COVID-19’s social distancing and stay-at-home guidelines have put a dent in college curriculums, which is why VMLY&R wants to help continue the education of students eager to enter the advertising industry.
Enter: VMLY&R Nexus.
The 10-week, virtual masterclass, which will open in June 2020, will dive into marketing, strategic planning, customer experience, social media strategy and more. VMLY&R will select 50 applicants for Nexus, all whom will be eligible for a position in the agency’s in-office internship program in the summer of 2021. The participants will also earn a letter of accreditation and a social badge for use in their portfolios, resumes and LinkedIn profiles upon finishing eight seminars within the masterclass.
"While we will be unable to host in-office internships this year, we want to offer value and continual learning for this group of emerging talent. We’re so excited to introduce VMLY&R’s Nexus masterclass and welcome these students to learn and, someday, join our organization," said Ronnie Felder, chief people officer of VMLY&R.
Last summer, more than 2,500 students applied to be part of the agency’s internship program.
"Being virtual has long been a part of our business – and in our new COVID-19 reality, we’re thrilled to be able to give back to our student ad community in a new way," added Felder.
The masterclass will include 10 exclusive, 90-minute seminars hosted by VMLY&R leaders – such as Global CEO Jon Cook on "Building and Growing a Global Agency" and Global Creative Officer Debbie Vandeven on "Creating Work that Transforms Business."
Additionally Nexus will match participants with mentors, offer resume and potfolio reviews, provide access to the agency’s alumni network for networking and even give access to virtual VMLY&R activities, like yoga and bootcamp classes and live DJ parties.
