Back 
It’s been an exciting, and very busy, few weeks here at TMPW as we geared up to the launch of our new Graduate Pathway Programme. This programme is a passion project of mine, named in honour of our much-loved colleague and friend, Simon Wright.
In September this year, we’ll welcome three graduates onto our four-rotation programme over two years. They’ll get a fast-track tour of our key Talent Advisory departments. The goal is to give them insight into all aspects of life inside our agency. They’ll try their hands on everything from auditing a careers site, to market insight research, to managing client relationships. It’s a throw-in-at-the-deep-end kind of vibe. (In a good way.)
Being involved in developing the whole programme got me thinking about some big questions.
What did I (We?) Learn?
Designing a standout graduate programme has been a business-wide effort. That’s what we excel at – bringing together our diverse talents and expertise to create something truly valuable. But, what did I learn?
- Grad recruitment experts on tap. There’s always somebody who knows that teeny weeny niche missing piece that you just can’t find to complete your jigsaw and a wealth of experience in managing graduate recruitment for our clients.
- Tick-tock. Not the social kind, I’m talking time. Being in the Delivery (Project Management) Team I should know this: things do often, and do usually, take longer than it might initially seem.
- Assessment Design is fascinating. I’ve been lucky enough to work on a few juicy projects with our Assessment Psychologists and the science behind the scenes never ceases to amaze me.
- Categorising our offering. We (TMPW) don’t easily fit into a ‘typical’ career category for graduate targeting. It made us think hard about which space to put ourselves in to attract the right talent and applicants.
TMPW have redefined what great looks like, setting a new standard for the industry to follow.
Attracting Gen Z – are we right for you?
The early careers market has changed over recent years – now dominated by digital native Gen Z. Growing up in a digital first world, with instant access to anything and everything, this graduate audience have a different wish-list to us (royal ‘us’) Millennials. So, did we bring TMPW’s offering to the table?
- Transparency is key. We’ve created ‘realistic job preview’ films. Designed not to be an aesthetically pleasing and shiny finished article; but, actually, the reality of what the Graduate Pathway Programme will entail and the environment you’ll be working within. Painting the reality, shall we say.
- Work/life balance. We know Gen Z want flexibility and a good work/life balance. Our hybrid working policy will help nicely with that.
- Progression and development. The four-rotation programme we’ve designed gives successful candidates a unique opportunity to get under the skin of a variety of different roles across the business, over a fast-tracked two-year period. A taste of it all.
- Making a difference. We may not be saving lives, but our work with our diverse range of clients does make a difference. Whether it’s helping prison leavers find a career, or giving nurses a voice against violence, the strategies we support and shape are varied, interesting and important.
We’ve thought carefully about how to touch on everything a future outthinker might need to know, have exposure to, and be involved in during each insightful rotation. It’s all packaged up and summarised into the ‘realistic job preview’ films and our dedicated landing page.
And, after viewing all of that content, reading the odd case study and/or article, and getting to grips with ‘what we do’, we’re inviting the audience to ask themselves ‘are we right for YOU?’. We call it ‘self-reflection’.
Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.
Amazing journeys to come
What does the future look like for the cohort of September 2025 Graduates? Watch this space. We know it’ll be an amazing journey. As the cohort skip their way through Client Services, Creative Services, Social & Digital Strategy, and Employer Brand & Insight, we’ll be right there with them, outthinking every challenge.
The best way to predict your future is to create it.
