Meet Lisa, graduate of Multimedia & Creative Technologies

Read this interview in which Lisa tells you:

• What she’s now doing as a graduate of Multimedia & Creative Technologies
• How she made her decision on which job to choose
• Her advice for future students, like you!

Lisa, how did you find your job at POLITICO?

LinkedIn. I’d already been following POLITICO as I’m interested in Politics and really liked what they do, so by following them I saw this opportunity.

What do you do there?

I help set up Advertising campaigns both through digital media and in print. I use Photoshop and inDesign for creative work, cms and mailchimp for newsletters. I also analyse campaign performance using Excel, DOMO, Adobe Analytics, Parse.ly. And I’m involved in project management, setting up trackers and communicating both internally and externally.

Why did you choose this role?

I wanted to use my skills within an organization that seemed like the right fit for me. I wanted to continue working in an English-speaking environment. To be honest, I didn’t have much of an idea what “Ad Ops” is all about. Even through extensive googling and consulting Chat GPT I only managed to get a rough idea. Even now after having done this job for over 6 months, I still struggle to fully define it.
I kind of like that about it. I feel in many ways it's similar to MCT in that sense. I have some mundane everyday tasks but more often than not unexpected things happen that require outside-the-box thinking. It’s at those times that I can shine with my different digital skills, this is something I had hoped for.

How did you prepare for your career search?

I wasn’t super sure what I wanted to work as but I was quite sure where I could see myself working.
I wanted it to be in Belgium (Gent, Brussels, or Antwerp), in an international environment, ideally young, and most importantly: the company should do something I was passionate about.
I care a lot about the EU (this was also a central topic in my bachelor thesis), so POLITICO was pretty much on top of my list.

What was the transition like from student to working life?

During the first 2 months, it was a little challenging to get used to a fixed schedule. On top of that, it's strange to suddenly take on bigger responsibilities beyond personal academic success. In the first couple of weeks, I stressed a lot about messing things up. Which I definitely did. There is so much new stuff to learn that it's pretty much impossible not to. Thankfully, I have awesome colleagues who helped me keep any mistakes minimal while also teaching me that there is nothing to worry about. Every new joiner has been there.

In what ways did KdG prepare you for your chosen career?

MCT really turned me into a problem solver. My colleagues have described me as “solution-oriented”, “team worker” and “digital expert”. No doubt these three can be attributed to my KdG background. On a technical level, a lot of tools that we use daily at work, I was already introduced to during my studies.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

The very positive, young, and international environment. We are always encouraged to explore new things and management is open to new ideas. I have learned that this is not something to take for granted.

What knowledge or personal characteristics are important for you to do your job well?

Basic understanding of programming, data analytics, graphic design, marketing and communication are important. On top of that a willingness to dive into new worlds. In my case, the backend of digital advertising was the most challenging since it’s extremely technical.

What’s next for you?

A promotion and maybe exploring other teams within POLITICO in the future. We have so many different fields that I find really interesting. I think being part of the podcasts at POLITICO would be cool.

What advice would you give to new MCT students?

• Don’t worry about not having enough knowledge. We all start from zero. Ask for help from fellow students and from your teachers.
• Find an internship at a place that you find interesting so you can test out your skills.

And before they start their career search?

• Think about your passions. Not only the “what” but also the “where”.
• You can already begin this when preparing for your internship and bachelor thesis.
• Be okay with not finding 100% of what you were looking for, it can be enough to get a foot in the door and climb the ladder from there! It’s okay not to be an expert at everything.
• Don’t be afraid of new challenges. It’s about the mindset.
• Did you apply somewhere but didn’t hear back? Mail them. Ask for feedback. I mailed POLITICO to ask about my application and turns out, there were technical difficulties, so they had not received my application originally! Always ask!

“I'm more of a glass half full kind of person. So in most cases, when I looked at a job description where I felt like, well, some of those skills apply to me, then I would say: I think it's something I can apply for.”