VML, Advertising Graduate  (Location: Sydney)

Are You Ready to Ignite Your Future?

At VML, we don’t just adapt to the future—we shape it.

And this is your opportunity to shape yours, with an 18-month, paid rotation across Account Service, Strategy and Production. Get ready to discover a career, where creativity merges seamlessly with technology, and your groundbreaking ideas find a home on the world’s stage. 

Who we are:  

With a global presence of 30,000 employees across 150+ offices in over 60 markets, we foster a culture that thrives on connection, creativity, and the celebration of friendly, hardworking, talent.  

At VML you won’t just create ads, you’ll uncover disconnects in behaviour and culture and use your creativity to connect with consumers through the power of global brands. 

Whether that’s using surfers data to create a global surf competition (held in hindsight) for Rip Curl, using fitness trackers to prove free range chickens are truly free or changing the notion of a game face by proving smiling can boost your performance.

And we can’t do it without people, they’re the pulse of our organisation—the creators, doers, innovators, makers, and thinkers—who forge meaningful experiences that resonate through every interaction.

The Opportunity:

At VML, we are unwavering in our commitment to hiring and inspiring the next generation of creative advertisers. And the 2024 Catalyst Academy is your opportunity to make your mark. 

The Catalyst Academy,  is an eighteen-month, fully paid, rotational program.

During this period, you will work in and learn from three different departments and help to create meaningful experiences for consumers and customers in an all-inclusive work environment.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

Core Responsibilities – Account Executive

• Support the Account Service team to effectively deliver full agency capabilities and support our clients in meeting their business challenges and objectives. 
• Day to day support across the team including shadowing the senior team members to assist with the delivery of campaigns and projects. 
• Creating and managing campaign reports which document campaign creative and results. 
• Coordinate the execution of projects and provide general support to the team. 
• Opportunity to run smaller campaigns of your own (with team support and guidance).

Core Responsibilities – Junior Strategist 

• Based in our brand strategy team you’ll also get exposure to Commerce, Experience and Data Strategy 
• Contribute to brand positioning, competitor insights and creative strategy work 
• Understand and grow foundational skills across research, analysis and lateral thinking 

Core Responsibilities - Production Coordinator 

• Support Executive/Producers on their day-to-day work. 
• Responsible for all new suppliers set ups 
• Assisting on small to medium scale shots as a production Assistant or runner. 
• CAD and Dispatch 
• Talent role overs and contracts 
• Preparation of pre-production documents 
• Work with all departments that contribute to the fast production deliverables 

During this eighteen-month period, you will have the opportunity to complete the fully paid for IPA Global Certification.  This certification is made up of self-learning modules as well as a final exam.

Please apply if you have the legal right to work in Australia. The program participants are not offered accommodation or travel arrangements in Sydney, Australia. 

Along with your online application/resume, please also submit your video profile to us on catalystacademyapac@vml.com. To be considered for the Catalyst Academy, we need both your resume and your video profile.

Video Profile Details:

At VML, we are storytellers by trade. We inspire growth for ambitious brands. We move at the speed of culture. And we live by our behaviours; Connect Meaningfully, Inspire Creatively, Include Purposefully and Approach Positively.

Create a compelling story as to why you decided to apply for this Stream, what really stood out for you and how that links to the future direction you want to head in.

What are we looking for?

* 90 seconds maximum

* Big ideas, not big budgets/productions, or big file sizes (record using only a mobile phone)

* We are looking for your ability to create a compelling story specific to the ‘Stream’ you have applied for. 

* We are looking for your ability to demonstrate creativity, individuality, originality, knowledge of the industry, understanding of technology & data, communication skills and outside the box thinking.

* We do not expect you to be an actor or seasoned speaker. If you struggle with presenting, you can be creative and think further than ‘piece to camera’ format. Be original and let your personality shine through.

* The submission has to be in English

Please complete your video and upload to a video streaming page of your choice (unlisted YouTube or Vimeo preferred). Once complete please submit the link of your video to catalystacademyapac@vml.com .

We are working to ensure the process is as accessible as possible. If you require any accommodations, please let us know and we will work with you to ensure you’re comfortable and supported. 

Thank you again for all the time and your interest in joining The APAC Catalyst Academy 2024!