Three Organizations That’ll Allow You Garner Advertising Experience Around Campus
Alec Kuznitsky
It’s nerve-wracking applying for advertising-related internships and jobs when they all seem to require prior experience in the field. Fortunately, there are myriad opportunities at the University of Illinois outside of coursework that will allow you to gain hands-on experience in the advertising field. Here are three instances of organizations that offer these invaluable opportunities.
3.) Communication Internship Program:
The Department of Communication at Illinois has a program that offers job/internship experience to U of I students in various fields. Contrary to popular belief, the internship opportunities offered by the Department of Communication are not exclusively for students in the Communication major. Students in the College of Media are equally eligible for these opportunities. Many of the internships offered provide experience in the advertising field.
If you’re eager to accumulate some field experience around campus, look no further. Those interested should click this link for additional information on the program and internships offered.
2.) The Black Sheep:
The Black Sheep is a startup media company and publication that produces predominantly satirical content for college students. The publication is known mostly for its humorous staffwriters; however, other positions are offered that will help an individual garner advertising experience. The Black Sheep is always hiring for social media management and advertising coordinator positions.
There is no better way to garner social media and/or advertising experience than with a startup media company whose user-base and content is predominantly online. The world as we know it is constantly being reshaped by evolving technology. Therefore, garnering advertising field experience through The Black Sheep is an opportunity you’d be ill- advised to miss out on.
1.) American Advertising Federation:
Yes, you can garner advertising experience through the American Advertising Federation (AAF).
Who would’ve thought? The AAF at Illinois is the largest chapter in the nation and has several
agencies that cover every base for students interested in advertising. A few of these agencies are Midnight Oil, CTRL+V, and Adbuzz.
Midnight Oil is a full-service advertising agency within
AAF that does client work for local businesses in the Champaign-Urbana area. An application
and a phone interview are required to join the agency, but the advertising field experience that
the agency can provide is invaluable. CTRL+V is a full-service production house that requires an
application to join, but is perfect for advertising students specifically interested in producing
videos, Photoshop graphics, and other forms of media. Adbuzz is a full-service public relations
agency that does not require an application, but will provide equally useful writing and public
relations experience. There are plenty more agencies and avenues of AAF to explore than the
ones we’ve listed, so if you’re a U of I student interested in advertising, go out and see all that
AAF has to offer!
This is hardly the extent of the ways through which you can gain expertise/knowledge in the advertising industry at Illinois. These great opportunities alone hardly scratch the surface of the limitless possibilities available for Illinois students. You could either start at our suggestions or do research to find other organizations interested in hiring advertising students around campus.
You’ve got this!