I felt behind towards the end of my senior year of high school. Everyone knew what they wanted to pursue and which college they were going to attend. I didn't even know colleges that offered advertising as a major existed.
Since I attended a technical school, during my four years, I studied Commercial Art (which is just a fancy word for advertising). My mom said I needed to be the one to write slogans, or t-shirts for merchandise stores. Hershey, I still think you need shirts for couples that say 'I love you to pieces', like Reece's Pieces - or something to do with sending hugs and Hershey kisses. Hire. My. Agency.
At the end of your senior year, you took the NOCTI (National Occupational Competency Testing Institute) assessment. There's a written portion online and a project you must perform. They bring members from the state into your classroom to assess your work, which you do live time - following their instructions with a time limit. The point is to prove that you actually learned, and are able to apply those skills to projects. I passed, and I still didn't know what was next.
I took an extensive, in depth career quiz in hopes to shed some light to which career path I should take. All of my answers contradicted one another. I love working with people, but didn't want to teach, work with elders or kids. I love routine, but I hated the thought of doing the same thing each day. Needless to say, my results were no help - and instead, a little discouraging.
The results were laid out as bar graphs, your highest percentage was what they calculated to be most relevant to you. With no surprise, my highest percentage was artistic. (I'd hope so after studying Commercial Art for 4 years.) My second highest was 'impractical' or 'unrealistic'. I can't remember which term was used, but they both meant the same thing to me. Now I understand why my job is considered impractical or unrealistic - it's advertising. It's magical. Magic IS unrealistic and impractical - but imagine what it was like to read those results at 17, while everyone expects you to know what your next move will be.
For me, my next move was quite literally, to move. I moved with my family to Florida, and I didn't have a clue where I was going to be, or what I wanted to study. Since my high school was fantastic, I accumulated so many college credits before I even graduated. I took a year off to gain residency, and by the time I went back to school, I wasn't behind like I thought. In fact, I was ahead.
I finished my associate's degree in under a year at a state college. Attending a community college is okay. It saves money and you'd be taking the same classes at a larger university anyway. As I finished up my associate's, I had this epiphany... "What if I studied something I already knew I enjoyed?"
Found
I'll never forget my first advertising class at UCF. I made it there early, didn't get lost on the way (which if you know how big that campus is, you'd understand why that's a win) and I sat in the second row in a class of 300 students. It was an 8:30 am lecture, which concerned me. "What if it's boring? How will I stay motivated to get there?" Boy, was I way off.
My professor started up the class by playing a commercial - and she opened every class by playing a commercial. Not the ones you've seen a million times, either. Some hilarious, some tear jerkers. I mean some really great ads. She was so lively and interesting. I couldn't wait for the next class. I remember learning about the types of jobs advertising had to offer - how glamorous they all were. I was hooked. I knew I was where I was meant to be.
Advice
Along my way, here are some of the most important things I've learned:
1. Your "path" might not be a straight line.
Even if you know what you want to do, there might be 4 rights and a left after you climb over 3 fallen trees. It doesn't matter if you swim, drive or crawl - you will get where you need to be.
2. Being the most talented person doesn't mean anything.
Giving your best effort and getting your work done on time means more than if you can produce one great piece past the due date. Talent only goes so far.
3. Your career is a lot like dating.
Don't settle because it pays enough. Don't put up with it because it has great benefits. Make sure you are enjoying yourself for the right reasons. It's true what they say, if you love your job, work will not feel like work.
4. Never be afraid to ask about something that you don't know.
I can't tell you how many meetings I sit in and go back to my boss to ask what something meant that was discussed. You'll never know if you don't speak up, and it shows you care enough to find out.
5. Be a team player.
There's no 'I' in team. Seriously. I can't tell you how much I learn from others everyday at my job. When you work together, it's more efficient. You have more ideas, higher quality work. No one wants to work with someone who isn't approachable. Put the team in 'teamwork'.
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