(Ad)just

Get it? The only acceptable way to start a blog post is with a pun. Once you’re done rolling your eyes, (ad)just to the fine print and (ad)mit I’m funny. All right – I’m done. Or – am I just getting started?

Rarely will you find an industry that doesn’t require you to constantly adapt and adjust. Think about this on a larger scale – as soon as we figured out whether to swipe or use the chip on our credit cards, Apple Pay was introduced. There’s a line of new phones ready to come out now until 2030, so you’ll never really have the latest or greatest one. Our world is like laundry, as soon as you’re ‘caught up’ there’s more piles to wash, dry and fold. The truth is, you’ll never be caught up and there will always be something new to learn.

Luckily, the field I work in changes each day. There’s always something new and you’ll never be up to speed. Why would you want a job like that, Ariana? The real question is, why wouldn’t you? In my opinion, my career is the best because it requires you to grow each day. Who wants to be, or feel stagnant?

Advertising is a mix of a lot of things – and you need to roll with the punches. You need to be timely, and if you missed the window of opportunity to hop on the ‘unprecedented times’ bandwagon, leave the past in the past. Staying up to date and being hungry is important (which luckily for me, the hunger comes very naturally), and although you may never know it all, you should try to.

A Digital Era If you’re not up to speed, you’re behind – and if you are up to speed, you’re still behind. To stay in the now, I follow Adweek, Ad Age, AdFreak and other industry related accounts on Twitter. I also follow a few other inspirational accounts like Ads of the World. In a digital age, there’s no reason to not be aware of industry related happenings. There are podcasts, articles, newsletters, and even amazing blog posts written by yours truly to give you valuable insights.

Organization

Stay organized so you don’t feel overwhelmed. Life in general can be overwhelming, especially in these unprecedented times, (I hope you chuckled), so having a strong sense of organization (and humor) can help you feel you’re in control. The ability to drop what you’re doing in advertising and switch gears is a must – and the more organized you are with a project, the better you’ll feel when you have to adjust or pick it back up again later.

Listen Absorb everything that’s happening around you. It’s so important to learn from others, especially if it’s coming from other brands or agencies. The best way to figure out what to do, or even what not to do – is from others' mistakes or successes.

Be Flexible Some people really can’t work under pressure, and that’s ok – just not in advertising. Deadlines are real, multiple projects at once are normal, and sometimes you feel like you’re stretched 20 different ways. So you learn how to handle it the best way you can and you keep going. It comes with time and experience (take that to heart coming from a 22 year old).

At the end of the day, advertising is interesting and innovative, and this is not a biased statement at all when I say it’s the best field you can go into. No matter what field you’re in, you should always challenge yourself to do better and to know more. Be the best you can be and do the best job you can. I’ll leave you with something good.