How we nurture top talent
We have an established Graduate Programme at Hamilton-Brown, designed to foster creative talent at every level. Testament to the success of our approach is Zahra, who joined the programme in 2018 and now leads one of our key accounts. Here’s her journey with Hamilton-Brown…
Zahra graduated from Cambridge School of Art, where she gained a great grounding in the technical basics. But it wasn’t until she joined the Hamilton-Brown Graduate Programme that she had the opportunity to deepen her creative knowledge in an engaging, industry-led commercial environment. The programme covers all areas of work in the graphic design field, equipping Zahra with the tools and confidence to engage colleagues and clients successfully.
The programme
The Graduate Programme introduced Zahra to the comprehensive design potential of Microsoft applications while also developing her Adobe skills. Alongside technical tools, she worked closely with the five other graduates on the Programme from a variety of backgrounds. “We shared ideas and experiences in a mutually beneficial way,” Zahra explains, “and the friendly, family-like atmosphere of the Studio made it easy to get to know people”.
After the initial training, Zahra completed her graduate journey as part of the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) team, where she gained hands-on sector experience and put her training to work. From PwC, she went on to support other clients, developing her confidence and design flexibility, including how to make interactive PDFs and animate in Adobe After Effects. And in 2020, Zahra entered a United Nations competition with a piece animation which paid tribute to Covid key workers, which was reshared on the official United Nations Instagram account.
The future
After moving into the Studio on a full-time basis, Zahra later joined Cushman & Wakefield’s in-house team working directly with the client, focusing solely on developing its brand. She then moved onto Xandr, another in-house agency client, in a two-person team that meant stepping up quickly to understand the brand and build client rapport. Working alongside the Account Lead, Zahra has produced exciting event work, bespoke web experiences and engaging presentations and pitches. And we’re delighted that she has now been promoted to Team and Account Lead for Xandr, taking on more business responsibilities while still prioritising her design goals.
It’s been a pleasure supporting Zahra along the way, so we’ll give the final word on the experience to her: “I remember how tough it was after university just to get some experience, but Hamilton-Brown gave me the opportunity to get my foot in the door. Time has really flown, and I love the positive work culture here, which is supported by various company socials and wellbeing initiatives.”
If you’re interested in joining our career opportunities, get in touch.