Need a little pep in your step?...

Look no further than Amanda Papini! She’s got so much energy and a personality of pure happiness that can cheer anybody up. Read more to learn about Amanda and the Associate Program here at BKV. 

1. Position: Recruiting Director

2. How long have you been at BKV? I have been at BKV since May of 2007.

3. Have you always lived in Atlanta? If not, where was home before this? I have not.  I lived in Naperville, Illinois a suburb of Chicago prior to Atlanta.  But I must mention that I am a Hawkeye through and through.  Born and raised in Iowa, baby!

4. BKV has a herd of TV fanatics. What’s your favorite TV show?  Definitely Revenge

5. Current top five playlist: 

       Rihanna: We Found Love

       Ray LaMontagne:  Shelter

       Fun: We Are Young

       Amos Lee: Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight

      Chris Brown: She Ain’t You 

      I know…Crazy mix, but I love music.  Ask me tomorrow and it would be a completely different list.

You’re the recruiting director here at BKV, so let’s get down to business…for all of those young employees wanting to break in to the world of advertising, would you mind giving us a run down on the associate program offered here at BKV?

1. What exactly is the associate program?  The Associate Program is structured similarly to an internship.  It is a great opportunity for new graduates or individuals seeking a career change to get their foot in the door at an advertising agency.   

2. Can recent graduates apply to the associate program? DEFINITELY!  There are often graduates that have not gotten internship experience in agencies.  It will be extremely difficult to obtain a position within an ad agency without an internship; thus, associate programs are a great opportunity for recent graduates to get the experience needed to obtain a full-time, permanent position.

3. Are there opportunities to learn from other departments in the agency?  That is one of the great   things about ad agencies; they are very collaborative.  People are always learning from each other.  Occasionally, associates will obtain a position within a different department in the agency; thus, someone may start in SEO and move to paid search.  This, of course, depends upon availability of associate roles and a person still must interview for the new position.

4. Who do associates report to? Associates report to a variety of people depending on the specific role that they fill. 

5. What’s the work environment like? Is it team oriented?  The work environment can be best described as “work hard, play hard.”  We have an extremely fun environment-yes, the rumors are true: we have pool tables, Wii, big screen TV’s, darts etc.  The environment is definitely team oriented.  Our agency is like a big family.  We can’t get enough of each other at work, so we often hang out outside of work as well: happy hours, dinners,etc.

6. Do associates work together or on separate accounts?  Associates sometimes work together and sometimes work on separate accounts.  There are also associates across different departments that can work together.  Associates will always have a full-time permanent employee available to guide them.

7. After I apply, how long does it take to hear back?  You will get a personalized response immediately upon receipt of your application.  It can take up to two weeks for your application to be reviewed.  You often receive a request to interview within the first week of submitting. We know what it is like to be on the other side of the hiring process.  We will always answer emails from candidates and are happy to keep them up-to-date with the process.

8. How many people will I meet with for an interview? How long do the interviews normally last? In terms of interviews,  you can expect to meet with 1-3 people.  Interviews typically last 30 to 45 minutes.  Sometimes the interviews are completed in one day; whereas, other times you will be asked to come back in to interview with other supervisors at a later date.

9. How often are associates hired?  In the last 2 years, 11 out of 23 associates have received offers for full-time employment.  Again, this is not something we can guarantee.  Full-time offers are dependent upon work quality and available full-time, permanent positions.   

10. How long does the associate program normally last?  A person signs on for an initial 3 months as an associate and given the quality of work produced and availability of work, the associate can sign on for another 3 months for a total of 6 months.  Many associates move on to become full-time employees after 3 or 6 months; however, this is not something we can guarantee.

11. Is the associate program a paid position? Full-time or part-time? Unlike most internship programs that are unpaid, the associate program is paid at $7.25 an hour and parking is paid for by the company.  The associate positions are typically flexible in terms of hours worked per week.  A minimum of 20 hours is required, and associates can work a maximum of 40 hours per week.  Some of the associate roles require 40 hours per week.

12. Do all departments at BKV have associate positions available?   Associate positions are typically found in Creative, Account Service, and Media (traditional and digital).

If you have any more questions about the associate program here at BKV please contact Amanda Papini ((JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)) or Amanda Sparks ((JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)) for more information.

About BKV
Established in 1981, BKV is a direct marketing and interactive agency specializing in helping marketers meet business goals with strategies that generate leads, convert those leads into sales and finally, into established and loyal relationships. The company uses a combination of traditional and digital media along with high performance creative and strategies that ensure we're driving response while measurably growing clients’ brands and sales. With offices in Atlanta and Kansas City, BKV serves local, national and international clients and is a member of the ICOM Agency Network, a professional association of marketing and advertising agencies from all over the world. For more information, visit bkv.com, or