Advertising

I studied Advertising at University for three years and loved it. If anyone is considering getting into Advertising or a similar media related industry, I will be telling you how I got into it, why I chose it as a subject, what the course involved and how I found it.

Why Advertising
I have always been a creative person. Throughout school when it came to choosing my subjects for A-Levels I chose Photography, Product Design and History. I chose subjects that I was passionate about and that I believed I was skilled in. When it came to trying to decide on a course of University I gave it a lot of hard thought. Initially I had no idea where to start, there are so many courses on offer and I didn't have a clue what I wanted to do. I remember actually my first option was physiotherapy, I think I saw a stand for it at an open day and thought it seemed interesting but that may have been because it was the first stand and I was overwhelmed. I decided to pick something which I really wanted to pursue and I had always had a passion for adverts, mainly on TV. I would always watch the adverts and find them fascinating, how the music would fit perfectly with the adverts, how well it got the message across of the product, if it was funny how well and clever it was put together and most importantly how much I wanted that product after the advert. I found myself looking for the adverts on YouTube and watching them again, reading through the comments and checking how many views it had, and that's when I knew I wanted to go into the Advertising industry.

Choosing Universities
Now I had chosen the course, the next step was choosing the University. This again, is a major task and you have to get this one right. Throughout a month I visited 6 Universities offering the Advertising course to get a feel for the place, lecturers and the course. I cannot stress enough you HAVE the visit the Universities you are applying to because my initial top choice became my last choice after actually visiting the University. After visiting them, I made a pro's and con's list of each University to make things a bit easier for choosing my top 5. I eventually chose Southampton as my top choice, the course was the best out of all the Uni's and that is what swayed it for me. After attending an open day and course taster at Southampton after the choices were made I was sure it was the one for me and haven't looked back since.

The Course
The first year of the course was an introduction to Advertising, the basics, which you need to know. The second year was very creative based. As my Sixth Form subjects were very creative I flourished in this and felt in my comfort zone, however towards the end of the year I didn't want to draw another stick man again. Third year gave me an option whether I wanted to go down the Creative or Account Management pathway. I decided to chose Account Management as I had already done a lot of Creative and felt I was advanced enough in that. Account Management also suited me a lot better as it is very client based and I am a people person and thrive on interaction so I was intrigued to find out more. I am so glad I went down this pathway as Account Management is perfect for me and the role I am looking to go into in the Industry. Units in my course included; Copywriting, Direct and Digital Marketing, Cultural Influences, Persuasion in Advertising, Branding, Marketing, Planning and Digital Media. I loved my course and learned so much from it. I am definitely someone who learns by doing and this course gives a you a lot to do and get on with. I would recommend it for anyone thinking about taking it up.

Is Advertising for You?
If you think you might be interesting in doing a course in Advertising here are some tips.

1. Look at exactly what the course is offering. If you aren't as creative don't choose one which is heavily creative based, chose one which offers other units as well.
2. Do your research. If you need an interview for your course, read up on the latest news on Campaign, Ad Week, Brand Republic and Ad Age. Be prepared for questions. 
3. Don't hold back if you can't draw. If you can't draw very well, it doesn't mean you can't go into Advertising. The course will help you with that and Photoshop can do wonders.
4. Check you have the right skill set. If you are organised, creative, a team player, focused, efficient and can stick to a deadline, you will be fine. 
5. Talk to someone who has done the course. Talking to someone who has done/ doing the course is a great way to find out if you will like it and if it is right for you. A perfect chance to do this is at an open day.
6. Go to the course taster. After you've chosen your Course and University, you might be invited to a course taster. This is a chance for you to experience the course, meet your lecturers and mix with other people doing your course. You can't afford to miss this. This will be the decider for you whether it is truly right or not. Going to mine made me feel so much more at ease that it was the right decision and it gives you a real flavour for the course.

So that's it, my reasons for getting into Advertising and how I found out. If you have any questions about Advertising, choosing your Course and Advertising in general please leave me a comment and I will be happy to answer it.

Cya x