Bye Bye AdGrads, hello AdMISSION...

Bye bye, all. See you at the Ad-Mission...

Hello, everyone.

This is quite a hard post to write. 

I (Will) have written AdGrads for about five and a half years now - and, to get to the point, AdGrads is moving to become part of the IPA's graduate recruitment blog, the AdMission. 

Initially, AdGrads was begun by the four of us. Myself, Anton Reyniers, Alex Jena and Sam Ismail. The blog was originally meant to stand as a counterpoint to the dearth of Advertising advice out there. The IPA had a good fact file on agencies, but there was nothing out there that *really* showcased what life was like when getting in as a graduate.

The seeds were sown when my blog (‘Confessions of a Wannabe Ad Man’, now living here, and still being updated, happily) and Anton & Sam’s blog (‘Ad Lads’) seemed to have the same, underlying purpose - to document what the first steps in Advertising were really like.

People sometimes asked us, ‘have you ever accepted any money for blogging?’ And, I’m pleased to say that no, no-one at AdGrads has. We have always written and posted help and advice because it was the right thing to do. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that the blog has had an obvious upside for us - AdGrads has always believed that by helping people out, it’ll benefit the agency sector and help us out when we’re more senior. More bright people equals better work, which in turn, equals better place/s to work - places that aren’t staffed by nepotism and privilege, which was one of the big driving forces behind AdGrads’ inception.

What’s more, over the past few years, I’m pleased to say the blog’s helped a lot of people and agencies recruit and be recruited - examples that range from helping Leo Burnett with their revamped graduate scheme to writing for The Guardian. Personally, as I’ve become the sole writer of the blog, I’ve met a whole lot of bright, vivacious, interesting people who will be the agency stars of the future. I hope, in some small way, that AdGrads has helped them.

Finally, and most encouragingly, I’m delighted to say that as Sam, Alex, Anton and myself became busier and less able to contribute as much as we did back in 2007, the IPA have really stepped up their efforts to help provide different perspectives about how to get into the business. Recent IPA presidencies have made graduate recruitment a priority, which is utterly brilliant.

With that in mind, the IPA have launched the AdMission. You can read more about it here. I (Will) will be writing there periodically - and it'll use 'the best of AdGrads' to help add to its content; however, more to the point, there will be another generation of AdGrads who will be writing about their adventures in the business. Anton, Alex, Sam and myself are now more removed from graduate experiences, and, given that we have less time, it’s good, right and appropriate for the next generation to step up. I wish them all the luck in the world. 

Read what they have to say here - the Ad-Mission should be your first point of call for graduate recruitment queries.

Thanks for reading,

Will

P.S. The blog won’t be deleted (even if I wanted to delete it, I’m not the admin - Sam is, and I’ve not been in touch with him for a while); it will still provide a useful resource for those searching for ‘AdGrads’. Similarly, the twitter account will remain, but I’d urge those who follow it to follow the IPA/Ad-Mission twitter account.  

P.P.S. If, for some reason or another, you’d like to meet for some graduate advice, I’m more than happy to meet for a coffee before work. Email me at william.humphrey [AT] yahoo.co.uk. 

The final week for the IPA Ad School...

The logo looks like this. Honest.

Hello all.

Not sure if you realised this, but the IPA (the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising) have an excellent summer school, and it closes at the end of this week. They've been in touch with AdGrads to get us to let you guys know about it. So, on with the show:


“This is the final week for applications for this year’s IPA Ad School, a fantastic chance to spend your summer in one of the UK’s top agencies. There are three programmes: Client Services & Planning, Creative and Search. Alongside 8 weeks of work experience, you’ll also attend weekly evening sessions from industry luminaries – a great chance to learn, ask questions and network with some seriously senior folk. Client Services & Planning and Creative students will also take part in a group project which is pitched at graduation, while Search students leave the School with two industry-respected qualifications: the IPA Search Certificate and the Google Adwords Certificate.

There are some fantastic agencies lined up – we’ve not released the full list but do a little research and you’ll see that Leo Burnett and Publicis are amongst this year’s crop. Last year over 70% of our students were offered jobs or extended placements so while there’s no guarantee, the odds are definitely in your favour.

