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Is Ad school essential?

Submitted by JPfuzzhead on Mon, 10/10/2005 - 21:23.

Thanks for all your advice folks. Feel a lot more motivated in putting my book together now. smile


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Submitted by JPfuzzhead on Wed, 08/24/2005 - 20:29.

I*ve just finished a Communication degree and am hoping to go into the copywriting side of a team, but can*t afford ad school.



I recently did work experience at Saatchi in London and was told that most of the new creative teams landing placements in London went to either Camberwell Art College, Central St Martins or Watford.



Just wanted to know if anyone knows of someone getting into the industry (recently) without coming from an ad school.

confused

Submitted by munckee on Wed, 08/24/2005 - 21:56.

Essential? No, at least not here in the states. However, it does force you to create a book and nurture that process over the course of a finite time-frame.



You WILL need a book, regardless of ad school experience. There*s nothing to stop you from building that book on your own if you believe you can get the same quality outside of ad school.

Submitted by Dabitch on Thu, 08/25/2005 - 07:39.

treu, you need a book and having a partner ain*t chopped liver either.



D&AD used to do 6-10 week night classes and summer courses and that sort of thing that are far more affordable than any portfolio school. In them, at night, writers I went to (portfolio) school with worked on their concepting skills and portfolios while some lucked out and found partners in these classes. Might be something to look into.



(it was down in Vauxhall and had a class a week or something)

Submitted by caffeinegoddess on Thu, 08/25/2005 - 20:27.

If you can*t find someone to work with, a portfolio school is good for that. Although it*s not necessary. And unlike most agencies in Europe and pretty much the rest of the world, if you*re in the US, you won*t have to job search with a partner. Something else that could be worth checking out would be any creative classes your local ad club might offer. It*s another good way to work on your book, get paired up with a partner and since many of the classes are taught by people in agencies, do some networking as well.

Submitted by Dabitch on Fri, 08/26/2005 - 11:45.

Quote
Just wanted to know if anyone knows of someone getting into the industry (recently) without coming from an ad school.




.... Hmmm. Not recently, no. Ten years ago yes, but that was in Sweden though.



I*m not going to say it*s impossible, you could probably be a welder as long as you had the right *tude and a kick-ass portfolio you*d be in. (or at least, so they say). So concentrate on the whole portfolio thing and look around for ways of finding a partner - in the UK they usually want everyone to have a partner. Gag.

Submitted by kanak on Fri, 09/16/2005 - 11:16.

i got into advertinsing without a formal degree to lowe, jwt and dentsu. But i am in India dont know about what its like in the west.

Submitted by Brandman on Mon, 09/19/2005 - 03:15.

I got in without any formal education. And I know a LOT of people that have as well.



It*s harder because you will have to learn things by your lonely. But hey that*s what books are for.



As a matter a fact I have a friend who was a Rock musician till he was 38 or something. And then one day decided he would give advertising a shot.



Not 3 years later he won a pencil at AD&D and is now a senior creative in a mayor agency.



He*s been working in advertising for about 6-7 years.



So. No, formal education is not needed, but it helps.



Submitted by MicheleP on Wed, 09/28/2005 - 00:32.

>>I got in without any formal education. And I know a LOT of people that have as well.

>>

>>It*s harder because you will have to learn things by your lonely. But hey that*s what books are for.

>>



I agree.



I know many fine writers who have accomplished wonderful things without any *formal* education. Granted, it can be more challenging at first. But once they had a good portfolio and a *Go Get*em* tude...clients were not very concerned with their *home taught* skills.



In the end, it all comes down to getting results. I have meet many, many *educated* writers who couldn*t get results, while a kid down the block from me slaughtered my control with a DM piece he wrote over a weekend.

Submitted by MaryWills on Thu, 09/29/2005 - 17:24.

Your brain and portfolio are all you need. Not some piece of paper worth thousands of dollars.

Submitted by KJK on Wed, 10/05/2005 - 08:20.

Agree with Mary