Glass Digital: Placement Employer Profile

Meet Jonathan Birch, Creative Strategy Director at Glass Digital, a marketing agency that employs a number of Northumbria placement students and graduates. 

What is your role within Glass Digital?

I’m the Creative Strategy Director, which means overseeing the copywriting and outreach teams. These guys are responsible for producing and promoting content projects that get our clients noticed online. I spend most of my time thinking of ways we can achieve better results and work more efficiently.

Why does your company employ Northumbria University students?

Many of us have first-hand experience of the difficulty that comes with getting one foot on the career ladder, despite having the attitude and skillset required for the job. So it’s easy for us to recognise the largely untapped wealth of talent sitting on our doorstep.

Some businesses are reluctant to hire new graduates due to a lack of experience, but we pride ourselves on looking past that and identifying people who will be the right fit for our team. We take a candidate’s achievements and qualifications into account, but our interview process focuses on personality and attitude — if you’ve nailed these then there’s a good chance of joining the Glass Digital team.

It was a no-brainer to partner with a university that trains students in disciplines that complement our technical and creative roles. Plus, many of our existing staff are Northumbria graduates, so we know we’ll unearth some more star employees!

What specific benefits do our students bring to your company?

New ideas. It may sound cliché, but the majority of us have been in the digital marketing game for a while now, so it’s refreshing to get different perspectives. Plus, placement students and graduates bring unique skills from their particular course — whether it’s PR or Interactive Media Design — which can help the whole team.

Northumbria students are also used to a learning style that complements our way of working. Juggling client projects and deadlines isn’t so difficult when you’re used to dealing with different modules and assessments.

What does the placement experience at Glass Digital offer students?

Students can expect to find themselves in a friendly working environment where they can gain practical experience to complement their field of study. We treat students like our regular employees, with the same level of responsibility and training, so they gain real insight into the role.

Have you employed any placement students in graduate roles?

We’re a young company, so we haven’t had chance to bring placement students through to full-time employment quite yet — but it’s certainly on the cards.

Anyone who impresses us will have the opportunity to stay on part-time while they complete their final year of study. After graduation, they’ll be able to go straight into a full-time role, and their experience with the company will be reflected in their salary.

To hear about the placements from our students themselves, read profiles by Steven Gray and Rachel Jones. 

To explore upcoming opportuntities at Glass Digital visit their Careers webpages.