This year’s School runs from 1st July-23rd August and is open to second-years and above, including graduates. You needn’t have any prior experience or any kind of portfolio or book; all we want from you is great ideas, bundles of enthusiasm, and lots of hard work.

Upon successful completion of the programme, students receive a prize sum (£800 for Client Services & Planning and Creative and £1,500 for Search). Travel within zones 1-2 is paid.

But don’t just take my word for it – hear from last year’s Ad School graduates.

Whether you’ve always wanted to work in advertising or whether it’s a career you’ve never considered before, the IPA Ad School is the perfect way to try the industry to see if it’s the right fit for you.

Apply now for IPA Ad School 2013; the deadline is 11:59pm on 12th April.

If you’ve any questions please email adschool at ipa.co.uk or find us on Facebook.”

Good luck, all.

IPA Summer School..

Want a job in advertising? You should probably check this out.

Hello there.

The good folks at the IPA have let me know about their 2012 Summer School. There's quite an extensive blurb - read more below:

Students: do you want to work in adland?

Have you always wanted to work in advertising? If so, the IPA’s Ad School could help you get one step nearer to getting your dream job. Submit your entry now for your opportunity to work in one of the top UK advertising agencies, including Addiction London, CHI, Euro RSCG, Karmarama, Kitcatt Nohr Digitas, Ogilvy One, Rapier and SFW, this summer.

The 2012 School comprises of three programmes: the client service/planning programme, the creative programme and the search programme. The programmes provide students with the opportunity to work at some of the top agencies where you will learn from the best in the business, work on live briefs, projects and pitches and enjoy a series of evening seminars and social events. In addition, you will be given prize money, and if you prove to be successful in your placement, there is the possibility of a job interview.

The client service/planning programme:
• You will work at your allocated agency for eight weeks (starting on 2nd July 2012) on briefs, projects and pitches.
• You will be provided with an agency mentor who will guide you through the eight-week experience.
• You will receive an £800 prize on completion of the programme.
• Here are details of how to apply.

The creative programme:
• You will work at your allocated agency for eight weeks (starting on 2nd July 2012) on briefs, projects and pitches, as part of a creative team - one copywriter, one art director. The IPA will pair the roles up accordingly.
• You will be provided with an agency mentor who will guide you through the eight-week experience.
• You will receive an £800 prize on completion of the programme.
• More details can be found here.

The IPA Ad School has also launched a new Search Programme this year which will offer students the opportunity to work in one of the UK’s top search agencies this summer where they will gain an extensive insight into the ever-evolving world of search.

The search programme:
• You will work at your allocated agency for eight weeks (starting on 1st August 2012) as part of their search team.
• You will get the opportunity to take the IPA Search Certificate and the Google Adwords Fundamentals Exam (GAF) at no cost. This means that you walk away with two qualifications as well as an extensive eight weeks immersed in the search industry.
• You will receive an £1500 prize on completion of the programme.
• More details can be found here.

Says Chris Whitson, Planning Partner, SFW and Co-Founder of the IPA Ad School: “The IPA Ad School is our industry’s chance to prove its worth to bright, motivated young people. And for those young people to see if it’s an industry that can offer a compelling career choice. It’s an intensive learning experience for the successful candidates.”

For full details, click here. UPDATE: The deadline's Friday the 20th of April.

Good luck, all.

An extension and an interesting opportunity...

These jobs will probably not involve framing.

Two things to tell you about.

1) The IPA Summer School:

The deadline's extended to the 6th of May, so get writing.

2) LHBS

This is a bit of a left field one - an Austrian brand strategy agency, LHBS, is looking for a trainee to start on the 1st of May (or shortly afterwards).

Below is a bit more about the job. To note, it is a paid gig. Good luck:

"LHBS is a boutique innovation and brand strategy consultancy based in Vienna, Austria. We believe that change is the natural order of things. That's why we look at human behavior, media, culture and society and try to understand the changing nature of demand so that our clients are always prepared. We are looking for an energetic, curious and passionate digital native to support our team in the following fields:

- Trendspotting and pattern recognition

- Desktop research, social media monitoring, benchmarking and data analysis

- Preparation and participation in creative workshops and client meetings

- Analytical and creative problem-solving

- Co-authoring of research reports and studies

- Back office management

The ideal candidate has just finished university and has strong background/interest in sociology, marketing or strategic management and is curious to learn more about human behavior and how brands and businesses can enrich human lives. The candidate should be fluent in English and savvy with all office applications; from Keynote to Google Analytics and Tweetdeck. German and other languages are a plus. Furthermore you should be able to start your 6-12 months internship on the 1st of May 2011.

