Today, thanks to the wide number of tools and the vast access to information that we have through the internet, acquiring knowledge and skills in the field of Advertising, Marketing or Graphic Design is easier than ever. Which leads to the question of whether it is really worth investing 4 university years in learning a series of concepts that perhaps we could acquire more quickly and dynamically by ourselves through the network. Well, society has a very deep prejudice regarding Advertising and Public Relations: “everyone can do it without having studied.”
Deciding to study and become a professional in Advertising and Public Relations is not always an easy decision. In my case, psychology has always interested me, but I am also passionate about the world of ideas and creativity. One afternoon I was sitting at the computer watching compilations of the best advertising spots and that’s when I thought I might be worth it.
Although it is possible to learn much of the subject and theory in a self-taught way, there is something that is not taken into account in this equation: everything that is learned indirectly, for example, work systems that allow us to reach the desired results more effectively.
In Advertising and Public Relations, specifically, there are 4 main elements that teach us throughout the career: tools and programs , internships, teamwork and creativity. The first focuses on giving us the necessary knowledge to know how to use various programs (video editing, radio editing, photo retouching …), as well as technical aspects such as, for example, the mechanism of a camera or television. All this knowledge we could learn ourselves, individually, since it is practical information that we can find online. The same goes for practices, since from the work of large companies, for example, you can learn and improve your work through habit. But when we move on to the last two points, things change.
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Teamwork and creativity
Although it is an essential element for a large number of careers, in Advertising and Public Relations it is especially necessary to acquire and practice the ability to work as a team , since in order to transmit a message abroad successfully, there needs to be a good Communication internally and with the client and you have to visualize yourself as a basic part of a team: if this person does not do his part, the team cannot continue. This is not something that can be learned individually and requires time management and a degree of assertiveness that can only be acquired through repetition.
Finally, I would like to make a special mention of creativity. For a long time, many people considered this ability as something innate that some are lucky to develop and others are not. However, great creative masters like BBDO agency co-founder Alex Osborn have proven countless times that this is a skill that we can all hone. the creativityIt is present throughout the Advertising and Public Relations career, not only in the different projects, but in the whole process, from brainstorming to the way of presenting them. Being able to work with our teachers on a daily basis, many of whom are active professionals in the sector, allows us to learn creative techniques and processes to achieve a high probability of success in an idea. Also, the fact of previously mentioned teamwork allows ideas to flow faster and different challenges are seen from different points of view, allowing richer and more complex ideas to emerge. As my creativity teacher, Mariano Baños, would say, they teach us to “think outside the box”.
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Also read: How does social audience affect TV advertising?
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In conclusion I would like to say that behind each race there is a whole unknown world that is waiting for us and, specifically, because for now I have only had the opportunity to get into one of them, I think that Advertising and Public Relations are an art It encompasses a large number of skills that are worth discovering one by one and prepares you from head to toe for the work scene , whatever the scope of everything it encompasses.
Personally, studying this career has allowed me not only to fully immerse myself in the world of ideas, something that will never stop me from being passionate, but it has also taught me a lot about myself and my way of working and leading groups. I think it is a complete experience and that trains you in all areas related to this discipline so that you can then choose the one that best suits your tastes and skills.
The fact of working with professionals in the sector has given me an internal vision of the processes to follow when producing both spots and graphic design elements, digital campaigns or even events; It is a profession that touches many artistic areas and in which psychology , one of my passions as well, has a very wide role. And I have learned not only from the teachers, but also from my classmates, with whom I have had moments of great stress, but I am very grateful that they have crossed my path, since many of my best projects would not have arisen without them.
