FAQs
FAQs: Got a question about the The Scholarship Programme? This might help…
The Marketing Academy’s Scholarship Programme is a 9-month leadership development programme of Mentoring, Coaching and Learning. The programme is completely free of charge though highly selective and if you’re successful in securing a place you’ll receive the following benefits:
- The opportunity to meet with 8 senior industry leaders (Brand and Agency) for face to face mentoring sessions
- An Executive Coach to work with throughout the entire programme
- 3 x Residential Boot Camps (9 days in total) each year filled with leadership development, inspirational speakers, CEO’s and master classes
- Attend up to 4 x Scholarship Lectures, each hosted by recognized subject matter experts
- The opportunity to voluntarily participate in charity programme, donating your time to a small UK charity
- Participation in a life changing Leadership Development Programme
- Peer to Peer networking
- Exposure to high level marketing expertise across all industries
- Lifetime access to the Academy as Alumni
Nothing, it’s completely free. The entire content of the Scholarship Programme is delivered by exceptional people who volunteer their time, knowledge and expertise.
To get the most out of the programme all delegates should expect to invest 15 working days of time to attend 3 ‘boot camps’ near London, up to 8 mentoring sessions, Scholarship lectures, coaching sessions and working with a charity. In addition, there may be time outside of work where you prepare for mentoring or coaching sessions or to share your learning within your teams or externally.
• 9 days of residential Boot Camps based near London. The Scholars will attend 3 boot camps:
- Boot Camp 1 – Monday 11th May 2020 to Friday 15th May 2020
- Boot Camp 2 – Thursday 17th September 2020 to Friday 18th September 2020
- Boot Camp 3 – Thursday 21st January 2021 to Friday 22nd January 2021
• 8 hours for Scholarship Lectures. Over the course of the programme the Scholars will attend 4 lectures, usually around 2 hours each.
• 12 hours for your mentoring sessions. You will have up to 8 sessions and these are spread throughout the 9 months and take place as 90 minute sessions.
• 9 hours for your coaching sessions. These are organised by the Scholars and their coaches and are spread throughout the 9 month programme.
We are a voluntary organisation and therefore unable to contribute to any expenses incurred by Scholars whilst travelling to mentoring meetings, coaching sessions, or learning events. This cost must be met by the Scholars or their employers. It should be noted that the Boot Camps will require overnight accommodation which must also be paid by the Scholar or their employer. We will always try and keep costs to a minimum.
Whilst employers must be in support of the Scholar’s application to the programme, it is not compulsory for employers to give their Scholar fully paid leave. In our experience employers appreciate the level of development the Scholarship provides to their rising stars and tend to be extremely generous in giving our Scholars time to take part. However, it is expected for employers to allow Scholars to take some time as holiday or unpaid leave.
Please note that attendance to all three boot camps is mandatory to be accepted onto the programme.
The Scholarship year begins in May 2020 and is kicked off with a five-day Boot Camp. The Scholarship runs until the beginning of February 2021.
You can apply if you are based outside of England, however it is essential that you are able to travel for all the Scholarship events to make the most of the Scholarship. Mentoring sessions take place in and around London, so you may find you have less mentoring sessions if you live further away.
You can find a list of all the mentors, coaches, partners, judges and companies who are involved in delivering the Scholarship globally here.
Here are the key dates for the 2020 Scholarship Programme:
SELECTION PROCESS:
• 17th February 2020 – Scholarship nomination portal closes
• 24th February 2020 – Scholarship application deadline and application screening begins
• 23rd March 2020 to 3rd April 2020 – Pitch interviews
• 20th April 2020 to 24th April 2020 – Panel interviews
• 1st May 2020 – Successful applicants will be notified if they have a Scholarship place
• 5th May 2020 – Scholars will be publically announced
BOOT CAMP DATES:
• Monday 11th May 2020 to Friday 15th May 2020
• Thursday 17th September 2020 to Friday 18th September 2020
• Thursday 21st January 2021 to Friday 22nd January 2021
Boot Camp attendance is mandatory. If you are unable to attend any of the Boot Camp dates for any reason, you may lose your place on the programme.
Nominations
We are not able to share updates with Nominators who are not the Scholar’s employer. You are also welcome to join The Marketing Academy Community groups on LinkedIn and Facebook which we regularly update with what’s going on.
