As graduation looms overhead, so many good things are coming to an end. These days, everything is a last – last class, last exam, last presentation, last club meeting, last day spent as an undergraduate student. The entire affair is bittersweet, though it’s been feeling more bitter than sweet recently. As excited as I am for the world ahead, I’ve loved every bit of my college experience.
A good portion of that I owe to the College of Journalism and Communication (CJC) at the University of Florida (UF), and to the advertising department. When I first came to UF, I didn’t know that advertising was a major. I started in journalism because I love to write, but the courses were more structured and less creative than I had anticipated. I changed my major to public relations (PR) my sophomore year, following in the footsteps of my roommate at the time who loved the program. I enjoyed PR, but there was always something missing.
It wasn’t until I joined a mock agency, Elevate, that I was exposed to other ad students. I joined the club to gain PR experience, though quickly realized it was more advertising-based. I was so impressed by their creativity and collaboration that I switched my major as soon as the semester ended.
Ever since, I feel like I’ve grown so much as a young professional – more so than I felt prior to my previous major switches. I think that I found my place in advertising, which led me to reach my full potential. I consider myself an artistic mind – and I still love to write – and so advertising has become my creative outlet.
I have no regrets throughout my academic career here. Every step I took led me to where I am today, and I couldn’t be happier with all that I’ve accomplished in undergrad. One of my favorite parts about being an upperclassman and a soon-to-be grad is how much wisdom I’ve given out this last semester. Everything really tends to come full circle when you become the one offering guidance. On that thought, I decided to write my last Her Campus UFL article detailing my experience. Here are 7 things I’ve learned as an undergraduate advertising major at UF:
1. Advertising is nothing like it appears to be on tv.
One of the concerns I had when switching my major was the stereotype surrounding advertising. We’ve all skipped ads, muted commercials, and switched channels. I didn’t want my entire career to be viewed as annoying.
Those concerns were very quickly squashed. The work I was asked to do in my classes and clubs made me see just how much advertising entails. Branding falls under advertising, which means strategic color schemes, logos, and a brand’s entire image. Social media presence is a subset of advertising. Every big idea for a brand is advertising. Forget the annoying commercials – when you think of advertising, think of Aerie’s Real beauty campaign and the minds it took to create it. Think of Dove, Geico, and Coca-Cola. Think of how every brand is recognizable by different colors, symbols, and taglines. That’s all advertising.
2. Advertising is a highly creative field, and one of the most creative majors at UF.
I touched on this a few times earlier, but advertising basically equals creativity. Every piece of advertising requires a big idea. There are different roles in advertising – you may not want to be a creative – but either way, you’ll be directly involved in campaign work.
All the work I’ve done in ad classes has been hands-on. I’ve worked with so many different students and have presented so many different decks. I’ve devised campaigns for big companies and for small nonprofits. I’ve had real clients and I’ve had fictional ones. No matter who the campaign was for, every one of them required that my team and I come up with out-of-the-box ideas while staying within the parameters of the brand. It’s the best kind of challenge.
3. You don’t have many exams as an ad major – advertising is all about collaborative work and presentations.
I’ve hardly had any exams in my advertising courses. Most of the classes are project-based. While this may sound intimidating, it will make you feel more prepared for the real world. I feel as if I’ve been working in an ad agency for a few years now. I’ve presented real decks to real clients. I’ve had real deadlines. All of this has gotten me ready for my career much more than flashcards and Quizlets ever have.
4. Ad professors have had successful careers of their own – they’ll show you their work, which is so cool.
I am continuously impressed by the past work my professors have done. They bring in their award-winning work from these big-name companies and all you can think is: I hope that’s me someday. It’s inspiring to be taught by people who have truly made the most of their careers. In a field like advertising, mentorship is everything. It’s motivating to say the least.
5. Ad-based clubs are great for meeting like-minded people and for getting more experience outside of your classes.
As I mentioned, I decided to switch to advertising fully based on an experience I had with the club Elevate. My peers walked me through their experiences and introduced me to other extracurriculars that ultimately made my decision. These clubs will only enhance your learning and give you more opportunities to do real-world work. In Elevate, I’ve had a handful of real clients. There are also clubs that bring in speakers and offer networking. Being involved as an advertising student is essential to your future success.
6. A great thing to do for your future career is to have work to show.
Again – and I realize most of these are overlapping – if you’re involved, you’ll have so much work to show recruiters. While they don’t expect you to have a portfolio as an undergrad, it’s helpful. It shows initiative. By simply going to class, you’ll have creative briefs and campaign decks to attach to your LinkedIn or website. It’s also great to pull work from your clubs or any internships you held throughout your time as an undergrad.
7. The CJC holds networking events that could very well land you your post-grad job.
Another reiterated point, but a very important one. The CJC does a great job in offering networking opportunities each and every semester. One I really love is the Ad Council. They’re a panel of advertising professionals from all over the country who come and speak to UF students about job hunting, industry trends, and the work they’ve done. Some of them work for huge companies like Coca-Cola and Universal, while others run their own small agencies. Their experience varies, which is perfect for students who may not yet know where they’ll fit the best. This year, they hosted two events back-to-back. At the second one, they broke off into small groups and gave students the opportunity to ask any questions. It was such an inspiring talk – I was even able to connect with them all through LinkedIn afterwards. I’ll include a link to their page here: https://www.jou.ufl.edu/current-students/current-undergraduate/current-academics/current-advertising/adadvisorycouncil/
I could talk on and on about my experience at UF. It’s been such a life-changing 4 years. In a way, I don’t know how I’ll ever get used to not being a college student, but at the same time I feel so prepared to get out into the real world.
If you’re a creative mind and have considered switching majors, I beg you to try advertising. It’s such an opportunistic field and UF offers one of the best programs that there is.
To all undergrads, I wish you the best of luck going forward, and the best 4 years of your life thus far.
To all grads, I hope you’ve enjoyed your time as much as I have, and I wish you luck for all that comes next.
Go Gators, forever!