The DMA and IDM have joined forces with the Graeme Robertson Trust to woo potential agency creatives with a new “speed dating” mentoring programme, designed to get students to consider a career in the direct marketing industry.
Dubbed the Big Book Crit, students are invited to spend an evening with top industry professionals who can offer feedback and advice on breaking into the creative sector.
The Big Book Crit offers young people a chance to share their portfolio with creative directors and other senior creatives and will be run quarterly in five regional hubs: London, Norwich, Bristol, Manchester and Edinburgh and is free to attend.
Proximity creative director Rob Kavanagh said: “This event will give students direct access to highly experienced professionals to practice presenting their work, taking feedback and gain insight on what to expect from a career in the creative sector.”
The sessions will be split into three sections kicking off with a short topical talk, followed by individual book and portfolio critiques, and then finishing up with some time to network and hang out.
Big Dog creative managing partner Cordell Burke added: “Think of it as speed-dating for creatives. It’s a great way to learn how to present your ideas clearly and concisely.”
The event is open to students at any stage of their course who already have an existing book of work.
Kate Burnett, managing director of employability at the IDM said: “We’ve been working on ways to improve the employability chances for students and this fantastic initiative is proof of our ongoing commitment in this area. It will give access to some of the most experienced creatives in the direct and digital industry right across the country which we believe is very important.”
