Moving forward together | Cartel Agency

Win-win

To help shape the future of communications, we have several partnerships with education. Every year, we give guest lectures at universities and colleges. Among others, UCLL, PXL, VUB, University of Antwerp, KU Leuven, Odisee and Syntra knock on our door for this.

For some subjects, we go even further. For example, for branding and digital transformation, among others, we teach the entire course. We see this as a win-win for all parties. By giving students the opportunity to learn from hands-on professionals, we are building a strong communications community. Moreover, in this way we bridge the gap between theory and practice, exploring new horizons together.

"For our students, it is enriching that we bring an agency's perspective to the program: from quality (guest) classes on challenging internships to sharp judges for our project subjects. This collaboration also provides a valuable sounding board for the program itself. Where do we want to be in 3-5 years? What marketing trends are here to stay and should be covered in the course? In short, a short line to a renowned marcom agency is an enormous added value for us," says Maarten Thiry, Head of Marketing at PXL University.

The real thing

Since 2021, we also have some fine collaborations where we put students from different courses to work. We give them a real customer briefing for brands such as BelOrta and Wibra. They then work on this intensively for a few weeks.

We guide them throughout the project and provide feedback. Finally, they present their work to both the jury and the client. During the project they also get to work in our office. This way they immediately learn all the ins and outs of a marketing and communications agency: from brainstorming to chatting at the coffee machine.

Working together on a campaign that is just right and makes the client's mouth water: it is an experience that can only be given in a real-life context. These are the moments in an education where students learn the trade, the fire is stoked and talent emerges.

Wouter Buntinx, Lecturer in marketing at Hogeschool PXL

From auditorium to shop floor

Working with young talent in the workplace is also an absolute enrichment, both personally and professionally. That's why we welcome several interns every semester to gain experience in the agency world.
And you may rest assured: that goes a lot further than making coffee. With a varied set of tasks and active involvement in teams, they get the chance to really get involved. They also build valuable relationships with colleagues and customers, which they take with them into their future careers.

Some of our interns also return later ...

"My internship at RCA PR was 10 years ago now. The atmosphere there, the colleagues - several of whom are still here - and the nice variety between projects, stayed with me. And look, after my first job at Tectum Group, I happily returned. I've been working at RCA PR for 4 years now."

Kirsten Van de Werf - Senior consultant PR

"After a successful internship at Cartel Agency, I wanted to explore myself further. I therefore decided to pursue additional studies and then work further from home. I gained a lot of new experiences, but everywhere I went I missed the feeling I did have as an intern at Cartel Agency. I therefore returned with great pleasure!"

Piet Verbanck - Account manager

"As a student, there is no better learning experience than an internship. Practice is always different from theory anyway. Working in different teams allowed me to figure out what I really wanted. A few years after my internship, I got a call: if I was interested in coming on board. Today I have been part of Cartel Agency for more than 2 years!"

Rachel Genot - Account manager

"My internship at Cartel Agency has definitely stayed with me. The atmosphere and the work were super. But especially my internship supervisor, Caroline, made everything just a little bit more fun. Going along to focus meetings, walking during lunch ... I knew even then that I wanted to apply to an agency later on. A guest lecture by Jente during my master year only confirmed that feeling. So after my studies, I didn't hesitate for long to spontaneously apply to Cartel Agency. With success!"

Ulrica Fox - Account manager

"In 2016, I started as an intern junior communication advisor at Cartel Agency. It quickly became clear to me that I was going to learn a huge amount here thanks to my lovely colleagues. I really felt at home in my team and everyone took the time to get me all the way in. After my internship, I got the offer to stay and immediately started working as a community manager. I was given opportunities to grow and about two years later I rolled into the position of social media consultant. After that, I wanted to delve into the wonderful world of digital performance. And so it happened. Meanwhile, I have been a performance consultant in team digital for almost 5 years. And still I feel that I get the space to grow, learn and get better and better at my job."

Sasha Cruysbergs - Consultant digital

"I interned at Cartel Agency (formerly RCA) in 2009. To this day, I can call my internship supervisor a colleague (shout out to Yannick) and work for clients for whom I did press monitoring during my internship. Incredibly impressive in our industry.. During my internship in RCA PR, I learned what working in an agency really means. Then to come back 3 years later and help build the digital and media arm has been one hell of a ride. From junior to partner, from intrapreneurship to entrepreneurship, from getting and taking opportunities to hopefully giving even more opportunities to others. My guest lectures are a small step in that for me: giving the next generation a look behind the scenes ánd the desire to also help write the Cartel Agency story."

Jente Joris - Director digital & media

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