“What’s one thing you wish you knew going into the industry?”

It’s not a surprise that a decent amount of the advice that we get and panels and at agency visits is for young professionals just starting out in their careers. We all want to spot trends and get a feel for the state of the industry, but we all need to have the practical skills to get a job and flourish so that we can see that world face-to-face. 

A piece of advice that I’ve heard repeated again and again is that you should be willing to do anything. Nothing is beneath you, nothing is not your responsibility. If you’re willing to help out anywhere that you can be of help, then you should be doing that. Take projects that nobody wants, offer to help with small tasks that are generally outside of your purview, and make yourself available to anybody that needs anything. It’s related to being humble but it takes it just a step further: it requires a proactive commitment to being helpful.

Developing your own skills and looking out for your professional development is important but what has become clear to me is that in the agency world, you succeed or fail on the success of your team. What’s important is making sure that everybody has the tools and help that they need to get the job done on time. It’s something that’s useful to remember, and incredibly easy to implement. 

Jordan Blackburn | 5/11/19