Sharing some of my best advice for starting a career in advertising – from how to land your first job, to moving up in your career, how to network and more!

I’m very fortunate that I have what some would call, a “cool job”. And no, it’s definitely not being a full time blogger (you can tell by the usual slacking on posts that I’m definitely not a full timer over here, haha), but working full time managing campaigns, social media and influencers for Kraft Heinz. I get to work on a ton of iconic food brands (including everyone’s favorite, Kraft Mac and Cheese!) and have been super fortunate to work on two Super Bowl’s, more product launches than I can count, and some amazing campaigns that have broken the internet (candy flavored Kraft Mac and Cheese?! Yes please!).

I’m lucky to have a lot of “pinch me” moments at work, and there’s definitely days where I feel so overwhelmingly fortunate to have landed in a pretty amazing gig. And when I think back on 20-year old Maya, I don’t even think I had it in the realm of possibility that I would be able to have the job I currently have. Granted, when I entered the job market in 2012, being a “social media manager” wasn’t even really a thing – so it’s crazy to think how much has changed in nearly 10 years!

I went to college, having literally no idea what I wanted to do (those people who knew that they wanted to be doctors or lawyers since they were 8 completely boggled my mind), and I ended up graduating from college with a degree in English, and an education certificate – thinking I would teach High School English. After student teaching for a few months I left having an insane respect for teachers, but realized I wasn’t strong enough to be one myself. Being a teacher is TOUGH, and high schoolers are not always the kindest audience to entertain, haha.

So I ended up having a quarter-life crisis  at 22 where I decided to eat, pray, love and watch lots of the Oprah channel to get my motivation on. And after thinking about what would bring me the most joy, I decided I wanted to work in a job that had some sort of advertising or PR lens (and was willing to literally do anything to get my foot in the door). After filling out nearly 100 applications, I somehow miraculously landed a job in a social media start up, and got my hands dirty learning as much about social media as I possibly could (which was actually part of the reason I started my blog on my own!). And from there, I’ve been moving up in my career, getting more experience, constantly learning, and having some exciting career wins along the way.

When I graduated, I was desperately looking for advice or any leads to get my foot in the door, and I have a handful of recent graduates (or people looking to get into the industry) reach out to ask how I got my start. So I thought I’d pull together a list of advice for starting a career in advertising as (hopefully) a helpful resource for the future.

Advice for Starting a Career in Advertising

Always Use Your Network:

My first piece of advice for starting a career in advertising is a simple one: Network. When I graduated from college, I didn’t have any internships under my belt – so I barely knew anyone who worked in advertising (ideal when you have absolutely no experience ;)). So I did what any recent graduate would do, went to the career services center at my super small college and hope that they knew anyone who worked in advertising. LinkedIn wasn’t a thing yet, so I remember talking to a career counselor as she grabbed giant binders looking for anyone who went into advertising that might be good to talk to (which was a slim list since we didn’t have an advertising or communications major at my college, ha).

Anyways, I got super lucky and was given the information of someone who graduated from my college and happened to work at Target in digital advertising. I remember having no clue what that even meant, but she was nice enough to take a call and give me some advice on what types of jobs to look for, what her job entailed, and graciously answered my many questions. Even though it was just a call, it totally changed the trajectory of my career – and I’m super thankful she took my call that day.

I always try to pay it forward now and share my advice for starting a career in advertising, especially when it comes to recent graduates (and especially those who graduated from my small liberal arts college!). Whether it’s creeping on LinkedIn and finding people at the company you want to wok for who have similar work experience, went to the same college, were part of the same organizations (my sorority page on LinkedIn is always offering to help people find jobs!), use that networking to your advantage as much as possible – and never be afraid to reach out. You never know what happens if you don’t shoot your shot sending that LinkedIn message.

If You Don’t Have a Network, Build One:

As someone who didn’t have any internships, and really didn’t know anyone in advertising, I quickly had to learn how to build up my own network as I started my career. And let’s just say that in 2012, there weren’t as many online options for networking as there are now.

For me, blogging became the way for me to network, meeting other people from around the country who were interested in similar things (copywriting, photography, social media, etc.) and connect with them online. I actually got my first job in Chicago as a community manager for McDonald’s through another blogger I met (who became a lifelong friend!).

Luckily there’s way more networking options than ever before – and most of them you can do online! Whether it’s joining a women’s network, joining your alumni association, joining online communities about a topic you’re interested in, or private Facebook groups, there’s literally so many ways to meet people and get leads on jobs. And again, I shamelessly promote sending a message on LinkedIn – you never know unless you try!

Learn as Much as You Can:

Especially when you’re early in your career, the most important thing you can do is learn as much as you can – and that’s basically been my mantra no matter where I’ve worked or what I’ve done since I entered the work force. I wasn’t super motivated by money early in my career (likely much to my parents dismay) – all I wanted to do was find a job I was passionate about, and learn everything I could to become a more well-rounded marketer. Especially working in agencies, you have the opportunity to do anything and everything – and during my first job in Chicago I tried to go above and beyond as much as possible to learn as much as I could.

