The stylish offices of Immediate Media served as the setting for Wednesday night’s NABS Speed Mentoring event. Amidst the multicoloured walls and quirky staircase, industry bright-sparks were given the opportunity to glean, learn and share knowledge with some of the sharpest minds in advertising and media.
After a warm welcome by our host Duncan Tickell, commercial director at Immediate Media, and our CEO Zoe Osmond, Nicky Harris, NABS partnerships director invited our mentors to the stage to introduce themselves.
These included: Heather Alderson, commercial strategy director at BBH; Nick Bampton, commercial sales director at Channel 5; Paul Carolan, commercial director at JCDecaux; Jason Cotterrell, managing director of CBS Outdoor; Mark Creighton, UK CEO of Mindshare; Peter Fitton, SVP of sales and promotion at Disney; Pippa Glucklich, CEO of Starcom MediaVest; Mark Howe, managing director agency operations North & Central Europe of Google; Jem Lloyd-Williams, digital partner at MediaCom; Jacque O’Donnell, director of agency sales at Immediate Media; and John Teal, Henley Business School Accredited coach and former commercial chief of Mail Newspapers.
After a quick round of introductions, the delegates were asked to sit at a table with one of the mentors. They were then given 10 minutes to quiz their chosen mentor before a whistle blew and either mentor or delegates moved around the room.
The room was soon alive with the sounds of conversation as mentors strived to answer delegates’ questions as honestly as they could. For those who couldn’t make it on the night, here’s just a snapshot of some of the brilliant advice on offer:
Some advice from Mark Howe:
What do you think is key in building success?
“In your early career try out as many things as you can. Discover your strengths and strive to be the best at what you love to do. Don’t try to be something that you’re not. We all have weaknesses, so make sure you have people around you that can complement your skills, and vice versa.
“Make sure you build your network too. This is something that will stick with you throughout your whole life. Some of the people I knew from my very first job are now heads of global companies, so make sure you maintain those links. Not only can they provide valuable networking opportunities, but you can share knowledge and contacts with one another.”
Do you recommend sticking with one company or jumping from one to another?
“The problem with jumping jobs frequently is that you’re not around for long enough to learn from your mistakes. We can often be impatient to rise up the ladder in our chosen job, and sometimes we need to have a level of perspective. You’re most likely going to be working for 30-40 years, so be patient.
“Remember you’re still only at the start of your journey. You should aim to work in a three year cycle – in this period you have time to learn, make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. After three years you should re-evaluate where you’re at. If you think you need to move then move, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you should seek a new job in a different organisation. If you feel you need to learn more, why not move intra-company to a different area that piques your interest?”
Some advice from Nick Bampton:
Have you ever found yourself in a position in your career where you fear you’ll be found out?
“No, and that’s down to your own confidence and awareness of your own ability. First and foremost never ever feel scared that you’ll be found out. You’re in that position because someone sees something in you. It’s normal to question your own judgement and skills at some point in your career, but it’s how you deal with this that can decide the outcome.
“Be confident in yourself, and if you don’t know something – ask. Collaboration is key to success and you shouldn’t be afraid of asking for advice from others, whether that be from people above or below.”
What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to someone starting in the industry now?
“Never follow convention. When everyone else is following the crowd and investing in the supposed ‘next big thing’, find and support something else and make it your own.”
Some advice from Jason Cotterrell:
What benefits do you think you can get from building a career outside of London?
“It gave me a different perspective on the order of things, which can be invaluable to any company you work for. Whilst we all can’t have this experience, you should try to take every opportunity to widen your own experience, outside of your standard remit.”
What’s the key piece of advice you’d give to people starting in the industry right now?
“It’s fundamentally important that you get to know the key people who turn the handle in your business. It could be the people higher up, your colleagues, your clients or influencers in different sectors. Get to know how they think and what they want, and how they influence your business – stick with them, get known and grow with them.”
Some advice from Mark Creighton:
How did you get to where you are now?
“A mixture of good fortune and having the courage to put my hand up and take risks. I grew up and entered the industry at the right time during the millennium boom – when the internet and digital was in its infancy. People were wary of what this meant, and how we could take advantage of it. I put my hand up and said I believed things could work a certain way, and people trusted my judgement.
“You should make sure you know what’s happening in the industry, and try to spot what’s round the corner – use this to your advantage, get noticed by picking the right things, and most importantly enjoy it.”
Some advice from Peter Fitton:
Do you recommend sticking with one company or jumping from one to another?
“It’s rare now that people will work for the same company the whole of their life. But it shouldn’t come down to a decision of leaving or staying to further your career. What matters most is that throughout your life your role changes and you improve.
“Remember that you’ve got the rest of your life ahead of you, so don’t be afraid of messing up – make sure you take the risks and be ambitious.”
