The Manchester Masters Program ( http://www.manchestermasters.com ) was quite some experience! It aims to keep the best of Manchester's marketing talent in the city. Starting out with a video application (see earlier post) and a series of questions about Manchester, the chosen applicants were invited to day one of the Manchester Masters selection process (all 40 of them!) The day started at at 8am PROMPT where we were donned with a numbered bib and sent into a lecture theatre for half an hour of psychometric testing, including fractions! We were then left with some paper and pens and any other creative implements that we had chosen to bring in with us in order to demonstrate why we would make a great Manchester Master.
An emptied cafe was to be the venue for the rest of the day, as a panel of judges lined the wall and all potential 'Masters' sat facing them (trembling slightly) our numbers were called out. "Number 3" I stood up... my 30 seconds had started. A paper origami style structure, some paper speech bubbles and some labeled labels later and the whistle was blown. My time was up!
Task number 2 had us in groups designing a marketing campaign for urban splash, exactly one hour later and several large sheets of presentation pages with the neat scrawl of marker pen, group number 3 (must be my lucky number) was hauled up to face the judges and other potential 'Masters' once again. The activity was graded on how we worked as a team, rather than on our rather terrifying presentation!
Task number 4 was a similar affair. this time I was placed with a different set of people - we were to devise a presentation with the colourful artistic materials and brochures provided, in order to demonstrate to any chosen target market how wonderful Manchester is! This time presentation skills were marked! We chose to focus on young professionals marketing Manchester's unique glamour and working on the prospect that there was something to suit every type of person weather it was glamour in the form of cocktails and shopping or in the form of sophisticated and original culture. This time our presentation skills were taken into account.
The email: After persuading a few other candidates into some wind down 241 cocktails! I returned home and sat waiting for that all important email.... "congratulations, your through to the next round!" woooooo!
Day two : Arrive PROMPT for 8.30 AM
Task 1 The puzzle! you have exactly one and a half hours in order to complete the puzzle here are the rules.. begin. OH NO Puzzles... always hated them, at christmas when there was really nothing to do but fiddle with that all frustrating puzzle that your aunty mildred sent you, I would resort to cleaning up the wrapping paper and fitting in one last mince pie in preference to attempting a puzzle! Needless to say I wasn't left in charge of this one and Luckily we had a pro puzzle solver who had come across this particualr puzzle more than once before! The task was designed to frustrate the team and see how they coped as members were repeatedly hauled out of the team to go for interview.
Alison Could you come with me please? Jo asked me .... Yes it was my interview. Sandy Lindsay North West Buisness women of the year and Ian Hudson from 'Psycuity' a psychology consultancy that helps clients make informed people decisions, sat infront of me. Actually the interview questions were pretty standard.. why are you interested in Manchester Masters, where do you see yourself in 5 years time.. which 3 famous people would you invite for dinner?! Having practiced answers for most of these (except the famous people part!!) I was quite happy with how it went, although I could have be a little less formal it turns out in the feedback I was later to receive.
Back to the puzzle... urg!
Task 2
In the same team devise a digital based initiative to sell to a specific target audience of your choice to hand over to the next team who will then market it. You have exactly one hour. Begin. Student Domestic services: Cleaners and Cleanies- run by students for students! Our concept: A matchmaking site for student houses to be cleaned by other students and for students to earn money as a cleaner! Combined with a handy man tips section of helpful practical advice. A booking portal payment system and database of student cleaners and cleanies.
Task 3 - give your 5 minuet presentation to another group of your new digital business venture and answer any questions that they may have to prepare them for marketing your idea.
Task 4 - After listening to a similar pitch ourselves, we had exactly one hour and a half (although we could work through lunch if we needed to) in order to come up with a marketing strategy for Get Student Savvy. com! An online price comparison site to get students the best deals and provide suggested lists of purchases when coming to university for the 1st time. The objectives being to gain 7 sponsorships companies, to collect a database of student 'profiles' and to market the idea nationally. After coming up with a two way sponsorship solution involving flogging other companies products at freshers fair with our website stickerd onto the items! And featuring the logos of the sponsorship companies on all of our media we were to also entice the students through facebook linking where the company would publish information such as "this week Alison has bought 5 tins of baked beans, a slice of cheese and a tin opener with studentsavvy.com" This could have a very amusing and catchy effect with an option to opt in or out of published feeds of course!
Task 5: You have exactly 10 minuets to present your marketing campaign to the judges and other potential 'Masters'. Here we go again...!
Task 6: You have exactly half an hour to come up with the 3 things that a person needs to the best at marketing: Be a Purple cow (originality), Empathy, Brilliant Communication.
Task 7: You have exactly half an hour to mark yourselves against these skills and back your reasonings up with examples of how you have demonstrated them.
Task 8: You have exactly 1 minuet to stand up and present this to the entire room! ... whistle blows I begin...1 minuet later whistle blows again I stop.
Task 9: revaluate your scores based on the other presentation that you have just seen. Hand this in and wait to be cruelly spilt into two groups once a final decision has been made! OMD (oh my daisies)!
Task 10: be taken down with your group of 10 into a room and hear the shouts of glee from above!! Ah well I got down to the final 20 so I'm proud of that!
Day 3:
Feedback and Matchmaking!
All the less successful candidates (not unsuccessful as everyone did so well to get this far) were invited to 'speed date' over 20 companies in a series of 5 minuet interviews... yes the whistle was again present but no we didn't have to wear our baseball style bibs so I could finally show off my new suit that I had spent hours choosing especially! There was some really great companies, some with specific jobs available and it was such good practice making 20 first impressions in one morning!! Fingers crossed for the opportunities that they may throw up! Many CVs handed out later and it was time for my feed back with Ian from Psycuity. Ian was so helpful and it was impressive how well his testing had me described! He told me that I was malleable in that I'm happy to work in a team and solo, that I enjoy getting my ideas agreed upon! and that if I believe in something firmly I hold my court. I'm intuitive and unconventional yet I worry about making mistakes. He also confirmed what I already well knew, that, with me, there is no grey area! People know where they stand, If I have something good to say people therefore respond very well, if it's not so good they wont like it as much and if I'm indifferent then I won't say anything at all! Simple. He also told me that I have a tender mind yet a strong personality. He said that i needed to let my more bubbly and fun side show through much more quickly when meeting new people as I come across as quite formal to start with! It was reassuring to know that most people don't know what they want to do, even right into their 40s! So thats me all psychoanalyzed out! Lets hope that I've had a successful 'Match' and that some great opportunities lie ahead ...
Thanks Manchester Masters for a really challenging experience, one that has taught me more about myself and how far I'm willing to push (very far!) "you may now begin".
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