When the advertising bug hits you
This article in Young Go Getter was exactly how I felt during the past few years of my undergrad. I was taking courses on history, political science, english, french, and anything else that I thought might interest me. During this time, I absolutely had NO idea what I would be doing after graduation. Almost every two to three weeks or so, I’d go through some sort of phase - the “journalist” phase, the “financial advisor” phase, the “interior designer” phase - and so on, and so on. I did so much research on practically every career listed in those career guides that my friends and I could consider myself an unofficial guidance counsellor.
But just when I was a few months away from going back to school, it hit me. Advertising. A few of my friends have already suggested this (I knew that I always wanted to do something business-related with a creative aspect to it), but I didn’t pay much attention nor did I take the time to research the industry. Why? Because growing up, advertising wasn’t really mentioned. Not by my parents, not my teachers, not by anyone around me. (Maybe it’s because it’s a tough industry to get into. Maybe it’s because there’s not as much jobs around.) So when I finally looked into this whole ad biz, it hit me. This definitely sounds cliché, but it definitely felt right choosing to pursue this. I’ve even amazed my friends that this wasn’t like those other phases of mine.
Interested in advertising? Here are some of the sites I checked out at the start:
ihaveanidea.org - It’s Advertising’s Intellectual Archive. When you get the time, read through the forums. Many have asked questions about the industry, how to get started in advertising, information on schools, etc. Also make sure to check out the Articles, Creatives, and Ask Jancy sections.
Agency websites - Google Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Weiden + Kennedy, Ogilvy, Leo Burnett (just to name a few). See what they’re all about, and look at the work they’ve done. Do they inspire you?
Read:
- Pick Me: Breaking into Advertising and Staying There by Nancy Vonk and Janet Kestin - they’ll tell you how it really is and if you’re still interested in pursuing a career in advertising after reading this book, you’re off to a good start. You’ll know the harsh realities of the industry, how tough it is to get in, and you’ll have a guide on just where to begin.
- Hey Whipple, Squeeze This by Luke Sullivan - It answers the question how do you create great ads?
This is just my suggestion for a starting point. Whichever site you visit, you’ll most likely stumble upon links to other sites with related content. Go ahead and explore!
April 18th, 2007 at 4:36 pm
a very interesting idea. good luck on this adventure.
love, fallon planners
April 18th, 2007 at 7:57 pm
what he said.
good for you for taking some initiative. good luck with it.
April 19th, 2007 at 5:07 pm
I’ve a media planner for 3 years and the one thing that will prevent you from breaking into the industry is poor grammar.
“(Maybe it’s because it’s a tough industry to get into. Maybe it’s because there’s not as much jobs around.)” Your sentence should say “Maybe it’s because there aren’t as many jobs available.”
Although I understood what you were saying, if you wrote a sentence like this (even in a casual email), you wouldn’t last long. ‘Aren’t as much jobs around’ will leave you going from interview-to-interview wondering why no one is calling you back.
Good luck out there.
April 20th, 2007 at 3:05 pm
i hope andy is a friend giving you a hard time. “i’ve a media planner…”
April 20th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
All due respect Andy, but I heartily disagree.
In a formal letter, a published article, or maybe to a lesser degree even in an interview, yes I totally agree that presentation and grammar are important.
Blogs are a different medium. They’re more personal and conversational, so everyone needs to find their own style. Sometimes, colloquialisms and imperfect language are what works: some people just don’t pay that much attention to spelling and grammar. So many - I’d say most - blogs and comments have mistakes in them (including your first sentence, by the way). In fact, some of the best blogs, by some of the smartest people in the industry, have only a casual relationship with correct spelling and grammar (Russell Davies and John Grant both come to mind). Perfect language isn’t their point, getting their ideas across is.
Besides, if we all sounded like BBC announcers, the world wouldn’t be very fun.
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:07 am
Jason - but some us DO sound like BBC announcers. You’ve met me, after all..
Nah, I agree - don’t worry about the grammar; it isn’t a formal introduction (cover letter/CV et al).