From Education to Agency: A discussion on the evolving advertising industry

From the Classroom to the Boardroom is what they called the panel discussion on education and working in the advertising and marketing industry.

As someone who both works in and teaches advertising, there was lots to cover — but I’ll highlight a few topics and takeaways here.

I come into academia as a creative and community builder, and bring in real-world connections from different disciplines and active roles.

We discussed the changing dynamics between educators and students. When teaching these are 2 of my focuses in sharing:

1. Insight into the industry and its roles — day-to-day, types of work, clients.
2. A very intentional focus on getting into the industry — finding real work in the industry.

There’s a big demand for one-on-one support, which can take the of mentorship calls. Many soon-to-be and recent grads have expressed that they’re looking for a sense of hope and assurances around the challenging job market.

There are plenty of things I share with students outside of the curriculum. This can be the most valuable part sometimes, and it’s often underrated — what your prof says outside of the lecture can have a lasting impact.

When asked about how I prepare to transition from the classroom to the boardroom, here are some of the lessons:

1. There’s not one “right” path.
2. Agencies aren’t the only option — nor are they the right fit for every grad. Consider working in-house for a brand or nonprofit organization that you resonate with. Also consider the endless options of entrepreneurship, freelancing, and becoming a creator, or all of the above.
3. Relationship building and Networking will get you further than applying to hundreds of roles.
4. Prepare for a hybrid working world and know the value of in-person. A fully remote environment eliminates many opportunities for new talent to be exposed to leadership, social and professional interactions, and building rapport or meaningful relationships — so get out there any opportunity you can.

There were some great insights and experiences shared by fellow panellists Akash Sidhu and Yvette A. Elliott.

Thanks to Cynthia Rubino for hosting the conference.

The University of Toronto’s Hart House was an awesome venue.