What I’ve Done: Advertising
Oct 17th, 2007 by Nut
To sum it up, for the past year I’ve been trying to break into advertising as a copywriter.
All you need is one thing: a portfolio.
Do I have one yet? Sort of.
Is it any good? Not really.
Why isn’t it any good after a full year? I know, I know. A year ago when I read that it can take up to 18 months to put together a good book, I though “Come on! How lazy!” So yeah, I was that guy too.
What I’m dealing with right now is the search and management of a graphics designer to make my ideas look sharp enough that you could drop them right into a magazine.
So far this has proved incredible difficult. So if you are a graphic designer or you know someone—good god help a brother out.
Open an ING account and get a $25 bonus!
Cool blog…keep up the good work.
As for getting your book together, I remember thinking the same thing that you did when I started ad school for copywriting. I just KNEW that I would be in and out in a matter of months and fighting off job offers from Mother, 180 Amsterdam, Fallon, Crispin and Wieden. Things worked out a little differently. But it all came together in the end.
Good luck and make it happen, captain!
Thanks! And make sure you check out the dailybiz blog (in the blogroll), it’s very entertaining.
Don’t lose hope!
It can take quite some time to build up a decent portfolio. If this isn’t forthcoming via real, live clients, then what’s stopping you rewriting ads, leaflets, etc? Just change the name of the companies mentioned, and perhaps put on a ‘draft’ or other somesuch label.
Don’t forget non-profits: Choose your favourite cause and approach them, explaining you’re a newbie, and ask whether they would have any projects that you could do – the first one as a pro bono, and then perhaps at a discounted rate for the next three or so…
Just a few ideas before the coffee kicks in!
Good luck!
Great! Thanks again!