The Metric team loves to host student work placements - a side effect of doing what we love, and finding an audience of people who tolerate us talking about it all the time. Earlier this month, we welcomed Terrence and Josh - two students from RRC Polytech - for work placements with our team.

From Lindsay (Metric’s Creative Director):

As always, hosting students at Metric this month was a fantastic experience. We do our best to welcome them onto the team and let them see and experience as many aspects of our work as possible. It’s important to us to involve them in real projects, meetings, and discussions - so they can see what it’s really like to work at an agency, and if that’s a career path they’d like to explore in the future. And we benefit too! Hosting students here is always so rewarding for our team. Showing others what we do helps us fall in love with our work all over again, and the students bring so much positive energy with them. It’s also a way for us to give back and invest in the future of our industry, which means a lot to me - and to the rest of the agency. Winnipeg is full of incredible marketing talent and we’re lucky to work with some of the very best here at Metric.

This term, we hosted Terrence from the Graphic Design program and Josh from Creative Communications. Both students were so talented and they jumped right into the experience. They joined us in a wide range of projects from designing holiday ads to concept development to attending focus groups to recording radio spots.

From Terrence (Graphic Design):

What did you think working at an agency would be like?

At first, I thought working at an agency would be strict and that there would be a lot of keeping to yourself, like the office job from The Incredibles.

What was it ACTUALLY like?

Working at an agency is very different from what I first thought after my work placement. The atmosphere is much more relaxed and collaborative. It's the complete opposite of The Incredibles’ office job.

What did you learn while you were at Metric?

During my time at Metric, I learned how to create digital ad buildouts. It made me realize how the different teams come together in order to complete a project.

What is one piece of advice that you’ll take forward with you?

One piece of advice that I’ll take forward from Metric is to always get a second pair of eyes on your work. Getting multiple perspectives can help you form new ideas without being tunnel visioned.

From Josh (Creative Communications):

What did you think working at an agency would be like?

I thought the workload would be more project to project, rather than so many projects going on at the same time. I can tell there is lots of planning and organization that goes on behind the scenes to keep everything running smoothly. 

What was it ACTUALLY like?

The roles are a little more segmented than I expected. For our school projects, we need to do everything from keywords to copywriting to design - so it's been a different workflow focusing on specific aspects of a project. Even though different sections are completed by different people or teams, it's been cool to see how everything still comes together in a way that feels cohesive. 

What did you learn while you were at Metric?

Something I had no prior experience in was copywriting for search ads and Google responsive display ads, so working on that provided me with valuable experience. I still have a lot to learn, but I feel like I'll leave Metric with entry-level knowledge of a new marketing skill. 

What is one piece of advice that you’ll take forward with you?

Ask questions, don't be afraid to share your ideas, and use spell check in Google Docs.

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If you’re a student who is interested in securing a work placement at Metric - or if you’d like to join our team - please check out our Careers page  and get in touch with our HR team.