IPG Media Brands...

This could be you (maybe without the baton).

Hi all.

There are a few opportunities to tell you about this week.

The first of them is from IPG MediaBrands. IPG (or the Interpublic Group) has a lot of agencies; this scheme is for their media side.

Here's what they've had to say:

"2012 sees the launch of the UK IPG Mediabrands graduate programme, as we are looking to hire up to 10 graduates on permanent contracts which will start September 2013 in London.

The programme involves a placement in one of the following London-based IPG Mediabrands agencies; UM, Initiative, Mediabrands Analytics or Mediabrands Audience Platform (which includes Cadreon and Reprisemedia).

 

Through 12 months of media-specific and professional-skills training, our graduate scheme will teach you all you need to know about media, give you the chance to work on high profile clients and give you great opportunities to get yourself noticed within a global media network.

Applications open on 1^st November 2012 and close at midnight on 4^th January 2013. For more details on what we are looking for and information on how to apply, please read the brochure on our website. Finally, to find out more about the scheme, check out our twitter account - @ipgmb_talent"

Good luck, all. 

PHD & Leo Burnett...

Yes - preferably not via a load of disembodied hands.

Hello all.

Two things to update you on (with more coming next week).

1) PHD Worldwide

The good people at PHD are looking for media graduates. 

You can find more about it by clicking here.

A little bit of a blurb can be found below:

"PHD are looking for 4 to 5 Team Executives to join an exciting new Comms Planning Unit going live from 2^nd January 2013. This is a terrific opportunity to develop your media career in one of the most strategic and dynamic media agencies working with one of the world’s largest and most innovative advertisers. We are looking for bright, enthusiastic and passionate Team Executives with a real passion for media/communications and an interest in consumer behaviour."

Just to note, the assessment day is on the 13th of November. So you'll have to get those applications in sharpish, by the 6th of November.

2) Leo Burnett

Leo's graduate agency (within the agency), The Foundry, have produced a stop-motion clip to advertise the scheme. Check it out below:



You can apply here.  The scheme's applications close on the 31st of October, so be quick.

Good luck with both, gang.

Dare's 2012/13 grad scheme...

You don't have to enter a room like this man - but it might help.

Hello all.

I've had another agency get in touch; Dare have let AdGrads know about their graduate scheme, which has just opened.

Details are below:

"Recent graduates and daredevil wannabes. This is Dare calling. We’re pleased to announce that we’re kicking off our Grad Scheme for October 2013 with a slightly different take on your standard application form.

We’ve been playing a bit of truth AND dare. We reckon you’re probably quite bored of answering the same questions on your applications, so we’ve dared ourselves to create a form that veers off the path slightly. We’d like to know how brave you are, as well as finding out how you think and what makes you tick.

Because we do stuff differently here, it wouldn’t make sense to copy everyone else in how we find our grads. We’re unique. Something we knew right from the off when we challenged convention by merging a traditional and a digital agency. What’s more, this diversity means our grads get to work on an unusual blend of projects; everything from TV to radio and apps to Facebook pages.

You’ll be able to find out more along the way on our Facebook and Twitter pages, which we’ll be stuffing with useful and interesting bits of information about what you can expect of us. We’re also running live Q&As alongside the application process to answer any queries you have about life at Dare towers. Our existing grads will be all ears.

We’d also like to invite you to our Open Day on Tuesday 30^th October. It’s your chance to meet us, ask questions and have a nose around Dare Towers. It is first come, first served – as a result, we can only accept the first 100 people to request an invite. RSVP by emailing daregrads2013 at thisisdare.com

First things first; head over here to get your application underway- we dare you.

Good luck and hopefully see you soon!

Dare."

Good luck, everyone. NB - the scheme's applications close on the 9th of November, so be quick.

Quirk need YOU...

This is the wrong kind of quirkiness to display...

Hi all.

I've had another request for a graduate position from the good people at Quirk.

I'll let them explain:

"Quirk is a dynamic, fun, hard-working and rapidly growing agency looking for an Intern or Graduate to join our Engage team.  The post is for a minimum of 3 months, and you’ll be working closely with our Paid Search and Social Media teams.  You’ll be supporting some of our largest accounts setting up PPC campaigns, monitoring Social Media accounts and even assisting our SEO Manager.  This opportunity will provide you with invaluable, hands on experience that will equip you with important skills & knowledge to help start your digital marketing career. 

You will also be required to support other areas of the agency as needed. Skills needed include: A real passion for digital, an analytical mind, excellent attention to detail, Excel experience, Google AdWords experience is advantageous - and finally, good writing skills.

