We were delighted to welcome Old Exonian Ross Saunders (1984–1989), Senior Producer at Saatchi & Saatchi, back to Exeter School on Friday 2 October as a visiting speaker. Ross gave up his time to talk to pupils about his career at the global advertising company Saatchi & Saatchi. He also showed them how studying languages can open doors in the world of work.
What is it really like to work in advertising?
During the lunchtime talk, pupils gained a fascinating insight into life in the advertising industry. Ross shared what the job is really like day to day, including:
- The variety of roles within an advertising company
- The range of projects he has worked on
- The opportunities a career in advertising can offer
How studying languages can take you places
One of the key messages from the talk was the valuable role that languages can play in the workplace.
Ross explained how his language skills have helped him throughout his career. They helped him get his foot in the door, and they have since opened up opportunities to work on different projects and assignments.
He described languages as a real advantage, allowing him to:
- Work with different people
- Take on new challenges
- Broaden his professional opportunities
Languages beyond the classroom
Pupils responded really well to the talk and were particularly interested in the practical applications of languages beyond the classroom.
The session ended with a question and answer (Q&A) session. Pupils asked Ross about the advertising industry, career pathways and the role of languages in the workplace.
Opening doors for the future
It was an informative and helpful session, and a great reminder that studying languages can open doors and create opportunities far beyond the classroom. A huge thank you to Ross for sharing his experience with our pupils.
