True, it's a scary world out there. However, what I'm learning is that your perception of how bad the job market is depends on your general approach in life. In other words, the entrepreneurial personality will always rise above even the worst of economies. Creative? Create your own job. Invent something. Work hard to find a job, and kick it's ass-- innovate. Take some (educated) risks.
It's easy to take advantage of adopting this mindset while we're in college. People expect us to mess up anyway-- I mean, seriously. We're young. Rather than it looking like we're stupid, taking (educated) risks will just look like we're curious. Enthusiastic. Trying to learn. Any higher-level position will tell you, as young emerging talent, that it's better than having no opinion at all.
Like challenges? Can't get enough of being busy? Bursting with energy? Go into advertising.
I've found an optimistic paragraph in a AAAA "State of the Advertising Industry" article, and I'm going to repost it here. It made my heart swell with joy.
What is your advice to students considering a career in advertising in such a challenging environment?
Advertising can be a tough business to break into-- regardless of the economic environment. However, I can honestly say that there's really no better time to get into the business than today, especially for students who are creative, passionate and technically inclined.
It's a business that thrives on new ideas and fresh talent, and there will always be openings at the entry level for those who are willing to learn the ropes, work hard and prove themselves.
For students and recent grads, I'd say: Forget about "Mad Men" and think of advertising as an open invitation to everyone -- regardless of background. There's a place for virtually everyone in advertising -- from anthropologists to mathematicians to creatives to zoologists. Plus, bone up on your PowerPoint and PhotoShop skills. You'll need it.
-- David Prince, SVP, Talent Development, 4A's
Also, for all you brave souls who love advertising, more things for your reference:
I left a question/comment on Steve Schildwacher's Blog (Senior Vice President, DraftFCB) asking him what kinds of talent large ad agencies expect out of entry level, recent college grads. He kindly posted an answer for me.
"To answer your question, I see two "specialties" that are and will be in demand. The first is anything Digital. We can train almost anybody to succeed in general advertising or in retail and promotions. We can train people in digital, too, but the learning curve is much steeper because that discipline is so technical. Moreover, agencies need digital experience right now -- there is little or no time to train. So if you have or can develop any skills or experience, you'd be quite marketable to a large agency.
The second "specialty" is one that most agencies don't know they need: Data. I've blogged a lot about Data and will continue to do so. In the past three years several large agencies have started to understand the possibilities here and a very small number have taken big steps to exploit those possibilities."
If there was ever a time to be optimistic about advertising, it's now. So much potential in the industry, so much room for innovation, I can barely sit still!
HQ
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