Who are Wunderman Thompson?
‘We all know how important it is to look further and wider for diverse talent, and someone’s past shouldn’t hinder their future,’ says Helen, Head of New Business at WT in an interview with Metro.
22-years old Shanelle recently completed a one-month internship with WT. Here’s what has to say about her experience working with such a successful company!
A month at Wunderman Thompson
I know you want the 411 on what it was like being an intern at Wunderman Thompson, and I’m here to tell you! – Shanelle, 22
I was a Strategy Intern, so I worked mainly with that department. I started this internship amidst the lockdown 2.0, which felt quite daunting at first, however, the team made me feel extremely welcome. I was also introduced to a number of other interns and colleagues in various departments that I had expressed an interest in during my interview stage. This showed me that the WT team really listened and understood what I wanted to gain from this internship.
From the get-go I was trusted with client work they were working on at the time, despite me having no previous work experience. Yep. You read the right. I got this internship with NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE! They took me on purely for my love for content creating, which really shines a spotlight on how much WT values people vs paper. As someone who has struggled to find opportunities because of lack of experience, I thought their process was fair and gave people a chance.
So, what was the work like?
I was instantly added to the weekly strategy meetings where I met colleagues from across the WT brand who discussed what they were currently working on. This helped me gain an understanding on other projects and showcased the team’s
collaboration. To me, this really highlighted the importance of ‘teamwork makes the dreamwork’ and at WT this was certainly the case.
Collaboration and support are a running theme I have seen in my time at WT. The company have a calendar of events to help staff with their wellbeing. They organised wellness sessions such as Pilates and HIIT classes and, to end the week with a smile, they even hosted a comedy show! I think WT have done a great job trying to help staff stay happy and in a great mood to work, even if it is from home, which can feel lonely and isolating at times.
In my three weeks to follow, I worked on a particular client brief with my team where I was tasked with doing some research and creating a PowerPoint presentation to present to other colleagues. My team even went on to use my research in their briefs with the client which was a great moment for me. I initially struggled a little with making my presentation, but one of the creative directors helped me every step of the way and took the time to explain things and gave me brilliant hints and tips to make my presentation client worthy!
At the end of my internship, I was asked to make a presentation looking back on my time spent at the agency -which my team loved! So much so, I was asked to stay on for an extra two weeks! In my presentation I mentioned that I would love to explore other departments and my wish was their command! I was instantly connected to a creative director and was able to explore that department. WT really showed that they appreciated my efforts and were happy to open opportunities for me to explore.
Well, there it is, you wanted to know what it was like being an intern at WT and the truth is it was amazing. I love the staff; I love the work environment and I love the company. I’ve always aspired to be my own boss, but I’d be happy to be a part of the Wunderman Thompson team any day!
And what did WT think of Shanelle?
“You’ve been an absolute pleasure to have in the team, you slotted right in really quickly, and I’ve been really impressed with your observations and view on the work. You’ve been a great addition to the team.
You’ve been in some really big client meetings (that Brand one for Otrivin had lots of big cheeses in) and you have also been really positive and confident. You’ve helped [the team] create a client presentation by mining lots of useful insights which will help us shape the creative brief.
Not bad for week one! Well done.”
(Matt Redman – Product Innovation Leadership Team)
Using her positive experience at Wunderman Thompson, Shanelle has now joined M.I Media through the Kickstart scheme to further her creative career aspirations!
