the7stars Graduate Programme 2017
Who are the7stars? the7stars launched in 2005 with a clear view that advertisers deserved a better type of media agency. Our task was, and still is, to create an agency that has brilliant ideas, delivers stronger deals, and is a better place to work. Just over ten years later and our determination has paid off. Now the UK s most successful independent media agency, we are growing faster than ever and our efforts have not gone unnoticed. 2015 saw us crowned as both Media Week s and Campaign s Media Agency of the Year, and we maintained our place as a Top 20 Best Small Company to work for according to the Sunday Times in 2017. We have built the agency based on a clear set of values: independence, transparency, teamwork, best-deals and smart planners. We work with clients across sectors including retail, FMCG, fashion, music, automotive and travel. Working at the7stars means having all the benefits of an independent agency without losing those that come from a large one. Our aim is to deliver a dynamic service, free from unnecessary process, to best suit the needs of our clients. This means taking the time needed to really understand client challenges and recommend solutions independent of group deals and other cost-saving pressures.
the7stars Graduate Programme What does the programme entail? Permanent role, with development across the first 2 years Training from day 1, enrolling onto graduate training both internally & externally Training opportunities that are tailored to you. We offer bespoke training packages to develop existing and further skills Enrolling onto the IPA Foundation Certificate, an industry wide qualification developing you across all advertising disciplines Roles available across the agency (dependent on business requirement) Am I eligible? We consider applicants from all academic backgrounds & subjects. You ll need to have or be expecting a minimum 2:1 in your first undergraduate degree (or Level 6 RQF equivalent), or equivalent international undergraduate degree and you ll need at least a C in GCSE Mathematics & English Rewards & Benefits Starting Salary: 21,000 Performance review every 6 months Access to all our amazing benefits, including but not limited to; Medical Insurance & Cashback Pension Scheme Profit Share Holiday Allowance (or lack of!) Free Gym Membership Season Ticket Loan Cycle & Tech PAYE Scheme Free Breakfast & Fruit Access to the7stars bar & Payday Drinks
the7stars Application process Stage 1 Applications Close: 10 th Sept (but we encourage you to apply as early as possible!) Apply online at the7stars.co.uk/careers Send in your CV & Covering Letter detailing why you would love to work at the7stars Stage 2 Assessment Submissions Due: 25 th Sept Successful candidates will be invited to complete a short assessment task This comprises of a set of media questions and a short writing task You will also be required to complete a maths test Stage 3 Interviews: 11th October Candidates who have demonstrated a strong grasp of the assessment task will be invited for interview Interviews take place across the course of a day and will test candidates across a variety of disciplines, skills & behaviors
A week in the life of the7stars grad Katy MONDAY I must admit, I had breakfast before I left this morning, but I am a little peckish after my walk from the station so I head up to our bar for some fresh fruit. We are super lucky here at the7stars to have an abundance of seasonal fresh fruit daily (including avocados, it s true), all the cereal & porridge you could wish for, yoghurts, nuts, snacks and a full-on barista coffee machine. I head back down to my team and, as we do every Monday morning, we get together for our Team Panda meeting. We have animal team names here, and of course a Zoo Keeper to head up each team (it becomes normal very quickly). After catching up on the weekend s events, we discuss the week ahead, sharing client briefs, chatting through ideas and helping each other out with workload if necessary. I have a couple of competitive reports to get out this morning and I need to send some papers off to our clients; we booked adverts for them in a selection of weekend titles and they are keen to receive extra copies to share internally. This afternoon s focus is on preparation for a client meeting tomorrow; we will be presenting a Post-Campaign Analysis followed by some fresh ideas for the next campaign. I nip to have quick chat with the TV and Data teams to make sure we a on track to deliver the information we need to include tomorrow. TUESDAY We have a WTF?! session every Tuesday morning. These are really insightful and great for grads, but of course anyone can come along. They cover a new topic every week, offering a bitesize overview of what the different teams do across the agency. For example, WTF is Digital?! WTF is Data?! WTF is TV?! Today, I am going to WTF is Programmatic?! When I get back to my desk I respond to a few emails and call a couple of media owners to negotiate rates for some upcoming media activity, before heading into the client meeting. When I get back to my desk, a further client brief comes through; this client is interested in advertising on the London Underground, so I work on collating availability and costs into a plan. After lunch, I have a meeting with my Project Team. Here at the7stars, our day job in only 80% of our time, we spend the other 20% working on our Project Team and there are over 30 to choose from. We have a People Team, Health & Well-Being Team, Events Team, Social Media Team the list goes on. I am a member of the Do-Gooder Team and we are currently organising a charity bake-sale so there is lots to organise.
