We’re known for providing exceptional creative brand experiences for the highest tier B2B brands in the UK and globally, people like Microsoft, CBRE and Grant Thornton. It’s something we have been doing for over two decades and we are incredibly proud of it.
We don’t take our talent for granted though, we know that nurturing an environment that fosters creativity, allows diversity of thought and promotes independent thinking is key to delivering the highest quality creative, and we work hard behind-the-scenes to deliver what we like to call ‘the HB difference’.
What do we mean by the HB difference?
It’s essentially the way we operate as an agency, nurture talent and promote an active and diverse creative environment.
We’ve always recognised the immense wealth of untapped potential that exists within the next generation of creative talent. That’s why you’ll find we’re always on the lookout for up-and-coming creatives to join our team and carve out their career path with us.
And to help make this vision happen, we developed a dedicated graduate programme to help the brightest talent take off with all of the support and guidance they need. Because we know that graduates face an uphill climb when it comes to gaining experience and landing their first graphic design job, so we want to make it that bit easier for them to get their foot on the creative ladder.
Our graduate programme has been running for the last 15 years and is our core channel for introducing bright new talent into the studio and developing the next generation of design leaders.
In fact our graduate alumni currently make up over 50% of our overall design team. Over the past three years alone, we’ve welcomed 20 graduates, with 95% of them staying with us and rapidly rising through the ranks to become junior designers and beyond.
One of our rising stars Bethany, who joined with the 2021 cohort of graduates, has recently been promoted to mid-weight designer. Like all of our graduates, Bethany found being able to get involved in delivering active briefs and receiving ongoing feedback fundamental to her development as a young designer and it shines through her craft and attention to detail.
So how does our graduate programme work?
The programme opens for applications early in the year, usually in February. During this time, graduates from across the UK can apply by simply submitting an application via our recruitment platform called ‘Bamboo HR’.
The application process gives new graduates a great opportunity to present their portfolio and undergo an interview process with an agency, gaining valuable experience in talking about their work and undergoing a light design assessment task. We know how nerve wracking this can be and we take great care to communicate clearly and make sure all applicants know where they are in the process at all times!
It’s an intense and exciting period for the studio, at the end of which we accept four to five graduates once or twice a year (in April and November) into our graduate scheme.
What happens when they start?
We take nurturing talent seriously and we have developed a bespoke graduate programme that bridges the gap between creative thinking and a really solid understanding of the technology we use to deliver our work to the very highest standards…and it starts in the classroom!
Classroom-based learning
Often universities focus more on creative thinking than on developing software skills, so upon joining us, all of our new grads embark upon a dedicated eight-week training programme, which is classroom-based and delivered by our in-house training manager, Brett.
During these sessions, the graduates are given comprehensive training in all of the software they will need to use going forward, which includes Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, PowerPoint, Excel and Google Slides, as well as several other key programs, including Ceros and XD.
Out in the wild
Classroom learning complete, our graduates then get the chance to put everything they have learnt at university and during their first few weeks with us into practice.
Working with the team to creatively shape and deliver live projects, this is a time of huge growth and learning. Our graduates are exposed to the ins and outs of the quality review process, project management and timeflows, creative collaboration and senior design input as well as developing client relationship skills, all of which are a fundamental part of agency life.
This process of learning as a designer never stops. The best and most successful of us always ask, ‘How can we do better? How can we deliver more impactful creative and open up greater opportunities for our clients? What else can I learn?’
It’s this attitude that makes welcoming graduates into our team so rewarding for those of us who’ve been around a while. New ideas, fresh thinking and approaches to challenges helps keep us as an agency fresh and on our toes!
If you or someone you know is interested in finding out more about our graduate programme, reach out to us or share the email HR@Hamilton-Brown.com.
We’re looking forward to getting to know you.
In the meantime, here’s what some of our former graduates-turned-current team members have to say about their experience so far:
Sergey Kim-Oates, mid-weight designer
“After completing the graduate scheme, I transitioned my way from a Junior to a Mid-weight Designer. During this time, I was able to hone and demonstrate the skills gained from the grad programme. My progress within the company has also been greatly contributed to by the collaborative efforts and support of my fellow designers, the consistent guidance from HR, and mentorship from various team leads, all of which have been instrumental in my professional development.”
Laura Stainer, senior designer
“I joined HB as part of the graduate scheme in July 2017. I feel the grad scheme really helped to set me up for working life in my first design job. I learnt a lot during this initial six week period but the learning didn’t stop there. Throughout my time at HB I’ve been given many further training opportunities, have been mentored by senior members of staff, supported by colleagues and have been able to work with multiple clients on a wide range of jobs. I believe this is what has helped me to progress and enabled me to achieve three promotions, leading me to become the Senior Designer I am today.”
Zahra Fontenelle, team leader
“It’s hard to sum over 6 years of Hamilton-Brown in a paragraph as joining in my early 20’s I have grown up and developed so much. Hamilton-Brown’s grad scheme brought together six people from different backgrounds, cultures and experiences and taught us the foundations/basics to good design that I use every day. After the three months of grad training, we were released into the wild!! Split into teams, we took full advantage learning directly from senior designers and getting to know our fellow HB’ers at company socials. Over the years, I have jumped from client to client learning every step of the way. This has allowed me to adapt and build relationships. I love design and the endless possibilities to learn so I knew my goal was becoming a senior designer. Along the years I wanted to make my stamp at Hamilton-Brown and make it a place I feel comfortable and proud to work. I have been involved in organising socials, diversity and inclusion and more importantly become a Well-being Mental Health First Aid Officer.”