Saatchi X Grads @saatchixgrads-blog - Tumblr Blog

Networking Top Tips

Charlotte's top tip is...keep in touch with your new contacts, not just when you need them.

Hannah's top tip is...be unique to be remembered, she carried a nose flute with her!

Silje's top tip....know your stuff, make sure you've done your research & always have a good example on hand relevant to the agency.

Charlotte's top tip.....be interested and interesting. Having a wide range of interests will always help you with this.

#SSXGrads SSXtips

The one thing I have learnt from my time at Saatchi & Saatchi X…

Don’t panic, there is still time.

We all spend our final year of university nose to grind stone, bashing out dissertations and final projects and revising our arses off for those all-important degrees, whilst other students around us harp on about their placement here, or their internship there, or their amazing post-uni "gup yar". So it feels like the pressure is on, get the degree, get the dream job, do it all and do it now!

But it is so not the case.

To anyone else in the world, you are a baby, you have so much potential and so many different ways you could go. If you decide in 4-5 years’ time you are in the wrong career, then you are only 26-27, still very young and with bags of time to decide and flit around.

My favourite thing to do to demonstrate this is tell people what year you were born in. Us grads here at SSX were born in 1989-91, and it makes the rest of the agency’s jaws drop. Most of them were already in school by then, some in secondary school and some were even at university or working.

You look to them like the world is your oyster, and it is. Who cares if you do not get a grad scheme straight out of uni? Only me and Hannah got a traditional “grad scheme” from SSX, the other three applied to junior level jobs, which are advertised all year round (yes even after you have graduated).

Take some time to look back on what you have achieved already. You probably haven’t stopped since you were 16. You have taken exams every summer for 6+ years. Give yourself a pat on the back and cut yourself some slack.

I think the person who puts all this best is Baz Luhrmann. Take a listen to this song and relax; leave the worrying to the old people.

Over and out.

Ellie x

#worldsyouroyster #advertising #advice

7 Things to do to Prepare for your Advertising Interview

From my recent foray into the advertising world I have compiled a list of 7 things you need to do to prepare for an interview for a role in advertising. Some of these are general advice and others specific for advertising.

Research

Make sure you research the agency you are interviewing for. This does not just mean who owns the company, but what kind of advertising they are ie Below the Line, Above the Line, Experiential, Digital, etc. Saatchi X is Shopper Marketing and I know that the senior team look for this knowledge in interview. Also look for any blogs or coverage in industry media, make sure you know how the company fits into the wider advertising world.

Re-read the job description

The job description is your first clue of what they will be asking you about in the interview. If an agency emphasises a particular quality in the job description then they are very likely to ask you if you have the quality, or ask you to tell them about a time you have demonstrated that quality. Go through the job description and think about how you answer each of the points they are looking for.

Getting there

Make sure you know exactly where you are going and give yourself time. Use Google Maps, or an equivalent to find exactly where you are going, and calculate how long it will take. Have the reception’s phone number in your phone, just in case you do get lost and need directions, and bear in mind things like rush hour and any road works/planned engineering works which might slow you down. Give yourself some wriggle room time-wise, the worst that will happen is that you arrive early and have to hang around in a coffee shop until it is time for your interview.

Portfolios/Presentations

You may be asked to make a presentation or bring your portfolio to showcase your work. If you are bringing your portfolio, make sure you can say succinctly what each project was. Challenge yourself to a 30 second elevator-pitch style speech about the portfolio as a whole. The interviewer may just flick through very quickly not giving you a chance to talk in detail about any one piece. Also make sure you have a favourite piece and are able to talk about it in terms of the type of advertising the agency creates. If you have a presentation, make sure you are comfortable presenting with interruptions and questions, be prepared to expand on any of the points you are making and talk around the subject. Also be prepared for technical issues, ie no internet and a computer not reading your memory stick, to combat this bring a paper version and have several different ways of accessing the presentation (memory stick, email, Dropbox). The interviewer may criticise your portfolio or presentation, so be prepared for constructive criticism and to react and discuss if a piece does have shortcomings.

