Keeping sharp between school years
Posted on
2007-Aug-9
at
10:03
During the summer months advertising students everywhere are working as agency interns. Whether it is helping out when others are on vacation or just doing whatever they can to jump in on projects and brainstorms they are immersing themselves in the professional ad agency culture. After spending day after day thinking about and working in the business when they return to school in September, they will be that much further ahead. But what about the countless other students who aren't interning?
Depending on the program, not all ad students intern during the summer. So how does a student, who is off school and back at home, maybe working at a restaurant on in retail, keep sharp over the summer. Especially around this time of the season when the end of the last school year seems like it was ages ago?
For some students, keeping sharp over the summer isn't a concern. Some people can leave their advertising brain in the "off position" all summer long and still hit the ground running in September, but for others (like me) keeping sharp over the summer helped ensure that I wasn't playing catch up during the first month of school as I got back into the groove of things.
So here's a few things that worked for me. They may, or may not, work for you:
KEEP READING
In school we were always pushed to be up to date on advertising news. Who got what account, what is TiVo doing to the business, what took the Grand Prix at the latest ad show etc. etc. etc. Being aware of what is going on and being in tune with the advertising/cultural landscape and current trends will make you better at your job. It's the difference between being creatively good and being a good creative. And keeping up to date is a year long commitment. New ad campaigns, new trends and the next Facebook won't wait for you to get back to school to launch. And Ad Age probably won't run a section on "What you missed over the past four months".
But keeping current over the hot summer months isn't the daunting task that it might seem. Setting aside an hour (or two max) a week will give you more than enough time to catch up on your favorite ad blog, flip through the latest ad mag, and surf around the net to see what's heating up the information superhighway on that particular day.
And on a sidenote does anyone actually use the term "information superhighway" anymore? Real good, here I am talking about keeping current and then I toss out a term almost as old as the internet itself. Ah well, I blame it on all the Tang I've been drinking. Or maybe my Hypercolour shirt is malfunctioning.
KEEP PUSHING
Just like a baseball player spends time at the batting cages during the off season, I found it helped to spend some quality time with my MAC creating a new campaign between school years. And don't get me wrong - it's tough to push yourself into doing homemade homework, but the results are invaluable. You can never understand how helpful it can be to randomly flip open the yellow pages twice a month to find your next "client" until you actually do it. Not only will it keep your technical skills sharp and give the ol' melon a workout, but it can also offer up some new portfolio pieces.
KEEP RELAXING
Earlier I talked about leaving your advertising brain in the "off position" all summer which for some can be a bad thing, but the opposite is also possible. A lot of times students heading into their final year will kick it into overdrive all summer long trying to get a head start on their portfolio. While ambitious, this tactic can backfire if no time is set aside to relax and de-stress. Just like anything else in life, having a balance is key. Sure, take some time over the summer to keep sharp and to make some tuition money - but also make time for you, to ensure you're ready for the school year ahead.
Feel free to leave comments/suggestions about what has worked for you to stay sharp over the summer.
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