“Break into Advertising” An event for creative young people
Read about our ‘get hired’ day at Ogilvy with Grey Health Group and MEC. Written by our guest blogger and attendee Mabinty Taylor-Kamara, 18, London.
On the 6th October 2017, a group of young people from all different walks of life, gathered at the London Office of one of the most thriving advertising companies in the UK. When I arrived at the location, I was immediately drawn in by the pretty interior. The reception area was professional and neat yet at the same time cool and creative. It really created a relaxed environment and already I felt excited for the day to commence.
The event started with the three businesses present (Ogilvy, MEC and Grey Health Group) introducing themselves, what they did and the different sectors of their respective firms. This was informative and gave everybody a clear idea of what advertising includes eliminating any doubts and preconceptions about the industry.
We then went on to listen to the panel, made up of different employees within the 3 companies. They shared their experiences of work, education and getting the jobs they have now as well answering questions from the young people in the audience. It was really interesting to see the diversity among the panel members; all from different backgrounds, completely different interests and academic abilities, some with degrees and some without. Despite their numerous differences they all had 2 things in common:
- They all had a interest in advertising (some more than others) and were willing to explore the field.
- They were all determined to be successful AND were willing to make this happen regardless of how many times they heard the word no.
All in all, the Panel Talk was really good and it was effective in teaching me how to push forward my career.
The next part of the event was a workshop split into 3 parts; speed interviews, working on a brief and speed mentoring. My group started with the speed interviews where, in pairs, we are asked a set of questions that commonly come up in interviews and had to answer them. Daunting as it may seem, this was really useful as many of us young people panic, stutter or generally don’t show our full potential at interviews. I learnt that I need to keep calm, listen properly to the questions being asked to ensure that’s what I answer and also bring in my experiences (academic and work) wherever possible. Working on a brief was really fun. If you choose to go into advertising you will have to do so, and brainstorming ideas is the first stage. The main skills I would say we all developed on were confidence and creativity. It’s okay to be wrong, at the end of the day what’s important is that you share your ideas and also think out of the box.
The last part was a speed mentoring session, where we got to speak to the panelists and a few other employees from the company but this time in smaller groups allowing us to ask specific questions and find out more about what they did in their day to day jobs. They also checked our CV’s and gave us improvements based on what they would look for in a candidate applying for a job. I would say this session was potentially my favourite part of the day as I was able to get advice that was tailored to me and my career path. The individuals that we spoke to were down to earth and gave us practical advice on how to succeed. Many of them weren’t too far from our ages and this re-emphasised that you’re never to young to start your career and build your future as long as you’re willing to take chances and be proactive.
In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed this event. Not only did it open my eyes to the variety of roles available in advertising but it also allowed me to develop and learn new skills as well as getting direct advice from professionals, which I believe more and more young people should be able to receive. It was a truly insightful day and I thank uptree for allowing me to attend this wonderful event.
