When lockdown hit in March of 2020, Sarah Jenkins, like everyone else, turned to Tik Tok as a source of entertainment. As a Digital Content Producer for CBC Sports, Jenkins also wanted to learn the app to use it effectively at her job. Jenkins began posting daily vlogs using the iconic line “Hey, My Name is Sarah,” showing her hobbies, career and overall life from Downtown Toronto to practice on the app. “It was a chance for me to show who I am outside of work…I was truly doing it for my entertainment,” said Jenkins.
Jenkins seemed to have found the niche and target audience that made her successful because her Tik Tok account began growing steadily. She now has 89K followers on Tik Tok, and an average of 6.5M likes across her page @sarahjenkinsxo. “Humans are fascinated by other human beings….people just love to learn how things they see everyday work,” said Jenkins when asked why she thinks she gained so much popularity. She remains humble to this day because her Tik Tok account is just another way to create the content she loves. “I don’t think of myself as a popular creator….when people call me an influencer, I cringe,” said Jenkins.
Jenkins began her journey in the Sports Media program at Ryerson University’s RTA School of Media. She graduated in 2018 with first-class coming out of the Sports Media program. Like all students, Jenkins was candid about her study habits; “I procrastinated and favoured some classes over others.” She also admitted to bringing these habits into her work life but has now accepted that this is a reality with school and work. “As long as the work gets done and done well, it doesn’t matter how I got there,” said Jenkins. She shared some insight into her work experiences and how university prepared her; “We all hate group projects in university, but when you get to the real world, everything you work on is a group project,” she stated. When Jenkins is looking to hire on her team, she values friendliness and an excellent work ethic. “I want people on my team who meet their responsibilities, and I can also go for lunch with,” said Jenkins. Her biggest tip for students is to make sure they have team-building skills “you can’t work on an island,” she said.
In her free time, Jenkins avidly uses her past experiences to advise students in different schools. She was open about how she was aware of her privileges and was expressive of her struggles in the workforce. Her first job out of university was at Yahoo Sports as a Video Producer, and she was the only woman and the youngest member of the team. “I know now that I should’ve been vocal and asked for more opportunities….nobody could read my mind and know what I wanted,” said Jenkins upon reflection of her first job and what she would change.
With COVID-19, students have struggled for the past year on finding jobs for the summer, and many are looking at gaps in their resumes. Jenkins is aware of this and sympathizes with the stress students are under during this time; however, she also has the motto that people are responsible for making their luck and positions in this world. “Companies don’t know what they need until you tell them….pitch yourself it is all about making other people’s lives easier,” she said. She explained how as an employer herself, she understands the gaps on resumes because of COVID-19, but she is also looking for skills and projects made in the meantime.
Sarah Jenkins continues to be an influence to people all over the country, myself included. Students should understand that while we have the barrier of COVID-19 right now, it will not be our only barrier in school and work life. The experience and tips that Jenkins and others give should be understood and worked on every day. This is so that we are prepared to do the best job possible when we can walk into the workforce.