Networking Night

Good morning guys!

As promised in my last post, today I am going to talk about something pretty exciting in regards to getting your feet wet in the industry.  Every year, Sheridan College holds an event that allows students from all advertising programs (2^nd, 3^rd years and postgrads) the opportunity to meet with advertising agencies in the Toronto area. Yes, also known as a networking event! This was held a few nights ago at the Marquee Pub (great food by the way) at Sheridan College.

            Throughout the year so far and after several career workshops, we have learned that networking is highly recommended for chances of having a high success rate in job searching. You’ve all heard the saying “It’s all about who you know”. And that couldn’t be more true. You may have experiences where you are lucky enough to have a family friend/acquaintance in the industry of your choice, however if not, how do you think people build business relationships from nothing? Events like a “net night” (as Sheridan called it through social media) is the answer. This experience is an amazing way to get your name out there and make a positive impression on potential employers. Not only that, but it brings you out of your comfort zone and gives you the opportunity to meet smart, influential people. It is these individuals that may end up helping you out in the long run.

For me, networking night brought out a new kind of confidence that I never knew I had. I was a little nervous at the beginning, seeing as this was the first experience I had with networking. I wasn’t sure what to expect or how it was going to work. How would I know who works for what agency? Would people be nice and open to talk? Am I going to freeze when conversing with an employer? My mind was swirling with questions until I had my first conversation. I should have known that Sheridan College would connect with such amazing, open and knowledgeable people to attend this event and talk with us. All of the tables at the event were labeled according to what agency they represented, so we were free to choose who we wanted to connect with. I just want to point out that every table had a huge jug of water with cups available to all. This may seem pretty unimportant but we’ve all experienced that dry, thirsty feeling you get when you’re in the middle of a presentation. Picture that feeling lasting for two hours while talking to some pretty important people. SO, I loved that there was an unlimited supply of water.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, to summarize, I know that this may seem a little bit scary and I won’t be the one to tell you that you won’t be nervous (unless you’ve done this kind of thing before!). What I can tell you, is to be yourself. There is nothing more impressive than knowing exactly who you are, and being confident about it. Sell yourself in a way that you, and only you, know how in regards to your own unique personality. We all have something special to offer. If you do that, you’ll be surprised at the positive reactions you will get. First impressions are everything, so be genuine, be polite, and show your enthusiasm! Lastly, always remember to FOLLOW UP with the people you have talked to at a networking event. The simplest “thank you” can go a long way.  

Without Sheridan College’s workshops leading to the event, I am not sure that I would have been as prepared as I was. Having that opportunity was amazing, and I’m excited for you all to experience the same. I hope this helps guys!

Thank YOU for reading.

Sincerely,

Ashleigh

Resume, Resume, Resume.

HELLO my fellow readers! 

I had Adele on the brain (who doesn't lately) and thought that this was an exciting greeting for my 2nd blogpost. Hope you got a laugh out of it. If you haven't seen Mrs. Doubtfire, then..... well just watch it.

The other greeting is from Ryan Reynolds. My shameless celebrity crush (irrelevant) but come on.

Anyways, this week has been pretty busy. I forgot to mention in my first post that I am in my second semester here at Sheridan. For those of you who think that the first couple weeks of school after Christmas break is a breeze, think again. Not to scare you or anything. ;). We were definitely warned that after the break we should be prepared to work on a large integrated group project between all classes and teachers, beginning the first day back. Aside from that, the number 1 priority (for us postgrads) is job searching. Hence the title of this post. Resume development has quickly become extremely important and essential. Job postings have already begun for Co-op, and it is our job to make sure our resumes are up to spec. Now having said that, our teachers and faculty are with us every step of the way, with several resources and people that are more than happy to help us achieve our goals for the perfect resume. That is what I love about Sheridan. We are able to have 1 on 1 meetings with career development experts here at the school so that each individual knows where they are at with their resume, and what they need to improve on. 

