ADM Alumni now works for OMD UK: Cristina Dan :)

Course: MA Advertising Design Management

Year of graduation: 2011

Current Position: Junior Planner, OMD UK

Winchester School of Art was the place where I have learned so many things and met so many inspirational people…the place where I admired the knowledge, confidence and curiosity that surrounded me. My experience studying at this university prepared me for entering the work force and developing a career in the future.

After graduating my BA in Digital Culture, Arts and Media at Canterbury University, I was asking myself what better place than University of Southampton to continue my studies? Having a good grasp of Design, I’ve chosen MA Advertising Design Management as the right course to combine both practical and theoretical skills within the subject I am most passionate about.

I now work at OMD UK as a Junior Planner. My MA at Winchester School of Art has been particularly relevant for my current role. I still remember my interview day when the Search Operations Director at OMD UK said: ‘When I’ve seen your CV and your academic qualification I thought you would be perfect for this role’. My face lit up and I started talking about what the course consisted in and all the theoretical and practical skills I’ve gained only in one year of postgraduate study.

My advice to anyone considering studying at Winchester School of Art would be to take the full advantage of being taught by a team of academics who demonstrated their knowledge and expertise in the best possible way.

Greetings from Dentsu Beijing!

Greetings ADM! I’m Elaine. graduating ADM student, Class of 2011. I want to share some good news: I was recently hired by Beijing Dentsu Co., Ltd., one of the biggest communications networks in the world as an Account Executive, it is good for start. I am working in the Global Business Practice, which is a potential team does business with Western and North America clients. The multiple nationality environments are beneficial to practice English more, and now, I can also speak basic Japanese.

The interview is fantastic and impressive. Our Vice President and Account Manager interested in my Major and the life when I was in GB. The life experience taught me more, such as being independent, work hard and play harder.

My time in WSA helped me a lot, it was challenging but my tutors gave me more suggestions when I upset with my work. Thanks for varied case studies training, such as Mobgets, Chivas campaign analysis, BMW in Chinese market research, and the sports marketing topic of my dissertation.

Good luck to the new ADM students and all the best for the future!

My Experience With WSA & ADM.

Hi guys! This is Yazan Alsaeed from Jordan, a graduating candidate in Advertising Design Management.

I’m sure that you are as excited as we were when the course started just about this time last year. At the same time, I am certain that you are stressed and worried about what is going to happen after you finish the course. First, DON’T PANIC! Everything is going to be just fine. I used to be one of the most paranoid and stressed students in the ADM class (ok the most stressed one)! I used to worry about almost everything; how I was going to do research, writing reports and most importantly, finishing the final project.

Obviously I finished it all, and I’m sure that all of you will too if you work hard and pay attention well to your tutors and the visiting lecturers.

Probably you want me to jump immediately to the after graduating part. Well, we had the opportunity to prepare a digital presentation and a written report to Mobgets.

Mr. Andy Allan, CEO and Founder of Mobgets visited us at WSA and requested a communication strategy for his business. Based on our presenting skills and strategies, three of us were chosen to do a work experience at his company, and I was one of the lucky ones. After the internship came to an end, I was offered a full-time job at Mobgets and assigned as the new Social media and marketing manager at Mobgets.

I don’t know if I would have had this chance if it wasn’t for WSA and the great academic system that we followed with the tutors. I am sure that you all will have great opportunities during your academic year 2012, if not in England, then probably back home where you came from.

First advice, work hard! Don’t postpone your assignments until last minute and start researching immediately once you get any brief (trust me)! Pay attention to what the tutors ask for and follow up to remain within the brief limits.

Second advice, talk to your classmates. Get to know them more, set with them in the Canteen (try their Hot Chocolate…AMAZING)! Hang out together and help each other. Remember that most of you are international students. You will understand each other more and get a long well.

Third advice, the library will become your second home for a year. Once you get the brief, RUN to the library to borrow the books that might help you, if your late, then you will have to wait some time in the queue to get the turn.

Fourth advice is regarding the work experience. Don’t expect offers to knock on your door! You have to hunt them. The good thing is you will be getting many opportunities throughout the year from the university; you will be getting emails from the career services offering applications for job vacancies. FILL them all! It won’t take much time and you could get lucky with a call from a company. Also check the jobs websites like I used to do, put the search terms that you are interested in and post an application with your CV. Don’t worry about how to make a CV. Specialised people will come and teach you how to do it.

Last advice for now, HAVE FUN! It’s a one year opportunity that you will probably experience once. Manage your time, put a schedule and be organised. It’s not all about study and work. Go out with friends to the Students Union, to the pubs and clubs in Winchester and Southampton which are cheap, astounding and you will meet most of the other modules students. This way, you will make friends from all pathways just like I did.

I know that you are wondering if I’m planning to write a book based on the LONG post above! I had to write that and believe me it’s not enough! There’s a lot that I want and plan to tell you about later on; to help make your academic year easier and more interesting. Hopefully I will get a chance to meet all of you as I’m eager to, and will help you if you need any help. This blog will be your own, keep it active by posting anything that you find interesting, inspiring and others might like and benefit from (avoid videos with cats on YouTube - not interesting)!

Best wishes,

Yazan Alsaeed.

Twitter: @yazanalsaeed

During the past year students worked on a live brief for App Store, Mobgets. As a follow up to this project a workshop was run to device a new app - here’s the students working on their apps and presenting their ideas to the group.

There are two formal opportunities for students to show their work each year. Here Advertising Management students inspect their animated storyboards produced for the MA Interim Show.

Trips to London are organised as part of the course. In February 2011 students visited the Technology for Advertising and Marketing Exhibition at Earls Court

Occasionally students get to work on creative brief. Here are the class of 2011 getting to grips with a brief for SUSO - a carbonated drink brand.

Guest Posting - Yazan Alsaeed

To kick start this blog, I am pleased to welcome our first guest posts from Yazan Alsaeed, a graduating student of 2010/11. Since finishing his MA Final Project, he has been working for Mobgets, a London-based mobile applications platform and webstore, as their marketing manager. This was the result of a mobile and digital marketing project we did with Mobgets - which you can read all about in Volumematic, our newspaper publication for the Class of 2010/11, Advertising Design Management, Communication Design and Design Management.

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