I’m really proud of the relationships that the ICS team have built with universities and local partners over the years, and we often visit them to deliver guest lectures or expert talks.
We love getting out and about and chatting to people in person, but one question that comes up time and time again from students is: ‘When can we come and visit you in your office?’
Anyone who’s visited us before or follows us on socials will know we’re lucky to have a great office space. More than that, this question reflects something bigger: students and graduates are craving real, lived experiences of the industry and opportunities to gain marketing work experience. So, we listened!
Our first step in that direction came back in November 2025, when we hosted a group of BA and MA PR students from Leeds Beckett University.
The day sparked insightful discussions, honest questions, and some really valuable feedback. It also left us thinking: ‘How can we do more of this?’
What is ‘Inside the Industry’?
So, we came up with ‘Inside the Industry’; in-office taster days designed primarily for students and graduates who are curious about careers in marketing, languages, and everything in between.
The sessions are designed for those who want to understand what entry-level marketing jobs actually look like day-to-day and want honest, practical advice from those who are doing the job (and have taken different routes to get there).
Breaking into marketing graduate jobs, or any creative industry, can feel overwhelming. Job descriptions are often full of jargon, career paths aren’t always clear, and there’s that familiar challenge of needing experience to get experience.
Our ‘Inside the Industry’ events aim to bridge that gap by offering real-world marketing experience and helping attendees better understand what a marketing job involves behind the scenes, not just the polished final output.
It’s also about listening. We’re just as interested in hearing from attendees as we are in sharing our own perspectives. Understanding what students and graduates are thinking (their questions, concerns and expectations) helps us create the best candidate and employee experience, while also shaping better marketing career advice for graduates.
What to expect on the day
Each session will focus on a specific area of our work, giving attendees a deeper dive into one of our services and different marketing roles.
We’ll start with an office tour to give a feel for our working environment and culture. From there, we’ll move into an introductory session covering who we are, what we do, and how our teams come together.
The core of the day is the service spotlight - a closer look at the featured team. This includes real case studies and a walkthrough of how projects move from brief to delivery. It’s where we get into the detail: workflows, challenges, and the decisions that shape the final outcome, offering valuable marketing industry insights.
The day will include a panel discussion with team members at different stages of their careers. This is a chance to hear a range of perspectives, from early career professionals to more experienced voices, and to get a realistic view of marketing career paths in the UK.
And of course, there’ll be plenty of time for questions, whether they’re about skills, applications, how to get into marketing, career paths or day-to-day life in entry-level marketing jobs.
We’ll finish with an informal coffee and networking session - a more relaxed opportunity to connect and continue conversations.
More than just a taster
While these sessions are designed to give attendees a valuable experience, they’re equally important for us.
They help us strengthen our relationships with university partners, which are key to connecting with emerging talent looking for graduate marketing roles in Yorkshire. They also give us the chance to build genuine relationships with potential future colleagues, whether that’s for full-time roles or flexible opportunities as part of FlexHub.
Just as importantly, they prompt us to reflect. What do people want from a workplace today? What matters most to those entering marketing graduate jobs now? These are questions we want to keep asking.
Looking ahead
For our first official session, we’ll be welcoming students from the University of Leeds to our Leeds office for ‘Inside the Industry: Translation’ on 5th May 2026. We’re excited to host what promises to be an insightful and interactive day with colleagues from ICS-translate, offering a unique perspective on translation and localisation careers within the wider marketing landscape.
We hope to expand the series across the different services we offer at ICS, with a mix of in-person and virtual sessions, creating even more opportunities for students to gain marketing work experience, explore careers in marketing, and connect with industry professionals. So, keep your eyes peeled on our socials for further updates and how to register!
In the meantime, you can check out our current vacancies on the ICS-digital careers page and ICS-translate careers page.
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