Thinking about a career in advertisement? Where the hell do I start?
Is taking a job in advertisement a cop-out? Would it hurt my career in the long run if I don’t jump right into “real” graphic design work? Will I make more money in advertisement?
The real answer is, nobody knows. It all depends. The important part is that you find a company that fits you.
Now where the hell do I start?
Compiling lists of companies to look at is always a good start. Whether or not you want to work there is irrelevant. The point is learning who is out there and what they do and whether or not thats what you want to do. For those of you, including myself, who are in fact interested in advertisement, Advertising Age, a creative agency magazine, compiled a list of the top 40 places to work in there November 2014 issue.
In order to start your list, here is their list of the top 40 creative agencies to work for...
- Centro
- Wpromote
- TM advertising
- digitaslbi
- dixon scwabl
- droga5
- the via agency
- cpxi
- eric mower & associates
- inVNT
- unified social
- DX agency
- ervin & smith
- 3Q digital
- possible
- carmichael lynch
- victors & spoils
- um
- saatchi & saatchi x
- kbs
- criteo
- tierney
- red door interactive
- weber shandwick
- socialcode
- true[x]
- 72andsunny
- 22sqaured
- sapientnitro
- planit
- marina maher communications
- sq1
- archer>malmo
- young & laramore
- brownstein group
- argonaut
- team one
- barkley
- firstborn
- engine shop agency
These companies were voted on by their employees based on these key factors...
Compensation
Diversity and Work-Life Balance
Health-Care, Retirement and Time-Off Benefits
Special Perks
Career Development
Work Environment
Total Rewards
These topics are something we are not taught in school to understand or look out for. These factorscan be applied to any job you apply for. Ask about compensation. What are there views on diversity of work-life balance? These are important topics and you should know what is most important to you.
This article really helped me get an idea of what i should be looking for besides simply finding a job. These companies, even though they are ad companies, still are based in the creative world. We are taught at Tyler to conceptualize everything, this is where we as graduates have the one up to others. I believe many of us are capable of going into the ad world and becoming successful, but it feels wrong to do so. I say why not? Why not do both? Why not try it out and come back to design later?
If after reading all of this, you are still questioning whether or not its worth it, here is the list of top 40 places to work according to Advertising Age’s November 2014 issue. These are creative problem-solvers who need visual art to connect with the consumer.
Every one of these companies has an in house designer. What would it hurt to give them a try? You never know
This list of companies ranges from Maine to California and everything in between. The companies sizes also range from 40-1,500. Topics like bringing your dog to work, after work ping-pong tournaments, weekly outdoor retreats and nerf gun wars. These are places that people love waking up and going to everyday. That to me is the most important part.
Hopefully, this has helped you understand that there jobs everywhere and we can do whatever we want. The most important part is finding somewhere that you feel like you can contribute and are comfortable and that you enjoy waking up early for.
Here is a link to the online article where the list came from. Even Advertising Age is a good company to look at!
Max -
ReplyDeleteThis topic is very eye opening, as many young designers don’t think to look in advertising for their first jobs out of school. Personally, I know of many great designers that work in advertising – it can be a great spot for a creative to grow. This list is a good resource, too. In terms of your writing, be sure to proofread for edits such as these:
- In sentence 1, get rid of “like”.
- Use commas to break up this list: “The point is learning who is out there(,) what they do(,) and whether or not (you are interested in being a part of what they do).”
-Italicize “Advertisement Age”, since it is a publication.
- “there November 2014 issue” should be “their November 2014 issue”.
- Watch your spacing: “These (factors can) be applied to any job you apply for.”
I would omit this paragraph, since it seems to repeat previous information (it’s also less clear than your previous writing): “If after reading all of this, you are still questioning whether or not its worth it, here is the list of top 40 places to work according to Advertising Age’s November 2014 issue. These are creative problem-solvers who need visual art to connect with the consumer.
Every one of these companies has an in house designer. What would it hurt to give them a try? You never know”
- “The companies(’) sizes”.
- This needs a verb to be a complete sentence: “Topics like bringing your dog to work, after work ping-pong tournaments, weekly outdoor retreats and nerf gun wars.”
- Add commas: “That, to me, is the most important part”.