
Q1. So, what have you been up to since you started at Earl & Thompson?
“Well, I started off my year in Client Services shadowing one of the Directors, Alex. Mostly I was just getting stuck in with everything to learn as much about the company and how it works as I could. Then, in September our Head of Production, Katie, went on maternity leave so I stepped in to cover while she was away, and I’ve been doing a combination of Production and Client Services work ever since.”
Q2. How have you found it working with us?
“It was very much in-at-the-deep-end but that’s great and I believe it’s the best way to learn. I remember my first few days were a bit of a shock to the system after two years at University (and lots of lie-ins!), but I soon got used to a normal working day and was certainly kept busy.
Starting in Production was a particularly daunting prospect as it was something I’d never done before and I had some big boots to fill, but again, being thrown in at the deep end was the best thing and I very quickly found my feet.
In general it’s been fantastic. Everyone is really lovely and they make a great team to work with.”
Q3. What have been your highlights and why?
“My highlights would have to be working on the REHAU Pre-Insulated Pipe campaign, working in Production, receiving Google Adwords training , and our Office Olympics (of course!).
Working on a client campaign is something I wanted to do before I even started as I knew that this would be the best way for me to learn about how an agency works. Working with REHAU gave me such a great opportunity to get involved with a campaign from concept creation to implementation.
Production is an obvious highlight because it’s something that I’ve learnt so much about. I started in Kate’s role having never done anything like it before and now it feels like second nature and has become a huge part of my working day.
The amount of production knowledge I’ll be taking away with me is probably enough to write a book!
Google Adwords and Analytics is something I’ve been keen to learn more about as it’s something that’s not really covered at University. While I have a very basic understanding of the principles behind both Adwords and Analytics, I thought the training I received was hugely beneficial and means I have a much better understanding of how it works.
Our Office Olympics were great fun! The Olympics provided a good excuse to invite some clients over, fire up the BBQ and compete in some ‘Olympic’ sports such as the scooter dash, chair curling, and nerf gun shooting.”
Q4. What have you learnt during your time here?
“I’ve learnt a huge amount! In particular I’ve gained a really solid understanding of how the business works and how the account managers work through a campaign.
When working with clients the account managers refer to the Earl & Thompson ‘Strategic Wheel’ as they feel it’s a natural model to follow. The fact that they put together a model that works is testament to the fact that they understand what their client needs, have a huge foundation of industry experience to work from, will not ‘bamboozle’ clients with jargon, and will work with a client throughout all stages of a campaign to ensure they achieve the best results possible.”
Q5. So, what are you plans for the future?
“Well, I’m back at University in September to finish my Marketing, Advertising and Communications degree which is going to feel very strange after having a year out of education! It’s definitely been worth it though and I know that when I go back to my assignments there will be a huge change in the way I approach marketing solutions as I now have first-hand experience of how they work when implemented.
Once I’ve graduated I have no fixed plans but I know that working as part of an agency is definitely a career I want to pursue.”
We’re delighted that Sophie has agreed to continue to work with us on a part-time basis throughout her final year and we wish her the best of luck with the pending dissertation!
Make a comment