CHADRON – Six Chadron State College students attended the American Advertising Federation’s (AAF) Meet the Pros event in Omaha with Art Professor Mary Donahue in early March. They are Kayah Bynes, Nicolle Baquet, and Elizabeth Myers of Chadron, Cole Martinez of Ulysses, Neb., Rylie Cole of Minden, Neb., and Mia MacDonald of Cheyenne, Wyo.
MacDonald, a senior majoring in graphic design, said she was impressed with the importance of networking at the event.
“The power of knowing and getting to know people and being able to express your passions to them, because they may just have the right person to connect you with. They confirmed that I'm in the right lane and taking the right steps to get where I want to go,” MacDonald said.
Bynes, a junior majoring in graphic design, said CSC helped prepare her for the conference.
“My best take-away from the course was to be motivated by what I love and not by money. A lot of the pros talked about how they started from just the passion and love for what they do and were able to make it become a career. I feel like I needed to hear that more than anything,” Bynes said.
She said the variety of speakers was impressive.
“There were people who directed films, created logos, came up with ideas for advertising, etc. it was very interesting to see how many different people with different backgrounds ended up in the same room on the same stage,” Bynes said.
Baquet, whose main interest is in advertising and marketing, said all of the professionals who spoke offered useful insights, but she especially enjoyed Clint Runge, CEO of Archrival, a youth culture agency that does a lot of untraditional marketing.
“He talked about one of the projects they had done for Red Bull, which was super interesting and a very unique way of marketing. We heard from many different professionals including professionals who do freelance work to those who are employed by one employer,” Baquet said.
She added that the portfolio review process was helpful.
“The first professional I got the chance to sit down with was from Swanson Russell. He was able to look over my resume and other advertising work that I have done in the past and give me good feedback and where I can improve on both, what was working already, and what he thought looked good,” Baquet said.
Cole said she was a bit surprised by how eager the professionals were to help students.
“The professionals at the conference were amazing connecting with students and leading us through a way to find jobs and how to navigate getting those connections, and what to say to the people you connect with,” Cole said.
Cole said one important realization for her was that connections are vital in the creative industry.
“The professionals shared a lot of information on how to reach out to other companies and professionals and gave some insight on how to land a job in the design/marketing world. Some companies offer great internships and others don’t have them listed but if you show interest then they might be willing to work with you even if they don’t have positions available,” Cole said.
Cole felt prepared for the portfolio review.
“Mary (Donahue) has helped the class a lot with the resume building process and making sure students are prepared and ready to go when we sit down and meet with professionals. She has also given me great pointers for how to improve my resume and make it fit the style of my personal brand,” Cole said.
Martinez said he was surprised and pleased to talk with the CEO of Bailey Lauerman.
Martinez said his CSC courses helped him prepare for the conference by building his database of work and developing his portfolio.
“It was really an eye-opener into the design, advertising field and a great way to connect with so many amazing people,” Martinez said.
Myers said as an Elementary Education major and a studio artist, she wasn’t expecting to gain much from the conference, but she was pleasantly surprised.
“I made some exciting connections that could lead me to a career path that includes my passions. I was able to promote my art business and receive some helpful insight to improve my website and marketing tactics. Always say yes to opportunities to connect with new people. I was considering not going, and I am so happy I did,” Myers said.
—Tena L. Cook, Marketing Coordinator
Original source can be found here.
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