College graduation is an event of reflection, celebration, good-byes and the acceptance that it’s time to move on to the next chapter in life. On a lighter note, although my graduation from the University of Northern Iowa was likely the most bittersweet experience of my life, landing an internship at HRB quickly put me on the sweet track rather than bitter.
Once you give in and let the hand of reality smack you straight in the face, it’s time to wake up and smell the post-grad coffee. That’s right the delicious warm brew that keeps you going through those 8-5 workdays. Here at HRB we have good ole’ fashioned Folgers; it’s the best part of waking up, right?
Transitioning from college life to, well, real life was something I was only excited about if I got into the business I wanted to; advertising. Through all of my experiences I knew that I had to be in an agency and that advertising was my ticket to success in the business world. Advertising is exciting, quick-paced, ever changing and takes a certain type of person to be successful in the industry. Advertisers are a special breed.
Photo credit: Flickr user qisur
You have the sales people, human resource managers, economists and those pesky accountants. Then you have the marketers and specifically the advertisers. Creative thinkers to the core one may refer to us as having an extra skip in our step. Advertisers are forced to think out of the box every day, stretching their brain to the limits and pushing the boundaries of the ordinary. We are a little bit of everything. You have to be a character, stand out, bring something new to the table, and you can’t succeed unless you take risks. Yeah, this is my kind of industry.
The industry is niche and getting your foot in the door is all about making those connections. One of the best pieces of advice I ever received was to start networking now, often, and forever. Once you stack up on the experience, connections, and plenty of AdWeek you should be able to wiggle yourself into the most fun, challenging, and exciting industry there is, advertising.
I am enjoying my time here at HRB and I can certainly tell you I had to step up to the learning curb quick! I absolutely believe that 90% of what you learn to be successful is what you learn on the job and not in the classroom. However you should always be a student; especially in the ad world. Everything is always changing in this industry and you have to think faster, learn quicker, and always be studious because what’s in today could be completely shifted by tomorrow.
So I am holding onto my seat and along for the crazy ride, because I got myself into the best industry there is… advertising.