Making a career switch into advertising

We’ve got some tips dedicated to those who want to make that career switch but are wondering about how they can go about it:

I don’t have a related degree or diploma. How can I enter the industry without these qualifications?

It’s not required to have design skills or a paper qualification related to advertising to enter the industry. There are several job options in the industry such as copywriting, strategic planning and client servicing, where all you need are:
• people skills
• the ability to analyse & strategise
• posses strong general knowledge
• good writing skills
• ability to work with tight deadlines and late nights

– however the challenge is to apply these skills into the advertising context.

The advantage that you have is your life experience and skills obtained from your previous jobs that would add a fresh quality to your work as it is a very people-culture industry.

The bigger question is whether are you willing to build on your skills and immerse yourself into the advertising just as an ad person would?

What do I need and where do I start?

Like every job application there would be your resume that lists your experiences and achievements during the course of your career. However if you’re coming from a totally different industry you may not have certain experiences that ad agencies are looking for. The answer lies in your portfolio – the ticket into a career in advertising.

An advertising portfolio will consist of work that reflects your creativity, ability to strategise (even in the creative industry you need good solid thinking) and understanding of the brand-positioning approach behind a particular product. Basically it is where you are able to showcase your abilities and catch the attention of your future employers!

If you’re not sure about what it takes to build an impressive portfolio, join us in our “A Portfolio That Gets You Hired” workshop this Saturday. You'll understand how to start building your portfolio and prepare yourself for an interview that could change your life. Email felicia@95percent.com.my or call 03-2287 7095 for more info!

Next Intake : 23rd February 2010

Idea Rawkstarrs is a 3-month training for Copywriters, Graphic Designers, Account Executives and Marketing Executives who aspire to be outstanding.

If you have no background in advertising and you just want to be more creative, this will improve the quality of your ideas.

AWAKEN YOUR CREATIVITY

Everyone is born creative, but many people stop being creative when they grow up. Some are ok with this, but most are not. Have you ever met someone who is always talking and talking about ideas but not doing anything about them? Maybe that someone is you?

That's a sign of your innate talent wanting to be heard. Your creativity is begging to be set free!

Whether you're already nurturing your creativity or still questioning it, the seed is already there. It may be latent but it is there.

For this seed to germinate, you need a catalyst. An alarm clock of sorts, to shock it out of inertia. Then it can start to grow and bloom.

IDEA RAWKSTARRS IS YOUR CATALYST

In this training, there are no textbooks, no long lectures. You'll learn by questioning, experimenting and discussing to arrive at your own conclusions. This develops independence, confidence and originality.

Many have described the training as a roller coaster : you'll sink deeper and fly higher than ever before, and the ride will leave you breathless and exhilarated.

Some have called it a pressure cooker : it is designed to challenge you so that you will develop strength, resilience and the bull-headed determination to blast your way through obstacles.

Some say this training provided them with a space to find themselves. Here, they have permission to experiment and make mistakes. They are free to express, explore and discover what's important to them. Dreams come to life. Goals become clear. Daily activities become energised with a sense of purpose.

The common denominator is that this is a 3-month experience like no other. It is like stepping out of your life and taking a journey into another realm. One from which you will emerge refreshed, recharged and renewed.


A CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE YOURSELF AS SOMEONE AWESOME
Next Intake starts 23rd February

Get details on Idea Rawkstarrs : http://bit.ly/4AJv5C

To get more info, email janetlee@95percent.com.my

Who'll be the next Idea Rawkstarr?

Who will be the one to impress Creative Directors and Ad Agency Heads? Who will be the one who will have a portfolio that makes their classmates drool? Who has the vision and determination to launch a new career?

The next intake of Idea Rawkstarrs starts on 23rd February 2010. Click on the title of this post for training info, or email janetlee@95percent.com.my for some cold, hard truths about a career in advertising.

Some people wish and hope, others make it happen.


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Graduates speak their mind...

ONG SUE YIN
Now working as a Copywriter at Dentsu Utama
"I took a diploma and a degree in Graphic Design and felt that I wasn't getting enough knowledge to join the industry. It was a major scary feeling because I knew I wasn't equipped with the skills. And then came 95%. Their training courses were specific, thorough and experiential, unlike those pricey college modules which were too academic."
Ask Sue what it was like : sueyin@dentsutama.com

ADLIN ROSLI
From writer at KLUE to copywriter at BBDO / Proximity
"Idea Rawkstarrs was tough! I had many moments during the three months where I was thinking "what did I get myself into? At the end though, by pushing through the challenges and putting everything on the line (I quit my day job in the middle of the training!), I understood the mindset and gained the drive needed to be in advertising. Armed with what I learned through Idea Rawkstarr, I was able to make an impact in my interviews with BBDO/Proximity. Working at Proximity is fun, but the work hours can be murder! Being passionate about creativity really helps get me through. Plus, I'm loving that I'm being paid to daydream and have silly conversations with my colleagues."
Hear it directly from Adlin: (msn) adlin_1@hotmail.com

RUDY LA FABER
Marketing & IT graduate, from freelance magazine writer to copywriter at Dentsu Malaysia.
“If you said I was going to be a writer at a big agency a year ago, I would have laughed at you. I didn't know a thing about advertising. Now I'm a writer at Dentsu. Most of my friends are pretty sick of me talking about my job. I can't help it though, I love it too much. For the first time ever I can wake up, head to work and not complain about anything at all."
Talk to Rudy: twitter.com/rudylafaber

A Portfolio That Gets You Hired

What do the Executive Creative Directors mean by quality? Find out at the “A Portfolio That Gets You Hired” workshop, a one and a half day session for fresh grads and final semester students to learn how to create an impressive portfolio that resonates with what the CDs are looking for.

You will gain insights from a professional’s perspective so that you'll know how to prepare yourself for your big break into the ad industry.

Day 1, 23rd January 2010 (9am - 6pm) :
Learn what CDs are looking for. View examples of great portfolios that got the students hired. Identify how to build and improve your own portfolio.

Day 2, 25th January 2010 (7pm -10pm) :
Present your newly improved portfolio to a panel of Creative Directors. You'll get valuable feedback that will guide you to be well prepared for job interviews. Who knows, if you apply everything that you learnt in Day 1, you may even get hired straight away!

Venue :
95% The Advertising Academy,
Wisma Dicklin 80A,
Jalan Bangsar, KL

Fee : RM150

Contact gracelook@95percent.com.my or call 03-2287 7095 for more info.


Creative Director Robert Speechley, a Neil French disciple who was Janet's CD in The Ball Partnership comments...

"This is an excellent subject for discussion. Hope you get a lot of people attending. U'd have to be mad not to go if you're even halfway serious about getting in/on in the Ad game."