I Got Hired: Performance Marketing Assistant at Dentsu

Posted on: 5 October 2022 by Samantha Riella in Graduate stories

Class of 2021 History and Sociology graduate Millie Bateman tells us more about stepping away from her degree and moving into a new industry.

What is your current job title and name of the organisation you work for?

Performance Marketing Assistant at Dentsu.

How did you hear about the role?

I heard about this role when searching through pages upon pages of jobs on LinkedIn and Indeed. Both sites were incredibly useful during my post-uni job hunt as I was able to tailor the search to my specific needs; an entry level, Marketing job in Manchester.

How did you get to where you are now?

Near the end of my History and Sociology Degree I began to do what most soon-to-be graduates do, thinking about what I wanted to do post-uni. It was a big question that I had never had an answer to before but somewhere along the way I realised I would love to know and learn more about Marketing. Therefore, I took it upon myself to apply to be a Marketing Assistant volunteer at The Women's Organisation whilst I finished my degree - and I am so glad I did and this confirmed to me that this was definitely the sector for me!

I spent the next few months applying for countless jobs when I saw one for Dentsu that sounded like a great fit for me, I applied through LinkedIn and was offered an interview in around 3 weeks time. The interview took place via Microsoft Teams and was with one of the Managing Partner's and a Paid Social Manager. I was asked a range of questions such as what I would bring to the company, my strengths, weaknesses, why I want to work at Dentsu, why I want to work in marketing and a lot more just to get to know me as a person, rather than just a potential employee! Later that same day I received the news that I got the role and I was so pleased to be given the chance to move to Manchester to start my Marketing career, despite not doing a Marketing degree!

What is your favourite experience as part of your role?

As Dentsu is one of the largest marketing agencies in the world, I have already been able to work for such well known brands such as Co-op and Kellogg's on their Paid Search Campaigns. This has been an exciting way to begin my career in Marketing and I am learning so much every day!

What has been the most challenging part of your graduate journey?

I would say that staying motivated when looking for a job was the most challenging part of my graduate journey. Once finishing third year, I moved back home and to the job I was doing prior to university, and as grateful as I was to have a job at all I didn't feel fulfilled anymore and wanted to do something I was passionate about!

What are your top tips for other students?

1. Perseverance is key! Although rejections can be hard and you may feel like you are never going to find 'the one', keeping looking, keep applying and don't give up because you never know when the right job may come along!

2. If you don't get a job you thought sounded perfect for you, it probably wasn't! I got rejected many times and although there were a few I was a bit down about not getting at the time, in hindsight I know I didn't get those jobs for a reason and it was still good interview practice for when the right job did come along.

3. It is ok to not know what you want to do forever! I think as a graduate you can feel a lot of pressure to not stray away from the area you studied, and also the feeling that what you choose to do in your early 20s needs to be your path for life - but it doesn't! It is okay to go into a field that is very different to your degree as many of the skills you gained will be transferable to many sectors, and it is also okay to change your mind! Don't put yourself in a box, do what feels right for you and the rest will all fall into place eventually!