MIPA STANDARD: Hannah Kilgallon

Congratulations to Hannah on becoming MIPA! 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 Hannah all about her journey below:

DO YOU WANT TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF WHY YOU DECIDED TO BECOME AN MIPA AND WHAT THAT ENTAILED?

To become MIPA, you must ensure that yearly, you reach a certain number of hours dedicated to professional development, whether that be training courses, research, etc for at least 3 years. Alongside this, you undertake IPA developed courses that cover different specific  areas of the advertising industry.

I decided to try and become MIPA certified to develop my skills and understanding of the wider advertising field. As a designer, it’s easy to stick to what we know, but I wanted to explore some of the key theories behind what makes an effective campaign in the long run and learn how I can incorporate that into my work! 

WHAT COURSES/QUALIFICATIONS DID YOU COMPLETE?

I completed 4 different courses:

• Foundation Certificate

• Commercial Essentials Certificate

• Effectiveness Essentials Certificate

• LegRegs Essentials Certificate

I tried to choose a variety of courses that covered a wide area of content, whilst still being beneficial to my day-to-day role. The Foundation certificate was a great starting point to give a broad overview with lots of key insights, whilst the essentials courses are great at narrowing in on some of the specifics.

IT TAKES 3 YEARS TO BECOME A PERSONAL MEMBER OF THE IPA (MIPA); THAT’S A LONG TIME! DID YOU FIND IT CHALLENGING AT TIMES?

Although it takes 3 years, the IPA make it  easily manageable to become MIPA. By providing attainable targets year on year, and courses broken into smaller modules that can be undertaken as and when you have the time available. MAG also helped by really encouraging us to develop our skills & providing support when needed. Although some of the courses can be a little tough, it is worth it in the long run.

WHAT’S BEEN A HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR JOURNEY TO BECOMING AN MIPA?

Whenever you get the notification you have passed the exam is always a great feeling, but what I find to be my biggest highlight is when I get to apply the learnings into work scenarios. Applying theories and ideas to ensure we are getting the most out of our campaigns and seeing the results.

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