The DVD:

What these folks say will save you
Months of agony.

Fourteen interviews of copywriters, art directors, account managers and strategic planners. (Since they’re in advertising, they’re all stunningly attractive and amazingly articulate.) 

These advertising experts answer your questions. Candidly. And at length. Dishing out insight and advice that you’d never get by e-mail, telephone or during a rushed meeting during the workday. Here’s just some of what they offer:

The basics.

Chiyoko Osborne on moving from media to account management.

• The best cities to look for jobs.
• Agency jobs that college graduates can get.
• The responsibilities of each job.
• The personality, attributes and skills needed for each job.
• A “Day in the Life” of the different agency jobs.
• Climbing the career ladder.
• What is the process of ad creation from inception to completion?
• How do the different departments interact?
• Where’s the industry going?

Interviewing.

• Getting in. Internships. Resumes. Portfolios.
• How to get noticed.
• Bypassing Human Resources.
• Getting your phone calls and e-mails returned.
• The fine line between “persistent” and “annoying.”

Jeannie Spink talks about winning new business.

• Headhunters – the scoop.
• What we look for in a new hire.
• The questions interviewees should ask.
• Dressing for the job.

Once you’re in.

• What’s a typical starting salary?
• What do agency offices look like?
• How late do people work?
• How do you get a promotion?
• How do you find a mentor?
• Common mistakes juniors make. And avoiding them.
• What to read?
• What are the organizations to join?
• Why do people switch agencies so often?
• Moving to another agency.
• Working internationally.

Creative.

Australian Eric Bertuccio offers tips on working abroad.

• Do you have to go to a “portfolio school?”
• If you do go, when’s the best time?
• How do you know if an idea is good or bad?

In summary.

• Things we expect you to know.
• Stuff we wish we’d known when we were in your position.
• How we got into advertising.
• Sources of inspiration.

And much, much more.