Last week my fellow ‘Nester’, Andrew gave a tantalising review of the first week of the 12-week journey we are travelling together. Now it is my turn to introduce myself and give you the low down on week two of The Nest.
Walking into Leo Burnett for the first time I had no idea what to expect. To be honest, the world of marketing and advertising is a new adventure for me and everything just seemed so foreign.
This year, rather than pursuing my psychology and gender studies background, I started my Masters of Marketing. I found that I wanted to be able to communicate with people on a mass level instead of just one on one. I quickly realised that I enjoyed marketing more than I could have ever imagined and I began looking for opportunities to work in the field so I could have an idea of what exactly I was getting myself into. Because really, as many before me have discovered, nothing is like it is at Uni.
The Nest internship is a dream opportunity. Being able to work on both client side at an established company like Diageo, and being involved with agency work at a top creative agency like Leo Burnett. Amazing!
So what exactly have I been up to? A little bit of everything.
From the casual first day where I was introduced to my mentor, Natasha Floyer and shown to my desk in the bustling office, to coming back the next day and being happily thrown into working on real life accounts and being given my own projects.
I am fortunate enough to be working on the Diageo account and therefore I have a large range of brands that I am able to work across. No two brands are the same and I am learning something different with each one. Jumping swiftly between brands with such different characteristics and ethos has been one of the most challenging and rewarding aspects of this internship so far.
It is exciting to feel that even after only two weeks I am already starting to settle in, gaining all-important guidance, mentorship and camaraderie that will no doubt be invaluable for my future career.
A ‘Nester’s’ lesson so far…
Prick up your ears. Listen carefully and just take everything in. This is a fast paced environment and at times it can be hard not feeling slightly lost. Whilst a little daunting at first, being able to participate in lively briefing meetings is enjoyable and inspiring. That’s the great thing about The Nest – it is a learning experience and everyone is more than willing to help.
I can’t wait to see what the next 10 weeks have in store. Stay tuned because my fellow ‘Nesters’ and I will be keeping you updated on where The Nest takes us!
And I’ll have you know that not one single coffee run has been done!
Justine Simmonds
The Nest, 2014