NYC is HUGE.
My favorite advice from HUGE. ad agency:
- Be honest & nice
- Listen
- Take chances
- Make stuff
- Inspire others
- Stay curious
- Give a sh**!!!!!!
Connect. Arrest. FLOW.
xoxo Krissy Selven
5.10.18
What has Stuck
Two weeks after arriving in New York there are a few words of wisdom that have stuck with me. As I will soon graduate and enter the agency life in New York this summer, I now look to these moments to ease my nerves, to prepare myself, and to feel excited about the next step in my life…
1. Fail up
2. Have a healthy disrespect for advertising
3. Find a hole and fill it
4. When you identify a problem come with a solution
5. Persistence is key, not annoying
- Katey
Be comfortable being uncomfortable
This was a common theme I heard throughout the week. New York is a beast in itself and it’s not for everybody to handle. However as cliche as this may sound, if you can make it in New York then you can really make it anywhere. From the agency visits to our alumni event at 72andSunny, almost everyone mentioned they had struggles moving to the city but it’s something they wouldn’t take back. Especially in our constantly changing industry of advertising, things are gonna get hard sometimes and the more comfortable you are being uncomfortable then the longer you’ll last in New York. Instead of being scared to move to New York you should just take the bull by the horns and just go for it.
-Karel Calcote
Could I live in the city?
For many on this trip it was their first time to the city. But for me, I had been to New York just a couple weeks earlier and had visited a handful of times before. This trip was more about me figuring out if I could actually live in New York. So I wanted to do the things that I would normally do at home. I wanted to go to local deli’s, play basketball, commute on the subway, etc.. The city feels different when you just go about your day as opposed to going sightseeing and visiting tourist attractions. After a week of falling in a routine of waking up, going to my meetings, working out, and hanging out with my peers; I came to the conclusion that I could live in this city. It has so much to do for all your every day needs and a place that could keep things fresh when you fall into a long routine.
-Karel Calcote
Passion Projects
A common tip several agencies mentioned is how many places look more at passion projects rather than anything else in your portfolio. They like to look at the extensiveness of your creativity and what you can make rather than just a decent ad.
- Lisa Pa
Calvin Petersen
Calvin Petersen
Take the leap
One thing that struck me on the New York trip was how willing professionals are to mentor students.
Three different professionals took an hour out of their days to meet with me one on one. I also reached out to a couple other people, and even though we could not figure out a time to meet, I got a response to every email I sent.
As a student, sometimes I get stuck spending half an hour writing the perfect email asking someone to coffee, and, in impatience or when a distraction arises, I abandon the email and never send it.
While I don’t mean to encourage bad grammar or poor email etiquette, the most important thing is making sure you send the damn email. The recipient isn’t going to judge your adjective choices—they’re going to get the essence of your email and try to help you out. Whether it’s job applications, informational interviews, or networking events, we have nothing to lose and everything to gain from throwing out hats in the ring, even when it doesn’t feel perfect.
Thomas Rice 5/17/18
Concrete Jungle.
New York is scary- it’s fast-paced, it’s loud and it’s bright. If I ever had to imagine what a concrete jungle looked like, I’d say Jay-Z was pretty much on the money. But, what’s amazing about New York is that the scariness of it all is meet with the excitement that something new and amazing could be right around the corner. I imagine that living in a jungle is pretty similar to living in New York… there’s so many different types of people, there’s so many unknowns and the smell in some areas can be absolutely horrendous but if you ignore the questionable smells unknowns and diverse communities are goldmines for a curious mind and a determined professional. It’s an amazing place to take advantage of the unknowns and millions of people, learn from what’s around and seize the opportunity to be GREAT.
-Sydney Snyder
Some Advice.
Nothing worth having in this life is ever given, and if it is… then you must know some pretty powerful people. Some advice: Network. Sell yourself. Listen.
It’s not always about what you know, although you should know a lil’ sum sum… it just might be who you know. Get out there and get friendly.
-Sydney Snyder