Words of Wisdom & Advice for Success

Before this trip I had only ever visited three or four advertising agencies. One of my favorite parts of visiting agencies, especially agencies with University of Oregon alumni, is all of the advice, tips, and words of wisdom we are offered. Here is a list of some of the best advice and words of wisdom I have received on this trip so far that I believe is relevant to any young person wanting to succeed in the industry:

1. Be unique and don’t be afraid to share your diverse point of view.
2. Have an opinion and pay attention to the small details.
3. Run at the hard problems and don’t be afraid to take on the hard / boring work that nobody else wants to do.
4. Trust your intuition, be who you are, be confident, and don’t over think what you’re doing.
5. Be useful, be independent, and act as a sponge - absorb everything around you and learn from it.
6. Just because you have failed doesn’t mean you are a failure - fail upward and learn from your mistakes.
7. Don’t be afraid of an unscripted life. Your pathway will be different than those around you and that is okay, it doesn’t mean you won’t be successful. 
8. Stop seeking the holy grail of jobs, it most likely won’t fulfill every hole in your life.
9. Be willing to be uncomfortable and take risks.
10. Claim who you are, but let your other skills come through in the work that you are doing.
11.  Don’t limit yourself to a job description - help out in any way you can and be useful.
12. Find a mentor who is willing to help you learn, grow, and succeed. 
13. Find a reason to be in the room where important things are happening. 
14. There are no right answers in advertising.
15. Work hard, but have fun at the same time.
    

Casey Kromer
May 10, 2018