<h3>Meet Ashvin Praveen, Engineering Graduate and now Co-Founder and CMO of <a href="https://my.hiredly.com/companies/whacked?utm_medium=article&amp;utm_source=career_advice&amp;utm_campaign=how_one_viral_youtube_video_changed_the_course_of_his_career&amp;utm_content=freelancing_malaysia,_job_seeker,_job_opportunities" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">whacked</a>.</h3><h3>What began as a fun video project with a friend sparked his love for Content Creation. Said video has now reached over one million views on YouTube.</h3><h2><strong>How did you discover your love for Content Creation?</strong></h2><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy_QFkH1J7fawYImNXHLszA">My flatmate back in university, Edward Ong, is a YouTuber</a>. He plays fingerstyle guitar and makes these impressive guitar arrangements. As a kid, I have always been interested in videography so when Edward asked me to join him for a shoot one day, I agreed.</p><p>We went to a park and shot a 3-minute music video for one of his newest pieces at the time. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlisJsSp33g">That video today has over 1 million views on YouTube</a> so it has been a wild journey!</p><p>For the next couple of years, I worked very closely with him on scaling his YouTube channel. There were a lot of late-night talks between us trying to find ways to grow the business.</p><p>I discovered then that I enjoyed the business element of content creation – especially when <strong>I got to work on data to optimize the video’s performance</strong>. What started purely out of fun inspired me to learn more.</p><p>After that, I did a couple of internships in Digital Marketing and Content Creation in my 2nd and 3rd year of studying Engineering.</p><p><img class="image_resized" style="width:100%;" src="https://blog.hiredly.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/1634789195593-682x1024.jpeg" alt="" srcset="https://blog.wobbjobs.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/1634789195593-682x1024.jpeg 682w, https://blog.wobbjobs.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/1634789195593-200x300.jpeg 200w, https://blog.wobbjobs.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/1634789195593-768x1154.jpeg 768w, https://blog.wobbjobs.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/1634789195593.jpeg 852w" sizes="100vw" width="682"></p><h2><strong>Did you get objections from family or friends for pursuing Content Marketing instead of Engineering?</strong></h2><p>Plenty! To be honest, I still really enjoy Engineering. I just really wanted to give content marketing a go. <strong>I felt like 10 years down the road, if I didn’t explore this passion of mine, I’d regret it.</strong></p><p>When I was doing my internships, my parents were quite sceptical. Since they come from a very traditional background, I had to convince them that this was a viable career choice.</p><p>After taking up a graduate role in Content Marketing I had a long and difficult discussion with my family. I told them that this is what I wanted to do. <strong>Over time they saw how passionate I was in this field and believed in me</strong>. They’re very supportive of what I do now.</p><p>My friends, on the other hand, weren’t surprised to find out that I pivoted to Content Marketing. I was always making content while we were studying!</p><p>I do have some acquaintances that questioned my decision but overall, it has been pretty positive. My close network of friends has always been supportive.</p><h1><i>“Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” With content creation, you can’t afford to do that.</i></h1><h2><strong>Can you tell us about a favourite project you worked on recently?</strong></h2><p><strong>What I love the most about content creation is videography.</strong></p><p>I created an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CT68bLohQsK/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link">Instagram Reel on video lighting</a> for a small business I run called <a href="https://my.hiredly.com/companies/whacked?utm_medium=article&amp;utm_source=career_advice&amp;utm_campaign=how_one_viral_youtube_video_changed_the_course_of_his_career&amp;utm_content=freelancing_malaysia,_job_seeker,_job_opportunities" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">whacked</a>. We help businesses scale through content creation.</p><p>I’m interested in getting more people into the content creation space. I think a lot of people assume that it is a lot harder than it really is. They get discouraged by technical challenges like video editing, lighting, and camera setup.</p><p>I want to break a couple of those myths and make content creation accessible. So my content will largely explore this along with how to tell a good story.</p><h1><i>“I strive to make sure my content creates value for my audience”</i></h1><h2><strong>Who do you look up to when it comes to Content Creation?