Rare opportunity for AFA Graduate Trainee

The time-worn adage apparently is true, when one door shuts, another opens. It happened for Sophie Lawrence; one of this year’s AFA Graduate Trainees. Sophie was selected to start her career at one of Perth’s major agencies and then, because of the tough economic times, lost her chance when the agency had to withdraw its invitation.

So, Sophie was a casualty like so many others in the difficult times being experienced by much of the industry here in Perth. It was a case of her advertising career being stopped before it started.

However, this week the door at RAREcreativerthinking was opened to Sophie and she gets her chance for her longed-for career in advertising!

Callum Mackenzie, MD of Rare (shown above with Lawrence) said he was initially impressed with Sophie’s enthusiasm and her commitment to secure a career in advertising.  He then set her a task to complete and asked her make a further presentation to him of that assignment. Sophie’s presentation clinched the chance for her. And the door to her advertising career opened.

Ken Painter of the AFA Secretariat  in Perth said “the AFA in WA extends good wishes to Sophie for her commitment to her dream and congratulations to RAREcreativethinking for recognising young talent and giving it an opportunity to develop”.

Sophie and her fellow applicants that were in the selection process of the AFA Graduate Trainee Program will start developing their advertising brains by undertaking the AdSchool Foundation course that commences tonight.

“Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned along the way here,” said Painter. “Could now be the time for many of the young people in the industry to make themselves more valuable to advertising by improving their skills? It’s worth thinking about.”