I volunteered for agency pitches and learned about how to create a winning client proposal. I volunteered to help on photoshoots, literally making stop motion videos out of McDonald’s french fries. I sat in with Art Directors to see how they worked, and joined copywriters during a client brainstorm. I spent so many hours just trying to soak everything in and learn as much as I could – and still do to this day. People will notice too, and give you more responsibility in the process – especially if you show that you’re game to do anything that’s thrown your way. That always makes you the real MVP 🙂

But Also Know When to Go:

Maybe the oddest advice for starting a career in advertising is this: Know when to leave when you’re ready for the next thing – especially in this industry. It’s tough working in agencies for a long time, and since they’re so dependent on client work, it’s not always easy to get promoted or a raise in the industry. I tended to job hop in my 20’s and move roles every 2-3 years, and while it was a headache to adjust into a new role, it helped me move up a lot quicker in my career than if I would have stayed at the same job the whole time.

Definitely don’t be the type of person who job hops on a whim, but if you’re no longer learning a ton at a role, it’s probably time to find something new to stretch you in a good, more fulfilling way. I’m lucky that I’m constantly learning a TON in my current role (and will be for quite some time!), but it took me awhile to find a job that continued to push me in such good ways.

If you’re looking to move up, and learn something new – don’t be afraid to make a move. And if it doesn’t work out – you can always find a new role too. I ended up taking a job at an agency for about 4 months that I realized I hated, and I quickly found a new gig that was way more fulfilling. Even though I felt some odd level of shame about it at the time, I’ve never had any potential new companies blink at the fact that I had a short stint there. And whenever they did end up asking me about it, they completely understood the need to find a new job – and honestly respected the fact that once I knew it wasn’t for me, I found something else that was.

Find Opportunities To Network in Your Current Role:

No one really tells you that you, in fact, never really stop networking, and that includes your current role too. When you work in a big enough organization with lots of different roles, it’s always good to get to know what other people do, especially early on in your career. I talk to so many interns at work, or others who are at the beginning of their careers in a new job, and I always love giving advice on what they should know about the company and how they can move up in their career. And vice versa, I LOVE hearing their ideas – what they love, don’t love, think we could be doing more of. It’s beneficial for me to stay connected with the cooler, smarter, younger people in the organization to help me stay on top of what I need to know too. Some of the best ideas come from off the cuff conversations too.

Find a Mentor:

I try hard to find opportunities to be a mentor at work because I know first-hand how beneficial finding a mentor can be. I was fortunate to have a few good mentors over the years (many of whom were my bosses at the time) that helped push me while also giving me opportunities to shine.

Finding a mentor might seem overwhelming, but people are usually super inclined to help out, especially if you’re early in your career. And asking for someone to be a mentor is basically the highest compliment, so many people are inclined to say yes when you ask them. Just be clear what it is you’re looking for (a monthly coffee? Advice a few times a year via email? Ad hoc career advice?) so they’re aware of your expectations and the time commitment to ensure they’re the right fit for what you’re looking for. And it’s also a good idea to get a mentor inside your company, and also one outside your company too. It’s good to get a fresh perspective from outside your company, especially if you want to talk about moving to a new company, have compensation questions, etc.

Have Creative Outlets Outside of Work:

I know this seems like a no-brainer, but having a passion outside of work can really set you apart, both when you’re looking for a job and once you’re in a role. Whether it’s a side hustle of copywriting, having a fashion blog, photography, or something else creative – having a creative hobby or interest outside of work can really set you apart from your peers while showing your entrepreneurial spirit.

Whenever someone says that they’re wanting to get into social media and don’t have a ton of experience, I always tell them to create a website or start a blog to show off their creative interests. There have been times when I’ve had two candidates who are pretty well matched in terms of passion, career experience and what not, and I’ve chosen the person who has a creative endeavor on the side because I know they live and breathe the industry.

And it can also set you apart as an ‘expert’ at work too. People know I have a blog and work as an influencer from time to time, so people ask me to help with influencer campaigns, give advice, or test out new platforms myself. Another co-worker is a huge gamer, so whenever we have a question about advertising on Twitch, we go to her. Another friend is a part-time photographer, so I go to her when I need photography advice. Having a hobby can set you apart, regardless of where you are in your career.

I could go on and on (clearly), but that’s some of the best advice for starting a career in advertising I can give! But if you’re a recent graduate looking for advice or needing a mentor, I’m always here and happy to help! Shoot me an email at CharminglyStyled@gmail.com – and even if I can’t help, I can try to find someone who can.

And to my advertising peers, I’d love to know if you have any additional advice for starting a career in advertising too! I’ll keep building to my list to make it an even better resource! xx