By: Michelle Bui - Case Competitions Director
Last year, I had the incredible opportunity to compete in Apprentice. Entering into my second year, the only previous case competition experience that I had was Pitch Perfect (ironically enough, this was YMA's first-year case competition before we rebranded it this year to Breaking Brand).
Clearly, my case competition experience was not at all extensive compared to other applicants but I wanted to give it a shot anyways. That leap of faith ended up leading me through all three rounds of the competition to become one of the Top 5 teams. Although my partner and I never placed in any of the rounds, the experience of our Apprentice journey was so worthwhile. Our journey was full of unforgettable moments from the crazy ideas we pitched to one another to practicing for hours on end. With every part, I can attest that we both learned so much from our Apprentice Experience.
Here are my 7 reasons why you should compete for Apprentice:
1) Expose yourself to different industries in marketing
Each round of Apprentice is sponsored by a company in a different industry (i.e. CPG, telecommunications, etc). By tackling marketing issues that are situated in different industries, you can gain insight into what type of work you will be involved in. With a little taste of everything, this can really help in determining what type of industry you best fit in. I found that while there were cases that I loved working on, there were others that I had less interest in. While taking on these cases gave me a challenge, it allowed me to learn.
2) Meet & network with industry professionals
Within each round, you will have the opportunity to meet with the company's representatives. With a tighter pool of competitors in comparison to the number of delegates who attend a large-scale networking event, you can talk one-on-one with the judges or any other industry professionals that the sponsor brings.
3) Improve case and presentation skills
What’s a better way to practice your public speaking and case skills than to test them out at a case competition?
4) Receive critical feedback
Even if you do not move onto the next round, the judges are able to give you feedback on your presentation and ideas so you know what to consider moving forward, allowing you to develop and improve.
5) Tackle real and current industry problems to get a taste of what the marketing field offers
If you’re considering marketing, Apprentice is a great opportunity to get hands-on experience in taking on real issues that these companies are encountering. You can go beyond classroom learning to execute an actual strategy and take ownership of your work.
6) Exercise creativity and practice self-sufficiency and self-learning
Each case has different deliverables that will force you to extend your creative limits. You have complete authority and flexibility with what you want to do. Outside of the creativity behind the campaign, you also need to use data to back up and validate your ideas. The process calls for a lot of learning, but you’ll be so proud of the work that you accomplish and are able to call your own.
7) Showcase your skills and ideas in front of recruiters and industry reps
Our sponsors for Apprentice are currently recruiting - this is a great opportunity to show them what you are capable of!