The Advertising World is full of challenges, glamour, deadlines, and interesting projects. A job in an ad agency is one that drives you, drains you, makes you smarter and at the same time drives you at your wit’s end. It is amongst the most coveted jobs; an exciting career that will never show you a dull moment, be rest assured. Are you up for it? But have you prepared for it? Well here are some tips to secure a job at an Advertising Agency.
Spot your Interests and Start Early
If you’re one of those who have caught on their marketing keeda early, then you can pave a stronger path for your advertising career. Spot your creative set skills and work on it while you’re still in high school. For e.g.: Content Creation, Social Media Skills, Filmmaking, Storytelling, Animation, VFX and so on and so forth.
Enroll yourself in courses
This is probably the easiest way to tick off all the points in the checklist and get into an agency smoothly. There are quite a few reliable Advertising courses. You can also opt for a Post Graduate Course in Marketing Communications.
Establish Connections
Try and network with as many minds in the industry you can find. Attend workshops and seminars. Blog ferociously! Gather followers on social networks. Keep mingling and learning. You may find a potential workmate or employer or even land a good recommendation.
Freelance or Start Small
This step is especially important for those who for some reason could not follow the earlier steps or have found their calling in this field late. Freelance and freelance a lot! This helps you hone your skills and learn a few tricks of the trade. At the same time you could make contacts. You can also start with the smallest or an irrelevant position in an agency and work your way up.
Intern for a biggie
You can intern for companies and agencies that have a good name or are doing some really good quality work in the industry. Most of the times, interns are retained as employees or are likely to get a good recommendation letter if the vacancies are filled.
Work on your Portfolio
Try and make spec ads. A Spec ad is something that is not an official piece of work but a spin off on ads that can be worked in a better way. If you think you have spotted something like a print ad or televisions commercial or even a local advertisement then work on it by creating something of your own or just revise it better. This is just an example. You can pick what you are good at and save all your work, so you can showcase your talent whenever an opportunity comes knocking at the door.
Your resume should be created in such a way that it shows your future employers what you’re good at rather than waiting to meet you to find out. It should speak for you. If you’re a writer, display your ability to write well. If you’re a good graphic designer work your way with visuals more than the words