Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I've lurked here off and on sporadically for a few years. I was hoping I could get some advice on the decision I recently made to switch careers. I have decided I would like a position in advertising but am not sure how to make the switch. A little background on myself:
-BA in Economics c/o '02 (Spelman College)
-GPA: 3.4
-Worked in marketing research as a project manager for 3.5 years
-Working/have worked in clinical research as a project coordinator for the past 6 years
I left the marketing research position when the company folded and decided to try something different. My dilemma right now mostly revolves around finances; I am single w/o children but I still have student loan debt from undergrad! And I don't want to take on anymore. I just moved from the Atlanta area to Chicago, IL and took a position with Northwestern...so I was hoping to get into school here.
Northwestern will pay up to 10k a year in tuition for employees to attend grad school here, so if I wanted to earn my MBA from here I could potentially. However, the 10k doesn't go very far because each class is roughly $5500 :/ That's like 2 classes a year, and at that rate I'd be in grad school for a long time. I could probably afford to pay for only about 1 class a year at this point, so at the most I could do 3 courses per calendar year.
The university also offers a certficate in Advertising, which I considered for a quick second, but felt like the time would be better spent on an MBA. It is slightly appealing though, because I could finish it quickly and at basically no cost.
Now that I feel like I've rambled on a bit lol....what would you do if you were me? A person that wanted to continue their education but can't afford to stop working full time to do so due to cost? Any creative solutions to making this kind of switch in the meantime? FWIW I'm interested in working in account planning or copywriting:
On a side note, I have been throwing around the idea of applying for marketing positions now, but the issue is I figure I'd have to start over if I did that, and I can't take much of a pay cut right now. Maybe there are some changes I can make to my resume that will help (ie emphasize former marketing research position, any advertising things done at work, how I advertised for my blog, etc.)?
I would personally go with the advertising certificate, unless you know for certain you will need that MBA to jumpstart a career in advertising. Try contacting the staff or program that oversees the advertising certificate program to set up an informational interview, where you can ask them questions, such as the job success rate of students who completed the program and if any of them were like you (someone looking to make a career change). You might even want to do the same with the MBA department. Ask questions, take notes, then compare and contrast the MBA vs the advertising certificate. I'm considering something similiar at U of C, except my interest is in the editing certificate they offer. I had a little Q & A with the school about the program and was told that a lot of students were working adults with degrees in many different majors who wanted to either improve their job chances in the editing field or make a career change like you. Many graduates of the program ended up working in the editorial departments of many different industries, from book publishing to magazines and even as freelancers. Freelance editing is what I would like to do outside my day job, which is why the certificate is of interest to me. Good luck!
Congrats on the gig at Northwestern! - too bad they don't offer classes to employees at a cheaper rate. You definitely want to take advantage of classes there some way, maybe take 1 class at a time? Personally, I was in the same boat as you were years ago, I know about taking on more loan debt, avoid it at all costs. Having high debt limits everyone. I think Chicago is an exciting place to live, I hope you can take advantage of what it has to offer.
Marketing can be an exciting field, but it is very hard hit right now due to the recession. I know the decisions you make now will have a profound affect on your career based on what you describe. You are still young, though and chances are you may have to change fields anyway. I think this is more the case for people under age 50 given changes in the economy in the U.S. particularly.
I think advertising yourself online (blog, etc) definitely will help make you more marketable to potential employers. I would definitely read up on exploring more career options with books or online resources. You have a lot of interests and directions you could possibly go into. All the best to you and your move.
I would personally go with the advertising certificate, unless you know for certain you will need that MBA to jumpstart a career in advertising. Try contacting the staff or program that oversees the advertising certificate program to set up an informational interview, where you can ask them questions, such as the job success rate of students who completed the program and if any of them were like you (someone looking to make a career change). You might even want to do the same with the MBA department. Ask questions, take notes, then compare and contrast the MBA vs the advertising certificate. I'm considering something similiar at U of C, except my interest is in the editing certificate they offer. I had a little Q & A with the school about the program and was told that a lot of students were working adults with degrees in many different majors who wanted to either improve their job chances in the editing field or make a career change like you. Many graduates of the program ended up working in the editorial departments of many different industries, from book publishing to magazines and even as freelancers. Freelance editing is what I would like to do outside my day job, which is why the certificate is of interest to me. Good luck!
