Hello there!
My name’s Niamh (nee-ve). I’m Propaganda’s newest junior copywriter, so it seemed fitting to write a little something for the blog.
I recently left the comfort of full time education after spending the past four years at the University of Leeds, doing a BA in English Literature and an MA in Advertising & Design.
In my quest to land a job, I explored the wilderness and interned around agencies in the North, so I thought I’d share my top tips for fellow grads, students and other job hunters.
Beggars can’t be choosers, but keep a list of places you admire
Keep a list of the top 10 places you admire. Chances are that if a company appeals to you for the right reasons, it’s more likely to be a better fit.
I had my eye on Propaganda long before I approached them for an internship. My Masters was taught between the business and design school, and had a focus on using creative strategies to fix marketing problems. The fact that Propaganda don’t operate like a traditional agency, and factor in how their work effects their client’s business appealed to me. I was also really keen to learn about their Discovery model – and so far so good.
Approaching Agencies
The first lecture of my Masters was all about approaching agencies. From standing outside a train station with a cardboard sign to making creatively themed CVs, students have a tendency to trip over themselves trying to make their applications stand out.
My advice would be:
Be bold and feel free to ignore convention. Inject your personality into your application – if you’re not having fun writing it, chances are it won’t be a good read. If the traditional format of a CV doesn’t fit with what you have to say, then change it.
But – don’t do something if you’re not 100% comfortable with it or if there’s no point to it. I witnessed one agency get a gift bag full of objects that related to their brand. At first I thought this was really clever, until the HR staff pointed out that all it told them was that the applicant had read their website. Don’t waste a chance to promote yourself.
Enter D&AD New Blood! In fact, just enter everything you can
I’m a 2015 new blood winner & entering awards really helps you stand out. My advice – pick a brief you feel passionate about – your response will be all the better.
I answered a brief for the charity Theirworld (look them up & sign their online petition!), that was all about getting girls into education through technology. They liked my idea so much that they’re using it for a campaign next year – so watch this space.
The 2016 briefs have just been released – give them a go. Whether you win or not it looks great in your portfolio. And if you do win, the awards ceremony has a free bar.