If you are interested in working together with an international and interdisciplinary team on innovation and strategy projects from FMCG to mobile providers across Central Eastern Europe, please send your digital application to: Stefan Erschwendner, se@lhbs.at. Other places to find us include:

- http://www.facebook.com/LHBS.at

- http://twitter.com/lhbs_at"

Good luck with those two.

IPA Creative Summer School 2010...

Do you like writing? Advertising? Read on...

If you'd like to get into the Advertising business, there's few better ways in than the IPA Summer School. The deadline for it closes on the 14th of June.

Find out more here, or read on:

"There was a time when, if you wanted to be a creative in the advertising industry, you could walk into an agency and ask to take a Copy Test. You'd have been shown to a room the size of a broom cupboard, given a pencil, some paper, a seemingly strange set of questions, and an hour to compose your answers .

For the agency, it was an opportunity to find new talent. For you, the chance to get a job.

In recent years the Copy Test has faded away, deemed unnecessary in a world of advertising degrees and media studies courses, etc.

But the very reason for having a Copy Test is more relevant than ever. An industry that thrives on diversity needs to draw people in from a greater variety of backgrounds and interests.

Might that be you?

It may be that you haven't yet considered a career in creative writing in the communications industry. Or it may be that you just didn't know how to go about it.

In either case, the 2010 IPA Copy and Creative Test is your chance to impress - and to win one of a number of highly sought after agency placements along with entry to the IPA Creative Summer School."

Two exciting new, shiny opportunities...

Hopefully not involving these two ne'er do-wells.

Hello gang.

Thought i'd get in touch, as there are a few exciting opportunities bubbling in the soup of graduate recruitment.

Opportunity One:

The lovely Adah at the IPA has alerted us to a competition called It's My Party, which is aimed at 18-24 year olds, and after an idea for a single-issue political party. They want you to create a party political broadcast and see if you can make the video into a viral success.

There are three awards: one for the video that gets the most votes, one for the video that gets the most views, and the judges' award for the most creative video.

Best of luck with that - there are no deadlines on the site, but I'd imagine it shuts when the election ends. Check it out...

Opportunity Two:

The IPA have launched their Summer School. It's been running for a few years, and is a very, very good thing. I'd advise you to have a butchers at the link.

Some more official blurb is below:

"The Summer School will offer you a placement within a digital, search or direct marketing agency and will provide you with a real introduction to agency life.

Participating agencies include HS&P,LIDA, SFW, Ogilvy, Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw, 3Sixty and CMW.

You'll get the chance to work alongside the professionals - account handlers, planners, creatives - on real client business.

In addition to the work placement, there will be a series of special evening seminars and social events where you'll meet other students, see other agencies, and meet industry experts.

There will also be a prize of £1,000 each, plus you can reclaim reasonable travel expenses. Most of the agencies are in central London (regional agencies to be confirmed) so you'll have to arrange your own local accommodation. You will be expected to work from 5th July-10th September 2010.

The deadline for entry is 7th May 2010 and shortlisted candidates will be notified by the IPA by 19th May 2010."

Best of luck with those opportunities.

A Game Changing Talk..

Not from these guys. Shame - I'd love to hear Parker, Stone and Squeak talk.

Hey oop.

There's an interesting talk on game changing, hosted by the IPA Strategy group happening next Wednesday. Three very different speakers with different backgrounds, who'll explain how they came to their strategies.

A little bird tells me it'll be cheeep cheep for AdGrad folk. It's only £28.75 if you are a member agency now, so here's hoping lots of you guys turn up.

See you there, hopefully...

OxForward Careers Fair

A little short notice, but if you're at Oxford, come to the OxForward (man that's a lame name) Careers Fair on Tuesday. I'll be there with the IPA doing something, I'm not quite sure what, but it may involve getting people to tell agencies that their recruitment processes need some work :)

Have a good weekend everyone.

