An insight into the big bad world of work
Its’s not always about the winning, it’s all about the taking part.
This year I was one of three of the chosen mentors for the PANI (Publicity Association of Northern Ireland) Ulster University Student competition within Ardmore. It was great to experience this opportunity, allowing me to share my love and enthusiasm for Media, as well as, working at Ardmore.
It also gave me the chance to mentor and manage a team of different ages, stages, interests and subjects which I hadn’t done before. Watching the students develop their initial idea and creative flow, to their final work and pitch, (including going on to win the competition) was an honour. Essentially, bring their work to life. Their work is clear indication of how talented and how far each of the students will go. They will be snatched up in no time!
Getting to see all elements of their campaign come together (not just from the everyday media side) but from the brief, strategic planning, creative ideas, copywriting, final artwork and the pitch…I loved every minute of it!
Of course, the experience showed the students the reality of agency working, what the big, bad world of work is really like. All the components that come together on a day to day basis in Ardmore. Receiving the brief, working together, meetings, strategising, bouncing ideas of each other, work delegation and the importance of communication. In true agency style the team worked under pressure with an incoming strict deadline and they pulled it out of the bag to produce some stellar work!
About the competition
The Ulster University student competition hosted by PANI happens annually involves a variety of advertising agencies within NI, with 2-3 mentors volunteering to take on a group of Ulster University students. The mentors advise from start to finish a campaign brief for a chosen charity to executing the idea into a pitch, with the aim of winning and running the campaign live.
PANI is one of the longest established marketing and communication associations, which hosts annual programmes of business, education, and social events. This allows everyone in our industry, media owners, suppliers, advertising agencies etc to come together network, share knowledge, socialise, promote and celebrate as one.
About the charity
The chosen charity this year was Parenting NI. This deserving charity provides free support to parents across NI, with an advice centre, freephone helpline and other services, with trained staff and volunteers offering help to not only parents but anyone in a parenting role.
Who was it for?
Ulster University students in first or second year group studying within the following degrees – Graphic Design, Communication, Advertising and Marketing and Communication, Management PR.
What did the students get out of it?
The students got to experience a real-life brief from start to finish, coming into the offices and gaining a better understanding of the many roles involved within an advertising agency.
They also experienced working under deadlines, long office workdays, booking and working in meeting rooms, real life presentations and presenting skills and most of all teamwork.
What did I get out of it?
The mentoring was a new experience for me personally and one I really enjoyed. My role every day is media, media and media, but getting to ride the journey with the students from receiving the brief right through to the pitch was insightful, fun and educational. (Bringing the trophy home was a nice bonus too)
A main part of this experience which stood out for me the most was at the awards night – when the panel announced the winners, one glamorous individual shared a valuable piece of advice to the students awaiting the results. Which goes along the line off, “You don’t always win…in agency life and life in general. You have highs and lows. You work hard for a tender, put all you have into a pitch, go up against the competition. It doesn’t always go your way. That is just how the cookie crumbles.”
We hope this is just the first in a long line of career wins for our team of students and we’re so glad we got to go along for the ride.
Ardmore mentors 2022 – Rebecca, Alex and Paul.
A Big Thank You – to PANI, Parenting NI but most important the students for taking part.
