Last night I had the great pleasure of sitting on a United Adworkers-sponsored panel discussion at Discovery World with Jigsaw CD Nick Pipitone, Mitch Markussen from BVK, Dennis Jenders from Laughlin Constable and Andy Larsen from Boelter Lincoln.

It’s always fun talking to students, and this was clearly a highly-motivated group, to come out during finals week to hear Nick pontificate about the Chicago Cubs and give some career advice in between sports metaphors. The students asked a ton of excellent questions, and while I wasn’t taking notes, I’ll do my best to capture some of the key themes from the discussion.

1. NETWORK. The old cliche “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” is true; often that’s what will get you in the door. And if nothing else it will make your cover letter, the necessary evil that we established that we all dislike, less awkward. Use the tools at your disposal – social media in particular – to research your audience and know what they care about. Connect with them and offer some value.

2. BE PERSISTENT. Nick and I often disagree, but not on this point – if you contact someone, and they don’t respond, don’t give up. I get that you don’t want to be a “pest”, as someone said to me last night, but you have to understand that we are all crazy-busy people with a million balls in the air at any one time. It’s entirely possible that we read your email or your letter and are absolutely open to meeting you, but it just gets lost in the day. Try, try again. Unless we say “No” and then, it’s time to move on. : ] Likewise, if one agency says “no”, don’t give up then either. You might be a great fit with the next agency.

3. MAKE YOUR WORK AS GREAT AS IT CAN BE. Mitch said it well: “Who you know will get you in the door. Your work will keep you there.” Whether you’re a designer or writer or a strategist or a PR person, we’re all obviously looking for mad skills. Ask as many people as you can for honest feedback on your work, and keep polishing it.

4. LESS IS MORE. Whether it’s a cover letter, a resume, or a portfolio of work, share only your best stuff. A paragraph written smartly and with personality is a better cover letter than a page-long regurgitation of what’s already on your resume. Keep your resume to a page or, at most, two, just summarizing your major accomplishments.

5. BE YOURSELF. When making hiring decisions, agencies are looking almost as much for a personality that fits the agency as they are for great work. Both have to be there. And you owe it to yourself to find an agency that is a great fit with YOU, too. So don’t be nervous or try to fake anything. You have to be you.

6. BE PASSIONATE. One of the most important factors in getting our attention, an interview, an internship or a gig is your passion. Demonstrate that you’ll bring energy and initiative to the job.

7. DON’T ACT LIKE THE SMARTEST PERSON IN THE ROOM. We want you to speak up and share your ideas, and we want to learn from you because you ARE smart, and we’re all still learning too. But the sense of entitlement that we see from young professionals sometimes is not attractive. Be confident, but also be humble.

8. EXPECT TO WORK HARD. We’re in an incredibly fun, interesting, always-different business. But don’t expect it to be a walk in the park. We often work long hours…be ready for it. It’s a mad and crazy business but worth it. So, no, you’re not crazy to get into it…but sometimes you will think that you were.

I think those are the high points. What did I miss? What other questions do you have?

Someone once told me, “When it comes to your life, you can’t make a wrong decision. Your life is yours, and you are the one in control.” When finding out where your passion lies, you need to first be okay with NOT KNOWING exactly what you want to do.

As an advertising, communications or marketing major, or something along those lines, seeking out an internship (or multiple internships) within an advertising agency is a great way to get started.  Speaking from personal experience, I wanted to be a designer. I was creative, artistic and had the patience to sit for hours until my design was perfect. I started at an agency as an “Advertising Assistant” strictly to get my foot in the door. Within a few months, I found my skills and personality better suited in the agency’s Account Services department, but would not have known that without being directly in the environment.

That said, here are a few tips to help you get started with your advertising career:

• Ask around and network. There are many events, seminars and clubs available to the public to learn about the advertising industry and connect with current professionals. A few of our favorites are: ADWORKERS , MIMA and PRSA .

• Always carry a personal business card or your resume. You never know when you’re going to need it, or have the opportunity to pass it along to someone who could help you with your career.  If you want something “new school,” try Meet-Meme cards or Bump.

• Make sure your online profiles (e.g. LinkedIn) are professional, complete, and up-to-date. This is the first place your prospective employer is likely going to look to learn more about you. Add more depth to your LinkedIn profile by using plug-ins like the Reading List by Amazon that tell people more about you.

• Look for an advertising agency that has an internship program. To plug Jigsaw, we have  OrangeAid, an internship program that gives students and recent college graduates the opportunity to experience a plethora of positions, working in a team environment to  plan, create and manage projects for local organizations in Milwaukee. Talk about a fantastic one-stop-shop for discovering your fit in an agency!

• Apply, apply, apply. Apply any and everywhere you can. And apply early. Use an interview or phone interview to ask questions about the agency and make sure it’s something that sounds exciting to you.

• Don’t ignore a position that you don’t think you’re qualified for. Some agencies/positions need someone who isn’t completely set in their ways.

• Be flexible. Not just with your schedule, but with your opportunities and involvement as well.

• Don’t expect to get paid a lot, or at all. Nine times out of ten, a future employer will take someone with experience over someone with no experience.  Even if you aren’t making anything, just know it will most likely benefit you in the end.

And finally, whatever you do, don’t stop moving forward! A step is a step and even if you veer off the path, you’ll eventually find your way. Good luck!