Meet Wood Mackenzie's marketing apprentices
An insider view from the next generation of marketing professionals
1 minute read
Recent graduates Beth, Rob and Tim joined WoodMac in June 2021 through our partner Apprentify. Alongside work, they each study towards a level 3 qualification in either digital marketing or content production.
We asked them to record their experience of the first month. How were they finding corporate life? What is tough about remote working, and how are they managing that challenge? Have they discovered any great tips for future apprentices?
Our three new joiners answer questions on life as an apprentice, and WoodMac as a place for graduates to take the first steps of their careers.
How has your first month been?
Tim:
Beth and Rob have been great to ease into the company with. We soon found there’s a lot to get involved with and plenty of opportunities to take on. I joined the social committee but there’s also wellness events, team activities and extra courses available. The work has been varied and rewarding.
Beth:
Amazing. I’ve absolutely loved it and was made to feel like a valued member of the team straight away. It has been very hands on but I wouldn’t change that for the world.
Rob:
Incredibly insightful. And even though working from home can be challenging, I have really appreciated the effort my colleagues have made to get to know me and my fellow apprentices via virtual meetings.
Many of us choose to work from home due to Covid-19. Has this been challenging and what tips would you give to new starters working remotely?
Tim:
Stay organised and available – we have content planners, calendar systems and Teams to help. But it has still been a challenge not seeing each other in person. Plan something! We arranged a get-together in London, which you could do if you can’t meet in the office. You could also build extra time into your meetings to get a proper conversation going and really engage with your colleagues.
Beth:
Starting a new job remotely has been challenging, yes. It can be quite isolating at times and it is definitely not as easy as starting a job in an environment where you’re surrounded by colleagues that can support you. Microsoft Teams has been an amazing tool in staying connected with colleagues and it makes it super easy to reach out to anyone. I’d probably advise new starters to introduce themselves to absolutely everyone to build those relationships ASAP. This makes the onboarding process feel a lot more social, which is less daunting and overwhelming.
Rob:
Socially it has been challenging especially in a new role where you’re eager to meet the rest of the team in person. I would really advise taking care of your mental health and do simple things; use your lunch hour to actually rest and eat or go for a long walk. The little things really help.
What’s the most interesting piece of content you’ve read on woodmac.com?
Tim:
The content surrounding EVs: Ram Chandrasekaran’s ‘EV sales are in the fast lane’. Just seeing the speed at which electronic vehicles are entering the market!
Beth:
I really like The Edge, a weekly editorial by Simon Flowers. It is super interesting! My favourite edition so far has to be ‘How to scale up carbon capture and storage’.
Rob:
COP26 is on all our minds, and the most interesting piece of content I have read was Ann-Louise Hittle’s ‘Oil demand: in the cross hairs of emissions reduction’.
Highlight of your first month?
Tim:
Publishing The Edge for the first time onto the website. Seeing it go made me realise I was really contributing to the team. I enjoyed collaborating with everyone throughout the process and seeing it all come together.
Beth:
The highlight of my first month has to be publishing my first editorial. It was really fun writing it in my first couple of weeks. It was a challenge as I’m new to this industry, but it was really rewarding seeing it live on our website.
Rob:
The highlight of my first month has been how incredibly welcoming everybody has been from all departments within the organisation. From day one you are made to feel like you’re part of the team, so whilst working from home this has been invaluable.
Have you been into the office yet? What did you enjoy most about it, or what are you looking forward to?
Tim:
I enjoyed spending the first day exploring it. Our office in Bishopsgate is new for the whole London team. It’s really incredible, and a great place to work.
Beth:
The social aspect. I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone on my team in person as I know my working environment will be so much stronger with a connected team.
Rob:
I really enjoy interacting with my colleagues face-to-face and building new friendships within the company. We have a brand new office and I go in as often as I can.
What are you excited about doing over the next few months of your apprenticeship?
Tim: I want to create even better content and nurture my relationships with the wider team. I hope to take on some new tasks such as content planning and strategy for some of our exciting projects. They push me out of my comfort zone, but definitely lead to the most growth.
Beth: I'm super excited to branch out into different areas of marketing and gain skills in other areas of the wider team, such as the content team. Content and social work hand in hand, and so I'm really intrigued to know how that team operates.
Rob: I am really excited about working on more group projects with my fellow Apprentify colleagues who provide a range of different skill sets which really help shape our project work, especially when it comes to presenting.