Graduate people

In their own words, some WPP Fellows who have participated in the Program:

Anna
Dale
Dan
Milla
Rick
Scott
Tiffany
Micha

One of the best parts of the Fellowship is being allowed to decide what to do and where to do it. A tailor-made excursion that caters to your curiosity, intellect and imagination all at the same time. And at the end of it, there will be no two people with the same experience, because there are no two people who are ever exactly alike.

When I started to look at graduate jobs some three years back, I noticed that many companies like to adopt a cookie cutter approach in recruiting graduates as well as training them. Everyone does the same rotations, in the same places with the same mentors. And this often holds true for banks, law firms and creative agencies alike. So it was a real surprise when I came across WPP’s Fellowship. Why should a batch of graduates with different degrees, strengths, interests and aspirations be put through identical paces? Well, the answer is, they shouldn’t.

I spent my first year with a market research company in London. It was a great introduction to consumer insights and brand strategy developments, because you get involved before advertising agencies, PR companies or even brand consultants do. It is a first opportunity at shaping a brand. In my second year, I chose to work for Ogilvy Advertising, also in London, as a planner. This meant helping and being given real responsibilities for planning campaigns from WWF, DHL and Zovirax, to new business pitches and getting to work alongside some amazing creative teams and other gurus.

Now, in my final year, I am sitting in Dubai working for Landor, a brand consultancy. I am the first Fellow to come to the Middle East. I wanted to come to experience the local market boom and to work in an entirely different culture. I can’t think of any other graduate program that would have let me do this. I am a little sad that my three years will soon be up. But I can’t wait to meet the newcomers and see what they get up to. [Return to top of page]

Dale

Leaving University, there are tough decisions to make. It’s tempting to believe that a whole new world is about to open up right in front of your eyes; that you are stood at a junction with a thousand mouth-watering career paths shooting off in all manner of directions, and that one of these paths has been laid especially for you. The reality is that our career aspirations are untested, and it’s all too easy to don the blinkers, hope for the best, and walk blindly into a restrictive training program only to regret it later.

Thankfully, the WPP Fellowship offers an alternative. New graduates are rewarded with the opportunity to sample different areas of a wildly diverse group of companies, and to work with senior people in the world’s greatest cities.

I spent my first rotation at RKCR/Y&R, one of WPP’s London advertising agencies. After being trained for two months in all things adland, I managed advertising campaigns for two high-profile clients. The learning curve was steep, but working every day with intelligent, witty and passionate colleagues ensured that my introduction to advertising was great fun. Banking that experience, I then realised a long-held ambition by following the global spotlight out to Asia. Here I work as a 360° Strategic Planner across emerging markets including China and India from my base in Shanghai, where the pace of change is mindblowing and the can-do spirit utterly infectious. My third rotation takes me back to London, and to Wembley Stadium, where I’ll be lucky enough to join some of the UK’s leading marketers bidding to bring the 2018 World Cup to England.

The skills and experience gained from three totally different positions are invaluable in an industry that is increasingly international and multidisciplinary. Furthermore, by offering the freedom to choose the business experience that is best suited to the individual, a WPP Fellowship ensures there is time to open your eyes, heart and mind to the opportunities that are out there so that you won’t rush into one of those jobs you might later regret. [Return to top of page]

Dan

As I began my final year of university and faced the mild terror of having to find a job, I realized just how boring my life was to become and how much I was going to miss my friends, but like every other graduate engineer I was destined for a bog-standard engineering job. I excitedly began to browse the catalogue of places I could work, but to my dismay the selection was limited to some of the world’s least glamorous locations, such as Newport, Derby, Teesside, and (God help me) Surrey. After a decade of wanting to be an engineer, I couldn’t think of anything I’d like to do less.

And then by some twist of fate I met Jon Steel, who explained what the Fellowship involved: Three agencies, a different company each year, with a global choice of countries in which to work. To paraphrase Jerry Maguire, “he had me at three agencies”. A few months later I was punching the air as Jon offered me the job over the phone.