The IPA Summer School

This is their logo, so you know it's official.

Opportunity numero dos is a spot on the IPA Summer School for tw0-oh-oh-eight. You get the chance to get your hands on a thousand of the queen's faces and should be free to start on the 7th of July.

All the goods are here and deadline is May 27th so get cracking.

Another Day, Another Job Opportunity

The lovely Caroline over at the IPA has let me know of another role that some of you may be interested in.

It's at OPera Media and the role is as a graduate research analyst.

The following stuff is from the job description:

OPera Media is a joint venture between Omnicom Agencies PHD and OMD Group. OPera handles negotiations across TV, Radio, Cinema, Press and Digital. OPera strives to provide the ‘Best value buying without compromising planning excellence’.

This role is a fantastic opportunity to learn how media really works. You will be on a steep learning curve with the chance to work across all media from Search to Inserts. Reporting to Research Manager, you will work closely with the Research Director in helping drive value for OPera and its brands and advertisers. The research team ensure that OPera is at the forefront of media research development, enabling greater access to information regarding the performance of all types of advertising and media measurement.

The role will require you to:

• Distribute media research knowledge to our network, clients and the press.
• Support the buying and negotiation process across all media.
• Develop reports; media market forecasts.
• Manage strategic research projects.
• Research and develop evaluation techniques to prove the value of the different media
• Develop OPera’s Internet/Intranet solution.

The role will need an individual with:

• Good knowledge of media and business
• Awareness of all the key media currencies and also the systems used to analyse such data.
• Excellent attention to detail
• Able to work under pressure
• Highly numerate and analytical
• Organisation skills with the ability to multi-task across various projects

If it sounds like your kind of thing, send me an email with your CV and a covering letter and I'll pass them on.

On a separate note, the Digitas role has now been filled, with an applicant who went to them via AdGrads, I think that's pretty damn cool. But hey, I am biased.

Year Long Placments

There’s been some questions knocking about on how to secure a year long placement and having started my career with one I thought I’d write a quick post on it.

The first thing to really bare in mind is that these are quite rare and that it is at the total discretion of an agency to give one outside of their usual grad scheme. You’ll be going there with little to no experience and it will take time and resources of the agency to get you up to speed to become useful to them. So what you have to barter on is your passion, willingness to learn and contribute beyond the call of duty (late hours) and that you’re cheap….really cheap. It’s not a pretty picture really but if you secure a year long placement I can’t begin to explain how invaluable it will be to your career. You’ll walk into grad schemes knowing how agency depts work, you’ll understand the processes and more than likely you’ll know more about the agency than your competition.

Secondly is getting in the door to be considered. The best thing to do is get your CV in total tip top quality. Rather than writing one which follows the standard template start to think about what someone in an ad agency will look for in an account assistant. It’ll be admin skills, co-ordination, commitment and dedication and also a glimpse that you’ll be a fun addition to the team. I tried a number of styles of cover letters to secure mine, the out there ones rarely worked to be honest, it was more the demonstration of passion and interest in the said agency and industry.

Thirdly, get really tight with the IPA. Call them up and ask to speak to someone who can give advice on graduate training schemes, then ask about a year long placement, do they know of any, how often do they come about, will you look at my CV and see if its ok and if you hear of one pass on my details. Send an A4 envelope with your CV and bespoke cover letter to every agency under the sun. It’s a DM campaign so the more you send the more chance you have to secure an interview. All this seeding should be done over the course of around 9 months before you want to take a placement. You may get one early but in case you don’t this kind of planning will allow you to chip away at the industry for a long period of time before you crack your way in. The more desks and HR people that see your name the more likely they’ll remember it if you come up again. Familiarity leads to consideration which leads to conversion.

Then when you secure that interview, it’s the case of researching that agency over and over again well as its competitors.

That’s the basics really, post a question if you want to know specifics.

Good luck

Anton

xx

The IPA's Essential Graduate Reading

Statcounter's trusty referrals feature has informed me that the IPA have released a newsletter that has all sorts of advertising related reading for y'all to catch up on.

It should be here.

And yeah, we're on there as well. That is damn cool.