Read Saif’s journey on how he started his career in Performance Marketing…

Saif left college knowing he wanted to go straight into work and get his foot in the door at a global marketing company

“Since starting at Dentsu, I have begun an Advertising and Media Executive Level 3 apprenticeship, so I am getting the best of both worlds: working, getting paid, and gaining a qualification at the same time.”

What has your career journey been like so far?

After finishing school, I went straight to college not knowing what to do but decided to pursue a Business and Law B.Tech. This is where I started to hear about digital marketing, which sparked an interest in me. I’m from Blackburn, where there are limited digital marketing companies and opportunities, so I knew it would be a struggle to find something locally. However, I was prepared to travel, even if it was 1 or 2 hours away. I decided not to go to university and instead took a year out to gain digital marketing experience by doing social media for a local business. From there, I secured a role at an organisation doing SEO and website optimisation. I enjoyed the role, but I really wanted to focus my career on digital performance and get my foot in the door at a global agency where I could learn from some of the most experienced minds in the industry. I saw that Dentsu was advertising as part of the Digital Academy, decided to apply, and here I am today.

You mentioned you decided not to go to university. What was the main driver of this?

After college, I decided I didn’t want to go to university but wanted to gain hands-on experience, be part of an organisation, and experience working life, the culture, and everything that comes with it. I was more open to apprenticeships or internships. Since starting at Dentsu, I have begun an Advertising and Media Executive Level 3 apprenticeship, so I am getting the best of both worlds: working, getting paid, and gaining a qualification at the same time.

How are you finding the apprenticeship so far?

I’m two months into an Advertising and Media Executive Level 3 apprenticeship, and so far, it’s going well. It’s more of an overall view of advertising, so I am learning about the wider marketing industry, which definitely helps when speaking to clients. The skills I am learning I will be able to apply in my work for sure. It has widened my network too, as I have made friends with others at Dentsu who are completing an apprenticeship. Also, outside of Dentsu, I am speaking with others from the apprenticeship in different agencies, different backgrounds, and different job roles.

Tell me a little bit about the recruitment process you experienced at Dentsu.

I joined as part of the Digital Academy, so there were around 20 of us joining on the same day as part of an 8-week training programme. It meant I wasn’t the only newbie, which helped massively with first-day nerves. Knowing that none of us had any experience was really reassuring, as most people were fresh graduates, college leavers, or looking to retrain. The Academy training programme was very thorough and covered all elements I needed to succeed in the role, which set me up for success when I was assigned to a client.

What keeps you working at Dentsu?

There are a lot of reasons, to be honest! The first thing would be working with some of the most experienced minds in the industry. They have so much knowledge and are eager to share and develop more junior people. The culture is great; there is always something going on, and everyone is nice to each other. It’s not all about work; the company wants to make sure employees are happy and have flexibility.

Is your role hybrid?

Yes, my office day is Wednesday. As a team, we always make sure we go out for lunch. It’s an opportunity to catch up and spend some time collaborating.