J Walter Thompson London is looking for talented and enthusiastic people to train from scratch with an industry-leading programme, JWT Pioneers, to kick off in January 2017.
We know that talent comes in a variety of forms and from different backgrounds. You might be a recent graduate, a school leaver or, alternatively, you might have been working for a few years and realised you yearn to do something more creative. We really don’t mind what your background is – what matters to us is that you are Curious, Courageous, Capable and Collaborative.
Creative advertising is changing fast so while we are still on the lookout for people to join our three key disciplines of Account Management, Planning and Creative Production, we are also keen to hear from you if you are a STEM student with data and analytic skills. Perhaps you went to film school and are interested in working with our growing Content team, or have a background in events and PR and like the idea of joining our award winning Live team..?
Here is a bit more detail to help you get a better feel for the sorts of roles we recruit for at entry level:
LoginCreative Production is at the heart of the agency and is responsible for running the internal creative processes, overseeing the project from brief and creative development right through to the delivery of the finished print, content piece or digital execution. It is the force that holds the project together and drives it forward, anticipating any risks involved, taking ownership of the problems and ensuring that it’s delivered on time, on budget and to an exceptional standard.
Qualities and skills required
Creative Producers are innately proactive and must be armed with a “can-do” attitude at all times. They are the people that find solutions to problems that enable good work to become great, or late running work to be delivered on time. A good Creative Producer must be passionate, flexible, adaptable and have a responsible attitude. They keep the team positive even when the going gets tough, which it does from time to time.
CPs are resourceful and are often faced with problems that require the use of new or different technology to achieve success. As a result, a good CP constantly seeks to learn about new channels and production techniques with a view to not only benefitting their own projects but improving the agency’s overall digital offering.
J Walter Thompson London is the birthplace of Planning and home to one of the world’s largest and most diverse Planning departments.
Planners work closely with Clients, Creatives and Account Management, safeguarding the interests of consumers and championing ideas, so a critical love of creativity and the ability to work collaboratively with diverse groups of people are essential.
Core functions include: developing brand strategies to help client’s business performance through having an in-depth understanding of consumers’ behaviours and attitudes; writing and developing communications strategies and working closely with Creatives to help develop powerful ideas that come to life in any form. And of course, writing awards entries…
Qualities and skills required
Planners come in many shapes and sizes but all are characterized by a keen sense of curiosity, an overactive imagination and a fascination with how to connect with people. Planners need to be able to handle research data, analyse and synthesize it into simple, powerful, actionable insights. Numeracy as well as literacy skills allow Planners to tell a story as powerfully with numbers as with words and articulate arguments convincingly.
Account Management is the focal point of the agency’s relationship with the client. They work as part of a team to understand and contribute to their business objectives with a compelling communications strategy, ultimately developing and delivering an effective creative solution.
Account Managers are the axles in the wheels of the agency. As such, they work with all other departments, from Planning and Creative to TV and Digital Production, championing the strategy from concept to execution and driving the project from beginning to end. This means that one minute you could be on a shoot in London and the next on a video conference with Honduras discussing a social media campaign. It is your responsibility to relay information and maintain the client relationship throughout the process of creating work and beyond, and it is as much about nurturing and protecting the agency’s creative output as driving forward the client’s business.
Qualities and skills required
Account Managers are passionate about brands and business. They have a point of view on how communications can contribute to achieving clients’ objectives. Account Managers are great communicators. They may have many different styles of communicating but all do so with intelligence and understanding towards both the client’s business and the processes at play within the agency. They are very organised and adept at picking up and learning new skills quickly.
AMs operate with a keen sense of diplomacy; you will come across challenges that require intelligent management of both agency and client. AMs never give up: they persevere to deliver against their goals no matter what. Proactivity, professionalism and positivity are watchwords for great Account Managers.
Ultimately Account Management takes overall leadership and responsibility for the agency’s relationship with the client, including the financial element, so commercial savvy completes the unique blend of skills that make up the very best JWT Account Managers.
Training and ‘On the Job’ Work Experience
You will participate in the very best early entry training programme in the business combining focussed structured training modules with practical learning by experience . You will gain essential industry qualifications from the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA), and throughout your career you will continue to participate in our award winning Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programme.
Our training programme is designed to fast track you into an operational role. And if you’re anything like the trainees we’ve had in previous years, it won’t be long before you’re making waves in the industry; our trainees have risen to become CEOs here at JWT.
You’ll benefit from a structured development programme, starting with an intensive immersion learning
key skills across the full range of specialisms: Account Management, Creative Production and Planning. In
addition, you will receive strategic development and presentation skills training, as well as a thorough
grounding in the nuts and bolts of your day-to-day job.
You will study and take core industry qualifications such as the IPA Foundation Certificate: this year we
achieved the best results of any Creative agency. And as your career develops we will support you to take
all the IPA qualifications so that you can achieve your chartered MIPA status:we know the importance of
professionalism and proven expertise.
You will receive a broad ranging introduction to the industry with visits to media owners such as Google, production companies and other key creative production partners. You will also learn about disciplines such as Social, Content, Experiential, Sports Sponsorship, and Shopper Marketing, and spend time with other partner WPP communications businesses.
One of the really unique benefits of JWT’s programme is that you will train as part of a cohort of trainees from Creative Production, Account Management and Planning meaning that your integrated knowledge and sense of fellowship across departments is fostered immediately.
The programme culminates in two events. First, the week-long residential J.Walter Thompson International Craft Skills Seminar to consolidate your learning so far, which is hosted by a different JWT European office each year – Athens, Warsaw and Lisbon are recent venues. You will work alongside counterparts from across the JWT global network on a live client brief and make lasting international friendships. Second, the Chrissie Barker Award, which goes to the highest performer at the end of their first year. The prize is a two-week placement at a JWT office of your choice, anywhere in the world.Tokyo and Sydney have been recent winners’ picks.
JWT holds the highest industry training accolades: a record seven times IPA CPD Gold winner and current holder of four IPA Platinum Awards for sustained excellence in professional development. This means you will not find a better training programme in any other agency and we are passionate about your development throughout your career at JWT.
and finally…
We’ll start you off with a competitive salary and a bonus on your first day: plus 23 days holiday,
life assurance, long-term disability insurance and health cover. Your salary will increase in line with your
performance – along with other benefits like further holidays and bonuses. Then there are all sorts of
little extras, from discounts at local gyms to subsidised massages. Our office in Knightsbridge has a
subsidised restaurant and bar and a rooftop terrace with views over Harrods and Harvey Nichols.