As a full service agency, we love having the opportunity to work with interns; to mentor them and provide them with a range of hands on experiences that will prepare them for the next working chapter of their lives.

Recently we had two young interns—Dylan Simpson and James Wilson (no relation to Jamie!)—who arrived at the same time and worked primarily in our Creative Department for a few weeks. We threw as much work at them as we could, ranging from sourcing music tracks for a TVC to writing radio ads and coming up with names for property developments. Both proved to be invaluable assets to the team and were able to hit the ground running. At the end of the two weeks, we instantly took on Dylan as an employee. James had to return to Adelaide to complete his studies, but we welcome him back every half semester for a couple of weeks. Here’s an outline of their experiences…

Dylan Simpson:

As a university student in my final semester of an undergraduate degree (B. Comm. in Adv), I was faced with the question all new graduates are asked, “What experience have you had within the industry?”

As an athlete, I use this analogy for university: you can train for as hard and as long as you want, but without consistent match-play you will never progress to the level you wish to achieve. University was my training—but when was I going to get to play the game?

To progress my professional understanding, I began to call, email, and all-round annoy Canberra’s fastest growing and most prolific creative agency, Coordinate until they agreed to take me on. Whilst I wasn’t sure what area I wanted to work in, Coordinate was more than accommodating in allowing me to try my hand in multiple departments.

Far from taking on a purely observational role, Coordinate put me to work straight away across multiple clients: ActewAGL, Local Liquor, Casino Canberra, CIT, and many more—an opportunity I truly relished. Proposals, presentations, production shoots, and even testing new virtual reality experiences—the game was afoot and I was in the thick of it! Suddenly, tasks I was completing at university over the course of a semester were now being created and executed within a week.

Away from the physical work being conducted, Coordinate proved to embody the environment I was seeking for in a work place. A team oriented, flat hierarchy, that seeks to question the status quo on a daily basis whilst enticing their employees to do the same… plus, we got to play baseball on Thursday’s!

At the completion of my internship, I was incredibly humbled and ecstatic to receive a job opportunity within the company as a Junior Creative Strategist.

Now, with a foot in the industry door, my first call of action is to continue to learn! I will forever be grateful to Coordinate for giving me an opportunity to learn within the industry. As a university graduate now working in my field of choice, I can honestly say that a practical internship with emphasis on industry relevance was the most productive learning experience within my university life.

James Wilson:

I can safely say that in the few weeks I spent working at Coordinate, I learned more about the industry than I have in years of study at university. Knowing that I needed to work with the best in the field, with those that strive to be ahead of the status quo, I approached Coordinate for my internship and experienced a true professional environment with a coordinated team that endorses and facilitates the free flow of ideas and information.

What I was am impressed with and what really inspires me to pursue a career in advertising is the level of passion I witnessed. When speaking to clients the team were attentive, caring and understanding and when creating work they were meticulous, focused and driven to create something that was going to be beneficial to the clients business.

But what I really appreciated was the freedom to experience every aspect of their service. One day I would find myself filming and playing with the famous truffle hunting dog’s at The Truffle Farm, the next I would be transcribing speeches, creating rationales and mood boards. I was even given the opportunity to speak to many small business owners, listening to their stories of their experiences in Canberra.

Interning at Coordinate has given me invaluable experience, networks and furthered my passion in marketing and advertisement. I feel like I am already developing a competitive edge against my fellow students back home in Adelaide. I look forward to my next opportunity at Coordinate if it arises and I will continue to maintain close contact with the Coordinate crew. Thanks for having me guys!