After chatting with professionals in the field of advertising, I cannot tell you how many times I heard, “If you don’t have any experience in the crazy world of advertising, chances are you won’t be considered for a position.” I suppose this is understandable. I mean, why would agencies want to hire a person fresh out of college with zero knowledge of agency life when they could hire someone who has completed an internship and learned the ins and outs of advertising already?
Now, we’ve all been told that internships might not be the most fun and exciting work, but once you get over the standard intern “chores” of making coffee and printing copies, it is clear to see that no class can beat in-house experience. Walking around the agency, seeing what people do on a day-to-day basis is something that is more valuable than any classroom project. With only five days experience under my belt so far, it seems like I’ve learned more in those days than I did all semester at school. Classes can teach you about typical advertising pieces like what a creative brief is or what a new business pitch should look like, but nothing beats hands-on experience. This is why internships are so valuable. You have the opportunity to watch and interact with people who’ve been in the business for years. I’ve been able to sit in on new ad pitches, brainstorming sessions, vendor meetings as well as new client proposal pieces. Everything is new and exciting.
Everyday I go into work excited to see what projects I will be working on next, keeping an open mind knowing that some will be better than others, but you have to start somewhere right? With the World Pork Expo coming up next week, I know I’ll have my work cut out for me. I’m taking every day one step at a time but eager to see what’s in store for me in the future. Also, just for the record, I haven’t been the “coffee boy” or “copy guy” yet, but if need be, I’ll step up to the plate; after all, I am the intern…