GETTING A JOB IN ADVERTISING:

WHAT EMPLOYERS WANT

Advertising is a very competitive field in which to get a job. Fortunately, the University of Texas Department of Advertising has a pretty good track record. Consider the following:

FACT: Approximately 1/3 of students in this department get a job in an advertising agency, approximately 1/3 get a job in an advertising-related field (e.g., media sales), and approximately 1/3 get a job outside of advertising.

FACT: If you truly want a job in advertising, and you take the necessary steps to get one, you will get one.

FACT: A degree in advertising, alone, does not guarantee you a job in the advertising industry ... or in any industry.

By taking a few steps as you progress through your program at U.T., you can virtually guarantee that you will get a job when you graduate. Indeed, if you really work at preparing yourself for the job market, you significantly increase your chance of getting a "choice" position -- the job you really want. In other words: Plan Ahead!

WHAT EMPLOYERS WANT FROM JOB CANDIDATES

1. Good Education

Note: The Advertising Department at The University of Texas consistently is ranked in the top 3 advertising programs in the country, so you have the opportunity to get an excellent education. However, a degree from a good program -- alone -- does not prove that you have a good education. The top students from a lesser school generally are much more attractive to employers than the bottom students from a top school.

Recommendations:: (a) Try to learn everything you can, even if it is not an area that interests you.; (b) Attend every "guest lecture" you can, to experience different viewpoints.; (c) Ask lots of questions and read everything you can about advertising. Become an expert. Once your classmates start coming to you for information about advertising or advertising agencies, you'll know you've done a good job.; (d) Grades are important, because they offer some proof that you have a good education.

2. Insight & Problem-Solving Skills

Note: The advertising profession is about problem-solving. Every client comes to an agency with a problem, and expects the agency to find an appropriate solution. This ability is essential for any successful advertising practitioner.

Recommendations:: (a) Read Adweek and Advertising Age, study the stories about advertisers around the country, and ask yourself what those advertisers are doing right or wrong.; (b) Management and campaigns courses, in particular, are designed to strengthen these skills, so take those courses seriously.; (c) This is a skill, so it takes time and practice to develop. Start working on it as early in your educational program as possible.

3. Drive & Enthusiasm

Note: Any employer, in any industry, would prefer to hire someone who is motivated and hard working than someone who simply "does the job." In advertising, employers frequently interview many candidates for each job opening, and most will prefer a candidate who is driven to excel. These candidates typically know more about advertising than is taught in the classroom.

Recommendations:: (a) Work hard, to excel in your classes.; (b) Don't limit your involvement in advertising to the classroom, get involved in the student advertising club, internships, etc.; (c) Read everything about advertising you can lay your hands on.

4. Love of Advertising

Note: Passion is a real selling point when you try to get a job. Personally, I would much rather hire someone who is excited about the profession than someone who is uncertain about what they hope to do for a living. Drive and enthusiasm are good, but you need to be enthusiastic about the advertising field.

Recommendations:: (a) Love it or leave it. If you find you don't love advertising, either change majors or finish the degree and look for a job in another field.; (b) Watch commercials, look at print ads, observe point-of-purchase displays, and pay attention to sales promotions and direct mail pieces. Learn what is good and what is bad, then get excited about the good ones.

5. Experience

Note: Some of the largest agencies have training programs, but most agencies don't. It's often said that you need experience to get a job, but you can't get experience until you have a job. Of the thousands of college students who graduate with a degree or specialization in advertising, only a fairly small percent of them have any experience in advertising.

Recommendations:: (a) Get an internship. This will give you the experience that most recent college graduates don't have.; (b) Get a second internship, if you have the time before you graduate. This will put you in an even more select group of recent graduates.; (c) Even experience in a non-advertising job is better than no experience at all.

6. Communication Skills

Note: Advertising is a profession of communication. You will be required to write reports and other documents, and to present your ideas to the people who will pay for the ads. If your writing or presentation skills are not of professional calibre, you will not survive in this profession.

Recommendations:: (1) Learn to write well. Take the criticisms of your written class assignments seriously.; (2) Mistakes are alright. You can't know everything, but try to learn from your mistakes.; (3) Use one of your electives (or more) to take a formal writing class.; (4) Learn oral presentation skills. Several of your classes will require you to present your work, so take that opportunity to practice and learn from your mistakes.; (5) Use one of your electives (or more) to take a class that teaches oral presentation methods.

7. Personality & Optimism

Note: When it comes right down to it, employers want to hire people who are pleasant, personable, and upbeat. They will be working with that person day-after-day, and it is far more enjoyable to work with someone who is positive than someone who is negative.

Recommendations:: (1) Be nice.; (2) Be positive.; (3) Never say anything negative about a co-worker or a client ("If you can't say something positive, don't say anything at all").; (4) Don't be defensive.

8. Courage of Your Convictions

Note: There is nothing worse than someone who only tells you what they think you want to hear. In the advertising profession you must be able to stick by your convictions when you meet with a client. Remember, you are being hired as an expert, and so are expected to give expert advice. Clients that want someone who will do only what they think should be done, don't need an ad agency.

Recommendations:: (1) Learn enough about this field that you can feel confident about your recommendations. As a general rule: the more you know, the more confident you will feel.; (2) Be open-minded, but don't back down when you're certain you're right ... even in an interview.

9. A Wildly Creative Portfolio (creatives only)

Note: A copywriter or art director is only as good as his or her book.

Recommendations:: (1) Spend every moment of free time you can afford on your creative concepts, even over semester breaks.

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