Matt Weiss asked:


Everyone loves to hate the advertising industry. The TV show “Mad Men” portrays the heyday of advertising as a men’s club of gin-swilling, secretary-exploiting, self-satisfied white men who live in Connecticut and work in a bubble surrounded by dim-witted, loyal clients.

I beg to differ. My job is to bring in new business to the agency — in my case, McCann Erickson, New York, which produces work for Intel, MasterCard, the U.S. Army, Verizon Wireless, L’Oreal, Staples, Weight Watchers and other leading global advertisers.

Advertising might not be as exciting as Man vs. Wild or the NFL playoffs, but it does provide a career path that is more stimulating than Wall Street or the law or many white collar professions. Advertising is a unique combination of art, creativity, mathematics, industrial psychology, marketing, media and a host of other disciplines.

Here are seven more reasons to jump into a career in advertising:

You can get a film deal. OK, I’m exaggerating, but only slightly. But the creative environment of advertising does provide a career path to Hollywood for dozens of writers and directors every year, from Michael Bay to the guys who directed the “Cavemen” spots for Geico. The vest advertising is better than most of the movies and TV shows out there, and you can get paid accordingly. Until you can write screenplays for Steve Carrell or create the next “South Park,” you’ll be having more fun than should be legal. Be the next Steve Jobs. The crazy-ass idea you have for faxing burgers or filling up your car online might just happen tomorrow. The world of advertising, media, the Internet and technology is changing so fast that no one can predict what will happen next month, let alone 10 years from now. You can change the world. (And it beats changing diapers.) Be an outlaw. Renegade thinking and behavior is rewarded. Are you quirky and full of weird ideas? Are you innovative, prone to breaking rules, and feel you always see the world differently than your friends and colleagues? You’ll fit in perfectly at an ad agency. This is not your parents’ career. Advertising is a youthful business, for people in their 20s and 30s. Your youth is valuable because you are talking to your peers. You can text your friends in a meeting and it will be cool. You’ll never be bored. You actually get paid to surf the net, look at YouTube, talk about “the Office,” diss Britney and Paris, and discuss “American Idol.” You’re involved in every aspect of popular culture. You’ll think on your feet. Your lawyer friends will be sick with envy. You will never have to attend a conference in Brussels. Leave the suits at your parents’ house. The uniform for creatives is t-shirt and jeans. Even the “suits”-the account people-don’t wear suits any more, because they are expected to be an integral part of the creative process. In the summer, you can even wear sandals or flip flops. And there are keg parties on Fridays. Seriously. You’ll be on TV. Your work will be in the world. Your Mom, your boyfriend or girlfriend, your posse, your kids, they will all see what you do. If it’s good work, people will be talking about your work on the subway, on blogs, on TV. Advertising isn’t brain surgery or rocket science, but it makes an impact. You can be a player. And you’ll never have to wear plaid pants or go near a golf course.

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Steve McMains asked:


Advertising can be an exciting career option for those who are highly motivated,imaginative and posses excellent communication skill.Advertising is a unique amalgamation of artistic creativity,consumer psychology and research and analytical science.There are several myths out there regarding careers in advertising that we need to dispel.

Myth: Advertising is a disgraceful profession.

Jobs in advertising are, in fact,quite respectable profession where you’ll meet educated and well-mannered people.Unfortunately,most people have this misconception that advertising is to deceive or fool people as businesspersons try to sell their products through advertisements.Actually advertising is a very systematic process that follows certain rules while conveying the product message on behalf of the advertiser.It is the responsibility of the advertising agency to take care of their client’s goodwill in the market.

Myth: It’s hard to find a job in advertising.

There is wide scope in advertising and media careers.But that does not mean that one will earn in six digits with his/her first job in advertising.It entails a lot of hard work and perseverance to reach the top.Still,there are a number of entry-level positions in advertising agencies.

Myth: “Everyone in advertising makes a fortune”.

Advertising is a lucrative profession where one has ample scope to make good money.But it requires excellent communication and analytical skills as well as innovative thinking ability.Advertising industry provides a nice platform for newcomers and gives opportunity to climb up the hierarchical ladder.

Myth: You’ll be appreciated for each of your great ideas.

Advertising follows a well defined process for every ad campaign.As a part of the creative team,not always you will be appreciated for your innovative ideas.Your ideas and works will have to pass through different levels of quality checking during the course of the project.Your ideas might be welcome at the meeting one day and on the other day you may find several changes done in your copy.So,the mantra is not to lose heart and give your best.

Myth: Jobs in advertising is similar to jobs in public relations.

While advertising and public relation,are apparently similar their objectives are far apart.Advertising is all about salesmanship and a good deal of communicating with the consumers.Good communication skill might help you get a job in public relation or in advertising.But there are various other aspects that you need to know about each of these industries to succeed.

Myth: It’ is a glamorous profession.

It is really enjoyable when you are a part of the creative team that designs great advertisements and commercials.Your work will be on TV and millions of people will watch that. On the flip side there are long hours of work and even sometimes no weekend parties to relax.But careers in advertising may open up the doors for Hollywood.There are many examples of people who started in advertising and ended up working for motion pictures.

Therefore,you have plenty of reasons to choose a career in advertising and bring your creative side in front of the world.



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