College. The best 4 years in one’s adolescent life. Pre-paid dining cards, daytime naps, endless free time, (sometimes) free adult beverages. It’s all fun and games and then you graduate. What now? I knew I wanted to be the advertising business early on in college. I graduated at 21 and pursued a career in this field here in Virginia Beach and was lucky enough to land a job at Launch Interactive as an Account Coordinator. Here’s my crash course on what I’ve learned in the last 2 years and counting:
1) There’s Nothing like Being Thrown in the Trenches
You think you know…but you have no idea. Sure in college, you take classes in advertising/web design/marketing but they hardly teach you the down and dirty of this business. I had a fantastic professor at JMU that taught advertising and I rocked the tests if I do say so myself, but nothing will prepare you for this industry. It’s fast-paced, always changing, stressful and definitely worth every minute you put into it. Experience is the best form of learning – make mistakes, pick yourself up, learn from them, and move on.
2) Technology will ALWAYS Change: Get In or Get Out
Technology changes, evolves, expands, transcends every day. Every time you think you’re on top, GE comes out with something that completely blows your mind (i.e. GE’s Smart Grid). As an account person, this makes it increasingly difficult to explain to clients why a certain piece of technology they paid for last quarter is now outdated and becoming extinct. Even though this can be frustrating, it also presents a chance to expand your brand online. There’s always something new to learn and embrace – think of it as an opportunity rather than a burden.
(Check out this clip from Conan O’Brien show on technology – it’s hysterical: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoGYx35ypus)
3) Deadlines are a Part of Life. Deal With It.
Remember when your professor gave you two whole months to write that term paper and you barely finished on time (due to the 300 other better things you found to do)? Well guess what? Deadlines will be a part of your life until you retire. Deal with it. Except instead of two months to do something, you now have 2 days. I am a self-proclaimed deadline queen since I set them for my team here. I know they curse me under their breath, but without deadlines, life would be chaos. The “do what it takes” attitude is key in this business – your name is associated with the final product – make sure it’s something your proud of.
4) Learning Happens Every Day
Working in the interactive realm of things is like learning a foreign language – there are terms and processes you have to master in order to understand what the heck is going on and be able to explain to clients and colleagues. I learn something new every day (even if I have to bug my team members to explain to me). Research and staying on top of trends will do you a world of good in this industry. Learning never stops – there is always something more out there.
5) Relationships Are Key
Building relationships is arguably the most important part of both your personal and professional life. Relationships take nurturing, understanding and trust. Without these traits, things will fail. You have to have trust in your team, in yourself, and in your clients to successfully make projects come to life. Communicate, communicate, and communicate again. Communicate until you are blue in the face and need a nap. It will be worth it in the end.
I tried to keep this to five, but I despise odd numbers (go ahead and say it: OCD) so here is my final tidbit for today:
6) Positivity Will Keep You Sane
Sure, I have bad days. And there may or may not be several stress balls on my desk. But life (and work) is what you make of it. Take a deep breath, count backwards from 10, and think happy thoughts. Bad moods are easily rubbed off on others – try to stay positive. And remember – happy hour typically happens every day somewhere.