A week in the life of the7stars grad Katy WEDNESDAY Wednesday is home to our weekly Company Meeting. At 9am, the whole company piles into the Penthouse, and with teas and coffees in hand, we discuss everything from new business we are pitching for to Cool Shit We Like. We welcome new starters and each team shares exciting client updates. After today s Company Meeting, I head over to Google s London offices where I have a grad training day; Google s offices are enviable to say the least. After a super hands-on day getting stuck into a brief to launch the new Google Chromecast, I leave a little wiser (awesome learning opportunity), a little richer (having won a 50 Amazon voucher in the pitch challenge) and maybe also a little heavier (they have free food everywhere). THURSDAY This morning, I am briefed on a 200k press and radio plan for our client. With some great audience analysis tools at our disposal, we put together a recommendation of newspapers, magazines and radio stations based on the campaign objectives and the audience we are targeting. After a busy morning, I am thrilled to be taken for a lovely lunch with a media owner, who we recently booked a cinema campaign with. When we are back from lunch, we jump on a quick call with a client to talk through our London Underground recommendation. Before I know it, 5pm has rolled around, which obviously means it s time for the weekly Team Panda Quiz and a few after work drinks. FRIDAY On a Friday, we can start any time between 8am 10am and finish any time between 4.30pm 6.30pm so I get in early so I can leave early! I get a few reports out and then have some capacity to help my colleague find some hot stories for the Media Flash we send out to clients. After a few too many last night, we decide to head for a nice team lunch at our local pub but I can t stay for too long as I have an important job to do this afternoon I ve seen the7stars win a bundle of amazing clients since I ve joined and today we are making a video for another upcoming pitch! Earlier, I agreed to be the hair stylist for this video so off I go to style some hair, taking care not to burn Jenny Biggam s ear with the straighteners.
Relocating to London We recruit graduates from all over the country, and understand that for many, moving to London can be quite the challenge in itself. We want the idea of starting your career and moving to London to be as stress free as possible, so that s why we ve put in place measures to help with every step of the way. If you are offered a position we will help you to move to London by; Giving you ample time to sort our accommodation before starting your contract. Big question is, are you moving North or South of the river? Choices! We will pair you up with a buddy, they are here to get you started and can offer advice such as what tubes to get to work, best place to grab lunch and advice on what to do at the weekend after you ve finished touring all the sights! We ve teamed up with DotDotDot who can help secure your first accommodation at below market rents, check them out at dotdotdotproperty.com
Apply now Below is an outline of the role, please read this carefully as only determined and relevant candidates will be considered. Successful candidates are expected to start as soon as possible. The Role We have roles available across various departments in the agency including account management & media planning, TV, digital, data/insight. Each role brings its own challenges but your success will be determined by you the more you put into the role the more your remit will grow. You will be part of a fast growing business and work closely with the members of your team so chemistry is important. We are looking for someone fun, articulate, passionate and confident who isn t afraid of a challenge and can easily adapt in a fast paced office environment. Your tasks will include, but not be limited to, the following: Using multi-media systems to monitor competitor activity, examine audience behaviour and demographics, and to implement and evaluate campaigns. Liaising with suppliers, keeping informed of the latest developments within their sector and building strong relationships to deliver the best value for our clients. Media administration (making media bookings, competitive reporting, campaign analysis, client updates, vouchering, weekly client reports). Keeping up to-date with both media and wider industry news to keep the agency and clients up-to-date with relevant and interesting news. We also widely encourage you to get involved in wider areas of the agency such as new business pitches, helping our charity teams, getting involved with events and monitoring market trends etc. The Benefits of the Role This is an opportunity to be part of a successful company at an exciting time. This position will fully immerse you in a busy and thriving UK media agency, where you will learn from the best and get a running start into your media career. What next? Apply at www.the7stars.co.uk/careers/