Be prepared for anything

This does not mean think of anything, but do not expect an advertising interview to be like others you have had. Advertising as an industry likes to think of itself as unpredictable and spontaneous, and the agency you are applying for may want to test your mettle in these respects. This may be a random question about the future of cows or even trying to disrupt the traditional interview process by holding your hand throughout. There is not really a way to prepare for these kind of interview techniques except knowing that they might do this. Some may not do this at all, but just be warned.

Ask questions

Prepare a couple of questions about the company. There are the general ones like what is the process from here, are there any more interviews etc, but make sure you ask the nosy ones too. Not nosy wanting to know how old the interviewer is, but nosy about the agency. If you want to know how the agency works, how many people are in the team you are interviewing for, whether this is a new role or you are replacing someone else, then you are showing a genuine interest in the agency and the job. There may be other questions that come to you throughout the interview, but make sure you have at least two you can ask. Do not go overboard, asking 10+, but make sure you have a couple.

Relax

Easier said than done of course, but if you have got an interview they already believe you may be right for the job. They have a role to fill and are looking to fill it, so they want you to do well and be the right person. Breath, smile and remember they want to employ you.

Think I have missed anything or want more advice on interviews? Tweet or use our Ask Us Anything page to get in touch.

#advertising #interviews #advice #marketing

Charlotte the Grad Planner's funky egg! I tawt I taw a puddy tat! #ssxgrads

#ssxgrads

The Saatchi X Grads out for Coffee and Cinnamon Buns at the Nordic Bakery.

We have earlier posted about Lovemarks - brands that we LOVE and would choose over any other competitor, even if there are cheaper options around.

So I want to ask you - which brands do you have an emotional connection with? Which brands do you show loyalty beyond reason and will choose time and time again, whatever your friends might think or say?

Personally, I have three.

First of all, there's Vichy, a French skincare brand. I will not buy any other makeup remover, skin lotion or cleanser from any other brand. If I run out and can't find it anywhere, I will (painfully) go without until I can track it down.

Then there's Nike Running shoes. My feet's best friends. No other running or workout shoes gives me the same support or great feeling as this brand.

Finally, I have a certain love for Lurpak Lightest. Don't get me wrong here - I do not have a love for butter. But when I do buy spread, this is the one. I might go for Lurpak Light if I find that Lightest is sold out, but I will not turn to a different make.

So there you go, my Lovemarks. What's yours?

www.lovemarks.com - The Future Beyond Brands

- S

#SSXGrads ShopperX

Charlotte the graduate planner is off doing retailer interviews this morning on Oxford Street.

Charlotte the Graduate Planner's To-Do list for today.

The Worlds first QR code Sushi

Look out for both Ellie and Hannah in the video, and have a look at how this brilliant piece of work came to life!

#SSXGrads ShopperX

Three take on the big guns with MJ Dressage

We were all taken by dancing horses over the summer with the GB's Charlotte DuJardin and Natasha Baker winning dressage Olympic/Paralympic golds.

So building on this Three have created a moonwalking Shetland pony.

The campaign is emphasising the importance of pointless videos as millions of videos are shared each year, and the increasing data usage needed to accommodate these videos.

I have already seen it shared on my Facebook page about 5 times - kind of a self creating prophesy but either way I do have a lot of time for this video.

#danceponydance #advertising #challengerbrand

Now we all love a bit of chicken, and where better to get your chicken fix than from Nandos?

I just want to take a second to appreciate all the great adverts and instore creative that the brand produces

They really know who they are talking to and get the tone of the ad just right, keeping the chicken-children coming back for more

#shopper #nandos #ads #brands

Launch of the new HTC One

Yesterday was the official launch of the new HTC One at Phones4U in Oxford Street, London. The HTC team here at Saatxchi & Saatchi X has worked very hard on this project - designing, creating, thinking, and negotiating. They all deserve a great round of applause for their brilliant work!