PLANNING THE CREATIVE JOB SEARCH kelsey harris & hannah tabor university of oregon, 2013

Over the course of two months, we interviewed current and former University of Oregon advertising students. Our criteria: High-achieving and self-motivated students who are well-recognized by faculty, as well as alumni who are working in the industry.

What we wanted to know from the students

1. post-graduate views on the advertising program 2. perceptions on what is necessary to be ready for the job market

We also interviewed 5 Portland ad professionals. Agencies represented: Mutt Industries, Yonder, Uncorked Studios, and NORTH.

What we wanted to know from ve Portland ad professionals

1. impressions of entrylevel creative applicants 2. what our program does well 3. how our students can better prepare themselves to be competitive in the job market

The professionals we interviewed came from different agency cultures, ranging from longestablished to cutting-edge. While these professionals each provided a unique perspective on the industry, they voiced a similar opinion. This was concurrent with feedback we got from UO advertising students.

Strengths of the UO advertising program

1. The extensive professional network and support system it provides 2. The competitive atmosphere, which fosters self-motivation to create a portfolio 3. Development of creative problem-solving skills 4. Flexibility to explore numerous facets of the advertising profession
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However, while the generalist nature of the program has its benets, it seems to make students feel lost and unable to hone in on their professional area of focus. This affects how they pick classes and approach projects. What follows are excerpts from our qualititative research that contributed to this insight.

THE T-SHAPED DILEMMA

The T-shaped model, which encourages versatility across a multitude of media platforms while honing in on one area of expertise, has been embraced by our program in the past few years. While it allows an acquisition of many skills, it seems to be making it difcult for some students to nd their focus.

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I do think there should be a T-shaped person but I think there has been a confusion about what the top of the T should be. There should be a focus...there are some assumptive things, like strategy, that should be at the top of your T whereas there are some things that fall outside the T because they are just too far outside. Dave Ewald Uncorked Studios

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Its good to have an unconventional approach and really get behind crossing the genres of titles and being multifaceted, but as a professional school we still have to acknowledge that you have to put yourself in some kind of role if you want to get a job. Current UO ad student

There are very few jack of all trades that achieve greatness. You have to be great at something in order to succeed in any industry... Im not saying its not good to know other things. I think an account guy [planner] should be a creative motherfucker but he doesnt need to be a writer or an art director. Jason Ehrlich Yonder

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COURSE CONFUSION
There are some redundancies in the beginning coursework of the program, I wish I had a year to go back and develop things more. Current UO ad student

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With the emphasis on versatility, some students seem to have issues when approaching projects and choosing classes. Students are required to take three advertising classes before taking a capstone campaign class. Due to the accelerated pace of the curriculum, some students do not always feel they choose the classes that would best help develop their portfolio.

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FOCUS YOUR TALENTS

Prior to participating in our focus group, the agency representatives attended nal project presentations from students in the Winter 2013 Writing Design Concepts class. The following insights refer to their experience in that capacity.

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[During presentations] I looked at what the presentation was about and felt, Its ok, but then I asked them what they wanted to be and it was not what they were presenting. Dave Allen NORTH

I thought overall everyone had pretty slick presentations and I was like Wow, everybody knows how to design and use Photoshop, even if they come to the table and they are like, Im a writer...Im like Wait, back up. You said you were a writer, convince me you are a writer. Tell me a story, prove to me that you can write something. Dont show me beautiful typography with smoke and stuff. You didnt tell me a story. Mike McCommon Mutt Industries
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I asked a professor, Well does everyone have to design the work that they are showing? and the answer was yes and I kind of thought, well, why? I dont understand that, its just breeding mediocrity. If you are a designer or you are a planner, then go hook up with two other people [that write or design] and take that planning that you did and let it play out and actually do something with it. Thats where development happens. Jason Ehrlich Yonder

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CONCLUSION:

nd your brilliance
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You have to pick something, they arent going to hire a swiss army knife. They want someone who has one strong skill set. Current UO ad student

Find what you are brilliant at and then maybe there is a title for that and maybe there is not. Dave Ewald Uncorked Studios

Were too stressed out all the time. Were like, we need to do this in order to get to the next step, higher up the corporate ladder. If we gured out what we like in this mess of ad smorgasbord and made stuffactually created stuff, which none of us do enoughthat would get us in the right direction. What came out of that would help you nd your job title. Current UO ad student
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Both students and agency professionals reminded us that nding a focus is important before entering the industry. Finding a focus is more than choosing a title because it is also about nding what you excel at and enjoy doing.

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