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by Rashida Nebbitt on 10.16.2012 in Advertising, Company News 0

For anyone who read my first blog post, you’d know that my journey at Brighton started as an intern.  Similar to a handful of other Brightonians around the office, I came on board a mere three weeks after walking across a stage in front of my friends and family to receive the thing I’d worked so hard for…an empty degree case! (They don’t tell you until you get there that your actual degree comes in the mail months and months later!) Since writing my first blog post three weeks into my internship, I’ve been hired on as a fulltime Brightonian, an accomplishment I’m still in shock of achieving. 

Now it’s no secret to anyone who’s recently graduated, that the job market is tough.  It’s hard to get a job at all, let alone in your field of study.  Below I’ve shared my very own compilation of the do’s and don’ts of landing your first job at an advertising agency.

Let’s start with the DON’TS:

• Don’t contact a company daily, sending email after email after email until they respond.  Persistence is great, but stalking is illegal! Find the fine line.
• Don’t use your LinkedIn profile like it’s Facebook.  Your future employer doesn’t care if you’re dating the cutest boy this side of the Mississippi or if you’ve had a bad day.  Use LinkedIn to brag on yourself professionally.
• Don’t get down on yourself! Remember, finding a job takes time.  If you’re finding yourself sending in a lot of resumes but haven’t had any luck yet, it’s ok! Landing the right job is a two-way street.  Not only does the company want to know you’re a good fit for them, but it’s important for you to know that the company is a good fit for you.
• Don’t chew gum during your interview…this goes without saying, but still…

Now for the DO’s:

• Do tailor your resume to fit the position you’re applying for.  Every job is different and requires a different set of skills.  That’s not saying you can’t have a plethora of skills, just think of the ones that best work with the job you’re applying for and only include those on your resume.
• Do increase your privacy settings on your social media outlets.  We know you party-rocked your way through college, but be mindful of what those pictures could mean for your future employment opportunities.
• Do be humble during your interview.  You won’t know all of the answers and you’re not the best thing to walk through that office door since the company first opened.  Your interviewer knows you just graduated from college and, therefore, are not an expert at much outside of being a student – which I’ve come to learn is NOT the same thing as being an employee.
• Do spell check your resume.  Spelling and grammar errors are one of the main reasons good resumes get tossed.  This is a mistake even I have made.
• Do let your resume speak of your personality.  This is one of the most fun things about wanting to work in advertising.  Your resume can get as creatively crazy as you want it to.  As long your skills still stand out you’re good to go.
• Do get a professional email address.  Sure being volleyballcutie005@jrhighschool.com worked back in the day, and yeah, your college gave you an email address, but now you’re an adult.  Get a big kid email address.

Those were my top pieces of advice for the recent grad that’s looking to score a job.  Now go forth and get hired, Job Seeker!

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