Singapore Institute of Advertising holds inaugural careers fair to attract young talent to the industry
Undergraduates and tertiary students in Singapore got their first taste of a career in the marketing communications industry at the inaugural IAS (Institute of Advertising Singapore) careers fair held last night.
Top global and local creative agencies, media owners and marketing companies banded together to help drive awareness of, and attract the best talent to, the industry
Over five hundred students poured into the Red Dot Design Museum for a series of activities, including talks from both leaders and newcomers to the industry, a showcase of the industry’s creative work, and the opportunity to informally meet businesses actively looking for graduate recruits.
Businesses participating in the fair included Aegis, BBDO, BBH, DDB, GREY, Havas, Leo Burnett, Lowe, McCann, MediaCorp, Ogilvy, Saatchi & Saatchi, TBWA, VML Qais, BATES CHI, TSLA and ZenithOptimedia.
Goh Shu Fen, President of the IAS (pictured) said, “The IAS’ mission is to help the marketing communications industry in Singapore shape its future. To deliver this, our primary focus is the attraction and development of the industry’s key asset, talent. The Careers Fair is just one of a range of actions from the IAS, including educational programmes and events, the celebration of best ideas, and ongoing network development and exchange.”
John Hadfield, Chair of the Careers Fair, and CEO BBH Asia Pacific added, “Speak to any leader. Talent is their no.1 issue. It not only defines the success of their business, but also the future success of our industry. We must attract and retain the very best people. And to do that, we must sell ourselves better. The Careers Fair is a step in the right direction.”
For undergraduate Anastasia Colonas, 22, the informal and vibrant atmosphere at the IAS careers fair was a welcome change from the usually standard career fairs she is accustomed to.
“For a job seeker like me, having the opportunity to interact and meet agencies and the creative industry face to face is such a rare and worthwhile opportunity. Plus we even have free popcorn and a ping -pong playing Panda,” she said.
2 Comments
Be afraid of what you wish for
If talent is their greatest asset, why do they treat them so badly?
Their only interest is to snap up interns for a shitty wage, work the hell outta them and then move on to the next batch. I gave friends who interned and got fed up after 6 months because the seniors are all to busy to give their time meaningfully.
Agencies in singapore are rapidly filling up with people from other nearby countries because employers here dont want to pay cpf….just get in hordes of grateful candidates who will do the job for half the salary.