A different perspective
By now you’ve read about the experiences of Liz, Andrew, Justine, Steph and Alex, all former or current ‘Nesters’, and while this program was created to give first-hand insight into this industry to people just like them, they are not the only ones who are benefiting from it.
We are Neil and Grace from Leo Burnett and we are fortunate enough to be mentors to this year’s ‘Nesters’. We both got our foot in the door several years ago through either working in the old Leo Burnett mail room or a different graduate program respectively; so we know how much these opportunities mean to people trying to get that first bit of experience.
What’s in it for us?
It’s very refreshing to be able to focus some of your time and energy on an initiative that helps other people. What we’ve come to realise though is that the ‘Nesters’ are actually helping us too. They’re helping us become better managers - having to plan for their development, answering refreshing questions (i.e. is it called a brief because it needs to be short?) - allowing us to learn our craft in more detail, and overall giving us an even deeper appreciation for how lucky we are to have chosen to work in an industry such as ours.
Our advice to others in our position
If someone comes to your door asking for experience or advice, or offering you their time so they can learn, do yourself a favour and accept. Not only will you be helping to nurture the future talent of our industry, but you will also find it personally rewarding and may even learn a thing or two yourself.
Neil Duncan, Business director and Grace Kluver senior business manager
Leo Burnett Sydney
The Nest 2014