tbk’s Director of Accounts Speaks at Western University

London, ON – tbk recently brought value to students at Western University’s Faculty of Information & Media Studies (FIMS) program thanks to a visit from Kylie Maisonneuve, Principal and Director of Accounts. Kylie met with students of the Digital Communications: Writing Across Digital Media Platforms course as part of tbk’s continued support of Western students’ professional development. 

Mastering written communication skills in our digital age has become increasingly important—but the realities of working for an agency are not taught in school. Kylie shared valuable, firsthand experience, including how she got her start in digital marketing and her career path to becoming a principal owner of tbk.

Success factors include:

• Believing in your ability to persevere through any challenge
• Being the hardest and smartest worker in any room
• Leveraging your mentor(s)
• Perceiving every failure as a learning opportunity
• Owning your personal brand and legacy
• Putting emotions aside and embracing constructive criticism
• Being human: empathetic, authentic, and humble
• Making your physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing your #1 priority
• Staying curious and being fearless
• Giving back and helping others rise

Kylie shared tbk’s mission, vision, and values, as well as departments and career paths at tbk. She gave students at Western University a sneak peek into what agency life is really like:

• You will never be bored or look at the clock (variety is the spice of life)
• You will work alongside some of the most talented people in your industry
• You will accelerate the development of your skillset and professional experience
• You will become the most productive and efficient version of yourself
• You will have more flexibility and autonomy than your non-agency peers
• You will learn how to communicate and collaborate like a pro

Next, Kylie shared tips on how one might get hired at an agency like tbk, emphasizing the importance of soft skills over hard, technical skills, which can be taught. She revealed some resume and cover letter tips, common job application errors, and expectations for the interviewing and hiring process. 

We asked students what resonated with them from the presentation, and this is what they shared:

“My biggest takeaway was hearing about the day-to-day of working in an agency,” said Jake Rudin. “Clients ask a lot of you, but a flexible schedule and a supportive team that you can share a laugh with and collaborate with helps.”

“I liked hearing about Kylie’s career trajectory, and the trial and error of that,” said Mya Scepanovic. “It’s not always one quick route to getting the dream job you want—or the dream job you don’t even know you want—but all the different pathways you can take to end up where you want to be.”

The Digital Communications: Writing Across Digital Media Platforms course is open to students pursuing the Diploma in Digital Communication (DDC) and the Certificate in Digital Communication (CDC), as well as an elective for students completing an undergraduate degree at Western. It is designed for students who want to pursue a career in digital communications, helping them understand online communities, social media, virtual worlds, and emerging forms of digital communication.