Thanks for the advice; I am going to contact the School of Continuing Studies tomorrow to inquire more about the advertising certificate.
In the meantime, I also found out that Northwestern offers a degree in Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC), which seems to be a great fit for the type of positions I am looking to switch to. I signed up for an info session with them at the end of this week.
With any career change, there will be some issues to iron out. Bottom line, if you want a career change - do your research. What helped me with my own career change was reading The Pathfinder by Nicholas Lore last year. I wish I had read this book years ago as I wasted a lot of years in jobs that were not for me. Yes, our finances should be taken into consideration as bills still need to be paid.
Maybe you can continue to do your present job while you work part time or go to school for your new career. With the economy the way it is right now, you need to be very careful to make sure your new career will work out. Talk to people who are already doing what you want to do - this way you can get a feel for the job and the pros and cons that go with it. Pathfinder career change coaching, mid-career counseling, aptitude testing
Thanks...I actually do have the Pathfinder. I've been through a fair share of self help/career associated books in the past 5 years or so lol
I currently work in advertising. I am fairly new but hopefully I can still give some decent insight.
I think the biggest question I have is what are you looking to do in the field/are you looking to work at an agency or elsewhere? account/project management? creative (copywriting/art direction), strategy...? The list goes on. That will change what type of advice you get considerably.
I personally think that the MBA won't be a good investment. Most people in the field only have a BA, the ones with masters degrees are usually the upper echelon of management. In an agency environment, experience trumps all. I know several people with MBAs that work in positions that I would be able to obtain just with a couple more years of experience. Education isn't the end all be all in advertising.
I think your experience is better than what you think. Really play off of the marketing research experience, it's more valuable than you seem to be putting on in my opinion. There are a lot of opportunities to work in project management in advertising also. I work in the PM department myself at both the job I am currently at and the agency I'm hopping to in the next couple of weeks.
Without knowing more specifically what you hope to do in advertising, it's hard to give more tailored advice.
I currently work in advertising. I am fairly new but hopefully I can still give some decent insight.
I think the biggest question I have is what are you looking to do in the field/are you looking to work at an agency or elsewhere? account/project management? creative (copywriting/art direction), strategy...? The list goes on. That will change what type of advice you get considerably.
I personally think that the MBA won't be a good investment. Most people in the field only have a BA, the ones with masters degrees are usually the upper echelon of management. In an agency environment, experience trumps all. I know several people with MBAs that work in positions that I would be able to obtain just with a couple more years of experience. Education isn't the end all be all in advertising.
I think your experience is better than what you think. Really play off of the marketing research experience, it's more valuable than you seem to be putting on in my opinion. There are a lot of opportunities to work in project management in advertising also. I work in the PM department myself at both the job I am currently at and the agency I'm hopping to in the next couple of weeks.
Without knowing more specifically what you hope to do in advertising, it's hard to give more tailored advice.
Hi,
Thanks for the insight thus far; I am looking to start on the account planning side of things. I would be open to starting out in project management, though, since I worked in marketing research as a project manager once before.
Right now I'm considering just applying for marketing jobs now...and then perhaps either going for the Certificate in Advertising or the Masters in Integrated Marketing Communications. I've kind of ruled out the MBA at this point actually. I figure, I might be able to switch back to marketing without having to wait and get more education...based on what you said, experience seems to weight heavier.
Any more insight would be greatly appreciated
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I think Chicago is an exciting place to live, I hope you can take advantage of what it has to offer.
With any career change, there will be some issues to iron out. Bottom line, if you want a career change - do your research. What helped me with my own career change was reading The Pathfinder by Nicholas Lore last year. I wish I had read this book years ago as I wasted a lot of years in jobs that were not for me. Yes, our finances should be taken into consideration as bills still need to be paid.