Not by us – your nomination will be kept confidential. Ultimately, we leave that decision up to you. We actually recommend you give you ‘nominee’ some warning before you nominate them.
Yes. We ensure that there are a few Scholarship places available for individuals who do not have a ‘classic’ marketing background. These individuals should demonstrate either exceptional ‘potential’ as natural marketers, have outstanding entrepreneurial ability or shown exceptional achievement in the face of adversity.
No. You can nominate whoever you chose, be it a member of staff, colleague, subordinate, boss, peer, supplier or client. You can nominate someone at an agency or business that you’ve worked with and have been very impressed by, or any great young marketer who you feel is a rising star. But the bottom line is: your nominee must fit the selection criteria. Your nominee must fit the selection criteria which can be found here
Unfortunately the Scholarship criteria requires the nominees to be ‘employed’ or own their business and so they would therefore be rejected from the process at Stage One.
Yes, but you may disadvantage your nominee. The nomination portal closes on 17th February 2020 and the closing date for applications is 24th February 2020. So, the earlier you nominate the more time your nominee will have to design and submit their application.
No. To be eligible for an ‘Invitation to Apply’ for a Marketing Academy 2020 Scholarship you will need to be nominated by someone who considers you worthy of a place. We will not accept self nominations and the nomination portal is regularly cross checked and verified.
You can nominate as many people as you like but they will be competing against each other for a Scholarship place. We strongly recommend that you only nominate the absolute best.
After you’ve nominated a rising marketing star on our website, you will receive an email confirming receipt of your nomination. Your nominee will be sent all the details they need in order to apply for a place.
Selection Process
The Scholarship Programme is free but highly selective, and to apply you must first be nominated by someone through our website www.themarketingacademy.org.
All ‘nominees’ then receive an ‘Invitation to Apply’ which includes essential information about the 3-stage selection process.
Nominations for the UK 2020 Scholarship Programme closes on 17th February 2020.
• Application — Submission deadline 24th February 2020 at 5pm
This 3-part application must include submission of a full CV, Employer’s Endorsement and a 2 Minute ‘Showcase Me’.
Nominees will be informed of their progress no later than 22nd March 2019.
• The Pitch — 23rd March 2020 to 3rd April 2020
Successful applicants will be invited to make a 10 minute face to face ‘pitch’ followed by a 15 min Q&A.
• Panel Interviews — 20th April 2020 to 24th April 2020
Successful applicants will be invited to a face-to-face interview with a selection panel of Marketing and HR Professionals.
Successful applicants will be notified if they have a Scholarship place by 1st May
To find out more about the programme and selection process check out our Scholarship Programme Guide here.
To continue through the selection process it’s essential we receive evidence of employer’s support of the nominees’ application in written form. An ‘Employer’s Endorsement Form’ is supplied with the ‘Invitation to Apply’. Employers are asked to outline why they feel their employees should receive a place on the programme and to confirm that they will enable their employee to invest a minimum of 15 days to the programme if awarded.
The ‘Showcase Me’ element of the Scholarship application is your chance to show your creative side and communicate exactly why you should be awarded a place on the programme. It can be digital or physical as long as we can read / watch / listen / pick up / experience it in 2 minutes we really don’t mind what format it’s in. All we’ll say is the more original the better!
Whether your experience is in a consumer or B2B brand, public or charity sector, media or creative agency, media owner or platform, entrepreneur or working for companies large or small, all applicants will be assessed equally against strict criteria.
What we are looking for:
- Ideally between 5 to 15 years in a marketing or agency role
- Already in a leadership role or position of significant influence
- Highly ambitious to further your career in marketing leadership; aspiring to board roles
- Demonstrates commitment to career with evidence of results and achievements
- Interests in charitable, social, cultural, creative or sporting endeavours
- Commitment to broadening horizons, such as world travel and further education
- High emotional intelligence
- Naturally driven to succeed
- Employed on a full-time (not freelance) basis in the UK with no risk of resignation, redundancy or termination for the duration of the programme
Additional Information
We believe that the learning curve of a new company wouldn’t mix well with the learning’s of the Scholarship programme. Therefore we reserve the right to terminate the Scholarship if you move company during the 9 month programme.
We share free or discounted learning opportunities with the nominee’s who aren’t selected for a Scholarship. These include lectures and conferences as well as Inspire learning events.
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