Now I’m working at Penn, Schoen & Berland in London, one of the most influential political research and strategy agencies in the world. The work is challenging, the clients are unbelievable, and my co-workers are some of the brightest people I have ever met – a job that will be hard to beat in my next two placements. The irony is that it is these three factors, and not the locations, which I find most appealing about the Fellowship now. Rest assured, the Fellowship will push your skills to the limit, you’ll work on some of the best projects out there, and most importantly, you’ll meet some fantastic new people. A little bit like university, but better. [Return to top of page]

Milla

Any of my friends or family would tell you I caught the travel bug a long time ago and I just don’t seem able to shake it. Studying languages at university, namely Chinese and German, kept my symptoms to a minimum for a few years, but the inevitable time came when I had to form some sort of plan to keep a roof over my head and a spring in my step.

I actually completed the application form and my first interview from my sofa in Beijing and it wasn’t until I arrived in London for the final round that I fully grasped just how incredible the Fellowship opportunities were. I was wowed by the dynamism of the company, enjoyed how engaging and individual the interviews were and most importantly, felt excited that not having a preconceived career plan to follow was actively encouraged. The Fellowship is all about broadening your horizons and finding your niche through trial and error; it is as useful to know what roles there are that don’t suit you as it is to find the ones that do.

My first placement was decided for me and it has been fantastic. Jumping into brand strategy agency Added Value in London with little or no real knowledge of market research, insight or brand development, was daunting at first, but I would recommend it to anyone. After only 6 months I have already gained so much invaluable experience, learned so many new skills and worked alongside so many inspirational people. Who knew that diamonds, pet food and toilet paper all club together to form a working week for some people?

Recently I have sensed the tell-tale signs of relapse; the all-too-familiar itching in my temporarily stationary feet…but this is no bad thing. It’s certainly nothing another year in another agency in another country can’t cure…For my 2nd year I am looking to Asia again; hoping to explore a world of advertising or digital media. The hardest thing for me now will be to put my excitement for next year on hold while I continue to love my role here in London. [Return to top of page]

Rick

Good grief, what had changed so fast?

At university I aspired to variety and breadth of knowledge. I didn’t want to sacrifice thinking creatively, nor analytically, as I had always liked both. So I balanced art and science, right and left brain, theory and practice. I explored areas of study that sparked my interest then latched onto the most compelling ones with vigour. For me, this proved an enriching and thoroughly enjoyable tack.

Towards the end of my studies though, most people stopped reassuring me that I was young and still had time to figure things out. Apparently I needed to decide, then and there, what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. The pursuit of variety was suddenly deemed illogical. “Indicative of aberrant, directionless soul-searching”, as one particular careers advisor kindly informed me.

Fortunately, in the Fellowship I have found a graduate scheme that recognises it is more effective (and rewarding) for many graduates to benefit from multidisciplinary experience prior to solidifying their career path. In my view, the opportunity to perform different functional work, in different markets and cultures, is unmatched by any graduate program in any industry.

Plus, this variety comes with remarkable scope. At minimum you will learn fast, develop fast, and progress fast. However, much like the Autobahn, there is no set speed limit. Feel free to floor it if you are game. And why not? You have the inimitable support of high-calibre parent and operating company mentors. Mentors at board level of companies that span continents; that deliver best-in-class marketing services.

I am spending my first rotation at JWT in London, working daily with the Worldwide Head of Planning. I can’t help but feel a little smug that most of those “directionless” subject choices at university have already helped me in building brands. This industry rewards diverse perspectives; human capital that is in fact human. As I look around at some of my friends, who have tried to wedge their circular selves into inflexible, square graduate schemes, I am sincerely grateful that I have found one that can wrap itself around whatever shape you aspire to be. [Return to top of page]

Scott

When I finished university, I found the prospect of making a narrow and definitive career choice to be as ludicrous as it was daunting. So I was understandably grateful to secure a place on the WPP Fellowship scheme. I see the Fellowship as not too dissimilar from a ‘try-before-you-buy’ offer. It gives you an opportunity to build and develop a career that caters not only to your immediate needs and interests, but also operates at a pace that enables you to make a more informed decision about your longer-term marketing career.

