Your Big Break
Add comment July 11th, 2008
We often receive numerous resumes this time of year from recent college grads wanting a job in marketing. And I don’t blame them - marketing is an exciting, interesting and (sometimes) glamorous industry, BUT…
This particular “But” refers to many things, not the least of which is the fact that I’ve never hired anyone - even an intern - that had little to no real-life experience in the field. Just because you have a degree from XYZ University in Communications will not make you qualified for a client-services or creative position in an ad agency. The competition is fierce, so here are some free tips to those of you looking for your big break in the ad world:
1. Get experience. I don’t care how you do it, just do it. Unpaid internships at an agency over the summer or when you’re not in class are great options. Look for a place that will offer you the chance to build your clips portfolio and give you at least some “real” work beyond filing and collating news conference kits. Or, volunteer to do PR for a local non-profit or plan and implement a public awareness campaign on your campus for a social issue you feel strongly about. Be creative and be open to working hard. There are plenty of businesses and organizations that could use a little marketing or PR work. Show me that you like the work and are willing to learn the trade.
2. Get samples. We always will ask for samples of your work - typically writing samples, but if you’re applying for a design position, be prepared to submit samples of your design work too. Often we’ll ask for samples with the application (i.e., before an interview). Then if you get called in for an interview, we’ll expect you to bring additional samples along too. Be prepared to discuss how you prepared the piece, its target audience and what kind of results you had with it. Things done for class are acceptable, but real-world clips are better.
3. Be accurate & professional. If there’s a typo in your cover letter or resume, you probably won’t get an interview. Sorry. And be professional in your communications. An email is fine - but remember it’s not a wall posting on Facebook. Do an appropriate opening and closing with complete sentences. If someone sends me a very well-written cover letter, I almost always review their resume carefully.
4. Don’t expect overnight greatness. So you’re offered an entry-level position; be prepared to do a lot of routine news-release writing, proofreading and media-list updating. These are the things that take up so much time in the advertising world but rarely get done because of the other demands on the staff. You’ll generally be doing “real” work for the agency along with some front-line client work, but it’s not all restricted-access parties and creating a Superbowl ad right out of the gate. You’ll have to pay your dues and be open to learning from a mentor.
5. Never stop learning. This field changes daily. Read everything you can get your hands on. Assigned to work on a healthcare account? Get a copy of Modern Healthcare and learn about the field. Even if you don’t have a personal interest in it, get interested. Some of the most successful ad people are insatiable readers and thinkers. Essentially, we’re paid to think for our clients. They’re busy running their businesses; it’s our job to keep on top of demographic, economic, advertising and technology trends for them.
This is a fun industry, but it’s a lot of work, too. So good luck and I’ll see you on the field!
