Recently at mag we had some very exciting news. The wonderful Alicia Abbott, our Head of Procurement has achieved MIPA standard- many congratulations Alicia!!!

 Becoming an Accredited Member of the IPA (MIPA) is the advertising industry's most visible mark of professionalism. It's designed to put people on the same footing as architects, engineers and lawyers. And it's recognised and respected by clients, employers, headhunters and peers.

 I asked Alicia all about her journey below:

 Do you want to give an overview of why you decided to become an MIPA and what that entailed?

I’ve always been keen to expand my educational/professional horizons, and becoming MIPA is the advertising industry’s most visible, robust badge of professionalism.

In 2018 I, along with several of my colleagues, completed the Foundation certificate which earned me 2 x MIPA Stars. Once I read into what it takes to become MIPA, I decided to set my sights on earning another 3 stars to achieve MIPA status. I think, especially with the year we’ve all experienced, it’s been good to have a goal to focus on, and the courses I chose to do will help me in all aspects of my advertising career.

They’ve also really helped me dive in deeper into areas of the business that I wouldn’t ordinarily know about or be involved in. Now I have more of an understanding of how the industry works as a whole, I can use that to my advantage in my current role.

What courses/qualifications did you complete?

I completed four qualifications:

·         Foundation Certificate

·         Commercial Essentials Certificate

·         Effectiveness Essentials Certificate

·         LegRegs Certificate

It takes 3 years to become a Personal Member of the IPA; that’s a long time! Did you find it challenging at times?

Of course! There is SO much information to absorb, and it can become very overwhelming whilst studying the various courses. I just made sure to take my time, and focused on retaining all of the information I was reading and researching.

I found that thinking of the various courses in terms of my own agency, and putting it into that specific context made it much easier to remember the information and process it.

What’s been a highlight of your journey to becoming an MIPA?

Passing each course! I’m always shocked when I actually pass the exams, and passing that final one (the Effectiveness Essentials Certificate) was the best feeling, knowing I had achieved my MIPA. It’s important to look for ways to keep developing your skills.

Doing things such as achieving MIPA status helps me to keep thriving and progressing in my career, and makes me feel a great sense of accomplishment. I feel very proud of myself, and I’m looking forward to applying the knowledge I have gained into my everyday working life.

Thanks Alicia, and congratulations again, we hope you’re celebrating hard after all that hard work!