This month, Mackman welcomed Tom Brown to the team as Communications Assistant, fulfilling a six week Communications internship. Now four weeks into the experience, we thought it was about time we found out more about our new intern. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Tom Brown…
So, Tom, tell us a little about yourself…
Hello! I’m Tom, I’m 21, and, before the seemingly inevitable question is asked, no I haven’t ever read “Tom Brown’s Schooldays”. I am a recent graduate from Exeter University where I studied History and Ancient History. I have a real interest in Greek and Roman literature, particularly related to mythology, so I suppose you could see me as a bit of a geek, however hard I try to hide it!
I love keeping active and enjoy playing and watching a variety of sports, especially hockey and cricket. I’m also an avid fan of AFC Sudbury and grab any opportunity I can to go and support the ‘yellows’ on their home turf with my Dad (and self proclaimed pundit).
What attracted you to working with Mackman?
Living fairly locally to Sudbury, I’d always been aware of Mackman, but had never considered approaching them about the possibility of work. While at uni, I began to think that a career in marketing and PR may be the thing for me, and, having graduated, I decided to get in contact with Mackman to see if they could offer me an opportunity to gain some experience and learn a bit more about the industry.
Having done a bit of research, I felt that the diversity of the agency could provide a really interesting and exciting prospect for me and offer a hands-on insight into what working in marketing was really all about.
How have you found the experience so far?
Working at Mackman has been great. Before starting, I’d never had much exposure to the world of marketing and so I didn’t have a clue what to expect. Primarily, its been a completely new learning experience for me, and, as cliche as it sounds, I genuinely do feel like I’ve learnt something new everyday. Working in such a creative environment has opened my mind to new ideas and helped to develop my understanding of what marketing actually entails and how the process works, be it website development, email marketing, PR etc. Importantly for me, the team have all been so helpful and welcoming which has made the experience all the more enjoyable, while helping me make the most of my opportunity.
What have you particularly enjoyed?
It might sound strange, but, rather than a specific aspect of the job, what I’ve really enjoyed is actually making an active contribution to live projects and really feeling involved within the agency. From small things, like answering the phone to clients, to sharing my own ideas and having a genuine interest be taken in my opinion, it has really made me feel like a part of the agency, not simply ‘the intern’.
What’s the “big plan” then?
With my initial inspiration for a career in marketing being sparked by being given a Christmas box set of ‘Madmen, Seasons 1-3’, it’s probably fair to say that my “big plan” may be a little idealistic, but we can all dream! I would love to travel the world, and I’ve had my heart set on America for quite a while. I like to imagine myself in a few years time looking out over the Pacific Ocean from the top floor window of my own agency, perhaps in San Francisco, working on the marketing campaigns for a range of world leading brands.
Finally, if you were stuck on a desert island – which book, CD and film would you want with you?
This is always such a tough question! I think the book I would take would be the Hobbit, the film, Casino Royale, purely for the glamour and action, and the CD, ‘Holy Fire’ by the Foals, no matter how many times I listen to it, It never seems to get old.