Getting in with the (Linked)In crowd

Last weekend, my fiancé and I packed up my entire existence in Orlando, FL and moved me to Atlanta in a 48-hour period. Not only have I had to relearn a city that was my home for over 20 years, but now I’m having to build my personal network from the ground up in order to find a new job.

So, here I am in one of the top advertising cities in the country with no network, no chapter of Ad2 or the American Advertising Federation (AdFed), no knowledge of friends or former colleagues in the industry. What’s a girl to do?

My favorite go-to source? LinkedIn. There I find a plethora of information, from decision makers at top agencies, to job postings that use your profile to complete the application. But my personal favorite is the ability to join groups. Every day, I receive emails updating me on activities in my groups. Often it’s mostly articles with regards to the industry, but sometimes some really great job opportunities can be found in those emails.

Recently, my best friend forwarded me an opportunity at a non-profit organization that screamed “Didi”. I used LinkedIn to research the organization and their company culture. I researched who I would be working for and what their resume looked like. With this information, I was able to tailor my resume and cover letter and submit the most appropriate writing samples, ensuring I put my best foot forward.

In a place where I have no physical network, I have to rely on my virtual one. And quite frankly, the virtual one isn’t so bad. If you know how to leverage LinkedIn, you may find that your dream opportunity is just an InMail away. Check out these infographics for more information about LinkedIn and how to use it.

My (Social) Life, Your Entertainment

I have no interest in the entertainment industry. But I do have an interest in what entertains people, which is why I am so interested in the business of social media. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest have become a part of our daily routines. We wake up to check our newsfeeds. We learn about news via with RSS feeds, blog rolls, and microblogs. A newspaper? What’s that? Do they even make those anymore? Fifty years from now, probably not.

Our world of communications has been forever changed. We text people across the room from us. My fiancé and I love going to new restaurants, but not before reading reviews on Urbanspoon and Yelp, entrusting complete strangers to point us in the right direction. Not only is social media a key part of our lives, but the ability to access those mediums on the go has become increasingly important.

As the Social Media intern of a local marketing and advertising agency, I study trends daily. My morning begins with a giant cup of coffee and Mashable. I take the time to learn what’s new in my industry. Not only is understanding the return on investment, analytics, reach and acceptance of messages important, but knowing what mediums my target audience is using to access these messages is equally essential. We are becoming more connected with the pulse of the world every day through technology. Recently, on Mashable, an infographic produced by OnlineColleges.com showed how  heavily college students rely on their smartphones in their daily lives.

College students are using their phones for more than just voice calls. In fact, 75% of students often use them during idle time throughout the day, 52% use their phones before even getting out of bed after their alarm clocks go off. It is their form of entertainment, which would then make it my kind of business.

Resources: http://mashable.com/2012/06/30/smartphones-college-students-infographic/

A look into AAF

For the past year, I have been a member of the Orlando chapter of Ad2, a division of the American Advertising Federation. As I networked with young professionals in the advertising industry and those who, like myself, are interested in breaking into the industry, I have exposed myself to several facets of the advertising world that have ultimately helped me narrow the focus of my ultimate career goals. Through my involvement in Ad2, particularly with the Public Service Committee and the Membership Committee, I have had the opportunity to interact with high-level executives of Orlando’s advertising community. Through these connections that have been created, I have decided to volunteer for the ADDY committee this year.

According to the American Advertising Federation website, “the ADDY awards represent the true spirit of creative excellence by recognizing all forms of advertising from media of all types, creative by all sizes and entrants of all levels from anywhere in the world.” This competition allows small agencies to showcase their creative abilities on a local, district, and national level. In this competition, the size of the agency, the budget for the campaign, or the size of the market have no bearing on the outcome of the awards. As a matter of fact, some of the best work often comes from the Student ADDY entries, where the only thing entrants are limited by is their own imaginations.

AAF serves to unite the advertising industry. The organization serves to educate agencies about technological innovations, protect the industry with regards to governmental regulations, encourages diversity within the industry, and recognizes the achievements of individuals within the advertising world. The American Advertising Federation is important to this professional community because it allows smaller agencies the opportunity to interact and learn from the power players, and also allows the entire advertising community to see the talent within the future of the industry.

Sources:

http://www.aaf.org/default.asp?id=13

http://www.ad2.org/

http://www.ad2orlando.org/