THEORY’s culture. I’m not a finished product, but I am a blank slate. I don’t have professional experience or bias toward doing things in any particular way. I was elated to be greeted by co-workers from around the world on Zoom and eager to share my jams on the #company-tunes Slack channel.
A biracial WOC. My personal experiences have shaped my character. Born to an interracial couple, and raised in Brooklyn, NY; cultural awareness, a go-getter mentality, wit, compassion for others, and youthful maturity are birthrights. A person that’s unique. Not to brag, but, my whole life I’ve been hearing that I’m interesting. I’ve been told that I have a unique perspective, leave a lasting impression, and have a strange way of structuring my sentences. Whether for better or worse, I’m different. Under Hannah and Vee’s mentorship, I will eventually acquire the skills that I need.The co-founders could have never invested enough time into building uniqueness into another candidate. A character, vision, and passion that aligns with OAK THEORY’s; that’s what Hannah and Vee saw in me.
OAK THEORY treats me like a content creator that has value that they are excited to have on their team. Be like Hannah and Veronica, be like OAK THEORY, invest in the perspective and passion of your candidate, and profit from their potential. Your brand will ultimately take its shape, and it will thrive on its authenticity. If you want your social media presence to represent your brand, hire an aspiring marketing creative for their brain, not their skills.
