If Ogilvy Australia told you, “we’re going to turn you into a super-charged adperson,” would you answer, “hell yeah,”? 107 graduates did, and submitted video responses to the first challenge, “show us you don’t have an ego.”

Five made it through Ogilvy’s fierce application process. This is Ogilvy Australia’s Goliath program:

Ogilvy: David and his Goliaths (the graduate program to beat)

And this is how his Goliaths see it:

1. Why did you apply for Goliath and what attracted you to a career in advertising – what role did you see for yourself in advertising?

James Wilkinson: Well originally I wanted to be a Fairfax journo when I signed up to a Communications course at CSU Bathurst. Glad I changed my mind on that one.

I always loved writing, ideation and creative problem-solving at school, and discovered that the most fun industry for these kinds of ‘talents’ (maybe one day I’ll be talented at them) was that of advertising. Being able to go behind the scenes of the marketing and campaigns we interact with every day was a fervid curiosity I had to satisfy, and a desire to shape the way our brands talk to the world was something that made me think, “hey, you might prefer that to being an investment banker or something.”

Megan Overton: Advertising has always seemed to me to be an exciting and diverse industry. Fast paced, non-stop go type work. I’ve always wanted to be involved in a creative industry, and a creative agency with such a huge global reputation like Ogilvy seemed like a pretty good opportunity. 

2. Tell me about the application/interview?

Megan Overton: The brief for the application was deceptively simple – create a 15 second video showing you don’t have an ego, and answering a few essay questions (similar to these, now I come to think of it).

Maybe I’m a glutton for punishment, but I actually really enjoyed creating my video (I did a stop motion video attempt using a $2 camera tripod strapped to a chair and a lot of giggling). It was an interesting challenge, and I wasn’t sure where it would lead…

The actual interview day on the other hand, even I’m not mad enough to say this was fun. Let’s call it a learning experience. Standing in front of very senior people and telling them why they should hire you is never going to be a summer stroll in the park.

Isabella Rago: The application process was interesting and daunting. I found myself dwelling on the application for several days, asking anyone and everyone I could to describe my personality so that I had something to put into the 15 second video required for the application. The interview day itself, I found to be structured really well. We all knew what we had to have prepared and what we were doing during the day. It wasn’t extremely intense, but it was definitely challenging.

James Wilkinson: The application process was a funny one (despite mine not being so). Having to submit a ten-second video of why we deserve to be there was the game-changer in my eyes. It set apart the copy-paste applicant types from those who really wanted to be here at Ogilvy and make a difference. If you (yeah, you reading this) want a red-hot crack at this gig, make a video that would catch your own eye in this cluttered advertising world. The effort here is what gets you to the next stages.

3. Were there any things about the program that surprised you? (please detail) What were the best things about it?

Rachel Taylor: 2017 is the first year Ogilvy Sydney has run the Goliath graduate program, so in terms of the actual role I was going into I had no expectations therefore no surprises. I was attracted to Ogilvy because of the work they produce. I was hoping if I were to get into the program, I would be in teams with people who were behind amazing creative work, so the best thing for me is definitely the people I work with and their experience.

James Wilkinson: I think that it was a real job and not just a graduate program, where you get rotated more than a chunk of doner at your local kebab store. Being able to affirm your roles and responsibilities in a team, build friendships, get to know the client and have personalised desk decorations are what sets Goliath program from the rest.

Isabella Rago: I was extremely surprised by the company’s excitement around the Goliath Program and how interested our colleagues are in our studies, interests, and well-being. There is a really great culture at Ogilvy. The best part of this program is the acknowledgment from the planning department and company that as a graduate, I am eager to learn. The team is so welcoming, encouraging and is always ready to educate me.

4. How has your understanding of advertising changed since Goliath?

Rachel Taylor: The commitment Ogilvy has to the mission, Making Brands Matter, constantly builds my understanding of the role of advertising. We are reminded that our role is to find creative solutions to business problems. It’s getting consumers to change their behaviour through creative solutions. All creative industries are consistently changing and moving. I believe everyone has to be adaptable or you get left behind. So in terms of my understanding of advertising – it is challenged every day and I think it will continue to change as long as I have a career in advertising.

Megan Overton: This is the first time that Ogilvy has run the Goliath grad program, so we are the proud guinea pigs. Which is exciting because it means that we can help shape the program for the next round of Goliath grads. Because we are the first lot through this program, there weren’t too many expectations, which is great, as that gave this program the ability to be built around what is working best for all of us.

The best thing for the program is working with such a huge group of seriously smart people who all know so much about the industry. Oh…and, there’s KFC and booze on Fridays.

5. What are you getting out of Goliath – what expertise and/or knowledge and/or doors do you expect it to open for you?

Megan Overton: Ogilvy makes damn good creative work. Everyone works very hard to be good at what they do and to strive to achieve the same level will be an exciting challenge as the year progresses. What I’m hoping to take away from my grad year is a great foundation in advertising and I’m hoping for a shiny, shimmery future in this mad industry (I say this with affection).

Rachel Taylor: People are in creative advertising because they truly believe in the work that comes out of the agency. The passion and excitement around the final product makes the work worth it. Ogilvy employees come into work every day excited to be in an environment where their opinions are respected, their voice will be heard and their ideas manifest into cool creative. The Goliath program has allowed me to work with people with expansive expertise and knowledge and I am able to learn from them.

James Wilkinson: The program filled in the all-important gaps in my knowledge coming out of university. There’s only so much you know from theory and even internships. The main responsibility of a job like this is to learn what you bring to the job itself. Go in guns blazing and eager to learn as much as you can, do everything the best you can and have the most fun possible.