Please contact tammy at quirk.biz for more information."

Good luck, chaps.

Graduate Schemes 2012/13...

You, in about nine months time?

Hello all.

If you're thinking about getting a job in advertising, this post will hopefully be a helpful guide to this year's intake. Now, there are other schemes throughout the year, but the bulk of them happen between September and December. NB - the majority of these schemes are for account handlers and planners...most agencies have creative teams/lone creatives in on placements, which usually require a book/contacting the agency directly.

Also, I may have missed one or two. If I have, please tell me in the comments. Right then:

AMV: This has opened via their Facebook page (here). The main deadline's the 19th of October at 6pm - their twitter account appears to have died a death, so I'd join the group, if I was you.

BBH: BBH have no ‘formal’ graduate scheme running; they run BBH Homegrown (the link's here), which is a year round initiative.

BMB: BMB have yet to open any kind of scheme yet this year. Last year, they opened their scheme on the 1st of November, so it's worth keeping an eye on their twitter account to see whether it'll open this year.

CHI: CHI&Partners Graduate Scheme is now open. You can apply here.  Applications are open until 4th November 2012. Their twitter-stream should also help keep you informed.

Chime: The Chime group (which comprises of Ad Agencies - VCCP - design and PR) will open their scheme in November 2012. Keep an eye on this page.

Dare: Dare’s grad scheme has yet to re-open this year, but it looks like it's also going to open in October. Check this page out.  Again, their twitter page is a good place to look as any.

DAS Accelerate: The DAS scheme has just launched. It shuts on the 2nd of January 2012. You can find out more about it on the DAS link above, or go straight to the application page here. Alternatively, you cancheck out their twitter here.

DLKW Lowe : My old agency is has yet to open its graduate scheme, and I can't find any mention of it on their site. It's worth keeping an eye on their twitter account to see if anything is announced.

Elvis: Elvis have yet to announce this year's graduate scheme (I'm actually not clear if it's happening this year - can someone from Elvis confirm?). Last year's opened in the Autumn, so it's worth keeping an eye on - again, check their twitter-stream.

JWT London: JWT's graduate scheme is happening this year - find out more here. Applications shut on the 1st of November.

Leo Burnett: Another that's yet to open, the agency runs a mini agency called 'The Foundry' that provides the bulk of the training/experience on offer for new graduates. The Facebook page is what you should keep an eye on, as they've recently posted they're about to open. UPDATE - they're just about to open, and the applications close by the 31st of October.

M&C Saatchi: M&C's site indicates that they are going to be recruiting graduates this year, and the form's live on their separate grad recruitment page. I can't find a deadline, but be quick.

McCann: McCann have been quick out of the blocks this year - their site has been live since the 10th of September, and closes on the 28th of September. Not long. Check out the site here, as well as their twitter-stream here.

Ogilvy: Ogilvy's much lauded 'Fellowship' programme is yet to open for 2013's intake. However, the separate site is here - worth a read, as it explains neatly how to get into the business - there are some very good tips there. The twitter page is here.

RKCR/Y&R: Rainey's grad scheme is due to go live on the 1st of October. More can be found here. There's also separate Facebook and Twitter page/s.

WPP Fellowship: WPP's 'golden ticket', 3 year, multiple country and marketing discipline scheme isnow open. It shuts on the 8th of November at midday, GMT. The twitter account is here.

Good luck with all of these, guys. Again, let me know if I've missed any.

Guest Post: 'Getting In & Knowing Stuff'

This could be you...

Hi all.

As part of the start of a new influx of AdGrads writers, below is an account about how to prepare for interviews by Jen Meyerson Dubbin. Take it away, Jen:

“They aren’t going to expect us to know stuff, right?”

by Jen Meyerson Dubbin

Your blood is pumping. You are hopefully not sweating through your suit. You nervously tap your foot against your leg while sitting on a modern chair that was clearly chosen for design instead of comfort. After having applied to every grad scheme and junior position under the sun, you have landed an interview.

You’re an ad grad who knows their stuff. Your lecturers and professors have prepared you. You brought your portfolio of your previous work to show, and yesterday you reviewed pertinent materials from your lectures to refresh yourself.

You start talking to and sizing up the competition whilst you all wait for a chance to break into Adland. There's someone with a BSc in Biology from Edinburgh, BA in Medieval History from Cambridge, BA in English from Sheffield, and then there's you; an ad grad. When the group finds out you are an ad grad the whole dynamic changes to you versus everyone else. The guy from Cambridge anxiously asks, “They aren’t going to expect us to know stuff, right?” While the girl from Edinburgh reassures him by saying, “They know we aren’t ad people.”

