How did I get into ADVERTISING?

My introduction into the world of advertising:

If you’re like me, and the rest of the world, I’m sure you hadn’t thought of a career in advertising until college or your early twenties. Growing up, most kids want to be doctors, police officers, Spider-man, or even start a fashion line, like my colleague, Pablo did. But no one ever thinks about being an advertising executive. The majority of people don’t even realize that they constantly fall victim to the world of advertising. I remember when I first learned about re-targeting during my first few weeks here at R2 Media. My brain went a little like this:

MIND BLOWN

Before, I thought it was SUCH A COINCIDENCE that I would be online shopping for French Bulldog salt and pepper shakers on Amazon one minute, and the next minute, an Amazon ad for that EXACT item would show up on my Facebook News Feed. Other times, I figured it was the government keeping an eye on my search history. Now, I know that it’s not the government (well, we can’t be too sure), rather just a very sneaky Google algorithm.

THE INTERNET

I like to think of the internet as two realms: one where ignorance is bliss and ads are just pop-ups that will give your computer a virus and another where anything and everything is tracked and followed by the click of a button. I remember feeling like I was let in on a secret that the majority of people don’t even know exists. This, to me, is the wonderful world of advertising. Sometimes you’re not too sure how you got into this industry, but I bet you’re glad you did.

Being at an ad agency is like being in a relationship, and I’m committed to the long haul. At the agency, teamwork is one of the most important values. A puzzle can’t be complete without all the pieces, a wide receiver can’t catch a touchdown pass without his quarterback and o-line, a recipe can’t be completed without all the ingredients - you get my point. No matter the position, everyone counts on each other with the utmost trust. This may seem intimidating, but it’s given me a sense of pride and importance that I haven’t experienced. At the end of the day you don’t think about the long hours, the intense work load, and the stress. You think about you and your contribution to the team and the agency. And that makes it all worth it.