In this fireside chat, our CEO Remco and starter Jack discuss the expectations and reality of the GANDT starter program. Have a look at the full video here:
How was the GANDT starter program designed?
We saw there was a need for both us and the market to grow more digital talent. Therefore, a year ago we designed the starter program with the mindset of educating and training as many people about digital marketing as possible. The GANDT starter program is a traineeship, which means we offer a paid (digital) training program to people who have gained first experiences in marketing.
Additionally, we teach our trainees the GANDT way or working, which means integrating ourselves into client teams and co-creating in a far broader sense than what marketing consulting is usually known for.
What does the traineeship cover?
Jack joined the GANDT starter program 3 months ago, and gave us an insight into what it is like to be a trainee in our starter program, which in his words has been both project-based and educational. It has not been the ‘glorified internship’ we often fear. From the very beginning, Jack had the opportunity to take part in several different projects and cover topics that are both wide reaching and hands on.
The design of the program has allowed him to explore a breadth of topics and tasks that are able to grow organically. He is not only actively participating in project work with several clients, but also adding to them and finding value in his contributions.
His key responsibilities up until now have been:
- Paid Search support in terms of updating ad copies and doing keyword research
- Creation of reports and providing analyses for the team
- Content creation for clients’ social media campaigns
- Community management for various social media accounts
How have we implemented knowledge development?
To guarantee knowledge development, the program has been designed for hard and soft skills to be applied in ongoing work. Jack explains that as project work progresses and his responsibilities diversify, the knowledge and skills he has acquired are growing simultaneously.
For example, updating keywords and ad copies has given him the ability to start his own paid search campaign online using Google Ads. Although there is a wide range of topics to learn about, this new knowledge ends up coming together into one marketing mosaic where the learnings start playing together no matter which area you decide to focus on.
What opportunities are available after completing the GANDT starter program?
Remco wanted to make sure that starters would get an enriching work experience no matter which field they are passionate about. The diversity that the program offers, therefore, allows candidates to test the various digital marketing disciplines, including the one they show a heightened interest for.
Furthermore, the team at GANDT shares their learnings, findings, development and insight topics on a centralised communication platform, Slack. This means that no matter when a starter joins a project, they are able to easily read up on how a project has evolved, including the goals that were set, the steps it took to achieve them, and which challenges lie ahead.
Who should try this GANDT starter program?
One of the most interesting aspects of working for GANDT is the team that you find yourself surrounded by. Jack explains that there are no two same backgrounds within the team, and that no matter what area you started working in, the program allows you to explore and focus on whichever discipline suits you best. The program is therefore suitable for anyone with an interest in digital marketing, no matter the background.
One of our most important responsibilities is to educate and empower the people that we work with. This is not only within our team, but also with our clients, which is why we are opening up the program to those that we have been working with for a significant amount of time.
Once we reach the acceleration phase of our DNA program, it is crucial for us to be able to push a certain area of the business forward but also empower our clients to do it themselves. Thus, transferring knowledge and learning alongside each other without losing the momentum of ongoing project work is not only beneficial for the businesses involved, but also empowering and strategic in the long run.
If you are curious about the starter program and want to find out more, please get in touch with our team here. We would love to have a chat with you.