How am I doing with this whole "job search" thing? To be honest I was a little stressed at first, because my resume was nowhere near ready. So much more had to be fixed in regards to what I've learned this semester and the skills I have gained. Now that I have had just the smallest one on one time with one of our Co-op teachers, it's clear what needs to be done to make my resume the best it can be. It is still in fact a "working resume", but this week it will be done! My advice to anyone coming into this program would be to always update your resume each time you have learned something new, or have a new work experience. Even just jot it down in a journal, and write down what you learned from class, or a key skill you achieved. You'll be surprised at how that will help you during your resume writing. 

What I didn't realize, is the different styles of resumes that applicants use in this industry -- especially if you are in creative. It is important to set yourself apart from all other applicants by making your resume attractive in a unique, creative way. And I am not talking about work experience. We are constantly being told that we need to find a way to "sell ourselves". By this I mean visually. Going into the creative side, having your resume stand out from a sea of equally qualified individuals is essential. If you think this might be you, take some time to think about how your new creative resume will look. What is it about your personality that is unlike anyone else's? How can you visualize this in "resume" form? Our teachers have shown us a few examples of creative portfolios and resumes, and they really are impressive. I myself am not going into creative (I enjoy the account planning side) but I thought it was really interesting because I always thought all resumes were the same format. So it was cool to see. I hope to use this strategy in some way for my own, even if it is some colour changes in the font. 

Okay, I am definitely boring you (and perhaps stressing you out before you even get here). It really isn't that bad, and like I said, Sheridan has an amazing support system with all the resources you need, whenever you need them. The Career Centre is always willing to offer you their expertise in this area, even with cover letters. So don't fret. With Advertising Account Management, you have a Co-op class every week, guiding you through the process so that you are almost guaranteed to earn your Co-op position by the end of the term. All you have to do is show up, listen, engage, and be active in your job searching. 

That's all for today guys! Thanks for reading :) I promise my next post will be less about scaring you, and more about exciting you! That's what it's all about.

Sincerely, 

Ashleigh

Dear Future Post-Grad

Well hello there :)

Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to view my first blog (and blog post). My name is Ashleigh Mulholland, a 22 year old female just a few months away from finishing school (for good) :O!!!!! But who am I really? Well, as you may have guessed by my clever and hilarious blog title, I am a student at Sheridan College currently completing the Advertising Account Management postgraduate certificate.

For those of you who already know me, you know that I attended Western University for 4 (stressful but amazing) years earning a degree in sociology and psychology. You may be wondering what any of that has to do with advertising. And what exactly is account management? Why did I choose to do this? Well, my hope for this blog is to enlighten you all about what it is that I want to do with my life, and how this industry excites and challenges me in more ways than one. Even better, to spark an interest in anyone who may be questioning this field as a career. I absolutely love Sheridan college and I know that whoever choses this route will greatly benefit from the enrichment you gain from just a few classes here.

In general, advertising account management involves executives acting as a link or liaison between your clients and an ad agency, all well coordinating a creative campaign. What is so great about this particular program at Sheridan is that what we learn about is not (at all) limited to just advertising account management.Throughout the year you learn about the media side, creative communications, marketing, public relations, digital and sales aspects of advertising. You begin to see how all of these sectors within advertising come together to create one big (and hopefully successful) integrated marketing communications campaign. 

I have been interested in the advertising environment ever since high school. I found it exciting to in some way be able to contribute to a meaningful campaign and creative team. I will always remember having to come up with a new item for the Tim Horton’s menu in my grade 12 business class, as well as creating a poster for its advertising. Back in early 2011 I thought it would be great to introduce fruit smoothies. It was not on the menu yet. Although it was such a small project it was so exciting and fun creating a poster and promotional idea for this new product. It was at that point that I really wanted to someday be part of a real ad campaign. However, I knew that university was my next step after graduating from high school, and my heart was set on Western Ontario. At the time I was also extremely interested in both sociology and psychology. So, I enjoyed my four years while completing my degree, however advertising was still in the back of my mind. In a nutshell, that is how I ended up at this amazing program. So for any of you who are unsure at this point of where you are going, that's what a postgrad certificate is for. In just 8 months you will be prepared to dive into this industry with confidence :) 

Anyways, I am so looking forward to sharing with you my favourite and most meaningful moments week by week throughout this experience at Sheridan College, with my own advice to you along the way. 

Sincerely,

Ashleigh