</strong></h2><p>I watch a lot of YouTube videos. I like learning from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/PeterMcKinnon">Peter McKinnon</a>, one of the biggest people in filming and cinematography.</p><p>For content creation, I like watching <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/aliabdaal">Ali Abdaal</a>. What I like is that you can tell they put a lot of effort and thought into their craft. Their energy level makes them stand out to me too.</p><h2><strong>Since you didn’t have any formal training before pursuing this career, how did you learn your skills?</strong></h2><p>I had to learn on the go. Nowadays there is so much content you can learn from for free, especially on YouTube. A good part of my learning was on my own initiative – picking up different skills and putting them into practice.</p><p><img class="image_resized" style="width:100%;" src="https://blog.hiredly.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/1634789259805-1024x766.jpeg" alt="" srcset="https://blog.wobbjobs.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/1634789259805-1024x766.jpeg 1024w, https://blog.wobbjobs.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/1634789259805-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://blog.wobbjobs.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/1634789259805-768x575.jpeg 768w, https://blog.wobbjobs.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/1634789259805.jpeg 1280w" sizes="100vw" width="1024"></p><h2><strong>What’s your philosophy on Content Creation and storytelling?<img class="image_resized" style="width:60.71%;" src="https://assets.hiredly.com/cms/image_2025_01_24_130432546_5a2c38b853.png"></strong></h2><p><strong>I strive to make sure that it creates value for my audience</strong>. That’s very important. Every piece of content you make shouldn’t be just for the sake of creating it.</p><p>There should be a message that you want to deliver. I find that content with value makes such a big impact on its performance.</p><h2><strong>How have you grown since you started this journey?</strong></h2><p>Over the last couple of years, <strong>I’ve learned to be a lot more independent and results-focused</strong>. For every content I produce, I have learned to track its performance.</p><p>As a whole, I find myself more creative when it comes to finding unique solutions. It helps in other areas of my life when it comes to problem-solving and decision-making.</p><h2><strong>Do you have any advice for people who want to pursue a career in Content Creation?</strong></h2><p>I’ll say what most creatives say – <i>just start</i>.</p><p><strong>You know that Abraham Lincoln quote “Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe”? With Content Creation, you can’t afford to do that.</strong></p><p>By the time you sharpen your axe and learn all the skills you need, it’s already too late. You might have already lost any potential traction.</p><p><strong>The right way to go about it is to start chopping the tree with a dull blade and sharpen it as you go</strong>. Over time your content will improve, whether it be creating videos, designing graphics or writing articles. It’s all a matter of practice and learning from trial and error.</p><p>A lot of people are afraid of others seeing their imperfect content but after 4 years of doing this, I can tell you that it will never get perfect. Besides, if you have a perfect video, there’s nothing left for you to do anymore.</p><p>At the end of the day, what I do is set a deadline for myself, do the best that I can in that time frame and move on to the next project. <strong>I focus on creating the next content instead of looking back and trying to “perfect” the previous one</strong>.</p><p><i><strong>whacked is hosting a FREE copywriting bootcamp beginning June 28. The event is limited to 30 participants only. Sign up for </strong></i><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/events/6942036623970693120/about/"><i><strong>Attract Recruiters by Writing Good Sh*t</strong></i></a><i><strong> today!</strong></i></p><hr><h3>The Hiredly team would like to thank Ashvin Praveen for sharing his love and wisdom on storytelling with us! Be part of the zany team at <a href="https://my.hiredly.com/companies/whacked?utm_medium=article&amp;utm_source=career_advice&amp;utm_campaign=how_one_viral_youtube_video_changed_the_course_of_his_career&amp;utm_content=freelancing_malaysia,_job_seeker,_job_opportunities" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">whacked by applying on Hiredly</a>.</h3><h3>Got a cool career story to share? We’d love to speak with you! Write to us at <a href="mailto:hello@hiredly.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">hello@hiredly.com</a>.</h3>

<p>Engineering graduate and whacked Co-Founder share what made him change his career path and jump into the creative world of Content Creation.</p>
