Eugene is okay too.

After months of filling out applications and reaching out to peers and professionals, the internship search season has come (mostly) to an end and this year the stars just didn’t align for me this go around. While I can’t help but beam with pride when I hear about my peers heading all across the nation for internships and jobs, there’s a little part of me that felt jealous and unworthy. I expected New York to do nothing but amplify those feelings and holy shit. I was so wrong. Although I’ll be “trapped” in Eugene this upcoming summer, I’ve come to realize that it could be a good thing. Hearing from all of the people I’ve talked with this week, it seemed most of them didn’t have multiple internships before graduation, which was some of the most soothing insights I gained this week. This summer will give me the time to really map out what I want to do and where I want to be after graduation. New York has officially been put on my final. 

Annika Minges 5|10|19

Reframe your thinking.

If there is one thing I’ve learned that is certain about this industry, it would be that there is no one linear path that people follow to get where they are in their career. This was a common theme that underpinned many of the stories shared by the professionals we met this week. For many, they held jobs early on which didn’t correlate to what they wanted to do in the industry, or perhaps offered little room for professional experience and growth. However, they expressed that in reality, these positions can provide room for growth. Oftentimes they require some reframing of your thinking to see the opportunity for learning in such positions. 

In short: 

Don’t be afraid to ask for opportunities for more work, offer your point of view, demonstrate your willingness to learn. 

Lean into these experiences, and you just might grow. 

Laurel Martin #3 | 5.10.19

Connections Matter

When everyone tells you that the advertising industry is built on relationships, they aren’t lying. Earlier this week, I contacted an old friend who works at a brand engagement agency in Manhattan and invited them to join me for a quick bite. They quickly responded and proceeded to invite me to visit their agency’s headquarters. Even though my only intention was to pick her brain about working in the industry, she was kind enough to offer me further opportunity to experience her day to day work life in person. If you ever have the opportunity to reconnect with old friends, or make new ones in the industry, don’t hesitate to do so. I am so grateful for my friend for inviting me to her agency to gain more insight about a career in advertising. On top of that, I am grateful for anyone and everyone who has supported me over the years and to all the other industry members who have been so kind as to host our group this past week. Keep making connections wherever you go, because you never know what that relationship could become or where it could take you. 

–Olivia Dozois–05/10/2019–

Inspiration overload.

Having the experience of listening to the stories of the individuals we met at their respective agencies, I feel that I’ve left with a sense of excitement, motivation, and purpose for this work. 

My experience at Joan Creative, the last visit of the week, reminded me of what I love about this work and was nothing short of an inspiration overload. Jaime Robinson and Lisa Clunie, the founders of Joan, embodied strong and daring leadership which I admire them deeply for. They’ve created a culture that allows their employees to thrive and create strong work, while emphasizing the importance of transparency and empathy. 

From this, I’ve learned that this is what I hope to find in my future career. 

One of the most compelling insights they gave us was the importance of being inspired by the world, by art, by culture, and by people. This resonated most closely with me, as these are what fuel creativity and beautiful work. To keep this at the center of any strategic or creative process is essential. Their work certainly proved this. Thank you Joan Creative. 

Laurel Martin #2 | 5.10.19

I was surprised at what I liked. New career change?

I’ll be honest. When I saw Deb had assigned me to eMARKETER, I was pretty confused. It didn’t look like anything I wanted to do. Just the name was a big turn-off. However, once I got there, I was blown away. I’m a researcher at heart and to see people engaging with the industry through research was so cool. These people still get to connect with the advertising industry, but they do so through accurate and reliable data to make ads and agencies more informed. I also stayed and talked with our contact, Mayte, at the end, and to hear that she had hope in my skills and to keep in contact made my heart filled. “Networking” drains me, and it’s very hard to put myself out there. But all the times I’ve done it so far, I’ve gotten good responses. Thanks Deb for seeing something that I needed in this visit choice.

- Zoë Haakenstad | 5.10.2019

Bet on Yourself

This week in New York has been an absolute whirlwind. The movement of the city, culture, people etc has been a blast. One of the biggest trends that I have been hearing throughout the week of visits, has to do with ourselves as individuals. By this I mean, that in order to make our path in this crazy industry, we have to be the captain of our own ship. Here are some of gems I’ve picked up on.

- Find and show your side hustle

- Become a slasher ( jack of multiple trades )

- Know your worth

- Trust your gut

Although to some this may seem like a “duh” moment, it was really interesting to hear this as a constant across the board. I think a lot of times we can get caught up in what others are doing, and lose sight of what we have going on. So just remember going forward, that at times when we’ve got white noise in background don’t let it distract you, instead let it drive you. Finally, as many of us are stepping out in the industry come June, remember that you have one life, so believe in yourself and the work that you have done.

- Ethan| 5-10-19

feeling hopeful!

I’ve learned so much this week but I think my biggest takeaway has been even simpler than I expected: everything will work itself out. In preparation for my impending graduation next year, I’ve been allowing myself to get increasingly anxious about where I’ll end up. But now I’m realizing that people rarely get their dream job straight out of college. 

Flock member Karen Kouth worked at a furniture store after college for an entire YEAR before she landed a job in industry she went to school for and now she’s a freelance creative director living in NYC and absolutely killing it! TBWA/Chiat Day’s CDO Doug Melville worked as a driver for one of those Oscar Meyer weiner vans that travels the country out of college but since then he’s worked with everyone from Britney Spears to Barack Obama! 

There is so much relief in knowing that your intelligence and potential will shine through, even if that’s not immediately after college. Success is not linear!!! Might as well enjoy the sun shining on ya outside of the Brooklyn bridge while you can :-)

Alex Dalton / 5.10.19

That’s a wrap (almost)

After each agency visit and each one-on-one conversation I’ve had with these professionals, I’ve realized that this is an attainable dream. This is nothing like what I thought it was going to be…

Going to back to Oregon life tomorrow, I now understand how agencies all act differently and have individual flare. I need to really think about what I am searching in an agency, now that I know what an agency is looking for in me.

All these connections and, “Oh, I know them!” moments has brought on the feeling of family. I really do love this industry for the relationships and people. The world is so much smaller than I ever thought it was.

I’m taking back knowledge, wisdom, insight, contact info, and much, much more. Without this trip, I never would’ve thought I could’ve pictured myself being successful in the ad industry. Really. I just have to continue to remind myself to not compare myself sooooo closely with others. When my path reveals itself, it’ll do so in the time it needs to.

Thank you to all that made this trip possible and what it was.

Taylor Moore 5.10.19

Strategic Briefs as Essays

I went to lunch with a former duck who is now working as a strategist. We were talking about ways to go about compiling briefs and decks when she made a really clever point; insights are just thesis statements.

As someone who always felt they were giving up writing by becoming a strategist, I found this revelation rather comforting. It also feels like the pressure has been lifted when it comes to writing briefs. I have spent countless hours writing countless essays with countless thesis statements. Now, instead of just analyzing literature and class assignments, I get to study culture.

Comp, Digital, and Social Strategy, oh my!

I have spent my time in the SOJC believing strategy to be just one thing. Being on the trip this week has shown me how many different opportunities this specialty has to offer.

At Giant Spoon today I really appreciated how much they incorporated strategy into every step of the process. The recruiter told us that they see strategy as the third leg of the creative process, especially on the experiential projects that they are known for. I feel like that integration really shown through in their work.

Looking forward to considering more conceptual and experiential projects.

Madeline Robinson 5/9/19 #2