These last few weeks have been odd, for obvious reasons. Being locked in your home can be very boring and unproductive, but we should think of this as an opportunity. Even with our online classes, the quarantine should give us students some well deserved free time.
But we should use this time to our advantage, and learn new skills we might not be able to at school. There are countless books, programs, articles, that can be an extraordinary help if you’re going into a career in advertising. We’ll be looking at resources you have available to you that you can use to grow yourself during this confusing time.
AdWeek
You’ve heard of it, you’ve probably visited it a couple of times before, but do you read it regularly? If not, now is the time! AdWeek covers the modern advertising world, the information is always relevant. You can find current ads, campaigns, analytics, creative work, and anything else relevant to advertising. It’s crucial to keep yourself informed about the advertising industry if you plan to go into it, and this is the place to do it.
- Keeps yourself educated on the industry
- Information on every aspect of the advertising world
- Study current ads and campaigns
- Find job openings and networking events
Adobe Creative Cloud
Even if you’re not a graphic designer, knowing just the basics of the program can be an extraordinary help for you in the advertising world. They have a free trial period that you can use and remember to CANCEL of course! Don’t know the first thing about the programs? No worries! YouTube has countless tutorials for complete beginners for free!
- Provide more detailed feedback on creative work. You can suggest for them to use specific tools or features within the program.
- Create a resume and business card. It’s a lot easier than you think! Having a nicer looking resume will go a LONG way.
- Exercise your creativity! Maybe you’ll love it and realize you’re meant to be a graphic designer…
“Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This”: A Guide to Creating Great Ads by Luke Sullivan
Look, it’s a book I know. I’m not a big fan of books either. However, this is different! It’s a real look into the world of advertising. It’ll offer advice you can’t get in the classroom. It’s a commonly read book in the world of advertising, and after 22 years it’s still talked about today! It’s not very long and it’ll help you beyond belief.
- A real look into the advertising business, containing detailed analyses of previous campaigns
- Great conversation topic while networking, many figures in the industry have read this
- Improve your copywriting/creative skills
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield
Yes, it’s another book. I know it may not seem exciting, but this is another solid must-read if you’re going into advertising, or really any creative field for that matter. Whenever you’ve been challenged to think creatively, have you struggled? Most would say yes. This book can solve these problems, it goes into detail about the issues we creative-focused individuals face that block our creative thinking, and how to overcome them. It’s another well-known book in the advertising world and one you should consider reading!
- It changes your perspective and lifestyle
- Helps you grow creatively, avoid facing creative resistances
- Gives you a better understanding of how to achieve your goals
LINKS
AdWeek: https://www.adweek.com/
Adobe: https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud.html
Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Hey_Whipple_Squeeze_This/ptuoENjSXDIC?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover
The War of Art: https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_War_of_Art/sR3hAAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover
(Note: The links to the books are only previews, not the full text. If you wish to read all of it then you need to purchase it).
Preview Image obtained from: https://www.how-to-study.com/learning-style-assessment/
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