Looking for an Ad Job? Understanding Continuing Education & Advertising Today
pToday, advertising is seen as one of the most sought out career paths for young adults in the 21st century. But what does it take to get your foot into the door of an agency? Specifically, how can Canadian post-secondary graduates further prepare and educate themselves to enter this highly competitive field?
At a local coffeeshop in Mississauga, I arranged to meet with my friend and classmate Carrie who after completing her four year undergraduate degree in Communications & Media Studies, is travelling to Hamburg, Germany for further education. When Carrie arrived, we grabbed two cups of Café au lait and some sweet pastries on the side.
After attending the same classes together and working together as graphic designers at our University, we quickly learned that we both shared the same dream: To work at an advertising agency as Art Directors.
But before she left for Germany, I wanted to know why she decided to study abroad. Further education is always beneficial, but is it necessary?
“ Yes. I think it really does make a difference” says Carrie as she takes a sip of her coffee. “ It’s really tough to get into an agency here in Canada. To be honest with you, I don’t feel prepared. I applied to so many agencies here in Toronto but none of them would take me in.”
Carrie will be continuing her studies in Miami Ad School, one of the world’s top advertising schools offering post-graduate diplomas in various career field such as Art Direction, Copywriting, and Account Planning to name a few.
“I really feel like I am missing something,” says Carrie. “ Miami Ad School is well-known for helping students build amazing portfolio’s and since they are so well known with top agencies like Ogilvy & Mather, I feel they will really prepare me and help me get into the job of my dreams. ”
Now that I am in my fourth year, I have begun to slowly understand what Carrie meant when she said “ she is missing something.”
Before I started school in September, I was called for an interview at Publicis Toronto, an agency with a strong reputation as one of the world’s “big four” advertising agencies. Without going too much into detail, the agency unfortunately didn’t call me back for an internship. But regardless, this event further prompted me to seek out more answers.
It’s funny but once I really started to think about it, I understood that Toronto is the in fact one of the largest central hubs for advertising agencies in Canada. If I wanted an ad job I needed to get myself downtown. And after visiting a few times I found my answers, at OCAD University.
Call me crazy but on top of my full course load, I enrolled in a Continuing Studies course held every Saturday on the topic: “ Understanding Advertising Today. ” The course was taught by Mr. Rachid, a current Art Director who has worked with well-known agencies like Leo Burnett and brands such as TD Bank, Tide, and Samsung.
After recently completing the class last Saturday, I would like to share the most valuable information I learned from my time in the course which I hope can shed some more insight for Canadian undergraduates who are looking to that land ad job of their dreams.
1. Everything begins with a Story
From the very first day of class, Mr. Rachid broke down advertising into one simple term: a story. “ Today advertising has evolved to more than just selling a product.” said Mr. Rachid. “ Now, it’s more about engaging and understanding your audience. Every successful brand today comes with a compelling story behind the brand that reflects an important human value.”
For example, Starbucks is arguably more than just about coffee. It’s about the shared values and a strong sense of “community” that the brand continually promotes to it’s fellow coffee-lovers that makes the brand so special.
“ Now the most important question you will get in any agency interview is: tell me about yourself. This is where your unique story should shine through in a couple of minutes.”
So how do you condense your life story into one catchy and engaging pitch? “Start by asking yourself what you are passionate about and why. For example, if you love art tell me when you first started exploring and be able to paint a nice picture for me. Did you draw on the walls? Paint with cleaning products? Good, tell me more!”
2. Familiarize yourself with the industry
Do you know the difference between account management and art direction? Try to familiarize yourself with the different roles that agencies typically group their teams into.
“ I actually started out in accounts management before I transitioned to the creative side as an art director.” says Mr. Rachid. “ Being part of the accounts management team is like being the middleman between the business client who needs an advertisement and the creative people like art directors who create them.”
Take a closer look at the resources such as the Advertising Educational Foundation that are dedicated to helping students familiarize themselves with the industry. Another way great way to familiarize yourself is through is to search up current postings by various agencies on Linkedin.
3. Understand your audience
“The reality is, advertising agencies receive thousands upon thousands of applications. So in order to stand out you need know how to deliver what they want to see right away.” explains Mr. Rachid.
“ Go ahead and google “Cannes Design Boards” that are showcased at the annual Cannes Lions Creative Festival, one of the largest events for advertising and creativity in the world. These boards are a fantastic way to organize your portfolio and show agencies that you are up to date with how to engage and pitch to clients.”
4. Study, study, & study some more
I remember asking Mr. Rachid about taking further studies after graduation or working in freelance. I’ve found that there always seems to be something new that agencies want newcomers to learn. Whether it is UX Design/UI Design, Digital Photography, or web design, is it true that newcomers should be well rounded in all mediums?
“ Learning a new skill is always beneficial, it helps you stand out even more from those who only focus in one area. I mean look at me, I teach at OCAD but work as an art director as well. Pick up those skills and never stop learning.”
5. Get inspired & always be curious.
Staying up to date with the latest campaigns or trends in advertising can really make a difference when crafting your own personal projects and portfolio.“Did you see a cool ad recently?” asks Mr. Rachid. “Awesome. So could you tell me why it was so cool? What was the message and why was it effective?”
“ To stay up to date, start getting inspired and analyze effective advertising in your everyday life. I recommend picking up an advertising magazine or following some popular social media channels online.”
For more on advertising inspiration and relevant information about the industry, popular Canadian and North American advertising magazines include: Advertising Age, AppliedArts, Adweek, Marketing Magazine, and many more!
Written by: Marta Bielak
