Over the past week, I have had the privilege to experience life at CWA. I have always been passionate to learn more about the creative industry, so I was looking forward to the opportunity to gain hands-on experience. However, it soon became evident that CWA operates far beyond the scope of a traditional marketing agency. From the very beginning the friendliness, kindness and warm energy was clear to me and I was automatically welcomed by everyone. I believe that CWA’s ‘client-first’ mentality is rooted within the conscientious and kind-spirited internal office culture, which transparently manifests into their work. Starting my week with an ill-defined idea of a career path, I am leaving CWA with a stronger focus and enhanced enthusiasm for the industry.
I started my week with an introduction and onboarding talk with Sofia Woodroffe (business administrator) and Leigh White (HR & Office manager) - both of whom went over and above to craft a perfectly tailored week for me at CWA. This helped to iron out any nerves, and I enjoyed learning more about the history of the agency on a more personal level. I then spent the afternoon with Mariam Malik, gaining knowledge on report writing for Digital Marketing Paid Ads and an oversight of CWA’s socials. As a frequent user of social media, it was interesting to see how much thought, analysis and strategy goes behind each advert, post and online presence, as well as to contribute to an ongoing client campaign.
On Tuesday I was tasked with creating and editing behind the scenes footage from the staff photoshoot, working closely with Dave Clancy, Head of Film and Animation. As someone with limited prior knowledge in filming or editing, I initially felt apprehensive. This feeling immediately faded with the support of Dave who taught me from the basics how to craft a successful piece of work, obtaining heaps of new skills along the way. I learnt how to navigate unfamiliar software, film effectively, technically edit and much more. Before starting this task, it was important to me that the video conveyed the brightness and personality that filled the photoshoot room – I wanted to encapsulate the humour and positivity motif throughout the shoot. This became extremely easy to do as with every candid moment captured was accompanied laughter, smiles and genuine authenticity; I left the shoot with a library of fun and vibrant footage to then sift through and shape a consolidated story. I took my time and continued working on the editing Wednesday and Thursday morning and as a result I was able to produce a piece of work I am genuinely proud of.
Taking a break from editing, I spent Wednesday afternoon with Events Logistics Manager, Debbie Carson, in a task & learn session. From this I gained a deeper understanding of event logistics and the immense precision, time and dedication required. I found this interesting as the creative side to events is something I am particularly interested in, so learning about the ‘behind the scenes’ innerworkings was very insightful.
Overall, my time at CWA has been inspiring, challenging and motivating and I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity. Every task assigned was thoughtful and evoked a fun yet meaningful learning experience. Most of all, it has been the people here at CWA who made the biggest impact – particularly Sofia, who continuously went over and above to make this week the best it could be.