This should be obvious, but make sure you prepare for your interview. When I went on interviews, I was surprised at the number of people who didn’t seem to think they needed to do anything to prepare. Yes, ad agencies do expect you to know about advertising. You aren’t being hired as an account manager or planner for your ability to make a decent cuppa - especially in this economy. There is nothing wrong with never having taken an advertising course, but that’s not a valid excuse to not know about advertising. You wouldn’t expect a lorry driver not to know how to operate a vehicle. No-one expects you to know everything and it's okay to be wrong. However, it’s essential to have an opinion - make sure you're more knowledgeable than a general consumer. 

There are several things you can do to prepare for an advertising interview. It might take a bit of work to get there, but knowledge is empowering and a confidence booster too. Obviously, I can’t cover everything in this post - those who've gotten in, please feel free to post additional recommendations in the comment section.

Knowing how an advertising concept works and having knowledge of a little bit of history is essential; especially if there is a team task involved in the interview process. Sometimes you will be lucky by being informed before the interview the type of task you will be given. Use that information to focus your preparation - for instance, I was in a team where one of members was trying to explain to the team that the target market should be as broad as possible when it should actually be narrow and specific to be optimally targeted. He obviously didn’t do his prep work and it hurt the team. In these situations, you don’t want to be the weak link in your group.

What's more, you should try to find out what the person in the position you are applying for does. There are a lot of websites and blogs that should have the information available (Linkedin, for example). If you can’t find anything, note that some agencies do have quirky job titles, so be sure to ask in the interview. Use what you learned to sell yourself by connecting your skills and experience to the position - most things you've done can be related to advertising in some way - you've just got to know what the job entails.

When it comes to research, look at the agency you are applying to online. You can learn about their agency culture, clients, current & past work, people, and history. You can also find information in trade publications and websites such as (e.g., IPA, Brand Republic).

Learn about other agencies. Agencies are brands with communication products just like Coca-Cola is a brand with soft drink products. Other agencies are the competitors of the agency you are applying for. You don’t need to do SWOT analyses for each, but basics like what they offer, who their current & past clients are, current & past work, and agency culture should have you well covered. In the end, you should be able to talk about what differentiates Agency A from Agency B.

Finally, when I set off in advertising school I thought Planners & Account Managers went to college and Creatives went to portfolio school, but the ad world isn’t like that. There are no extra points for having a communications and business background. No specific mold of what makes an ad person exists. 

Advertising is incredibly diverse. Some people have degrees while others don’t. Those who do have degrees come from a variety of disciplines. Regardless of their discipline, ad people are willing to put in the work to stay current and knowledgeable because they genuinely like what they do.

An important post..(updated)

Yes, you, dear reader.

Hello all.

You'll have noticed that AdGrads has been curiously quiet in the last few months; a combination of pitching and clients have kept me from updating as frequently as I'd have liked.

As such, I think it's the right time to ask for a hand.

AdGrads originally consisted of four people writing about how they got into the business.

However, as time's moved on, we've all had gradually more busy jobs, and all dropped off, save for yours truly. And, in truth, it's been tricky, these past few months, what with various new pitches and otherwise.

Also, when we founded AdGrads, the intention was always to help those who were near us in age get in, as we weren't a bunch of hoary old gits who had no idea what was going on at the sharp end. Well, I'm 28 now (a dinosaur in ad terms), and AdGrads needs an injection of younger folks to help it live on.

I'm very proud of what the site's achieved (I still feel absurdly flattered when people email me to mention that AdGrads has been helpful), and don't want it to wither on the vine as I have less and less time.

What AdGrads needs is the following:

• A pool of writers (ideally about 4 or 5) from an account management/planning background, ideally aged between 20-28 (preferably, recent or current grads - you don't have to be on a scheme). Must be able to write well.
• Not creative grads, as the YCC has it pretty well covered.
• An agreement as to who writes what.
• Ultimately, a separate URL (this site, annoyingly, has remained the same as one of the guys I founded it with has the details/I haven't been able to reach him). I'd love for it to become the definitive grad site for adgrads for the foreseeable future.

I will still be involved with the site, but I'm conscious you'll be doing most of the writing

Post something in the comments or email me at william.humphrey at yahoo.co.uk if you'd be interested in meeting up for a coffee to chat through in a month or so's time.

UPDATE: I've been overwhelmed by the number of people who've been in touch. We're up to about 10 now. There's still going to be a demand for more writers, but let's close it for now.

Thanks for reading, folks.