I’ve spent my first year at Mindshare in London. It has proved to be a challenging and yet rewarding year. The company was restructured a short time before I arrived (I assure you the two events were unconnected) and for that I consider myself lucky. At my age, it has been an eye-opening experience to work during the implementation of a restructure and to be cognisant of the challenges and opportunities (both anticipated and unanticipated) that such a change presents.

All the while, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to work on projects that compliment my passions. I couldn’t believe my luck when I was asked to help with the development of the sponsorship strategy of one of the official partners of the forthcoming FIFA World Cup in 2010. I’ve certainly been the envy of a lot of my friends.

In these uncertain times, it reassures me to know that WPP has invested in my future and is willing to stand alongside me as my career develops. And that is important to remember: your WPP association doesn’t have to end, and shouldn’t end after three years. As Jon Steel puts it: “There’s no such thing as an ex-Fellow”.

I have an idea of what I want to do next year, but I’ve yet to finalise my plans. I do know that by the end of my three years, I want to be more experienced, have a more balanced understanding of the marketing world and to remain just as ambitious. I’m confident the scheme will allow me to achieve all these goals. The Fellowship has proven to be a fantastic experience so far, I have enjoyed it immensely and I am very proud to be a part of it. [Return to top of page]

Tiffany

So, if you’ve read this far, you know what the WPP Fellowship is about. And for the record, all the great things you’ve heard? True. And I’m saying this not as a fresh-faced 1st year Fellow, but as an old, wizened former-Fellow.

I’m fascinated by the fact that everyone’s Fellowship journey is different. My path took me from an account manager at Millward Brown, to an account planner at JWT, to a brand strategist at Landor. I ended up as a strategy director at Mindshare London, in a newly formed strategy department. Hand on heart, when I started the Fellowship, I never thought I’d end up at a media agency – but I’m incredibly glad I have.

However, rotating off the Fellowship was not the end of my relationship with WPP. Once a Fellow, always a Fellow! There are still Fellow’s events to attend, interview panels to be part of and my WPP mentor is still someone whose opinion I respect and seek. And perhaps most amazing of all, this year WPP offered three ex-Fellows the opportunity to take a month off work to go and work in an NGO in Brazil. I was lucky enough to be one of those three, and this June found myself in the middle of the Atlantic rainforest, developing a brand and communication strategy for a conservation and community development NGO. I can honestly say it was one of the most challenging and inspiring things I’ve ever done in my life. I have the Fellowship and WPP’s ongoing investment in my career to thank for that. [Return to top of page]

Micha

Straight out of university I had no concrete vision of the future, but I knew I wanted to start exploring one direction – the world of communications. I was fascinated by the ways that people, businesses and groups speak to each other and portray themselves. The Fellowship offered the perfect chance to discover, to plunge head-first into three different environments, an invaluable first step in working out where to go next. I entered the Fellowship wanting to cast the net wide to give myself as broad a taste as possible of what the industry had to offer. Year one was at Henley Centre HeadlightVision (now The Futures Company), a trends consultancy in London, where I was involved in long-term contextual thinking, using broader economic, social and technological shifts, alongside some really inspiring minds. Year two was as a planner at Ogilvy, Beijing, where I had the chance to delve into that vast and rapidly evolving culture, at a time when all eyes are on China, focussing on beauty brands and young urban women. Year three involved another big move, as I relocated to JWT in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where I became familiar with another rising economic power with a cultural heritage that is globally admired and has a strong atmosphere of creativity. My focus there was on luxury brands in a developing market context, as well as work on a global FMCG brand repositioning.

After the Fellowship I joined Digit, an interactive communications agency back in London, where I established the planning team in a sector of the industry that is thriving with new ways of thinking about the world and how brands can relate to people within it. This industry is crowded, competitive and constantly changing and I believe it is really important to develop your own style and point of view about what makes good communications. The Fellowship gave me the opportunities, support and confidence I needed to fully explore that. [Return to top of page]