This is part of the #CareerAdvice series - featuring successful professionals who share their advice to people who would want to take their career to the next level.
Today's #CareerAdvice is from someone I had so much respect for and had a pleasure working with in the past. Always armed with fresh ideas, he's always filled with interesting ideas and never fails to keep the clients updated with the latest digital trends.
Giles Henderson, Director, Media & Channels at VML Qais and now he shares with us some of the most important lessons he has learned in his career, how he got into advertising and the power of constantly having the passion for continuously learning.
Giles Henderson, Director, Media & Channels at VML Qais
Tell us a bit about how you started and highlights of your career
I had the desire to get into advertising from the age of 15. I blame this on my father. He was in advertising. He made it look sexy.
When I was 18 and had finished my A-Levels, I told him I wanted to 'do advertising'. He advised against it.
That made me want to do it more. So I worked hard.. I sent myself on a trip around Australia to experience things. I worked hard to send myself to college. I did an advertising diploma course and that got me into advertising.
I spent 7 years in my first job and I would have to say that I owe everything thereafter to my first boss, Ian, who taught me how to plan media, how to buy media, how to deal with clients and publishers and how to enjoy advertising as it was then.
The highlight of my career was being able to argue with our Creative Director in my first agency (so we're talking a career difference of about 15 years) that I was right in my thinking for a specific client strategy... and have the client agree with what I was proposing too.
If you could advise your 20-year-old self today, what would you tell him?
Make sure you learn everything you can about the company you are looking to work for. It's pointless turning up for an interview totally unprepared.
Think big, but don't think above your station and always believe that you have something else to learn at some point in your career.
What has been the most valuable advice you've ever gotten when you were faced with challenges in your career?
The most valuable advice I was ever given was I my very first full time job - which was working in a brewery in Ipswich, Suffolk.
One of the long-term warehouse staff there told me that I should never discuss my salary/wages with anyone I work with.
But that held true for anything else work-related too. Never reveal anything personal about yourself in work to your colleagues.
What would you advise those who are looking to take their careers to the next level?
Always know that there is more to learn. Keep researching.
Find out about anything that is even slightly related to your specific career path and make sure that you always know more than the person who employed you.
Use that as the way forward.. always advance yourself personally and never give in to thinking that the powers that be are more important than you.
Learn more from Giles by connecting with him on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Enjoyed this? Watch out for the next #CareerAdvice series or share your own. Connect with me on Twitter and LinkedIn. Sponcer page
Today's #CareerAdvice is from someone I had so much respect for and had a pleasure working with in the past. Always armed with fresh ideas, he's always filled with interesting ideas and never fails to keep the clients updated with the latest digital trends.
Giles Henderson, Director, Media & Channels at VML Qais and now he shares with us some of the most important lessons he has learned in his career, how he got into advertising and the power of constantly having the passion for continuously learning.
Giles Henderson, Director, Media & Channels at VML Qais
Tell us a bit about how you started and highlights of your career
I had the desire to get into advertising from the age of 15. I blame this on my father. He was in advertising. He made it look sexy.
When I was 18 and had finished my A-Levels, I told him I wanted to 'do advertising'. He advised against it.
That made me want to do it more. So I worked hard.. I sent myself on a trip around Australia to experience things. I worked hard to send myself to college. I did an advertising diploma course and that got me into advertising.
I spent 7 years in my first job and I would have to say that I owe everything thereafter to my first boss, Ian, who taught me how to plan media, how to buy media, how to deal with clients and publishers and how to enjoy advertising as it was then.
The highlight of my career was being able to argue with our Creative Director in my first agency (so we're talking a career difference of about 15 years) that I was right in my thinking for a specific client strategy... and have the client agree with what I was proposing too.
If you could advise your 20-year-old self today, what would you tell him?
Make sure you learn everything you can about the company you are looking to work for. It's pointless turning up for an interview totally unprepared.
Think big, but don't think above your station and always believe that you have something else to learn at some point in your career.
What has been the most valuable advice you've ever gotten when you were faced with challenges in your career?
The most valuable advice I was ever given was I my very first full time job - which was working in a brewery in Ipswich, Suffolk.
One of the long-term warehouse staff there told me that I should never discuss my salary/wages with anyone I work with.
But that held true for anything else work-related too. Never reveal anything personal about yourself in work to your colleagues.
What would you advise those who are looking to take their careers to the next level?
Always know that there is more to learn. Keep researching.
Find out about anything that is even slightly related to your specific career path and make sure that you always know more than the person who employed you.
Use that as the way forward.. always advance yourself personally and never give in to thinking that the powers that be are more important than you.
Learn more from Giles by connecting with him on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Enjoyed this? Watch out for the next #CareerAdvice series or share your own. Connect with me on Twitter and LinkedIn. Sponcer page
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