WPP

Each WPP agency runs its own recruitment, but the shape of the process is similar across Ogilvy, GroupM, VML and the other networks. Most rounds are virtual, with a final in-person meeting for senior roles.

1. Application or referral

You apply on the WPP careers site, the individual agency's careers page, LinkedIn or a job portal such as Jobaaj. Creative roles need a portfolio link; media and data roles benefit from a resume that quantifies campaigns you have worked on. Referrals from current agency staff carry weight.

2. Recruiter screen

A 15 to 20 minute call from the agency's talent team covering your background, the brands you have worked on, salary expectations and notice period. For freshers the conversation focuses on internships and why advertising.

3. Assignment or portfolio review

Creative candidates present their portfolio or complete a short brief, for example a campaign idea for a real client. Media candidates may get a planning case with a budget and audience data. Account management candidates sometimes receive a client-brief exercise to structure a response.

4. Functional interviews

One or two rounds with the team lead, creative director, business director or media head. Expect a detailed discussion of the assignment, your understanding of the agency's clients and how you handle deadlines and feedback.

5. Leadership and HR round

A conversation with a senior leader on culture fit and career direction, followed by an HR discussion on compensation. Offers usually arrive within one to three weeks of the final round, and background verification follows.

The rounds below reflect the common flow for entry and mid-level roles at WPP agencies in India. Senior creative and client-leadership roles add one or two leadership conversations.

Round 1: Recruiter conversation

A short telephone or video call with the agency's talent acquisition team. It confirms your experience, interest in the specific agency and practical details, and decides which team you are routed to.

• Walk me through your resume and the brands you have worked on
• Why this agency and why advertising or media
• Notice period, location and salary expectations

Round 2: Assignment, case or portfolio

Take-home or live, typically two to five days for a take-home brief. Creative teams judge the idea and craft; media teams judge the planning logic, use of audience and budget data, and the clarity of the deck.

• Build a campaign idea for a given client brief
• Plan a media mix for a product launch with a fixed budget
• Present three pieces of work you are proudest of and why

Round 3: Team interview

Forty-five minutes to an hour with the hiring manager and one or two team members. They probe how you think about consumers, how you respond to feedback and how you handle a difficult client.

• Critique a recent campaign you liked or disliked
• How would you brief a creative team from a client's problem statement
• Explain reach, frequency, CPM or attribution in simple words (media roles)

Round 4: Leadership interview

A senior leader from the agency, such as an executive creative director or business head, assesses ambition, cultural fit and whether you can grow with the agency's key accounts.

• Where do you see advertising heading with AI and retail media
• Tell me about a time you pushed back on a client or a boss
• What would you change about our agency's recent work

Round 5: HR discussion

Compensation structure, joining date, work model and policies. This is the stage to negotiate and to ask about learning programmes and internal moves between WPP agencies.

• Expected fixed and variable pay
• Hybrid or office-based working arrangements